Page 107 of Unleashed

“I know my daughter, Mr. Rodwell. She never passes up a good time.”

I smirk with a shrug. “Neither do I.”

“I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”

We glare at each other, but he has me over a goddamn barrel. I can’t say anything else to offend the asshole, or Simone will lose it all. There’s no way I’ll let her father win.

I inhale before muttering, “Whatever. I’m done here. You can find a way to the field. I have shit to do.”

As I tip the bowl to drink the milk, he asks, “How much money will it take for you to walk away from my daughter?”

I cough on the remaining milk and toss the plastic bowl into the sink as I hack my head off and fantasize about slamming him into a wall. When I stop coughing enough, I snap, “What?”

He smiles. “It seems I have your attention.”

“It’s not like I have your help if I were choking. You’d probably watch me die on the floor.”

His smile doesn’t leave. “Everyone has a price, Mr. Rodwell. What is yours? Within reason. Maybe we can negotiate.” This prick isn’t reasonable.

I cough against my forearm and wrinkle my forehead as I look toward the sink, thinking of how I want to tell him to fuck off in the politest way possible. “I’m not interested. And you have a lot of nerve trying to buy off your daughter’s husband into leaving her.”

“I don’t see that a marriage is in her best interest.”

“But if she married a doctor or, let’s say, a successful lawyer who, I don’t know, helps kids get justice, you’d be happy for her?”

“Not all doctors and lawyers are equal. Those lawyers who do more charitable work don’t earn a large salary. Fortunately, I have connections and could get her a suitable spouse who is an orthodontist, medical doctor, or maybe a corporate attorney. Those are prime examples.”

“CEOs make a hell of a lot. I’m just on the bottom rung of that ladder.”

Dr. Garrison laughs, but laughing doesn’t look good on him. “Sure. Take some time to think about my proposition and let me know before I leave after the graduation ceremony on Friday.” “To be discreet, you can text me.” He pulls out his wallet and hands me his business card. “I will not tell Simone of any deal we make. You would quietly take the money and walk away. I’ll see that she ends this marriage.” Yeah. Too late.

I flick the card over my fingers as I consider that. “I gotta get ready for practice.”

What the fuck does this proposition sound tempting?

Chapter 15

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