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Ross grinned, but didn’t dare laugh.

“Congratulations on winning the election,” Green said with a raised brow.

“Thank you.”

“How is my pardon coming?”

“We’re working on it,” Ross said.

“Working on it? That doesn’t sound very convincing.”

“Cy, I can’t guarantee that I’m going to be able to pull this off.”

“You were willing to give me guarantees three months ago when you were desperate.”

“This is a delicate situation. If we push too hard it might backfire.”

“If you don’t push hard enough it might backfire,” Green said with an edge. “And I mean really backfire.”

“There’s no need for threats.”

“I have over one billion dollars in assets that have been frozen by the U.S. government, my companies in the States are paying fifty thousand dollars a day in contempt of court charges, and I have not set foot in the country I love in more than four years. My estate in Palm Beach, my penthouse in New York, my mansion in Beverly Hills…all of them have been seized by the feds. My own children aren’t even allowed to step foot in my homes.”

The mix of vodka and recent success made Ross a bit braver than he normally would have been. “Maybe you should have thought of some of this before you started trading with the enemy. Not to mention committing fraud and tax evasion.”

“Don’t lecture me on the intricacies of multinational corporations,” Green snapped. “I am the victim of an overzealous prosecutor.”

“If that’s the case, you should meet him in court with an army of high-priced lawyers and show him for the hack that you claim him to be.”

Green was not used to anyone speaking to him in such a way. Especially someone who was so indebted to him. He was about to blow his lid when Speyer returned with two glasses of wine.

“One of your countrymen sent me a case of this. Caymus Vineyards nineteen ninety-four Special Selection Cabernet. A perfectly fine table wine to be served at one of your backyard barbecues. But not at one of my parties.”

Green took his glass and said, “Joseph, I think you will need to leave us alone for a few more minutes.”

“Certainly. I will go put on some music.”

When the host was far enough away, Green’s face twisted into a questioning frown and he said, “You are either drunk or you have grown awfully proud of yourself.”

“It’s probably a bit of both.” Ross smiled. “I am after all the vice president–elect of the United States of America.” He held up his glass in a toast to himself.

Green ignored the glass. “And how did you get there? Do you think for a minute that Josh would have picked you for a running mate if his father-in-law hadn’t told him to do so? His father-in-law…my real estate partner.”

“Cy, let’s not make a big deal out of this. We’re…”

Green cut him off. “I told him if we put you on the ticket, you could make our problems go away, and guess what? I got you on the ticket and then I had to save your ass a second time. Now it’s your turn to deliver.”

Suddenly Ross wished he had been sober for this meeting. He could use a clear head right about now. “I’m sure your partner would find it interesting to know that you had his daughter killed.”

Green clenched his jaw and took a half step back. “I suppose you’ve deluded yourself into thinking that you played no part in that entire affair.”

“I most certainly did. I almost died.”

“You’re unbelievable. You’re more self-absorbed than I am.”

Ross took a sip of his wine. “I think we were beginning to close in the polls. I think we could have…”

“I think you’re an idiot!” snapped Green. “You were not closing in the polls, and even if you had been, they would have released the photos of Jillian, that little slut, giving a blowjob to a damn Secret Service agent. Now the American people might have loosened their morals a bit over the years, but they sure as hell aren’t about to accept a whore as their First Lady.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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