More Than Meets the Eye - Page 134
“My name is Sami.I know you know that, and I know you enjoy being a racist piece of shit, but I will not stand for it any longer.”
Baz’s heart swelled.That was his man.
“I’ll explain everything.Have a seat, Ian.”
Baz pulled out a chair for him lest Ian’s look of disdain festered into something darker.
A muscle feathered across Ian’s jaw.He eyed up the seat as if he expected a poison dart to be sticking out of it, but, ever the most arrogant, god-complex-ridden person in any room, he sat down.
Baz picked up the paper preset on his desk and cleared his throat.
“Dear Mr.Terell.It is unfortunate that the opposition has declined all further settlement negotiations.”
Ian sat up in his seat.“What is this?”
“We implore you to do what is needed to re-open communication channels and keep the press away.We are willing to increase our previous authorized maximum by two million dollars.”Baz lowered the page.“Speaks for itself, don’t you think?And there’s more where that came from.You’ve been one naughty lawyer, Ian.”
“You little rat,” Ian growled, hurled himself out of his chair toward Sami.Baz jumped between them and held Ian away, hand against his chest.
“Calm down.We wouldn’t want to add physical assault to your charges, would we?”
Ian swatted his arm away but stayed put.“You’re bluffing.”
Spoken like a drowning man clinging to a broken lifesaver.
“Am I?”
“You’re trying to blackmail me into accepting your settlement offer.Fine.I got power of attorney.I’ll sign whatever you want as long as this stays between us.”
Sami sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.Baz felt his forearm on his shoulder.“Small correction.Youhadpower of attorney.And you’re late.At this very moment, Captain Green is meeting with Aya to settle for the eighty-four million Baz asked for weeks ago.”
“A settlement offer they were previously unaware of,” Baz carried on.“Isn’t that odd?The ABA certainly thought it was interesting.”
The light ran from Ian’s twitching eye, sucked into the black hole of reality they had opened.His trembling hand clenched into a fist; the very picture of a once powerful man who just realized he lost, destroyed by his delusions of grandeur.Delicious.
“You made a huge mistake.If I go down, I will drag him down with me!”Ian barked, much like a toddler throwing a tantrum would.
“Yeah.Except, what was it you signed this morning, Sami?”
“Oh, just a silly deal with the State’s Attorney.Immunity in exchange for incriminating information about the bigger fish.My ex-boss.”
“That’s it.Thanks, hayati.”
“You’re so welcome, honey.”
Ian shook his head; the movement grew more frantic by the second.He took a step back and, just like every fallen man before him, ran—out of the office and into the arms of Lieutenant Jack Hadley.
Baz imagined hearing the click of the handcuffs fastening around Ian’s wrists, how his dad recited Ian’s rights.
Ian threw a poisonous glance at them as Jack pushed him to move.
Oh, Baz would sleep well tonight.
Jack gave him a thumbs up through the window, and Baz found himself smiling at him in return.Giving him a second chance was already worth it for this.
A gentle touch traced down his arm.Sami’s hand slid into his.He craned his neck to rest his chin on Baz’s shoulder, giggling lightly.They could do better than that.He pulled Sami off the desk and into his arms.
“Well done.Now you truly are a free man.”
