"Your own cameras are recording this,” he reminded. “You c-can’t—"
"Then stop me and we’ll do things your way.” Yet he froze in his seat, prey to predator as I stalked forward.
This wasn’t a frequent or favorite method of doing things for me. Fighting was only fun when both parties had a chance. But bullies like him who spent so long reigning supreme in their own little world only responded to a reality check, a reminder that being king of the castle wasn’t the same as king of the world. The big bad wolf could still huff and puff and blow his house down.
“It really doesn’t matter what your paperwork says and how legitimate itlooks.Lucas’s answer here is no. I know it, so do you.”
I stood over him, reaching out as if to grab his suit’s lapels. He leaned so far back in his chair I thought he’d tip over ass backwards.
“If your claws so much asscuff one inchof a designer suit thatcosts more than you make in a year, my lawyers will—"
I smiled and held my hands up, showing him he’d cowered away from my human hands this time. Any upper hand he believed he had was long gone.
“Like I said, there’s two options here, Hubie. You drop this or you make an enemy. So that’s the big question.” My eyes flashed yellow again. “Do you wanna be my enemy?"
~
Chase
Temple stormed into the room, dropping a book and sending papers spilling out and flying in the air. They arced around him towards the floor as he stopped and viewed the vacant conference room.
“Did I miss it?” His head swiveled in all directions, expecting Bolton to pop out. “Is it over?”
“Sorry, it happened fast.”
When called quickly after Merritt left, I hoped he’d decided to let me play some small part in his big bust. I texted Temple when I realized why I’d really been called in, but he arrived too late.
He dropped down in a chair, stunned as he struggled to figure out what came next "How did it go?"
"I won." Go me.
“O-of course you did. I never doubted you… I wasn’t expecting this so fast."
"Makes sense."
"It does?"
"Sure," I said. “Even without claws, the whole thing’s still a fight. Whoever proves themselves dominant wins. He made a big show of ‘respect’ for formal procedures, giving me enough time to start drowning in this whole mess—” I nodded to all the books still on the table. “—and just when I realize how lucky I am his lawyers are stalling and giving me time to study, he shows up out of the blue.”
“All an effort to unbalance you,” Temple concluded. “And to play by his terms.”
“Not a bad strategy, you’d never know he didn’t have the upper hand. But this guy collects things and spends money, he doesn’t get his hands dirty. For all he knows, the stuff in his old books is still how we do things today. Couple that with the fact he isn’t used to being challenged, I figured he’d fold at the slightest intimidation like a ‘big scary werewolf.’”
"Nice job.” Temple only sounded a tad awkward. “I shouldn’t be surprised."
"You are."
"I shouldn’t be,” he repeated. “Despite our differences, we’re starting to get in sync and you… it’s not all bad."
I placed a hand over my heart,so touched."Aww, youdolike me.”
“Shut up. I meant it, you know.”
“That I’mnot all bad?”
“Yes.”He regarded me intensely, eyes locking with mine. When did it get serious up in here?
"Yeah, uh, whatever. I mean… you too."
