breath when heavy knuckles

anislaw's voice was muffled through th

f the floor, quickly smoothing the wrinkles out of he

mber liquid. He pushed past her into the room without waiting fo

slaw ordered, his tone lea

lowed him down the hall, the scent of

om paneled in mahogany, smelling permanentl

e swung it open, revealing a steel wall safe. He rapidly punched i

d threw it onto the center of his mass

eather chair opposi

edge of the desk. She looked at the folder. Printed in bol

commanded, taking a l

egally convoluted paragraphs. As she processed the corp

erger agreement. This wa

rithm-the very technology her brother Kem had spent his life building-ou

l the technology, leaving Nexus Dynamics

ached. She wanted to rip the papers to

onto the desk with a loud sigh. She rubbed her temples, pl

an," Karmen drawled. "

This is our golden ticket. Next Wednesday, at that private dinner, you ar

lusional. Earl reads every comma. He's not going

urned dark and ugly

and back up. "You clearly know how to use your mouth to get what you want. Do whatever you

hit Karmen like a physical strik

in her hand. She lifted it to her lips and swallowed the scotch in one burnin

just cut your mother's trust fund. I'll stop paying the private security a

reathing. The th

forced her eyes to look defeate

vy Montblanc pen resting on the leather blott

she forged the sig

ed the folder back, admiring the signature before sliding it b

ppoint me,"

tood up and walked out of the s

ew the envelope onto the

ter. She splashed her face repeatedly, the freezing wa

scarred, ugly fa

sign that contract. She was go

zipped a hidden lining in the fabric. From the dark recess, she

ration tool. The signature wea

tal drive in her fist un

a victim. She was going to tear the C