“Be reasonable. Nothing is worth three billion. Two and a quarter billion. That’s my final offer.”
Olivia cocked her head and looked as if she were thinking. She already knew her play. She just wanted to run the clock down. “Look, this is an impossible situation they put us in. Let’s both try to win this. You came in at two and I started and three and a half. Let’s settle in the middle. Two point seven five billion. We have three minutes.”
“Shit! I’m not authorized to go that high.”
“Two and two-thirds and that’s me doing you a favor because I’m going to be reamed for this offer. Two minutes.” Olivia sat back and watched the sweat break out across his forehead.
“Two point five.”
“No.”
“Two point five?”
“No,” Olivia said calmly. “One minute.”
He looked down at his notes and cursed. “Two billion, five hundred seventy-five million. Final offer.”
“Deal,” Olivia said crisply, as she typed the numbers into the document and then hit print as he fist-pumped the air as if he’d just scored the winning touchdown. The nearby printer spit out the document that he scanned and signed. She rolled her eyes to herself. An attorney should know to read every word, yet he still didn’t think she’d outplay him.
The door opened and Sebastian stood there. “Is it done?”
“It is,” she said, handing him the contract that she just signed as well.
“Good, we’ll meet you in there.” He began to walk away and then glanced at the price and faltered in his step before continuing to walk away.
The lawyer smirked. “I was authorized up to two point six billion.”
Olivia didn’t respond as she followed him back into the room. She’d bested him in every way. She knew it. Sebastian knew it, too. Huff was the only one who didn’t know. Yet.
“Thank you for your work on this. What we didn’t tell you was the one term we couldn’t agree to was who would represent this joint enterprise,” Ryker told them. “This was a test for you as well as a partnership negotiation.”
Olivia refused to show her surprise. Huff preened as if he’d gotten it. Sebastian turned to Huff. “Tell Ryker the purchase price.”
“Two point five seven five billion,” Huff said with a smile. Olivia noticed Ryker maintained his don’t mess with me, I’m already bored of your face.
“What were your instructions?” Sebastian asked Huff.
“You authorized me up to two point six but wanted two or under. It was a tough negotiation. Miss Townsend had to come down almost a billion dollars.”
Olivia saw Ryker’s lip twitch.
Sebastian turned his look to Olivia. “What did you ask for?”
“Three point five.”
“What were you authorized for?” Sebastian asked.
“One point five to two.”
Huff’s jaw dropped. Ryker’s lips twitched again. The dark-haired mystery man laughed. The shaggy-haired one said, “Duuuude,” under his breath, and Sebastian turned to Huff and fired him.
Ryker wanted to high-five Olivia. Instead, he’d give her a huge bonus. He and Sebastian had been working on this joint tech company for months with two of the best hackers around. Kale Mueez, Bridget’s son, was from Keeneston. Alex Santos was an employee of Sebastian’s. Two years ago, Ryker had funded Kale’s little side-business startup while he was working for the government. Now Kale spent most of his time working for his own company developing things Ryker could barely understand. Then, some time ago, Kale had come to him with news about Alex and Sebastian’s small group of computer geniuses. They needed a real job. Kale wouldn’t tell Ryker what they did for a living, but if Kale said he wanted them, Ryker was going to get them.
Luckily, Sebastian had approached him at a wedding in Keeneston and they began hatching out a merger plan. Because Kale’s little start-up had become a secret, multi-billion dollar, privately held company that was coming up with more tech patents than Ryker could keep track of, it was Sebastian who had to buy in.
The only term they couldn’t agree on was the lawyer to handle all their joint business for this new company. Hence, the meeting today. Ryker had never doubted Olivia.
“You want to get dinner to discuss business?” Sebastian asked after the room had cleared. “There’s something else I want to talk to you about now that we’re partners. I have a private room reserved for us.”
Ryker knew a command even if it were phrased as a question. They were both powerful men and only a few people understood what life was like for them. Stupid feelings. Look what Kenzie started.
“Let’s go.”
They chatted about nothing important as they left SA Tech and walked two blocks down the street. They were shown to the private room and Sebastian set out a little device on the table. “Alex made this. It’s a new way to block all cell phones and listening devices.”
“It’s that kind of talk, is it?” Ryker took a sip of his wine and waited.
“It is. I heard about the bomb.”
“Do you know who did it?” Ryker asked.
“No, but I have an idea. The Porzio family is trying to take over a port down there.”
“I know,” Ryker said and enjoyed seeing the surprise on Sebastian’s face. “Nico Saccone came to see me months ago. I turned him down and we ended on good terms. He took over another port.”
“What about his cousin?”
“Cousin? That, I don’t know about.”
“Nico is trying to go semi-legit. Joseph “Little Joey” Palmero, on the other hand, isn’t honorable enough to do that. He’s also not smart enough to do anything himself, which makes him dangerous. ‘Spoiled brat’ sums him up.”
“How do you know this?” Ryker asked as casually as he could.
“Mr. Porzio called me in and asked me to help Nico with legit business advice. Nico has called a few times asking about different business matters.”
Ryker showed no reaction even though he wasn’t happy. “You’re in bed with the mob? I won’t tolerate their presence in our company,” Ryker warned.
“I’m not in bed with them. We have an understanding. I don’t destroy Porzio and he doesn’t fuck with my shipments coming into New York,” Sebastian said, and Ryker gave him a nod of understanding.
“Good. I hate to admit it, but Nico isn’t that bad a guy,” Ryker admitted.
“No, he’s not. He asks good questions and doesn’t bug the shit out of me. I appreciate that. However, between the Di Maios and Joey, I’d watch your back.”
“Thanks for the warning. I’ll look into it.”
Sebastian took a sip of his wine and let out a deep breath. “It’s always something, isn’t it?”
Ryker knew exactly what he was saying. “Always.” There was always someone trying to take them down, someone trying to steal from them, or someone trying to cheat them. Always. “What’s bothering you now? Can I help?”
Sebastian took a deep drink. “Not unless you can talk some sense into your cousin.”
“Trent?” he asked of the cousin Sebastian had previously helped.