“Is he still here?” Clark changed the subject, and that was a good enough answer for me.
“He is,” I told him as I looked over my shoulder at Charlie, who was leaning back in his seat on his phone as he watched us.
“You still care enough to get me out of jail twice today?” Clark asked as he stood.
Realization dawned on me as he moved past me and approached Charlie. He wasn’t drowning his sorrows; he was waiting for me so he could fight Charlie, hoping I would talk the cops out of pressing charges.
“Clark, no!”
It was too late. He practically jumped over the table, but Charlie was ready for him, and the two of them were soon punching the shit out of each other.
As the club descended into madness, I sat back down and watched as staff ran to break them up. My phone alerted me to a text, and looking down, I read it.
Prick:When Charlie’s done, tell him he owes me a thousand
I shouldn’t respond. I knew better.
Me:A thousand?
Prick:Dollars.
Prick:He bet me you wouldn’t show up.
Me:Are you serious?
Prick:I never joke about money
Me:You bet on me?
Prick:Wouldn’t be the first time.
Hot white rage ran through my veins as I looked up to see Charlie restrain Clark, grinning like the asshole he was as the other man struggled against him.
It was always a game to Onyx. Disgusted with them and myself, I left the golf club before I could pick up a 9-iron and head back to the office with it. On the way out, I passed Officer Baldwin, and when he raised an eyebrow, I merely pointed over my shoulder.
“They’re both back there,” I told him.
“No argument?” he asked me with a grin.
“For them? Nope, all yours.”
Checking the time, I decided that was enough for one day and headed home. A nice bath, a chilled beer, and my favorite playlist were calling. All the other shit could wait until tomorrow.
* * *
The advantage of Mr. Evil Incarnate stealing my client was that he was out of the office while I stole his client’s sponsorship deal from him.
The bonus was that Neil was also out of the office, and as I spent the morning in legal with them, I was on point to ensure no one blabbed to the Devil himself about my epic steal before he could stop it. He once mocked me that my client hadn’t been mine until they signed the contract. As I watched the printer produce the signed document, I felt gleeful.
Heading back to my office, I paused when I saw the leather chair I’d gotten for him being carried out of his office. Hadhe finally caved? Could this really be my lucky day? Was he admitting defeat?
“What’s happening?” I asked my PA as I approached her.
“Liz came back late last night for a file, and she took her new puppy,” Sally told me as she glanced at me. “Poor thing’s terrified he’ll fire her.”
“The puppy peed on his chair?” I asked her incredulously. Sally nodded, and I burst out laughing. “What a trulywonderfulday.”
Back at my desk, I scanned the sports news, seeing Clark’s arrest hit the headlines. Saints Sports Management was not mentioned, and I knew another of Onyx’s friends was to thank for that, another Devil. I wanted to be an anonymous source, but despite my rivalry with Onyx, this was still my place of work, and we really were an agency of integrity.
