Asher had given up trying to explain how the world worked to his father. His parents were perfectly happy in their middle-class home, driving their ten-year-old cars. They certainly weren’t poor, but they considered themselves better off for not having fought his mother’s family for anything other than their children’s trust funds. How a man who had once been one of the most influential US senators and a woman who’d been born into the top of the privileged one percent could be satisfied with obscurity was a constant mystery Asher had given up trying to solve. One of Asher’s brothers, Lance, believed their mother had been afraid of her father as well as her sister. Both were dead now so that was another topic that held little interest for Asher. Had his mother ever appealed to him for help, Asher would have dealt with both of them for her. He feared no one.
There was a light knock on the door and Ryan Corson, Asher’s personal assistant, entered. He was a reliable, unflappable, problem solver and that had made him an indispensible member of Asher’s team. He was paid well above his job description because he had proven himself in a variety of ethically complex situations. Asher didn’t need a conscience; he needed a team that would follow his orders without hesitation, so those were the people he’d surrounded himself with.
“Mr. Corisi is quickly becoming impatient,” Ryan said. “Shall I send him in?”
Asher sat on the edge of his desk and checked his watch. “Tell him I’m on a conference call for five more minutes.”
Ryan grimaced. “He may not wait.”
“He will. He’s curious.”
“I’ll tell him, but I’m guessing not too many people make Mr. Corisi wait for anything.”
“Exactly,” Asher said with a flash of teeth. Dominic was known for losing his temper easily. “Always play to your opponent’s weaknesses.”
Ryan gave Asher a curious look. “Is he our competition? He’s in an entirely different industry.”
Asher pushed off the desk. “Every person who is not on my team is against it. Remember that. Dominic is getting impatient. Good. Keep your opponent off balance and it’s easier to get information from them.”
Ryan neither agreed nor disagreed. He retreated to his office and to the likely unpleasant task of informing one of the most powerful people in the country that he needed to cool his heels for a few more minutes.
Asher slowly checked the messages on his phone, straightened the already straight papers on his desk, and finally opened the door of his office. “Dominic, thank you for coming.”
Dominic turned and gave him a dark look Asher pretended not to see. Dominic growled, “When you said it was a matter that couldn’t be spoken about on the phone, you piqued my interest.” Although Dominic didn’t mention it, his irritation at being kept waiting was obvious. “This had better be important.”
Asher smiled smoothly, deliberately ignoring that as well. “Come in. Ryan, hold my calls.” He waited until he knew Dominic was paying attention and added, “Unless it’s Freethy. Then put him through.” He heard Dominic’s impatient huff and hid his satisfaction at how easy it was to use a man’s pride against him. After closing his office door, he said, “Have a seat, Dominic.”
Dominic folded his arms across his chest and kept standing. “I don’t have time for whatever game you’re playing, Asher. What do you want to discuss?”
Asher rocked back on his heels and pocketed his hands in his trousers. “I need the name of your contact in Trundaie.”
Dominic studied him for a long moment, then said, “I don’t deal with unstable governments anymore.”
Asher smiled knowingly. “I understand. You have a family to think about now.”
“I do.”
“How is your wife? And your daughter—Judy, isn’t it?”
Dominic relaxed his stance. “Both are well. Judy just started kindergarten.”
“Wow, that happened fast.”
“It did. It feels like only yesterday I was learning to change a diaper. In a blink of an eye, she’s reading to me at bedtime instead of the other way around.”
Asher leaned back against his desk. “Tell me, how long do I have to pretend to give a shit about your family before you cough up your old contact in Trundaie?”
Dominic’s eyes narrowed, then he barked out a laugh. “You remind me of myself, Asher, and that’s not a compliment.”
Asher picked up a folder, took out a photo of an outbuilding that had been destroyed, and threw it on the table near Dominic. “I’m having issues with the rebels in Trundaie. We both know they don’t care why I’m there. This is extortion, plain and simple. I know they went against you when you were there, and you paid someone in the military to get them to back off. All I need is a name, and I’ll handle the rest.”
Dominic shook his head. “I told you, I’ve distanced myself from those contacts. Trundaie’s instability has increased since I was last there. I understand the temptation of fast money that can be made in places no one else will go, but don’t underestimate the price you pay for making those kinds of enemies.”
With a sarcastic chuckle, Asher straightened. “How does it feel to be a lion on a leash? We’ve worked the same international circuit for too long for me to believe you don’t still have your hand in it. The contract we have with Trundaie will open up the whole Asia continent to using our product. They pride themselves on their low prices, and using our synthetic material instead of oil will cut their production prices in half. We don’t have to stay in Trundaie. The government will purchase our facility once we’ve proven to them that it can be lucrative. Once we have them, the Western markets will cave because they’ll have no other choice. They’ll need either a facility or product from us. Maybe you can’t play in the big sandbox anymore, Dominic, but don’t begrudge me the pleasure. All I need is a name.”
Dominic shook his head, but said, “I’ll make a call.”
Asher crossed the room and held out his hand. “I’ll send you a postcard from Trundaie.”
Dominic shook his hand. He didn’t look the least bit bothered by Asher’s baiting. “You’re wrong about one thing, Asher. I don’t miss my old life. It was exciting, but it was empty. Life is about more than that.”
Asher walked him to the door. “I’ll take your word for that. Thanks for coming by.”
Dominic nodded and added, “Coming by was never in question. Some of your family has become like my own.”
“If you mean the Andrades, you can have them,” Asher said.
Dominic gave him an odd look but didn’t say more before leaving.
After he was gone, Asher called his business partner, Brice Henderson. He didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “I need you to move the deadline up.”
“The compound needs an additional round of testing.”
Brice was a genius, but he didn’t understand the complexities of the volatile international market. “The sooner we have the facility up and running, the sooner we can hand it off to the government and get the hell out of there. Get me the product ahead of schedule.”
“Nothing will happen if I can’t get this compound right.”
“‘Nothing’ is not an option. We’re delivering something to them. We have too much riding on this not to. Do whatever it takes.”
“Asher, unlike your Neanderthal negotiations, science cannot be rushed.”
“Things are heating up in Trundaie. We need the standing government to back us, but they won’t do that until we show them how profitable it will be for them. We need to get our facility up and running . . . now.”
“It’ll be ready by the date we agreed to.”