Chapter 5
FIVE
K ent waited until Sage was out of sight, conscious of the employee working behind the counter continuing his perusal while pretending to work.
“Forget the spot remover. I have some in my desk,” he told Livvy curtly.
As he strode toward the bank of elevators, he was aware of Livvy walking beside him.
“You seem angry at me,” she said plaintively. “I’m not the one who spilled coffee on you.”
“Sage didn’t either.” He impatiently pressed the elevator button in hopes the elevator arrived before he lost his temper. He didn’t appreciate Livvy’s possessive behavior toward him, especially where it could be seen by others.
“How do you know her name?”
He grit his teeth at the jealous tone in her voice as his gaze raked over her. “I know the man at reception is Brian. Do you want to make something out of that, too?”
An ugly flush filled Livvy’s face, but then a buzzing from her phone had her reaching for it as the elevator doors slid open.
Walking inside, he pressed the button for the top floor.
“Coming?” he asked politely, despite wanting to shut the elevator door in her face.
“Hollingsworth needs a contract.”
“Better hurry,” he said snidely. Then, pressing the button to close the elevator door, he gave her a chilly stare.
Livvy’s possessiveness was becoming a problem. If Desmond had noticed it, then the women she had lunch with had as well. The last thing he needed was for Livvy to be linked with him.
He was going to have to bring Livvy back under his control. Luckily for him, he was going to enjoy putting the bitch back in her place.
Striding from the elevator, he made his way to Hollingsworth’s office.
“Hi, Cheryl. Is Garrett free?”
“Let me check.” Garrett’s assistant gave him the go-ahead after speaking to Hollingsworth.
Garrett gave him an expectant look as he walked inside the office. “How did lunch go with Desmond?”
“Couldn’t have gone better.” He casually took one of the chairs in front of Garrett’s desk and mentally prepared himself for the grilling in store for him.
“Excellent. So, he’ll retain us as his attorney?”
“Not exactly. He wants to think it over.”
A deep frown showed his displeasure. “You promised me when I hired you that you could get me Desmond Beck as a client.”
“I told you I would try. That’s a big difference.
” Letting a smile hover on his lips, he showed his unconcern at the dissatisfaction on Garrett’s face.
“Desmond will sign on when he needs me. Since his marriage, he’s been concentrating on spending time with his wife and child instead of his business needs.
I don’t see him basking in blissful matrimony for long, do you? ”
Garrett’s expression cleared. “If his wife is anything like mine, no, I don’t.”
He had met Garrett’s wife, and Desmond’s wife, Haley. There was no comparison between the two women. Haley had a soul.
Appeased, Garrett handed him a folder. “I need you to get Morgan Ross to sign off on this latest offer. He’s not going to get a better settlement.”
He opened the folder, and his eyes went to the figure being offered. “You’re shitting me, right? Morgan isn’t going to accept this offer.”
Garrett lost his amiable expression. “That’s why I pay you the big bucks, so you can talk these assholes into doing what’s in their best interests.”
“How is getting Morgan to accept a two-point-five-million settlement when he deserves twelve in his best interest?” Kent flipped the file closed. “This will barely cover your fee.”
“I only took his case for the PR. No one is hiring him. Out of sight, out of mind. I want to get out while the going is good. His fans could turn on him, and I don’t want to represent him when they move on to the next big star. Do both of us a favor and get him to sign.”
Tilting his head to the side, Kent stared at his boss indifferently. “How’s it a favor for me?”
“You need to make it up to me for not getting Desmond on board.”
When Garrett wanted something, he didn’t pull his punches. Neither did Kent.
“How about letting me take over Ross’ case? I can get a better settlement.”
His boss studied him consideringly. “I’m happy with the two point five.”
“I can make you happier.”
Garrett’s cell phone vibrated on his desk. He picked it up and texted whoever had messaged him before returning his attention to him, then gave him a sharp nod.
“Go ahead. Make it quick. I have my eye on a new townhome near here.”
Rising to his feet, Kent took in the sleek modern desk, which cost thousands, and the designer suit he was wearing. Both meant to give the impression of wealth, luring potential clients like a Venus flytrap.
“I’ll get it done. By the way, you can thank Livvy for Desmond not wanting to retain the firm.
He doesn’t appreciate how Livvy treated one of your new hires.
He’s smart. Desmond knows how employees are treated is a direct reflection of management.
