"This is a terrible idea," Kazimir said, tucking his hands into the crooks of his elbows.

"Have more faith in me," Emmett grinned, parking across from the mayor's penthouse. "When's that fucker ever gonna open his home up to us again? Never. Hell, we're already unexpected guests."

How did Emmett come up with such insane ideas? Kazimir never would understand how he remained so casual and joking when they suspected the man might be behind Mal's murder. Just the thought made him shiver. They were about to trespass inside a potential killer's home. At least he wasn't lying about visiting the mayor anymore, but he didn't like Emmett associating with him.

Clad in a suit and overcoat with polished dress shoes, Emmett slipped out onto the sidewalk like a cat prowling the streets. Kazimir scurried to catch up with him, fidgeting with the tie around his neck as they crossed the street. Despite Emmett's protests, he wore his regular old converse and when they reached those stairs, he was grateful for his decision. He'd never understand how people wore those tight-fitted dress shoes for long periods of time. They had to be psychopaths with atrocious blisters on their feet.

"What if he forces us off the property?" Kazimir asked, brushing his shoulder up against Emmett's. "He's not going to be thrilled about you showing up like this. That text said to wait outside until everyone's gone."

"And make a huge scene in front of these snobs? Nah, but I'm sure he'll be pissed," Emmett replied.

"That doesn't sound good." Kazimir gulped, swallowing painfully as he rubbed at his neck. The soreness in his throat dwindled, yet it left a drying in his mouth.

"You don't need to worry about him, sweetheart." Emmett hooked his arm around Kazimir's, pulling him close. "That piece of shit won't do anything. I won't let him."

The confidence that oozed off Emmett didn't rub off on Kazimir. As they approached the entrance of the house, he considered turning back around. Why did he always let himself get sucked into Emmett's schemes? One of these days he'd learn to resist him. Let him get himself killed. But Kazimir knew, deep down, that he'd be willing to follow Emmett down into the fiery pits of hell. Damn his poor soul.

Cold air brushed against Kazimir when he stepped into the corridor. He felt the inquisitive glares from the guests on him as he kept his head lowered to his black dress slacks. Coming there was a mistake. Someone would escort them off the property soon. They didn't belong there.

In spite of their stares, Emmett marched across the room like he'd lived there his whole life. He even snatched himself a glass of wine and piece of cheese from the platter laid out on the table.

"Where is he?" Kazimir asked softly, nudging his lover's elbow.

"Good question." Emmett scanned the roomful of people, polishing off the rest of his cheese. "Let me ask around, see if anyone knows when this meeting's supposed to start."

"Won't that make us stick out?" Kazimir gazed around like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Those rich folks intimidated him. Their flashy outfits and crude laughter reminded him how unfortunate he really was. They looked down on people like him.

"Nah, just follow my lead."

Despite the anxiety that churned in his stomach, Kazimir trailed behind Emmett as he approached an older woman. He just nodded along to anything Emmett claimed. Finally, the woman explained that he should be down with his wife and kids soon.

"Even their daughter, Jules?" Emmett asked in an exaggerated tone. "I heard she'd been in some trouble lately."

She shook her head. "Such a tragedy, yes. But she's doing better. I've got a sixth sense for these matters. Always knew she was a junkie."

Emmett's eyes twinkled and lips curved in an amused smile. "Really, now? Pray tell, how do you know?"

The old lady leaned close, as if telling Emmett an important secret. "I can sniff them out a mile away." She tapped her nose, chuckling as she drew back.

Kazimir just stood by while Emmett chatted, masquerading the part so easily, it was hard not to notice he didn't belong with their crowd. Just being in that room sent chills across Kazimir's spine. Someone would report them soon. They needed to hurry and get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

"We should be careful. You heard that woman, right? She'll find out about us," Kazimir said, once out of earshot.

"That woman can't even smell her own bullshit," Emmett scoffed. "Or her rancid perfume."

"Just don't be reckless," Kazimir whispered. "We can't make a scene."

Emmett draped an arm around his shoulders, leaning close to his ear. "Don't be so nervous, sweetheart. They stand no chance against me. I could kill them all and get away with it."

"Shut up." Kazimir instinctively went to clamp a hand over Emmett's mouth. Lowering his voice, he asked in a sharp tone, "Do you want to go to jail? You can't say shit like that."

In response, Emmett licked his palm and smirked when he yanked it away. Jeez, what the hell was with him?

"Why do you care so much about what these people think?" Emmett asked, eyebrow craned.

