Page 102 of Vicious Heir

“I’m going to be direct and honest with you, Adriano. I’ve been in negotiations like this before and I’ve found that’s the easiest way to move forward. No bullshit, no games. Just the facts as my client understands them.”

My eyebrows arch. “And who do you represent?”

“Certain interests, both private and public. Let’s say I represent a conglomeration of several different entities, some of which you’ve been, ah, aggressively engaging with.”

Spoken like a true fucking lawyer. “What does Demir want?”

He doesn’t flinch. I like that about him. “This isn’t only about him, but if you want to cut straight to it, he wants you to reconsider your current trajectory. But it isn’t only him I’m speaking for. You’ve made a lot of enemies in this city lately, Adriano.”

I consider that for a moment. Then I hold up a hand. “I changed my mind. I want you to call me Don Marino.”

Richard’s face twitches. “I don’t think?—”

“Don Marino,” I repeat, staring at him. “Because that’s who I am. I know I’m sitting here behind a fancy desk in this upscale hedge fund, but you should be clear about who you’re speaking to.DonMarino.”

“We don’t have to get acrimonious. I’m only here as a messenger.”

“Then deliver your message.”

“My clients want you to cease your activities. They’re willing to scale back their own operations if you comply. However, if you continue down this road, they are going to take punitive actions, many of which you will not like,DonMarino. Actions both legal and extra-legal, though I deny all knowledge of the latter.”

I smile acidly. “You’re just here to threaten me?”

“I’m here to broker a peace.”

I consider that. I make Richard sit in silence for a full minute while I watch him carefully. It’s uncomfortable for him, but I don’t mind. At this point, I’m just trying to run out the clock. I have a timer ticking along in my head, and I want to make sure this meeting doesn’t end before it’s done.

“What happens if I’m not interested?”

“You have to know how bad it’ll get for you.” I can tell he’s starting to fray slightly. Frustration is showing on his face. “Gray Wolf is only one piece of the puzzle. There are very powerful people that want to do you serious harm, but if you’re willing to negotiate in good faith with me, we can avoid all that.”

“And what about what I want? Would you be willing to hand over Demir Yilmaz?”

He scoffs and shakes his head. “I couldn’t even discuss the possibility. I’m a lawyer.”

“You’re a fixer. We both know what you are. You’re the grease that keeps the wheels spinning. You’re the slime underneath this city’s corrupt elite. Don’t pretend like you’re high-minded, Richard.”

“You’re making this personal.” His jaw works. That’s right, I got under his skin. I have to admit, I’m really enjoying this. “I want to talk business. You want to insult me.”

“Because we both know this isn’t a serious discussion. Come back when you have real concessions. Until then, every single piece of fucking expensive art in this city is going to be destroyed. Then I’ll start finding and burning their fancy fucking cars too.”

“You’re making a mistake.”

“No, Richard.They’remaking a mistake. Because they assume I give a fuck what they think of me.” I lean toward him, smiling like a wolf. “But I assure you, I most certainly fucking don’t.”

Richard pushes his chair back. “I had hoped you’d be rational about this.”

“And I had hoped you would’ve died of a heart attack while humping your cunt of a wife by now, but we don’t always get what we want.”

His face turns red. “Fuck you, Adriano.”

“Don Marino,” I remind him. “Have a nice afternoon, slime.”

“You’re dead. You realize that, right? Maybe not now, maybe not later, but Gray Wolf is coming for you, and they’ve got the backing of every prominent family in this fucking city. So good luck with that. You smug prick.”

He turns and storms out. The timer in my head buzzes. I kick my feet up on my desk with a sigh and put my hands behind my head. About ten minutes later, there’s a knock on my door, then Luca’s sitting across from me. He’s sweating lightly but seems like he’s in a good mood.

“How’d it go?” I ask him.

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