The man seated across me in the restaurant returned my dispassionate stare with an openly curious one.
When one has spent years dealing with the rich and privileged, one eventually learns to pick them out from a crowd.
Not all of them stood out at first glance. Some wore their false modesty like a second skin. It proved they were above the pettiness of caring what others thought of them.
Charles Presley was that kind of man. He was in the business of law, my predecessor in the industry, with the reputation of being one of the sharpest attorneys in the country.
He was in his eighties and wore every year of his age like a badge of honor that he had lived this long and thrived. His light-gray suit and deep green silk scarf were simple but well-made. His skin was translucent and papery, and his slicked white hair gave him a distinguished air that had been carefully cultivated over decades.
I rather thought it made him look colorless. Nonetheless, the effect was successful, because beneath that distinguished air, Charles was a prolific lecher with a preference for girls a quarter his age. He also had a cruel streak a mile wide, which made him a formidable opponent in court. That was lucky for his clients—not so much for the ones around him.
Charles gave the signal for the waiter to come over.
“What’s for tonight?” he asked.
“Langoustine Carpaccio with mandarin dressing for starters, sir, followed by roast beef with red wine and truffle vinaigrette, and lemon meringue to finish.”
“Very good. I’ll have that.”
The waiter inclined his head and addressed me. “Sir?”
“A glass of Pinot Noir.”
Charles raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Not hungry?”
“Small talk’s not my forte,” I returned smoothly. “I’d much rather cut to the chase.”
“Do you, now?” Charles remarked. He wore a smile that belied his skepticism. “Your reputation precedes you in these circles, Valentine. You’re a chameleon, an unpredictable one, admittedly, but you can play any role that strikes your mood. Can’t you humor an old man for an evening?”
I studied him idly, not bothering to hide my disinterest. “I can, but I don’t see why I should.”
“Those are the words of a petulant child.”
“Or of a someone who’s tired of pointless chit-chat. Let’s get on with it, Presley, the reason why we’re here.”
Charles laughed quietly. There was an uncanny intelligence in his pale eyes that had once been blue before age leached the color from them.
“Forget the dinner,” he told the waiter. “A glass for me too.”
We exchanged no words until the waiter returned.
“The year, sir.” The waiter showed the wine label to Charles, then to me.
Charles nodded. “Go ahead.”
The waiter poured two glasses and took his leave.
I picked mine up and held it to the light, closing an eye to take in the opacity of the wine. “I believe my secretary has presented you with my terms.”
“She has. Your terms are very thorough—and very steep. You’re driving a hard bargain.”
“I’m not here to haggle like a flea market vendor, Charles. Buy my firm or someone else will. I really don’t give a shit who it ends up with as long as it’s off my plate.”
Charles’ gaze was sharp. “Financial troubles, Valentine?”
“Hardly. We’re more profitable than we’ve ever been, and our growth exceeds that of top-tier firms in the country.” I took a sip, taking my time to swirl the wine on my tongue. “But surely you’ve taken a look at our numbers. You already know that.”
There was no purpose in pretending otherwise, and Charles knew that too.
“I have,” he conceded. “Very impressive for such a young firm. What I don’t understand is why you’re selling.”
“A whim.”
Charles’ pale eyes watched me closely. “You may do things in eccentric ways, Valentine, but never without reason. Tell me, how many others have you approached for this sale?”
“Enough that I’m confident my terms will be met. If not by you, then by someone else.”
“Who’s the one bargaining now?” Charles countered. “I won’t be pushed into making an offer, Valentine.”
My lips curved. I wouldn’t have to push; he was desperate to offer. This wasn’t something he could pass up, a fact I’d discovered through several connections.
I said nothing and waited for him to fill the silence.
“You’ll want someone capable of taking your company further.” Charles eyed me shrewdly. “I’ll wager that Axe & Presley is more established than anyone else you’ve approached.”
I’d wager that too. The organization was founded over a century ago by Charles’ grandfather. Through sheer age alone, A&P had become one of the largest firms in the industry.
Unfortunately for Charles, that wasn’t always a good thing.
“Your firm is a force to be reckoned with,” he continued, oblivious that I had already done my homework on him. “But to keep growing, you’ll need my resources to bring it to its fullest potential. Your terms state that a portion of shares will remain under your name. Any increase in future value of your firm will mean substantial earnings for you.”
