Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103719 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103719 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
“So to what do I owe this pleasure, Miss C.P. Phalen.”
“You asked for this face-to-face, not me.”
“Did I? Perhaps your scheduling people were confused.”
“They weren’t, and stop playing games. It’s boring. You have the data. You know what the price is. What are you going to do about it.”
A brow rose. “Your arrogance is well known in our industry, but I find it a surprise nonetheless. Do you honestly think you can just demand whatever you want and someone will give it to you—”
“The protocol works. What’s your price, Gunnar.”
“It works in the lab.” His pale eyes narrowed in a way that emphasized his hawk-like features. “It’s early days for you, Phalen. And you’ve been in the R&D business long enough to not let optimism and a profit motive cloud your judgment.”
“What a relief for you, then.”
The left eye twitched. “How so.”
“There are many ahead of you in line, so you don’t have to get tangled up in my delusion. Or did you think you were the only one who’s interested in Vita.”
“I am the one who can pay the most.”
“Money isn’t everything.”
“Then why did you come down here to talk to me.”
“Due diligence. I wanted to see if you were still the asshole I remembered.” She tilted forward and lowered her voice for a beat. “You haven’t disappointed me. Guess I’m one of the first women who’s been alone with you to say that.”
“Petty insults are beneath an intellect like yours.”
“If it’s so petty, why are you flushing like that? And I know what you’ve been saying about me behind my back. I’m flattered you want to come on my tits, but I’ll turn down the kind invitation. Thanks.”
During the pause that followed, she was glad to get the sexual shit out of the way. Misogynists usually led with either a you’re-stupid or a cross-the-line-with-harassment move. Maybe now the two of them could get down to the substance.
“Tell me, Phalen,” he murmured. “Why are you selling such a valuable piece of business?”
C.P. crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s just one more drug in my pipeline.”
“I think you’re lying.”
He was right, of course.
With a shrug, she said, “And you have an easy solution here. Don’t make an offer. It’s just that simple.”
“You’re punching over your weight.” He mimicked fisticuffs. “And before you argue with me, I wouldn’t have come to this meeting if I were you. Don’t you know the first rule of negotiating? ‘He who states his terms first loses.’ ”
“I have another meeting at nine. Give me a price and we can talk. Otherwise, I’m leaving.”
Rhobes sat forward so fast, it was like his chair was spring-loaded. “MD Anderson can’t be a buyer. You’re too underground for them.”
“You do know what Vita is, right? It’s a radical new approach to immunotherapy for certain cancers. Have you read Anderson’s annual report? Been to one of their events? They’re not a diabetes center, you realize.”
“Your Vita is untested. You haven’t had it in a single patient’s vein.”
“Yes, I have. And the trial results are exactly what we expected.”
Gunnar blinked, another one of his subtle tells. “Well, then you have a problem. How will a place like Anderson explain that you’ve gone into testing on human subjects. And if the results were good, why aren’t they in your materials.”
“They’re proprietary.”
“Like the formulation and molecular structure, right?” He whipped his hand through the air like he was erasing text he didn’t like. “Anderson won’t pay what I will. And they aren’t going to want the complication you represent.”
“And what complication is that? If it’s operating under the radar of the FDA, you’re in my sandbox, too, so don’t get all judgmental on me.”
“My labs are all very well-known—”
“Tuttle. Pennsylvania.” C.P. smiled coldly as the man’s face froze. “Yes, I know what’s under that cornfield. So if your next tactic is blackmail? You muscle me, I’ll just expose you as well, and we all know how you don’t like the attention on your company.” When he opened his mouth, she put her palm up. “And I know one more thing about the way you operate. What happened to those two vice presidents of yours? Suicide? Really? I’ll bet if those cold cases got a couple of tips, particularly if the information turned up on the internet, the trails would get real warm, real quick. Have you seen Don’t Fuck with Cats on Netflix? Amateurs can be even more dogged than the pros.”
“Don’t threaten me,” he said in a nasty tone.
C.P. planted her hands on the glossy table, and leaned into her arms. “Don’t fuck with me.”
The silence crackled between them, and she almost smiled. She was quite certain that if he could have, he’d have sent her right out one of the windows, and she took a deep breath of the hatred-stained air.
Straightening, she walked down the length of the table, not breaking eye contact. As she approached where he was sitting, Rhobes swiveled in her direction.