"I don't. It's just, I don't want them to be suspicious. We need to blend in."

Their hushed conversation in the corner of the room caught the attention of some elderly women. When Kazimir's nervous gaze glued to theirs, he knew he'd royally screwed up. They had to know. It wouldn't be long until Mayor Kaufman came down and called the police on them.

Emmett side-eyed the woman before caressing Kazimir's cheek, staring lovingly into his bewildered, brown eyes. What was he planning now? Kazimir tried to focus on Emmett, yet his gaze strayed to the gossiping women pointing toward them. What were they saying? Did they realize who they were?

A peck on the lips stole Kazimir's attention. He tasted sweet and sinful, enough to let him get sucked up into the moment for just a few seconds. Reality crashed down painfully hard as Kazimir reeled back, daubing his mouth with the back of his hand. How daring was that man? Kissing him with tongue in the middle of a town meeting with a bunch of uptight, fancy, religious folks? Emmett surely lost all his sanity long ago.

"What the hell?" Kazimir rasped.

"Oh, look." Emmett gestured toward the stairs. "Here he comes."

A warm, welcoming smile graced the man's face before he reached the last step. He frowned, focusing on Emmett, who gave him a little wave and popped another piece of cheese in his mouth. Kazimir only wished he knew what the mayor was thinking as he made his way into the room. Nothing good, he was sure.

When the actual meeting began, Kazimir struggled not to doze off. Things they deemed important in New Syracuse mattered little to him. Most of their topics he didn't understand or just didn't care enough to listen properly to. Meanwhile, Emmett remained hyper focused and even contributed some suggestions occasionally.

Sometimes Kazimir forgot how he had a business degree. Watching him speak amongst that group of adults showed him just how skillful Emmett truly was. It was a remarkable thing for him to build his gang up from scratch, using other local businesses to keep the town afloat, all while dabbling in his drug trade.

Kazimir only paid attention when Emmett spoke. It wasn't like he had anything to contribute to their conversations, nor would his opinion matter much. When they touched on the topic of vandalism, Kazimir tensed in his seat, slouching slightly as he kept his head down.

What if they recognized him? Kazimir never created his graffiti pieces with his real name, but paranoia gnawed at him. They needed to hurry up and leave. Kazimir didn't like being so close to Mayor Kaufman and the people he associated with.

Soon enough, they concluded their discussions and let people mingle amongst the corridor. Kazimir noticed Mayor Kaufman chatting with some elderly women. He hoped they'd be able to get through their transaction with him, but Emmett had other plans in mind.

"Come on." He tugged on Kazimir's arm, glancing behind them to ensure the mayor didn't notice them slip away. "We gotta be quick."

Kazimir groaned, whispering in a hushed voice, "Where are you going? We're gonna get caught."

"Shh." Emmett pressed a finger to his lips as he led them up the stairwell, careful not to alert the others. Once at the top, he released him and hurried to check each door on the second floor.

"What are you looking for?" Kazimir asked, desperately chasing after him. He kept glancing back, expecting someone to catch them in the act.

"His office," Emmett replied.

"Is it even up here?"

"Yeah, Jules mentioned it to Mal once," Emmett explained. "Told him how he spends all his time locked away in there."

"But she didn't specify what room it was, did she?"

"Nope, that's my problem. And we need to hurry. Someone's going to notice we're missing. Especially Kaufman."

Finally, they located the mayor's office. Kazimir followed Emmet inside, taking in the tidy desk with a laptop perched on top. Specks of moonlight poured in through the closed curtains as Kazimir watched his lover scour every crevice of the room. What the hell was he looking for? This wasn't just a simple snoop around. Emmett wanted something. What did he not tell him?

Emmett rounded the desk, tapping on the laptop mouse. The screen came to life as a mischievous grin danced on Emmett's lips. He met Kazimir's gaze. "He left it logged on. Dumb bastard."

"We don't have much time," Kazimir warned. "Someone's gonna notice we're gone and then they'll search for us."

"I'll be quick, don't worry." Emmett dismissed him.

What did he want with the mayor's laptop? Was there evidence of his crimes hidden on it? Kazimir checked his phone, worries surmounting with each passing minute. They needed to get the hell out of there. He paced in front of the desk, biting on his nails.

"Jesus fucking Christ."

Kazimir froze. "What? Did you find something?"

"Don't look at this. You stay right where you're at." Emmett's tone grew stern; expressing a bewildered mix of hatred in his glower and uneasiness.

