Chapter 30 #2
“Dear Mr. Terell. It is unfortunate that the opposition has declined all further settlement negotiations.”
Ian sat up in his seat. “What is this?”
“We implore you to do what is needed to re-open communication channels and keep the press away. We are willing to increase our previous authorized maximum by two million dollars.” Baz lowered the page.
“Speaks for itself, don’t you think? And there’s more where that came from. You’ve been one naughty lawyer, Ian.”
“You little rat,” Ian growled, hurled himself out of his chair toward Sami. Baz jumped between them and held Ian away, hand against his chest.
“Calm down. We wouldn’t want to add physical assault to your charges, would we?”
Ian swatted his arm away but stayed put. “You’re bluffing.”
Spoken like a drowning man clinging to a broken lifesaver.
“Am I?”
“You’re trying to blackmail me into accepting your settlement offer. Fine. I got power of attorney. I’ll sign whatever you want as long as this stays between us.”
Sami sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. Baz felt his forearm on his shoulder. “Small correction. You had power of attorney. And you’re late. At this very moment, Captain Green is meeting with Aya to settle for the eighty-four million Baz asked for weeks ago.”
“A settlement offer they were previously unaware of,” Baz carried on. “Isn’t that odd? The ABA certainly thought it was interesting.”
The light ran from Ian’s twitching eye, sucked into the black hole of reality they had opened. His trembling hand clenched into a fist; the very picture of a once powerful man who just realized he lost, destroyed by his delusions of grandeur. Delicious.
“You made a huge mistake. If I go down, I will drag him down with me!” Ian barked, much like a toddler throwing a tantrum would.
“Yeah. Except, what was it you signed this morning, Sami?”
“Oh, just a silly deal with the State’s Attorney. Immunity in exchange for incriminating information about the bigger fish. My ex-boss.”
“That’s it. Thanks, hayati.”
“You’re so welcome, honey.”
Ian shook his head; the movement grew more frantic by the second. He took a step back and, just like every fallen man before him, ran—out of the office and into the arms of Lieutenant Jack Hadley.
Baz imagined hearing the click of the handcuffs fastening around Ian’s wrists, how his dad recited Ian’s rights.
Ian threw a poisonous glance at them as Jack pushed him to move.
Oh, Baz would sleep well tonight.
Jack gave him a thumbs up through the window, and Baz found himself smiling at him in return. Giving him a second chance was already worth it for this.
A gentle touch traced down his arm. Sami’s hand slid into his. He craned his neck to rest his chin on Baz’s shoulder, giggling lightly. They could do better than that. He pulled Sami off the desk and into his arms.
“Well done. Now you truly are a free man.”
“Yeah.” A splendid smile spread across Sami’s face. “You know, I don’t like the feeling.”
“No?”
“I think I’d like to have another commitment in my life. If you have any ideas…” His hands traced up Baz’s chest.
“Hmm. Thing is, I don’t really need a fall guy for hire. But I do have an opening as my boyfriend? Very entry level, perfect for, I don’t know. A third-year law student.”
Sami’s head jerked back. A frown dimmed his sunny face. “Huh?”
“Eevee pulled a few strings at UChicago Law.”
“No.” It was barely more than a breath, colored with disbelief.
“Yes. I mean, they want to talk to you first, and I’ll be busy writing you one hell of a character reference for Aya to sign, but after that, if you want to, you could go back in the fall.
But you don’t have to! I understand if you’re done with the legal world for good.
I just wanted you to have the chance to pick up where you left off.
You deserve to finally be in charge of your own life. ”
A hundred emotions crossed Sami’s face while Baz talked—disbelief, hope, and once the realization kicked in that Baz was not kidding, exhilaration that made him beam. “Oh my god. I… Oh my god! I can’t believe you did that.”
“Is that okay? I didn’t want to overstep. I just figured opening that door was the least I could do after subjecting you to all my trauma.”
“Okay?” Sami laughed breathlessly. He sandwiched Baz’s face between his hands. “I fucking love you.”
The sweetness of the words rushed through Baz, swaddling his heart with roses and lifting it to the skies.
Sami loved him.
Sami loved him—flaws and nights spent crying and horrendous timing for conflict resolution and all.
How utterly unbelievable. How unfathomably beautiful.
“Is that a yes to being my boyfriend…?”
“Yes! Of course it’s a yes. Yes to all of it.”
Their lips found the familiar way back to each other, melting into one.
The serenity of pure redamancy embraced Baz like a perfectly weighted blanket, warm, calming, grounding in ways he had deemed impossible for him to ever experience—and then came Sami. His miraculous, incredible boyfriend.
They might not be Joel and Eevee, but they were Baz and Sami, and that was enough too.
Matter of fact, it was perfect.