Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
I’d spent enough of my life trying to impress my own father before finally wising up and leaving him behind. And here I’d fallen into the exact same pattern but with a different father figure.
Third, I was fucking done with Dick Sr.’s bullshit. To the point I even surprised myself.
“By the way, the Gilley family probably would have closed the deal for half the amount you were offering,” I said, cutting Dick Sr. off mid-sentence.
He froze, mouth half-open, and then turned his head slowly toward me. He was still smiling, but there was rage in his eyes. He was not a man who was accustomed to being interrupted. Especially not by a subordinate like me. “Excuse me?”
I shrugged. “I tried to warn you that rushing the deal wouldn’t be in your best financial interest but…”
I could sense the sudden interest in those standing around us. I knew these men well. They might stand around in circles and exchange polite conversation and pretend to be friends, but all of that disappeared the moment they smelled blood in the water.
Half of negotiating was bluster, and bluster was entirely dependent on perception. Dick Sr. was known as a hard-assed negotiator. If word got around that his reputation wasn’t entirely deserved, it would give his competitors an edge in future dealings.
“I mean, it was totally your call to set the price you’d pay so high,” I continued. “Which is understandable. When there’s a property you really want, you’re going to pay what it takes, right?”
Dick Sr.’s mouth started opening and closing, his cheeks turning a violent purple. He looked for all the world like a fish flapping around on deck, desperate for air.
I grinned coldly, pressing my attack. “The Gilleys may not have been all that sophisticated, but they still took you for a ride. Got you to double your offer in two days. If you’d been willing to wait a day or two, you’d have actually gotten the property for a real steal. As it stands, you paid market value. Maybe a little more, honestly.”
Dick Sr. turned to Richard, who still stood with his arm looped through mine. “Get this man away from me.”
Richard started tugging at my arm, but I yanked free of him. Then I shot my cuffs and rolled my shoulders, standing tall and keeping my jaw firm. “No need to drag me away, I’ll happily leave on my own. And in case it wasn’t clear, Mr. Dunning, I’m firing you as my client.”
I glanced around at the other men, who all stood with various expressions of shock and glee. I’d chummed the waters pretty good, and they knew it. I nodded at them, turned on my heel, and started across the rotunda in search of Sawyer.
Richard caught up to me, grabbing my elbow and spinning me to face him. “What the fuck was that all about?”
My hands were shaking with adrenaline, and I blew out a breath, trying to calm my racing heart. “Your father’s an asshole.”
He rolled his eyes. “I know that, but still…” He glanced over his shoulder at where his father stood, his face purple and hands gesticulating wildly as he talked, likely trying to salvage his reputation at my expense. I was either going to wake up in the morning to a dozen calls asking for my representation or to the news that I’d been let go from my firm and would never work in this town again.
Frankly, I wasn’t sure which outcome I preferred. So long as I woke up in Sawyer’s arms, it didn’t matter.
When Richard’s eyes met mine again, there was a trace of amusement in them. “I’ve never heard anyone speak to my father that way,” he said in a lowered voice.
I couldn’t believe I’d talked to him that way either. “Perhaps that’s why he’s such a pompous jerk.”
“Was it fun?”
I couldn’t stop a hint of a smile from appearing. I had been pretty awesome. “Yeah, it actually kind of was.”
He shook his head. “Man, I’ve always dreamed of standing up to him like that.”
“You should,” I told him, being completely serious.
He brushed the comment aside, though there was a hint of regret in his expression. “You know he’s going to do his best to ruin you, right?” He seemed genuinely concerned.
“He can try,” I told him. “But honestly, at the end of the day it’s just a job and I can find another one. There are some things more important than work and money.”
He tilted his head to the side, considering me. “You talking about your new boyfriend?”
I nodded absently, glancing around the room and scanning the galleries above, searching for the familiar head of dirty-blond hair. Maybe he’d gone to the bathroom? An anxious feeling began to take root in my stomach. I shouldn’t have left him on his own for so long. This wasn’t his scene, wasn’t even his town, and I’d just thrown him into the deep end hoping he could manage. What if he’d gotten overwhelmed? What if it was too much?