Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 69365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69365 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Garcia struggles not to comment while I do my best to stifle my chuckles.
“You will take all the attention. You will answer any questions they have. You will do any PR they request. You will be the face of the find and you will do it your way. That means bikini tops, jeans, and swearing like the sailors and mermaids you live to honor. Why? Because you’ll bitch less about it when you’re the one calling those shots. And this donation delivers the leverage I actually enjoy having, which are pleased government officials who will ask less questions and provide more sovereignty once they have the court of public persuasion to perform in front of.”
Salay slowly nods her agreement.
Finishing the salvage…doing what she loves to do…getting the recognition for it…all sounds like she’s the one winning in spite of her doing it to pay back a debt for her life being saved.
I’m grateful she doesn’t know Ravencroft like I do.
This isn’t a gift.
This is a completely selfish action.
She’s securing what she needs to secure for the syndicate while leaving no traceable trail back to herself.
It’s for Ravencroft’s anonymity yet masked to be my woman’s one chance at infamy.
Damn.
I’mma miss saying my woman.
I already know what my cost is.
I just hope they can forgive me for it.
“You, Victor Ferdinand Garcia-”
“Ferdinand?!” Salay teasingly cackles. “Shutthefuckup…”
“You will be repaying your debt by doing what you do best. Paperwork.”
An undersell of his capabilities that he would argue if allowed to speak.
“A finding of this caliber is going to come with jurisdiction – state and federal – and cultural – multiple countries – challenges I do not feel like tasking my internal team with as they have larger issues to tend to. The only country I know that will not be seeking claim is that of Hoalkey due to an…arrangement made by the youngest sibling…hence how she became the one who will now rule the entire country with a security team that knows better than to ask any questions that might elude to her siblings unforuntate timely demise.”
As she loves to remind…everyone has a price.
“You will handle any and all legal matters tending to this – also for a significantly lower fee than you would charge a client of lesser status – and if that means hiring aids, counsel, or assistance to help you will do so – post consulting me – and their fees will be covered. This arrangement also means tending to the legal needs of Salay when she inevitably receives pushback for her findings. I am now your most important client. All others second. And spare any need to regurgitate about the law you are most comfortable practicing because we both know the law you practice is the law you need to practice when you need to. It’s like talking to a surgeon. Sure, you have your specialty…preference…extra letters and titles accordingly…but if I put a gun to your head, hand you a scalpel, and tell your ass to operate or die…something tells me you’d figure it the fuck out. Yes?”
He reluctantly nods.
“Consider your debt to me the gun and this situation the operation.”
Another head bobbing of comprehension is given.
“Zero,” she slowly purrs, turning towards me, fingers playing with the collar of the leopard print button up I put on specifically for her, “originally your debt was to be served by you permanently moving into the estate to give Goldie something to play with-”
“What?!” Salay shrieks on both of their behalf, eyes darting to them to wordlessly express my apologies.
“Interrupt me again, Salacia, and you’ll be learning sign language to conduct the pending interviews regarding your historical finding.” One gentle tug returns my remorse-filled gaze back to hers. “Goldie deserves a new toy, but I know if I take you away from them and them away from you, you’ll all create the type of headache that only ends when you’re all hanging upside down from my favorite cherry tree for a round of pinot and piñata.”
An audible gulp can’t be stopped.
“Therefore, your debt will be served to me in another way.”
It takes every ounce of strength I have to not let my voice shake, “Oh?”
“You amuse me.”
I make an attempt to smile.
“So, you will amuse me.”
Rather than speak out of turn, I merely lift my brow.
“You will fuck Garcia. Garcia will fuck Salay. And I will watch.” Even considering a rebuttal isn’t possible due to her finger tauntingly trailing my chin. “Right here. Right now.” The digit moves to the other side. “Right against the very balcony where I eliminated the threat that tried to keep you apart.”
An unanticipated – almost feral – growl rattles around the back of my throat.
“And for my expedited troubles…I’m going to film. The. Entire. Thing.”
Chapter 25
Zero
First, it was pics.
Now, it’s vids.
One is a helluva a lot easier to convince people it’s not real versus the other, even if the advances in tech are making that less true.