Chapter 3

Noise crackled through the other end of the line, as if he were out on a golf course.

"Hello? Who is this?" The voice was deep and rich, with a trace of impatience.

The moment the Skinner heard it, his expression shifted slightly. But he quickly composed himself.

He had convinced himself that I'd hired someone to play a part, that this was all some kind of act. After all, how could a man as important as Caelum Worthington possibly have my private number and answer so quickly?

I cleared my throat and spoke in an easy, relaxed tone. "Hey, Cael, it's me, Anson."

The other end of the line went silent for a second. Then the impatience vanished from his voice, replaced by instant warmth and unmistakable excitement. There was even a note of surprise.

"Oh, hey! Bro! What made you think to call me right now? Is there a problem with the contract? Or did you finally come around and decide you want to work for me?

"Let me tell you, yesterday's drinks weren't nearly enough. I'm seriously impressed by how much liquor you can hold!"

The whole room fell dead silent.

The Skinner's cigarette dropped onto his pants and burned a hole clean through the fabric, but he didn't even notice. Lindsay's jaw nearly hit the floor. My coworkers crowded around the doorway to watch the show, their eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

Cael? That Caelum Worthington? The man worth several million dollars, whom even the city's top officials had to treat with respect? He was calling me his bro? He was even asking if I wanted to jump ship and work for him?

The Skinner's face turned a deep purplish red. He scrambled forward in a panic and lunged for the phone in my hand.

"Fake!" he shouted incoherently. "This has to be fake! It's a recording! It's a scam!"

I sidestepped his greasy, pudgy hand.

I spoke into the phone. "Cael, there's something I want to ask you. That 50,000 dollars you spent at the club last time? My boss insists I misappropriated it.

"He says you only spent it out of respect for the company. Now he wants me to pay it back, and he's threatening to call the police and have me thrown in prison."

The other end of the line went silent.

Then an earsplitting roar erupted from the phone. Even through the speaker, everyone could feel the fury behind it.

"That is complete bullshit! Respect for his company? Richmond the Skinner doesn't have a shred of respect coming to him!

"I spent that money because I saw that you were a genuine person, and I treated you like my own brother!

"Who the hell does he think he is? He's not even worth me spending 50,000 dollars!

"Bro, put it on speaker and let that son of a bitch hear every word of this!"

I gave the phone a small shake as a cold smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Cael, it's been on speaker this whole time. He's standing right here."

By now, the Skinner was drenched in sweat, his whole body trembling. He knew that voice far too well.

It was Caelum Worthington. The real thing, right down to that infamous temper.

His face had gone deathly pale. He called out toward the phone, his voice shaking, "M-Mr. Worthington, this is a misunderstanding. It's all a misunderstanding… It's me, Little Richmond. We've met before, at that gala—"

"Get lost!" a furious voice roared from the phone. "Who the hell has a misunderstanding with you? Oscar, you blind piece of trash! He brought you back a 200,000,000-dollar order, and instead of treating him right, you have the nerve to shake him down over 50,000 dollars? Do you have shit for brains?"

That single sentence hit the office like a bomb. After all, that was a 200,000,000-dollar order!

Every eye in the room snapped toward my worn, battered briefcase.

The Skinner's legs gave out completely, and he collapsed onto the floor. He stared up at me in disbelief, his lips trembling. "200,000,000? Anson, you... You actually signed it?"

I ignored his shock and continued speaking into the phone. "Cael, it looks like I can't stay at this company any longer. Someone here said poverty had driven me out of my mind and called me an embezzler. He even said he was going to have me rot in prison.

"I'll wire you back the 50,000 dollars right now so I don't actually end up a criminal."

Caelum immediately panicked. "No, no, no! Bro, that's like slapping me right in the face! I spent that money because I wanted to. What the hell does that son of a bitch have to do with it?

"Where are you? Still at that dump of a company? I'm coming over right now!

"I want to see who has the guts to lay a hand on a sworn brother of Caelum Worthington! Sounds like that man is tired of living!"

With that, the call ended with a click. Only the dull drone of the dial tone remained in the silent office.

I put my phone away and looked down at the Skinner, who was still sprawled on the floor. Then I glanced at Lindsay. Her face had drained of all color.

"Mr. Richmond, did you hear all that clearly? Do you still want me to pay up? Do you still want to call the police?" I asked.

The Skinner looked as if someone had ripped every bone from his spine. He stared at me in a daze, then suddenly crawled toward me like a dog and wrapped both arms around my leg.

"Anson... No, Coleman! Mr. Coleman! I was wrong! I had eyes but failed to recognize the great man standing right in front of me!

"Please, be the bigger man and don't hold this against someone as insignificant as me. Whatever you do, don't tell Mr. Worthington!

"If this 200,000,000-dollar deal falls through, the company is finished!"

I kicked him away in disgust. "Don't touch me. You're filthy. Weren't you plenty tough a minute ago? Weren't you going to strip me down and throw me out?"

I glanced at the security guards nearby. They were so terrified that their batons slipped from their hands. One by one, they shrank back.

Lindsay finally snapped out of her stupor. She shrieked and lunged at me, reaching for my briefcase, "The contract! That contract belongs to the company! You can't take it! That's company property!"

Her nails came straight for my face.

My eyes turned cold. I backhanded her across the face with a sharp, resounding slap.

I had been holding that slap back for a long time.