Page 118 of The Renter

That’s nearly four hundred pounds.I don’t even know what I could squat. Dani pops into my mind, and I wonder if she would find a guy with a body like Gideon’s attractive. Personally, I think it’s too much.

“This is Adam Harris,” I hear Gideon say as I refocus on the task at hand. “His company, Harris Ventures, is leading the three-hundred-million-dollar investment into Real-ity.”

Luka shakes my hand and then points to a bottle. “First, we drink.”

“Rakija?” I ask, eyeing the bottle.

“He knows his drink. Good.” Luka pours all three of us large shots.

“Živeli!” I toast, tapping each of their glasses.

“And a little Serbian. Did you fall in love with one of our women?”

“I’ve done business with a few families.”

“Hmm,” Luka hums. “I feel like the last guy at the orgy right now. Why am I the last to hear you’re raising funds?” He looks at Gideon.

“It’s my fault,” I say, deflecting the heat from Gideon. “We’ve never been properly introduced, but he insisted we get you in on this deal.”

It’s a lie. I fucking hate bottom feeders like this guy, but I need this deal to close before the end of the year. If it doesn’t close by then, I’ll have some people far scarier than him breathing down my neck.

He looks at me, then at Gideon, then back at me. “Five. Because I like Gideon.”

“I thought you were thinking ten,” Gideon says.

“Five.” He looks at me. “I don’t trust him.”

I swallow my pride to get this wire right now. “Five today. I’ll make sure you get all the virgins moving forward.”

“Six.” He smiles, clearly pleased with my concession to get him in on our first round of calls for future deals.

“Wired today,” I say firmly, holding eye contact with him.

“Wired now.”

I stand, shaking his hand, ready to get out of this environment—one I thought I had elevated from after years of successful deal-making.

Hopping back in the car, Gideon’s face is tense, like he’s trying to find the right words to say.

“It’s twelve percent of what we need for this deal to close, and it was a pit stop on the way to the airport. I’m happy,” I say into the silence. “But we still have some things to iron out outside of the funding—your new employment contract, voting rights, overall comp plan.”

“They’re all in legal review. We’re reading every word in great detail … You’ve been so hardcore with me. It was weird to see you playing another role.”

“I’ll play whatever fucking role I need to for the money.” I laugh, then add, “You know I haven’t done this shit in four years.”

“You haven’t done a road show in four years?” Gideon asks, surprised.

“We deliver for our investors. When we call, they give us what we want.”

“They don’t like my company?”

“The global economy is shifting,” I say, turning my phone back on. “Everyone’s being cautious right now.” I look over at him. “Plus, it doesn’t help that Bitcoin is worth a third of what it was at this time last year.”

101

Monday, October 17th

8:10 p.m.