"What's on there?" Kazimir asked. "Did you find dead bodies or something?"

Before Emmett had a chance to answer, the office door creaked open. Mayor Kaufman's wife entered, quietly closing the door behind her. Amusement sparked in her eyes when she locked it, confronting them with a pistol she pulled from her little clutch bag.

"Step away from the laptop," she instructed.

Kazimir gulped painfully, backing up against the edge of the desk with his hands raised in surrender. A desperate glance at Emmett had his heart throbbing. Please, for the love of God, don't do anything reckless. Kazimir didn't want to die there.

"You think that pathetic little thing scares me?" Emmett scoffed, coming out from behind the desk. "Go on, shoot us. Splatter our blood across your husband's office. My guys know we're here. The moment they learn of our deaths, the cops will be so far up your ass."

She clicked her tongue, keeping the gun aimed directly at Emmett's chest. Nothing indicated she'd hesitate to pull the trigger. Kazimir took in his surroundings, searching for a potential weapon. He knew his lover too well. Surrendering wasn't an option. Only fighting back.

With her focus solely on Emmett, Kazimir inched his hand across the desk. His fingers brushed against the little table lamp's cord. With a gentle tug, he wrapped his hand around the glass base. It was a terrible idea, one that might get them killed. But he had Emmett to blame for this mess.

Kazimir charged at the mayor's wife and whacked her in the side of the head with the lamp. Glass shards rained down on them as she cried out in pain. In an instant, Emmett pushed past him and reached out for her gun. His lithe movements barely registered to Kazimir as he sliced her arm with his switchblade.

Droplets of blood painted a trail across the office as she staggered back against the wall. They wrestled for possession of the gun. Kazimir could only watch, frozen in place while they clawed at each other's faces and flailed to get free.

During their fight, the gun soared across the floor and Kazimir instinctively rushed over to grab it. But he didn't have a clear shot. Did he even want to shoot her? Kill another person? The gunshot would be heard by everyone else downstairs, and the last thing they needed was to be caught.

Everything went to hell. How would they escape a murder charge under these conditions? Kazimir's mind worked on overdrive, trying to piece together a plan to keep them out of prison. There was no choice but to kill the mayor's wife, but what had Emmett found out about her?

Temptation led Kazimir over to the laptop while they fought. Emmett had the upper hand anyhow, and it wasn't like she'd survive the knife wounds he'd already inflicted to her abdomen and neck. All Kazimir had to do was open the laptop and the videos Emmett uncovered popped up. There had to be hundreds of them, all labeled by an initial and date.

Kazimir moved the mouse over one, hovering over the thumbnail of a small child before playing the video on mute. The disgusting scene that unraveled in front of him made him nauseous. When Mayor Kaufman's wife joined her husband on the video, he slammed the laptop shut and reeled back, clamping a hand over his mouth.

They were creating child pornography. Maybe they sold it too? Kazimir wasn't sure, as he couldn't stomach the mere thought of filming such filth.

"I told you not to look at that shit, sweetheart." Emmett stepped over the wife's dead, bleeding body. Blood soaked through his tuxedo jacket as he wedged his knife back into his pocket. Crimson flecks dotted his porcelain face.

"They were involved with... They did those awful things."

"I know. Here, get away from the computer." Emmett rested a hand on Kazimir's shoulder, gently guiding him away. "You know what this is meeting really is now, don't you? You know what we have to do."

Kazimir glanced over at the dead woman on the floor. "How will we get her out of here without anyone noticing?"

"You're too precious for this shitty world, Kaz." Emmett gave him such a sweet, innocent smile. "Now, get outside in the front yard for me. Ignore everyone. Keep that gun hidden in your pocket, okay? And if by chance, someone bolts out the door, you shoot them in the head."

"Are you insane?" Kazimir gasped. "You don't really expect to kill everyone here, do you? What if-"

"No one leaves here alive. I was wrong about what this group is," Emmett said. "I thought they dabbled in hardcore drugs. Turns out it's a lot worse. The only way to stop the circulation is to kill everyone involved. It never erases what happened, but it's a slow start."

"Who are the kids in those videos?" Kazimir asked softly. "Where did they find them?"

"I don't know. Could be family members, friends of their kids. Anyone." Emmett shrugged. "Just hurry and get outside. We don't have much time. They'll be looking for this bitch. When the cops come, I want them to find that laptop. This will make headlines. I'll make damn sure of it."