If you had read the dossier on him that I gave you, you would know he wouldn’t align himself with any business that got numerous complaints about how their former employees are treated. ”
“If they’re former employees, they’re former for a reason,” Garrett snapped.
“Are you prepared to fight another lawsuit if one of them files? Get Cheryl to ask HR for recent terminations. I’m going to give you advice I usually charge for.
There are three don’ts I tell my clients to be smart not to do.
Don’t make an employee your mistress, don’t give her expensive jewelry that she’ll wear to work, and don’t make it obvious you’re banging her by giving her a promotion she doesn’t deserve. ”
Garrett looked ready to fly across the desk at him. “I didn’t ask for your advice.”
“No, you didn’t,” he agreed. “That’s why I said it was free. I’m just paying you back for letting me take over Ross’ case. Take it or leave it. Just remember when Gail divorces you and you lose that brand-new townhouse that you plan to set up Livvy in that I told you so.”
Satisfied he had gotten his point across, Kent casually opened the door, motioning a waiting Livvy inside. After flashing Garrett an ironic glance, he shut the door behind him.
He winked at Cheryl as he passed her desk, then went to his office. At his desk, he called Morgan Ross to set up an appointment for him to come into the office. Afterward, he cleared his schedule for the rest of the day, locked his desk, and strolled out of his office.
“Have a good evening, Mrs. Boward,” he told his secretary as he passed her desk.
He left the office, took the elevator to the parking garage, then pressed a button on his key fob to unlock his Mercedes. As he got in, he noticed Livvy had a new BMW parked in her parking spot.
“Dumbass,” he muttered under his breath.
He drove out of the parking garage and merged into the busy traffic. Putting on his blinker, he pulled into another parking garage, speeding up the levels to the top of the sixth floor and parking in a darkened spot in a corner.
He turned his head as the passenger door opened and watched the president of the Predators slide inside.
“You’re late,” Ice said coldly.
“I got held up.” He waved at his stained shirt.
Ice gave him a leveled gaze.
“I flew in from Queen City. Had to rent a car, drive from across town, and I still made it on time.”
Ice being sarcastic was never a good sign.
“Sorry.” He found himself apologizing, which he rarely did. “I had two cases dropped on my lap unexpectedly.”
“Do I look like I give a fuck?”
Dealing with Ice was always a pain. Unfortunately, Ice was also excellent at getting certain jobs done no one else could do.
“What do you need badly enough I needed to fly in?”
Pleasantries over, they got down to business.
“I need Jackal to find some information for me.” He took a slip of paper out of his jacket and handed it to Ice.
Ice took the paper without opening it.
“I need some surveillance set up for the two addresses on there, too.”
“Anything else?”
“No, that’s it. How much?”
“No charge for the information. Plus, I’ll give your usual fee. I need you to supervise a deal taking place this Saturday night,” Ice told him. “Send me the address where you want the exchange to take place. I’ll have a bike waiting for you at the airport.”
“Who’s it between?” Kent asked.
“Mica is purchasing swag from the Phantoms.”
“Mica aware he can’t screw around with Wraith?”
“I’ve made him aware. He didn’t listen to me and made the deal, anyway. Now, he wants protection and is willing to pay for it to go smoothly.”
Kent gave a low laugh. “You mean to make sure he’s still breathing when it’s over.”
“That, too. I wish these up-and-comers would listen to my warnings before they fuck up.”
“You’re preaching to the choir,” Kent agreed sardonically.
Ice and he were in the same boat. Their advice came from hard-earned experience.
They made their money exploiting other people’s mistakes.
He didn’t feel bad taking their money, coming to the conclusion if they were going to pay a high dollar amount to get a job done, it might as well go in his pocket instead of someone else’s.
Standing on a high moral ground would lead to you working a nine-to-five job and an occasional fuck on Friday nights with a woman who pretended she was fucking someone better-looking and richer than the man who was going down on her.
“Warn Mica if he plans to stiff Wraith, the only person’s ass I’ll be saving will be my own.”
“I’ll pass your message on.”
Ice opened the car door and got out.
Kent backed out of the parking spot and drove back out of the parking garage, heading to the jail.
All he wanted to do was go home, take a hot shower, then make himself quick dinner.
When he checked the time on the dashboard, he sighed and revised his plan.
He would buy take-out after he spoke to Valerie Monroe.
He would add the amount of the food to the bill he planned to give Dante.
Instead of making himself a hamburger, he would order Sushi from his favorite Japanese restaurant. God, he loved his job.