“I know finance, Presley, you don’t have to spell it out for me.”
He must have thought that I was in personal debt with a deadline to liquidate my assets.
In truth, I didn’t care how much I got. I would have set the ownership documents on fire if that could rid me of it. That was how eager I was to leave America.
More than ever I needed to be gone. Karin wouldn’t relent, that much I had discerned. She was stubborn as all hell, and she wouldn’t stop until she got hold of that flash drive.
I’d proved to be completely hopeless against her anyway. It seemed to be a given now that whenever I was near Karin, I’d lose all my senses. Every fortification I built fell down like flimsy cardboard at her mere touch, and this afternoon was evidence of that.
I glanced at the darkening street outside the window where a light snow was falling. Cool resolve settled over me.
Dragging this out would only hurt Karin and destroy me. I had to disappear.
“I’m not here to negotiate terms, Presley. Take it or your rivals will.”
Charles laughed heartily. “I like you, Valentine, I really like you. A pity you’re bowing out of the competition so early. You’d be damn near formidable in a few more years.” He gave me a shrewd look. “Maybe it’s a good thing for us you’re leaving.”
Tap tap.
I froze with my wine glass halfway to my lips, already knowing what I’d see when I looked at the window beside me.
I turned slowly.
Karin stood on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, cupping her hands around the glass and peering in. She was frantically mouthing something at me, her expression agitated.
Charles was shocked. “What in God’s name?”
I snapped my fingers at the waiter and tipped my head towards Karin. The waiter blanched when he saw her and sprinted out of the restaurant to escort her away.
Karin didn’t take that well, naturally, and they began to engage in a lively exchange—fervent gesturing on the part of Karin and urgent words on the waiter's.
It was fortunate that this place had excellent soundproofing. The classical piano music and tranquil atmosphere inside the restaurant remained unbroken despite the commotion outside. Charles and I sipped our wine in comfortable silence, heedless of the heated exchange on the other side of the glass right beside us.
It went on like a silent movie until finally, Karin threw her hands in the air and stormed away. I kept my eye on her because I knew she wasn’t going to give up that easily.
I was right.
Karin headed across the street to stand under a streetlight. She zipped her leather jacket up to her chin and yanked the furry hood over her head, looking like an angry Eskimo. It had to be freezing.
I narrowed my eyes.
Good. Let her freeze.
But the fool didn’t stop there. She pulled her digital tablet from her satchel and scribbled on it before holding it up.
“Please don’t do it.”
Charles frowned. “Who is that?”
“Homeless person,” I said without missing a beat. “I’d ignore her if I were you.”
“Housing prices these days.” Charles shook his head regretfully. “Back in my time, we could buy an entire street for the cost of a regular apartment now.”
“And by regular apartment, you mean a full-service suite.”
“Why yes, it’s the most basic option there is.”
I said nothing as I slid the slim folder I brought with me across the table. “First round of contracts. My assurance that I will not sign with your rivals as long as you’re gathering the resources on your end for the acquisition. I’ll give you two weeks, upon which we’ll sign an official binding one.”
Charles nodded in agreement, his imminent takeover of my company putting him in a good mood. He took the folder and began scanning the contents.
I saw flashing out the corner of my eye again. Across the street, Karin had scribbled a new message for me.
“Theo, noooooo!” The O’s at the back were a mass of squiggly conjoined circles.
I signaled to the waiter for more wine.
Charles didn’t miss the exchange between Karin and me, taking in my reaction to her with a sharp look. “That woman knows you. And about this deal, apparently.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Not at all! Rumors are good for equity.” He signed his name with a flourish and slid the folder back to me.
I scrawled my signature without a change in expression, tossing the pen on the table when I was done. “Your team may begin discussions with my secretary and finance team starting next week.”
“And you?”
“I don’t see how it’s your business.”
Charles chuckled. “You’re daring, I give you that. Most young men your age would be falling over themselves to have another meeting with me.” He studied me with interest. “This truly doesn’t matter to you?”
“You seem to think it should.”
