Page 2 of The Bargain

Barnes launched to his feet, his entire body shaking as his face turned so red he looked as if he were about to explode. “How dare you!”

“How dareyou!” Sebastian shouted back. “Not only did you spearhead this illegal behavior, but the point of this merger was to bury all your secrets within Courtland Enterprises while you walked away with your oversized payoff and the marketing manager you’ve been sleeping with.” Sebastian lowered his voice to a fake whisper. “By the way, I forwarded the spicy video we came across of you and her ‘trapped’ in the elevator to your wife’s private investigator.”

Barnes fell into an apoplectic fit, hissing and gasping, his face looking more purple by the second. But it wasn’t just him. Everyone at the table was turning new and interesting shades of color, ranging from very pale to ghastly green to eye-popping red. I stepped away when I finished handing out the binders detailing all the information we’d uncovered.

A firm hand grabbed my elbow, and I glanced up to find Neil, one of Sebastian’s part-time bodyguards, pulling me a little farther from the table and closer to our exit. The entire time, his gaze never wavered from Sebastian, who had resumed his pacing. Unfortunately, the lunatic was on the far side of the room, the giant wooden board table between him and the bodyguard. Thankfully, he kept moving as he spoke, leaving the board of directors to flip frantically through the binders with horrified expressions.

“Oliver Danvers, Wallace Barnes, and probably other executives before you spent decades creating this house of cards, creating lie after lie to hide your shady dealings. As you reached a point where it was on the verge of toppling, you decided to sweep all your dirt under the rug, and the rug you chose was Courtland Enterprises.”

At last, Sebastian worked his way around the table so that he was within feet of his bodyguards, and I could breathe again. Now we just had to get Loki Jr. out of the building.

Sebastian grinned and clapped his hands together. The sound was like a shot above the gasping and seething. “To show my appreciation for choosing Courtland Enterprises as the company you wanted to turn into a dumpster fire, I have shared all the information that I’ve uncovered with the SEC, IRS, FTC, and the federal Department of Labor. I’m sure you’ll be hearing from all of them shortly.”

There was a heartbeat of pristine silence. No one moved. Only the wind as it howled past the windows as it rose off the river.

And then the room exploded into outraged shouts, fervent denials, and even a couple of people desperately trying to strike bargains. It was too late for all that. I’d been there as Sebastian had made some of those phone calls. When he’d handed over that information, he’d made one request: let him drop the newson them prior to any of the agencies moving in. If there was any justice in the world, representatives from the IRS and SEC would be entering the lobby as we left.

“Go,” Neil snapped, giving me a push toward the double doors.

I wanted to drag my feet and make sure Sebastian was right behind me, but I couldn’t be a distraction today. Neil needed to have his full attention on Sebastian, to concern himself with his boss’s safety.

However, I took only two steps, and there was a light touch on my shoulder. I glanced to my left to find Sebastian walking beside me, a broad smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. His hand was a warm weight, guiding me forward while also reassuring me that he was right by my side.

“You okay?” he asked as if I freaking mattered in the middle of this insanity.

“I’m fine. Thank you. We should get going, sir.” It was a struggle to keep the incredulous horror out of my voice and maintain a professional tone, but I managed it.

Flanked by bodyguards Neil and Carl, we dashed to the elevators as hell continued to break out behind us. There were shouts for security, the police, lawyers, and more. Phones were ringing madly, and the few assistants and management who lingered on the top floor all looked lost and terrified. My heart went out to them. They’d started the day thinking that they were a step away from a new future with Courtland Enterprises, but tonight, they were all going to be updating their résumés while chugging their beers.

“Do you think that was over the top? Too much? It was too much, wasn’t it?” Sebastian inquired, his grin brighter than the sun glinting off the silver elevator doors.

It was over the top. So incredibly, ridiculously over the top.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” I inquired in return.

Carl jogged ahead of us and held open the final glass door that would take us to the elevators. Even with that door wide open, I still had to grab Sebastian’s arm and pull him toward me to keep him from walking into the clear glass wall. God help me, the man was a magnet for those walls. I felt like I spent a quarter of my time keeping him from smashing into them every time we visited a place that used them.

Sebastian sighed, not even blinking at the fact that I’d physically moved him out of harm’s way. “I did. I really did.”

“It wasn’t over the top, sir.”

When we reached the elevator without further incident, Sebastian leaned against the back wall and flashed me a smirk, as if the man knew what I was thinking. He closed his eyes, and some of the joy drained from his face. “It was over the top, but they deserved it for all the people they hurt and lied to. Because they planned to destroy Courtland Enterprises to hide their evil. Yep. No regrets.”

Silence fell over the elevators as we rode it to the garage. We were ushered into the sleek black town car with plush leather seats. God, I loved this car. I loved every second I got to ride in it with Sebastian. It was the most comfortable thing I’d ever sat in. Then it moved, and I was floating on a cloud.

But enough nonsense.

We were safely on the road, away from the Bluepoint Industries disaster with our integrity intact, but Courtland Enterprises was in danger.

“We’re screwed,” Sebastian mumbled beside me. He leaned his left elbow on the door and rested his head on his hand while stretching his long legs out in front of him. I had reached for my phone to check for any small fires that might have developed while I’d been escaping with my boss, but I returned it to my pocket. Sebastian looked at me and gave a half smile. “Sorry. Ishouldn’t say that. It’s not fair of me to put that weight on your shoulders.”

“Sir, I see many of the same reports you do. I’ve sat in on your meetings with the CFO. You wouldn’t have hired me if I wasn’t smart enough to see that we’re losing money.”

“True. True. But I’m supposed to be upbeat and positive.”

“You are, but I appreciate that as a leader, you’re also realistic. No one would want to run to the helm after the Titanic has hit the iceberg to hear the captain say, ‘It’s fine. Everything is fine.’ ”

A surprised bark of laughter jumped from Sebastian’s throat, and I dutifully ignored how the sound warmed my heart. “Hell, Byron! I don’t know what I’d do without you. I don’t think we’re the Titanic yet, but you can’t abandon me. Not for a while, at least.”

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