Page 233 of Plaything

“Ten percent,” Niko answered quickly. It was low, but I wouldn’t disagree with his math. He deserved nothing, and I was generous by even offering them an out.

Richard looked at war with himself as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Don’t do it, Richard,” the man to his right murmured, probably realizing the life sentence he was contemplating in exchange for ten percent.

“I’ll go out of business without it...” he said to himself. “I’ve got kids and grandkids that rely on my business,” his lip wobbled as he shook his head in remorse.

The sound of pens quickly signing was the only sound I heard as I waited for Richard to make his decision.

A final shaken breath was taken before he finally met my eyes. “I can’t leave them with nothing...” he croaked. “Ten percent? What is that, four hundred thousand a year?” He tried to do the math, but his mind was probably elsewhere.

“Three hundred and seventy-two,” Niko finished for him.

Richard swallowed hard before he nodded. “I’ll write my statement today,” he decided. The other men in the room froze, just as shocked as I was. He still struggled to look at me as he spoke. “My son is taking over the business. He’s—he’s a good kid; he’ll do better than I did. I’ll have my assistant send you his information so he can manage the relationship in the future,” he said.

I didn’t pity him in the slightest, but I was surprised that he was doing the right thing for his family. His regret was evident, and by the end of the week, his family would think much differently of him. It wasn’t an easy choice that I presented them with.

He stood on his elderly legs and nodded once to the room, trying to leave with some dignity. “Excuse me. I’m going to spend some time with my family,” he announced. On his way out, he stopped next to me, stepping back as his eyes locked on someone behind me. “I am truly sorry,” he whispered. “My son... don’t hold him responsible for my poor decisions. He’s not like me. Hopefully, more than ten percent can be earned back if you give him a chance,” he relented.

I said nothing in response as he fled the room. I wouldn’t hold a grudge against his son. Some of us just have bad fathers—what we make of ourselves determines our character, not where we come from.

Just as I suspected, the meeting was over quickly. The signed documents were left on the table as the men left the room for the final time. I wouldn’t hear from them or have to see them again. It was done.

“You... are kind of a badass, Kid,” Vincent nodded approvingly as he stood from his chair.

I turned to my guys. “Is it over? I blacked out,” I breathed out.

Dominic wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “You handled that perfectly,” he praised. “Not many people can stand in front of all their monsters and scare them away like that.”

I learned from the best.

“You made so many of them cry,” Aiden smirked, basking in their downfall like I knew he would.

“Most of their companies won’t survive the separation,” Niko advised. “You didn’t even need Dominic to pummel them,” he chuckled.

“That went well; admittedly better than I expected,” Wyatt joined in. “We’re so proud of you, you know that, right?” He complimented with glimmering green eyes and a bright smile to match it.

An overwhelming sense of accomplishment filled me as a weight lifted off my chest. I was still a mental wreck, but I never had to see those men again. I did that. They were proud of me, but I was overjoyed with myself. I thought I’d freeze up standing before them, but I didn’t. I was confident and poised, and I got rid of them for good. “I know,” I smiled.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vanessa approaching with a small group of people trailing her. I shrugged my coat off my shoulders and placed it over the back of a chair, planning on staying a while. I wanted to read the employee handbook and see what else needed adjusting, starting with the benefit packages and the blandness of everyone’s space. The morale must have been low.

“I’m going to hang around for a bit,” I said. “I’ll see you back at home?” We took separate cars just in case I ended up wanting to stay, and Niko mentioned wanting to meet his parents for lunch since he was in the city. There was no reason for them to linger around anymore.

“Are you sure?” Aiden asked. “I don’t mind waiting for you,” he assured.

Nodding, I bounced on my heels. “I’ll only be an hour or two. You should go with Niko and have lunch with Isabella and Mateo,” I suggested.

“They’d love that,” Niko chuckled. “Wyatt, Dom, Vincent, you in?” He invited.

“Raincheck. There’s a library a few miles away, and I want to grab a few books to add to my curriculum next semester,” Wyatt explained.

“There’s a mall nearby that sells scrubs and other medical supplies. I figure I should grab a few things,” Dominic announced his own plans.

Vincent shrugged. “Well, I’m in!” He chimed.

I smiled, happy that the drive down was productive for everyone. “Just be prepared for a fashion show when you get back,” I teased Dominic.

He squinted his eyes. “Mmm, no,” he dismissed playfully.

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