Page 20 of Insidious Threats

Vanity?

“I believe you want to be able to shape the narrative in advance of the next election cycle.”

“It was a rhetorical question.”

“Right, sorry. I wish I had better news, but in truth, I view this as a win for us.”

He snorted. “This, I have to hear.”

“Aside from being an invasion of your privacy, financial discovery would have been a significant risk, Leith. Some of your investment vehicles and tax decisions are … unusual. If Neutral Collins had granted their motion, well, there could have been wide-ranging implications. Civil, regulatory, and criminal,” she added to drive the point home.

“You’re supposed to insulate me from risks like those.”

Great. Now he was pouting.

“And I have.”

“I don’t mean by convincing some clown of a mediator in a podunk town not to grant an overreaching discovery request,” he snapped. “Your job is to protect me.”

“Unfortunately, Leith, I can’t protect you from yourself. It would’ve been helpful to go into this knowing why you were so interested in Maisy Farley.”

“She impugned my integrity on live television, Amanda.”

“Come on, Leith.”

He let out a deep sigh. “She created a mess. She was instrumental in scuttling a settlement that I put into place for long-term strategic reasons. Her behavior had the potential to damage a significant business opportunity.”

“Had the potential to? Does that mean it didn’t actually happen?”

“That’s not the point.”

She pulled a face. He was veering from snappish to unreasonable. It would be a short slide into verbal abuse. It was time to do damage control, and in a hurry.

“You’re absolutely right. I’m sorry. I don’t know what opportunity you’re referring to, but when I get back to the office, I can take a look at—”

“I don’t think so.”

“Pardon?”

“There’s a reason I didn’t involve you in this deal. Do you know what it is?”

The fact that you’re an arrogant buffoon?

“No, I don’t.”

“I didn’t think you would add any value. And you’re proving my point.”

His assessment stung, as it was meant to. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the cold glass of the window.

After a beat, she pushed away her insecurity and humiliation and plowed forward. “I can only do my job effectively if I’m kept in the loop. I can’t protect your existing interests when you have irons in the fire that I don’t know about. I’d like the chance to change your mind about my value, Leith.”

“You’ll have to earn it, Amanda.”

He hung up on her. The loud click in her ear was like a gunshot.

Earn it. How was she supposed to earn it? She pursed her lips and tried to put herself in Leith’s shoes. What would he want her to do to win back his approval?

After a few moments, she scrolled through her phone and found the number for Delone Driverless Ventures’ East Coast presence.