Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 44746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Clearly, Maxime is too impatient to wait.
“Skip to the end,” he says. “You’ll see the royal seal and the signature. It is all there, my friend, if you are ready to sign.”
“I don’t sign anything I don’t read first,” Leon says. “Normally I’d have a lawyer I pay a lot of fucking money do this, but since you’re forcing me to do it here, well, you’d better get comfortable. My friend.”
Maxime winces at those last words. “It is all there, as we discussed.”
“No changes?”
“Well…” Maxime hesitates.
“What changes, Maxime?”
“Certain, well, small things. The monarchy insisted, you see, I had to give them some ground, you know how the monarchy can be. They must get a taste of all things.”
“What did they want?” Leon asks him, tubbing one temple.
Maxime hesitates. “The tax rates will be higher. Percentage of local residents hired will be higher. Restrictions on games played, bets made, that sort of thing. Also, a requirement to have all signage in multiple languages.” Maxime chuckles. “As if you wouldn’t do that already.”
Leon stares at him. “That’s a lot of changes.”
“Ah, well. The monarchy.” He shrugs.
Leon puts the pages down and stares at the table for a second. I think he’s about to turn to the end and sign when he slams his palms flat onto the pages and glares at Maxime with all the venom of a deadly snake.
“You motherfucker,” he growls. “You think you can force me into signing a deal like this? You can take this trumped-up bullshit and shove it so far up your ass that you cry ink.”
Maxime sits back like Leon just clocked him in the face.
“What are you saying, friend?” he says, blinking. “You, you, you think I’m trying to force you into something?”
“I think you cooked up some bullshit story about the monarchy to have someone to blame for all these changes you’re making,” he growls. “I think you’re trying to change our deal at the last second to get better terms, and you’re doing it in this fucking cell after making us sit in here for several hours just to soften me up. I think you’re a snake, Maxime, and I will never, ever, ever, sign something under these conditions. Now, either let Paige and I walk out of this cell right this instant or I swear to fucking Christ I will burn this country down with every penny I own.”
Silence falls over the room.
I almost want to laugh.
It’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever heard in my life. And I believe every single word. I believe he’d do exactly that, he’d burn down this whole country just to get revenge for this.
Maxime blinks rapidly. Sweat beads on his forehead. “You truly… cannot mean that?” he asks. “You think I’d do that to you? I’ve called you friend.”
“And I’ve called you an asshole,” Leon barks. “Let us go.”
Maxime finally gets himself under control. He leans forward and his face drops the nice guy act completely.
“I don’t think so,” he says. “Oh, I won’t keep you in this room. I know that could cause an incident. But you will stay at your hotel until you are called upon. Do you understand?”
“You can’t keep us under house arrest,” Leon growls.
“Of course we can. You’re under suspicions of spying for a foreign government.”
“Spying?” Leon barks a laugh. “You couldn’t just plant drugs?”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. Maybe we’ll do that too.” Maxime stands up. “You’ll be escorted back to your hotel where you can be comfortable while we decide what to do with you. Good day, Leon. I’m very disappointed in you.”
Maxime leaves the room and Leon snarls at him like a wild animal.
I don’t know what’s happening, but a moment later, armed guards come into the room. We’re rounded up and herded through back alleys and out into an underground parking structure. There’s a van waiting for us, unmarked and white. We’re hustled inside and the guards flank us the whole time.
Leon doesn’t speak… but I know what he’s thinking.
This whole country… it’s going to burn.
Every inch of it will burn.
And I’m afraid for them.
15
Leon
We’re escorted back to our hotel room by three armed guards. They don’t speak but they don’t need to.
The message is clear. We stay here and we stay out of trouble.
Once the door is shut and we’re safely inside, I walk to the bar, pour a glass of whiskey, drink it back, and then smash the glass against the far wall.
I’m shaking with rage. I’ve never been so disrespected in my entire life.
Maxime thought he could put us in a bad position and leverage a better deal out of me. He thought he could just fuck me however he pleased. That was fucking extortion, plain and simple.
And now we’re being left in this fucking hotel room to rot, all at the pleasure of those two psychopaths Maxime and Cerise.