Page 170 of Hidden Ties

Kent looked at him snidely. “Who in the fuck do you think you’re talking to? You have most of the money you need to fulfill that stashed in two offshore accounts you scammed out of thepoor suckers who trusted you with their estates. You’re going to bring all that money back to the good old United States and pay those clients what you stole from them. I have their names on the back of the folder, and those whose legal fees you jacked up while they were in prison until they lost their homes and businesses. You’re a fucking bastard who used your law degree to destroy people’s lives instead of doing the job you were hired to perform.”

“Don’t get all moral on me, you son of a bitch!” Garrett snarled, gripping his desk. Picking the folder up, he started tearing the papers inside.

“Go ahead. Knock yourself out.” Kent shrugged uncaringly. “Those are copies. I have the originals, and several more flash drives I didn’t bother to bring. Don’t worry about finding them, either, because, unless the DA calls me and tells me that you’ve done what I’ve asked, Fisher will have them in his hand before court starts this afternoon.”

Garrett sagged in his chair. “I’ll be destroyed.”

“I hope you aren’t expecting any mercy from me? I don’t have any for you. You want to save your business? Step down. I’ll take it over. You will be able to live comfortably on a small percentage of the firm’s profits.”

“I’ll never let you head my firm!”

Kent laughed. “Do you want to hand it over to Jeffrey or Liam? You’ll have to make some cutbacks as it is. With one of them head of the firm, you’ll have to pick up your own dog shit out of the grass in six months instead of having the dog scoopers do it for you. Regardless, it’s your choice who you want to take over the firm, as long as you step down.”

Kent rose from the chair when he saw that Garrett knew he was beaten, then went to his briefcase to take out another folder and removed a document. Placing the document in front of Garrett, he placed an ink pen on top. “Sign at the bottom.”

Garrett started reading the document. When he lifted his eyes, his nostrils were flaring. “Fuck off. I’m not signing my new condo over to you!”

“Yes, you are.” Kent stared down at him pitilessly. “You really don’t want those discs leaking out onto the web, do you? Think of your children, Garrett,” he said with mock sympathy. “They don’t need to know the only way Daddy can come, do they? You’d have to pay for their therapy for the rest of their lives.”

Garrett picked up the pen.

Kent clicked his tongue, stopping him.

“Call in Cheryl to witness the signature. She’s still a notary, isn’t she?”

Pressing the intercom, Garrett asked his assistant to come in.

Used to being their notary for the firm, Cheryl didn’t find it unusual to be asked to witness a signature. When it was done, Garrett dismissed her, then flung the papers across the desk toward him.

Kent didn’t become angry at the rude gesture, merely placing the paperwork back in his briefcase. At this point, he could afford to be gracious.

“I’ll take the condo keys.”

Garrett opened his desk drawer to take out a small gift-wrapped box tied with a pink bow.

“How charming of you.” Tearing the wrapping paper off, he opened the box to take out a set of keys.

“Livvy is going to be disappointed, but I’m sure a generous severance check will mend her greedy soul.”

“You want me to fire her?”

“You won’t need Livvy here since you will no longer be working here. I’m doing the firm a favor getting you to fire her. She and Bree have been embezzling from you for the last year. How do you think I managed to get the flash drives? You’re not the only one into kink. Livvy loves putting on a show. Feel free tofire Bree without a severance package. The other drive you failed to look at is all the proof you need to fire her. There is only one other thing I need your help with, and then I’ll get out of your hair. I want you to fire Sage.”

“What for?”

“I don’t care what reason you come up with.” He shrugged. “Just fire her.”

Tossing the condo keys into the briefcase, Kent snapped it closed. “Don’t forget to make that phone call, Garrett. I’ll be in my office,” he said from over his shoulder on his way toward the door.

Garrett’s eyes filled with hatred. “You played me like putty just so you could steal everything out from under me.”

Kent turned back to face him, letting his own hatred slip though, no longer masking his desire to kill the fucker where he was sitting.

Garrett reared back in his chair in mortal fear.

“You’re way off the mark. I didn’t go to this much trouble to steal your practice; that’s a bonus,” he clarified with relish. “You watched people’s livelihoods and homes be sold out from underneath them. To be exact, one of them was myfather. You lived in a fucking mansion, bought with other people’s blood, sweat, and tears. I did it for one reason—call it justice.”

THIRTY-EIGHT