Total pages in book: 189
Estimated words: 174749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 874(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174749 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 874(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
“You know why I’m here,” I tell him straight away, not wanting to beat around the bush. “The deal you’ve made … you have a few ways to call it off.
“Oh, you came all this way just to tell me that? You could've just called,” he props his feet on top of the table again, looking at me with that annoying grin on his face. “The answer is no.” I open my mouth to speak, but he raises his hand and cuts me short. “No means no. And it’s a fucking no, Governor.”
Here we go. He’s just a Mayor, and he thinks of himself a king. He has no idea how close he is to having the living daylights knocked out of him.
“Like I told the news when they asked, I got three words for you Carter,” Liam says, leaning back. “Go fuck yourself.”
“Liam,” I start, saying his first name pointedly, “Your deal flies in the face of the environmental legislation I’ve just passed.” I don’t give two shits if I’m disrespecting him by not addressing him as Mayor—as far as I’m concerned, this guy is just another idiot who doesn’t even deserve an ounce of respect.
“Yeah, yeah. I don’t give two fucks about it. You might like to pass all kinds of laws while you’re sitting on your fancy Governor’s chair, but I’m living in the real world. I don’t have the time for your political agenda bullshit of the week; I became Mayor in this city because I care about the people here, not because I want to be another fucking cog in the state’s machine.” I hear his words, but I can barely believe them. I fought tooth and nail to create a law that would protect our state for years to come, and this guy is pissing all over it with a grin … and that while trying to feed me some fake altruistic bullshit. Who the hell does he think he is?
“That’s not how it works. You can’t just do what you want; you’re a Mayor. Kindergarten is over, Liam. Listen to me and act like a real man for once.” This is like talking to a kid who has decided to play a game intended for grown-ups. How in the hell did this guy end up a mayor?
“That’s fucking rich of you, to come here and tell me I can’t secure thousands of jobs for New Kingston. Why don’t you go visit all the people who need these jobs and tell them that they should sign up for food stamps because you’ve signed some bullshit piece of paper. I bet that would go really well, Governor.”
I knew this guy would be tough to deal with, but I didn’t expect this. He’s not tough; he’s an asshole, one who doesn’t care about anything. He doesn’t even want to negotiate or talk about what can be done. This damn bastard just wants to prove he’s better than everyone else. If it weren’t for the political consequences of it, I could just bury my fist into his face and ruin that pretty face of his. You pick up a few things while serving in Iraq, and ruining pretty boys’ faces is one of them.
“I don’t know who you think are, Liam, but this isn’t the Wild West. You can’t simply flood the city with factories and postpone the consequences. And there are consequences.”
“Oh, I know all about consequences, Carter,” he tells me, using my first name as a provocation. Unconsciously, I feel my hands balling into fists. I’ve always hated spoiled little kids like him. He takes his feet off of the table and leans toward me, his grin fading away as his expression turns into a hard one. “For instance, the consequences to your words are that you’re no longer welcome here.”
I’m not welcome? In my own state? This guy has no idea who he’s talking to. Whether he likes it or not, he will have to bend. In the end, everyone does. I get up from my seat and look him in the eye, the tension in the room increasing.
“Enjoy your little fantasy while it lasts, Liam. Because, in the end, you have no power. No choice.” Leaving my words hanging in the air, I turn on my heels and leave his office.
Five minutes. That was how long it took for us to declare war to each other. I smile inwardly; if he wants war, he’s going to get one.
And I’m going to crush him… With a smile on my lips.
4
VIVIAN
I
swear, I don’t even need an alarm clock to wake up most mornings. Most of my friends swear that they need a couple of minutes to snooze, or a solid 8 hours of sleep. Not me. A good five hours and I’m good to go. Hell, I could probably do with three. Or less.