Free Any Way You Want It by Maureen Smith Page A

a dark alley and dragging the blade of his KA-BAR knife across the man’s throat. Slowly, so the bastard would see the promise of his own death in Remy’s eyes before he took his last breath.
    Yeah, he hated the guy that much.
    Watching the play of emotions across his face, Keegan observed dryly, “I take it there’s no love lost between you and the alderman.”
    “Let’s just say I’d sooner vote for Osama bin Laden than Landis Kennedy,” Remy muttered darkly.
    “I see.” Keegan eyed him knowingly. “Your animosity wouldn’t have anything to do with your long-standing friendship with Kennedy’s daughter, would it?”
    Remy regarded Keegan for a long moment, then leaned forward in his chair and asked in a very low voice, “What’s this about, Lieutenant?”
    The air crackled between the two men as they stared at each other.
    Keegan was the first to glance away, his lips pressed into a thin line. “The reason I came here today is to tell you that the mayor knows about Zandra Kennedy, and he’s planning to use her escort agency against her father.”
    Remy scowled. “That’s ridiculous. Zandra has nothing to do with the old man. She hasn’t seen or spoken to him in ten years.”
    Keegan gave a snort of grim laughter. “Since when has that ever mattered in politics? Look how they tried to crucify Obama over his illegal immigrant aunt. It didn’t matter that he really didn’t know that poor woman. She was fair game, and so is Zandra Kennedy.”
    Remy clenched his jaw, his gut churning with dread. The last thing he wanted was Zandra’s good name and reputation being dragged through the mud of Chicago politics. She’d be savaged by her father’s campaign rivals and the media, who would cast her in the same sleazy tabloid light as Heidi Fleiss and the D.C. Madam.
    “The mayor wants me to hire a private investigator to find out if Zandra’s escorts are engaging in prostitution,” Keegan explained. “He wants the smoking gun that will torpedo Kennedy’s candidacy. That’s why I came to you.”
    Remy glared at him. “If you think I’m going to investigate Zandra’s agency behind her back,” he growled, “think again.”
    Keegan gave him a level look. “If you turn me down, Norwood will hire another firm. Can you guarantee that no illegal behavior will be uncovered?”
    Remy frowned, remembering how Roderick and Lena met. She’d been one of Zandra’s escorts, and she’d slept with Roderick on their first date. Though they wound up falling madly in love and getting married, their relationship demonstrated that it was possible for any of Zandra’s girls to break the rules on any given night.
    “I’m giving you an opportunity to protect Zandra from potential scandal,” Keegan continued. “If you investigate her agency and uncover any wrongdoing, then you can warn her to get her house in order before it’s too late. But you have to do it by the book, Brand,” he added sternly. “You can’t tip her off about the investigation. You need to get legitimate results—good or bad. Covering up the truth will only hurt Zandra in the long run.”
    The knot in Remy’s gut pulled tighter. He knew Keegan was right, but damn it, he hated the idea of going behind Zandra’s back to investigate her agency. It was the ultimate breach of trust, and she’d never forgive him if she found out.
    “I can’t do it,” he said flatly.
    Keegan frowned. “Brand—”
    “If my investigation reveals that her escorts are having sex with clients, then what? You’ll report back to the mayor, he’ll go public and Zandra will suffer the repercussions.” Remy shook his head. “I can’t do that to her.”
    Keegan looked him in the eye. “You have my word that I won’t report any damaging information to Norwood.”
    Remy frowned in confusion. “Then what the hell is the point of all this?”
    “To appease the mayor. When he’s got his sights set on something, there’s no moving the target.” Keegan’s