“Because it’s your legacy.” The perception behind Charles’ pale, unblinking eyes was uncanny. “Every man must leave something of himself behind when he leaves this earth. It’s proof that he mattered. Some men do it with inventions, or with achievements. Some do it with offspring.” He smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant one. “People like us, we do it with power, the kind that will last generations after we’re gone.”
“We’re nothing alike.”
“Oh, we’re more alike than you think,” Charles assured me. His teeth shone an artificial white in the ambient lighting of the restaurant. “The thought of vanishing like you never existed… Snuffed out like an insignificant flame. It scares you, doesn't it? Being all alone in a world where no one gives a shit about you.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said stonily.
“I think you do. Being forgotten—that’s your greatest fear.” His eyes crinkled almost kindly. “It’s mine too. It drove me to make what I have today. All these things, they say, “I matter.”” His pale gaze never left mine. “And that makes me wonder. If your firm isn’t your legacy, then what’s your link to this world?”
I could guess the answer to that. “My blood.”
“You have a child? No? A sibling, then, or a parent. It’s not a bad thing, you know, to want to matter. It makes us protective. We will do anything short of murder to safe-keep our legacy, perhaps not even barring that.” Charles sat back, apparently satisfied with his analysis of me. “Your family is lucky to have you, Valentine.”
My lips twisted. What utter horseshit. Estelle would have found that statement amusing and pitiful.
I looked outside again when I saw movement. Karin had stowed her tablet away and was now huddled on the sidewalk. She glared at me as she yanked her furry parka hood lower over her head.
“She’s quite young for a homeless woman,” Charles remarked casually, his eyes suddenly taking on a gleam that made me want to smash his face in. “And quite attractive. I’d hate to think of the dangers a girl like her faces on the streets.”
I kept my expression blank. “Care to explain what you mean by that?”
“A pretty young thing like her… Never know when a powerful man might take a fancy to her. Maybe I’ll offer her a warm place to stay. My bed would be a good start.” Charles curved his mouth as he studied Karin. “She’ll thank me for it.”
I smiled, glad for an excuse to finally tell Charles what I truly thought about him. “You senile old fucker.”
His grin died. “What did you say?”
“Are you deaf in addition to being a cunt? I said, “You senile old fucker.”” I took the folder and ripped the first page out of it, the one with our signatures.
Charles stared, dumbfounded.
“First lesson for you, old man. Never assume that your prick is the definition of a good time.” I ripped the page in halves, taking perverse satisfaction in the shock on Charles’ face.
“Second lesson. Talk about her like that and you’ll pay.” I ripped the halves into quarters and laid the pieces on the desk neatly.
Charles’ skin had turned a decidedly undistinguished shade of red. “She’s your woman? Well, why didn’t you say something?”
“Then I wouldn’t have been privy to that declaration you just made, now would I?”
“You don’t want to make an enemy of me, Valentine. I could have made you a very rich man—”
“I already have more than I can spend in a lifetime. You, on the other hand… Your firm’s in trouble, isn’t it?”
Charles went deathly still, an uncharacteristic giveaway of his emotions. He hadn’t expected me to know that.
“You think I came to you because you’re the oldest firm?” I shook my head slowly. “I came to you because you’re the weakest. Your clients are leaving you for younger, smarter, cheaper partners, and your business has been on the decline for five straight years. Your top accountants have resigned, with some choosing to forgo their severance packages. My guess is that they’re fleeing to avoid legal jeopardy in the coming future. If that isn’t a clear sign of corruption at the top, I don’t know what is.”
Charles’ pale face told me I had hit the nail on the head.
I idly studied the droplets of wine on the inside of my glass, turning them so they rolled lazily along the rim. “You’re nothing but an old lion about to be taken over by the younger alphas,” I mused. “You’re desperate for my firm to give you the boost of vitality to stay competitive, and you would have signed my contract the quickest. That’s the only reason I would’ve let you have it. Good luck without it now.”
“You’re an idiot. A fucking fool—”
“And you’re as good as retired, because I’ll be taking my business to your rival.” I smiled faintly. “Bow out while you’re still standing, Presley. I’d hate for your legacy to be tainted because you were ousted by your directors. That’s a sad way to go for a powerful man.”
Charles bared his teeth in a strained smile, but his eyes were wild and furious. “I’m not someone to be trifled with, Valentine.”
