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VARGAS
We’re at an impasse. Grant Fraser won’t sell his company to me, not at the price I’ve offered. He wants more. The problem is, I’m not the kind of man who offers a fair bargain. I want his business, and I want it formyprice. I’ll twist every screw I can to make this deal happen just the way I want it. Do I have wiggle room? Sure. Does he know that? Not a chance.
I stride to the wide windows that overlook the city. Fraser Tower soars over the populace, gleaming silver in the bright sunlight. This property will be mine right along with Fraser’s manufacturing holdings. I’m going legit, something my family has been trying to do for as long as I can remember. I’m the one who’s making it happen.
“I don’t see why you think this is a fair offer on your part.” Fraser’s lawyer clears his throat. “You know you’re undervaluing these assets so badly it verges on criminal.”
I turn and stare him down. “Criminal, is it?”
He pales and shrinks back, clutching the deal sheet in his hands.
Grant raises a hand. “A figure of speech, Mr. Fontaine. That’s all.”
I grip the back of the leather chair in front of me. “Of course.”
“I-I didn’t mean anything by it,” the lawyer rushes to say.
“No harm.” I shrug, keeping my gaze on the smarmy lawyer. “But when this deal is through, Mr. Fraser, we could make a killing.” I smirk. “That’s a saying, too, isn’t it, Mr. Ware?”
The lawyer swallows loudly. “It is.”
Fraser sighs. “I think we may have reached a stopping point for the day, Mr. Fontaine.”
“Why stop now?” I tsk. “Your shareholders are waiting with bated breath to see how this meeting shakes out. You’d be risking your stock price by not giving the thumbs up or the thumbs down when you walk out of here.”
Fraser, a man with weathered cheeks and sharp eyes, gives me an amused look. “The shareholders wait on my every word, every breath, every damn shit I take and snack I eat. They can wait for the right deal to come along.”
“Are you certain? What with your health and–”
“What?” His eyebrows rise, the first time I’ve managed to surprise him in these negotiations. “What did you say?”
I shrug. “Simply that information in this town is expensive, but not prohibitively so for men like us. I know about your diagnosis. And if I know, your shareholders will learn of it soon enough.”
“Is that a threat?” He bristles.
“No, simply a statement of how the world works.” I stare down at the older man, his hair only faintly graying, his stature still proud. He’s had the whip hand for most of his life, making a fortune without the benefit of generational wealth. He came from nothing, and he did it by making wise choices and dealing ruthlessly with his rivals. If I’m being honest, I respect him. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to change tactics. In fact, it only makes me want to go harder, to see what it takes for me to best a man like him.
He drums his fingers on the polished wood table, his eyes narrowing on me. “If word like that were to get out before we struck our deal, I can assure you that I’ll never sell to you. I’ll be fielding multiple offers from all corners if the stock price drops precipitously for any reason, and I’m certain my board would pursue any and all remedies against anyone who commits that sort of underhanded gamesmanship. But you already know that, and you also know what the SEC would do to you and any bid you might make.”
That’s why I respect him. He plays the game with an intelligence few have, and his experience is unmatched. I’ve studied him, learned from him. He’s one of the reasons I’ve managed to turn the Fontaines legit more and more over the past few years. An unwitting mentor, Grant Fraser is the architect to his own demise.
“All that may be true, but the offer I’ve made you is the best you’re going to get, and time isn’t on your side.”
“You think I can’t wait you out? Bleed you? You aren’t the only one who’s done the research, young man.” He leans back in his chair, the picture of casual ease. “You’re betting everything on this deal. Leveraged everything you have, every last dirty dollar your family ever washed.”
“Careful.” I shake my head. “You wouldn’t want to blow this deal over vague, baseless accusa–”
A quick knock at the door is followed by it opening. I snap my gaze up, unused to being interrupted.
“Sorry I’m late.” A woman walks in, her hair a light brown, eyes bluer than ice, and a mouth that draws every ounce of my attention. “Sassy was being extra difficult about me leaving, and you know how I get when she’s needy. I fall for all her tricks.” She blows a stray lock of hair from her face, then leans over and kisses Fraser on the cheek.
My grip on the back of the leather chair tightens audibly. I’ve read every bit of dirt there is on Grant Fraser. All my information pointed to him being single since his wife passed over a decade ago. Apparently, that isn’t the case. He’s seeing someone much, much younger. Someone that has no business with an old man like him. In fact, she’d be far more suited for–
“Is this him?” she asks brightly before taking the seat next to Fraser.
Fraser nods. “Vargas Fontaine, please meet my daughter, Cadence.”
