Page 10 of Traitor
I nodded. “She’s a very successful attorney. It doesn’t shock me one bit that she attempted to cut a deal in order to save her own skin.”
“She also offered up knowledge of the inner workings of your business along with her professional services.”
Fuck.“The name of the game is survival sometimes.”
He cocked his head. “You hate that, don’t you?”
“Hate what?”
He took a step toward me. “The fact that she was willing to sell you out for a room and a shower. She even told me it didn’t have to be nice. Just a bed, a place to clean, and three meals a day. That little bit, and she was ready to sell you up the river.”
I clenched my teeth together. “A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”
“But, you hate it, right? It makes your blood boil, maybe? That’s why you’ve got your hands in your pockets, right? Because you’re ready to strangle me and take her back? Maybe to punish her?”
Don’t let him get in your head.“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
He chuckled. “I’m curious, though, how much were you willing to pay for her today?”
“You mean, how much I’m still willing to pay for her?”
He shook his head. “How much were you willing to start negotiations at? Because I can guarantee you it doesn’t even come close to the amount of my highest bidder.”
I blinked. “All of that work to turn her and you’re selling her off for money?”
He shrugged. “I don’t need her services, so why not?”
You really do talk too much.“My opening offer out of the gate was going to be ten million.”
He smirked. “What you originally paid for her.”
“Yep.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a cute offer, really. But, I’m going to have to decline.”
“Or, you could negotiate with me. Because I can guarantee you--.”
“I won’t give her away for any less than fifty million.”
I snickered in an attempt to hide my shock. “You know that if I win this little war brewing between our families, not even Miss Pettigrew’s mother is going to help you out of the rut you’ll be stuck in.”
Lorenzo grinned. “I would never trust a woman to defend me in the first place. Not even ‘Miss Pettigrew’s’ mother.”
I took a step toward him, feeling his breath against my shoulder. “Twenty million, my final offer.”
He stood on his tiptoes to be eye-level with me. “Fifty one million, and she’s all yours.”
I slowly backed away before I turned my back to him. I’d given my men plenty of time to scour this place, so it was time to make Lorenzo feel as if he’d won this sparring match. I stepped back inside his place and made sure to scour every corner I could see with my eyes, because I knew if I stepped anywhere but closer to the front door I’d have my head blown off. I kept my cool as I reached for the doorknob. I swung the door open and drew in a lungful of fresh air before I stepped back outside.
And when the door slammed behind me, I walked straight off the porch.
Before turning around to survey the rest of the house.
I saw the shadow of my men moving in my peripherals. They were cool and calm, without an ounce of stress or worry in their movements. A grin slithered across my features as my town car pulled up, beckoning for me to get inside. I took note of all the entrances and exits I could see: the windows, the doors, the down-spouts of the gutters denoting slopes in the roof one couldn’t see from the front.
Then, I heard the door open behind me and I slipped into the backseat of my car.
As much as I hated leaving Char behind, I needed to turn my attention to Lorenzo. I had to take that fucker down once and for all, otherwise she’d never have any peace. Part of me wanted to start digging and figure out who the fuck was willing to pay fifty million dollars for the woman I loved. But, before I could formulate a plan on where to start, my phone rang.