“Neither am I.” I raised my glass in a toast and drained it. “Happy hunting, Charles. Enjoy it while it lasts.”
I left the restaurant and crossed the road to where Karin was crouched with her arms around her knees. Her teeth were chattering.
“What h-happened? I saw you s-sign it, but then y-you—”
I stared down at her unsympathetically. “Get up. I’m taking you home.”
“I c-can’t.”
“You’re going to do exactly as—”
“I literally can’t, I’m f-frozen. I can’t feel my legs.” She prodded her calves morosely.
“Bloody hell.” I beat off the thin layer of snow on her hood and shoulders impatiently, then sank to one knee with my back to her. “Get on.”
“You’re g-going to carry me on your back?”
I was beginning to feel ridiculous in this stooped position. “You’re welcome to walk if you prefer.”
“No, but it would be m-more romantic if you carried me in your arms—”
I made a move to get up. “Walk it is.”
“Nooo. No, I’ll get on.” Karin hiked up her skirts and clambered onto my back, her cold hands grasping my shoulders carefully.
Then she made a clicking noise with her tongue.
“Are you clicking your tongue at me?” I demanded. “Like I’m a fucking horse?”
“I’m just warming up my mouth, Theo, not everything is about you.” She wrapped her thighs around my waist, holding on tight. “Now giddy-up!”
“My god, you’re insufferable.” I held onto her legs and shifted her higher on my back. Her soft breasts pressed against me, sending heat to my cock even in the frigid cold.
“You don’t have to be so pissed about this,” she sniffed. “You wouldn’t have to do this if you didn’t ditch me earlier.”
“I wouldn’t have to do this if you had gone home instead of standing outside doing your best rendition of a snowman.”
“Humph.”
I got to my car and carefully deposited her inside. Then I got into the driver’s seat and turned the heater up full blast.
“Thanks,” Karin said, eagerly holding her hands to the vents. “Hold up. Weren't you drinking just now? You're not over the alcohol limit, are you?”
“Limits are meant to be broken, Karin.”
“Let me out!”
I rolled my eyes. “I had two fingers of wine, not nearly enough to put out a guppy.”
“You better not be lying,” she warned. “Where are we going?”
“We are not going anywhere. You are headed straight home.”
“You can’t go to Wyatt Residence,” she protested. “Ryland’s security will snitch and then Allie will kill both of us.”
“I’ll let you out a street away and you’ll walk.”
“Fine.” She slid a sidelong glance at me. “So… what happened back there? Did I finally get through to you?”
I took my time to answer as I eased the car out of the side street and into main traffic. “He said something I didn’t care for.”
“Oh? Like what?”
“None of your concern.”
“Ooh, the plot thickens.” Karin folded her arms in satisfaction. “But whatever. I don’t care why, as long as you’re not selling.”
“I still am, just not to him.”
“What! So I camped outside in the cold for nothing?”
“What does it matter to you? Isn’t the flash drive the thing you want?” I grimaced at the neediness in that statement, but thankfully Karin didn’t notice.
“It is, but Mrs Smith said you’ve been getting worse. And honestly, I’m worried.” Her hands twisted in her lap anxiously. “What will you do in London without your business to keep you busy?”
“I’ll have no lack of activities to occupy me.”
“The dangerous kind! Theo, the way you’re living isn’t good for you. If you keep going like this, one day you might even… “ Karin bit her lip and turned away. “I can’t say it.”
“Would that be such a terrible outcome?” I said lightly.
Karin looked stricken. She opened her mouth to say something, but thought the better of it and turned to look out the window instead.
The rest of the trip to Wyatt Residence was made in silence, and the moment I pulled over across the building, Karin scrambled out of my car.
Before she shut the door, she paused.
“Sweeping it under the rug isn’t going to change a thing, Theo,” she said quietly. “You have people who care about you, no matter how much you refuse to accept it. There’s Mrs Smith, and Ryland too, even though he can’t say it.” She gazed at me solemnly, her gray eyes grave and hurt. “And there’s me. I care if you live or die, Theo. I care very, very much.”
With that devastating shot, Karin shut the car door. I watched in stunned silence as she crossed the street and disappeared into the building.