Page 80 of Five Mountain Daddies

“Huh. So you didn’t drag me down here to get anothertaste?”

“Samuel,” shewarns.

“I’m just saying. It looks bad, I think, because itis.”

“Samuel,” she says again. “It’s about thecontract.”

I go still. I was waiting for this. “Tell mestraight.”

“Ingram was pissed when I showed it to him. Honestly, we both know that it’s a good contract… but I think he’s going to sink it anyway, just out ofspite.”

“Shit,” I say softly. I was afraid ofthis.

“It has to be approved by the board. And Ingram has more sway than Ido.”

“So, what? We’rescrewed?”

“No,” she says quickly. “I mean, I don’t thinkso.”

I grunt and pick up my beer, sipping it. “We’re going to have to go through this shitagain.”

“With Ingram involved, Ithink.”

“Why?” I can feel my anger spiking. “Aren’t you hissuperior?”

“It’s not that simple.” She’s not meeting my gaze, but I can tell she’s angry too. “I don’t have unilateral control. Yeah, he’s under me, but we both answer to the board, and like I said, he has friends there. Idon’t.”

“Fuck,” I say. “All thatwork.”

“Not for nothing,” she says. “We have a framework. We’ll find away.”

“But it’ll be worse for me,” I say, and she meets my gaze. “You know it will be. That’s why Ingram saidno.”

She looks away again. “Probably.”

We sit side by side in silence for a few minutes. The guys sound like they’re in a good mood, laughing and drinking, but the reality of our situation is slowly making itself clear tome.

It doesn’t matter if Amelia’s on my side. Even if we come up with a good contract, there are people that are going to push back no matter what. Ingram and his types want to gouge us, break up, take our blood and sweat and tears and turn it into profit until we’re all used up. Then they’ll replace us and start all over. Amelia wants to preserve us, give us work and life, but they won’t lether.

It’s not fucking fair, but that’s some childish shit. Nothing’s fair. We have to fight for what wewant.

“Come with me,” I say suddenly, standing up. I finish my beer and Amelia lookssurprised.

“Where are wegoing?”

I don’t answer her. I walk toward the door and she hurries to follow me. We exit the bar together and I lead her around the back of thebuilding.

“Samuel,” she says, and I turn onher.

“You have to stopthem.”

She comes up short and looks up at me. “I don’t know if Ican.”

I pull her against me, her hair in my fist. She gasps a little but I know this is what she really wanted. This is why she came outtonight.

“You have to,” I say, tightening my grip. “Not just for me, I don’t give a fuck about me, but for all those guys backthere.”

She looks up in my eyes. “I’m going totry.”

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