Page 102 of Velvet Corruption

I let him.

The election night party was madness. People hugged and shouted and tossed more champagne into the air. It rained down on us, cold and sticky, but I didn’t care. I laughed, caught up in the madness of it, the incredible, unbelievable madness.

I had barely sat down all night. I had barely caught my breath. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except this, except the truth of it, except the victory that we had worked so hard to claim.

The demands came faster than I could keep up with, the voices and the bodies and the cameras all fighting for space, for attention. My heart raced. My pulse pounded. I could barely keep up, but I didn’t care. I let it happen. I let it carry me away.

Julian stuck close with Rosie. Mayor Sloane was there with Camille too, and Alek kept his usual post at my side, arms crossed, watching the room like he expected someone to pull a gun on me right here in the middle of all these people.

He had been on edge ever since that phone call, ever since he found out that the man I put away was back on the streets—the one that prompted Alek to gift me a gun and a celebratory cake. It was contentious—but fuck it. I had won then. I won now.

Julian checked his watch, already shifting Rosie higher on his hip. She was half-asleep against his shoulder, thumb tucked into her mouth, curls sticking to his jacket. He gave me a look—one of those you should wrap this up looks that he wore so well.

I stepped down from the stage, brushing confetti off my skirt, and kissed her forehead. “Be good for Daddy, okay? No homework. It’s a celebration.”

Julian raised his brows. “Don’t make me revoke your authority, Madam DA.”

I smirked. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I would,” he said dryly. “But only after bedtime.”

Rosie reached out to touch my face, blinking up at me. “See you tomorrow, Mami.”

“I love you, baby,” I whispered. “Go get some sleep.”

Julian nodded to Alek, then disappeared into the crowd, Rosie’s head drooping against his chest.

I watched Julian, Sloane and Camille leave with her, disappearing into the crowd, Rosie’s laughter echoing back to me as they went. It was the perfect end to a perfect night, and I wanted to hold onto that feeling. I wanted to stay in this moment, to let it stretch and stretch until it was all I knew.

Alek didn’t give me the chance. He was there before I could blink, his hand gripping my shoulder, his expression tight.

“Ruby.”

I exhaled, dragging my gaze from the group of donors I had been half-listening to. “Not now,” I said.

“Now,” he countered. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I need you to be careful.”

“Aren’t we supposed to be celebrating? Don’t you ever stop to celebrate? You did this. You got me elected.”

“Yes,” he said. “I’ll celebrate as soon as I know you’re safe.”

“I am safe, Alek. I’m careful.”

“You need to be more careful. We still don’t know Russell’s whereabouts.”

“He’s not the first parolee who’s escaped,” I said. “And definitely not the first one who’s come after me.”

“He’s the only one that had pictures of you in his cell with your eyes scratched out.”

“He was probably bored. I’ve heard prison is incredibly boring.”

“Ruby, I’m serious.”

“Alek—”

He cut me off, his voice low and insistent. “You can’t ignore this, Ruby. Not now.”

I sighed, rubbing my temple. The adrenaline still buzzed in my veins, but the exhaustion was catching up fast. “I know you’re worried. I know. But nothing’s going to happen. We won, okay? This is over.”

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