“I won’t let you screw people with cancer out of the money they deserve.”
“You won’tletme?”A mocking laugh colored Ian’s words as he tugged at the lapels of Baz’s suit.Baz swatted his hands away.“I don’t think you understand how this works.You’re a child, Sebastian.And I’m looking forward to embarrassing you again.”Ian’s wink made bile rise into Baz’s throat.
Ian turned on his heel.“Sammy.We’re leaving.”He released a high-pitch whistle that rang in Baz’s ear.
Sami didn’t move.His smile was a blossom of oleander—beautiful to look at, but Baz felt the itch of its toxic sting.“It was so fun meeting you.”
“Be a good boy.Run after your master.”
“Now there’s something I’ve never been called before.”Sami pumped his eyebrows.Easy to believe no one had ever called him good.How could he be, when he worked for the devil?
“See you soon, Baz.”
Sami’s suit puckered around his thighs when he left.Cheap.Exactly like this whole attack.
They wanted a fight?Great.Baz wasn’t the same idiot he had been four years ago.He’d make Ian and his sidekick regret taking a swing at him.
Aya caught the door before it closed, looking after Ian as she came in.Baz hadn’t noticed her approach.
Her eyebrows drew together on her rudely well-rested face, framed by a sky-blue hijab.“Was that Ian Terell?What was that all about?”
“That,” Baz popped thet, “was a declaration of war.”
“Come again?”
Baz pinched the bridge of his nose—and felt gunk sitting in the corner of his eye that he swiftly wiped away.Had that been there the whole time?Shit.
He should have just gone home.He could have ensnared gourmet food from Eevee and Joel and been spared this pathetic sideshow.Or at least looked more attractive during it.
Not that he had wasted an opportunity here.Sami’s alliance was clear, and touch starved as Baz might be, he would not sink that low.
Aya nodded along to his recap.“And here I was thinking the biggest challenge would be to keep you from blowing this out of proportion.”
She thought—hey!“I would never do that.”
Hercut-the-crapglare silenced him.Fine.But his intentions were pure, unliketheirs.
None of this made a difference, anyway.He had been determined to bring his A-game, regardless of who the opposition was.He said as much to Aya.
“If you think Ian jumped on this opportunity to spite you, then it does change things.We know he plays dirty.”
“I don’t think that,” Baz lied.“Why would he be hung up on a draw from years ago?”
“Because Ian Terell has the emotional bandwidth and impulse control of a toddler?”
Well, yes, there was that.Paired with an unfortunately bright mind, it had turned him into one of the most aggressive, successful attorneys in the city.But that didn’t mean he would best Baz.Ian’s tricks couldn’t change the facts, no matter how many straws he and Sami clutched at.
“I can handle him,” Baz declared.Both of them.
“Not like this, you can’t.Freshen up, get something to eat.I’ll look into this.”
Chapter four
Lookingintoitapparentlymeant setting up another meeting with Erika.
“She needs to know the circumstances have changed,” Aya insisted.
Baz begged to differ.Companies constantly changed representation.If Erika were made to sign off on that every single time, she wouldn’t get around to doing anything else.
