“She was capable of getting you to back down and hand over fifteen million. Just be careful.”
Nathan appreciated the sentiment, even as he found the idea of Kerri having any impact on him laughable.
“How long have you known me?” he asked Jason.
“Seven years. Close to eight.”
“How many times have I screwed up?”
“None.” His attorney nodded. “I agree with what you’re saying. Just be careful.”
“You’re paranoid.”
Jason grinned. “That’s why I make the big bucks.”
There was a knock at the conference door and then Kerri stepped inside.
She wore a dress and high heels, surprising Nathan. Her hair hung loose and she’d put on makeup. She was still farm-girl pretty. Not his type. But she would make a good impression on the people who mattered.
Nathan ignored her and glanced at Tim, who stood behind her.
“Any trouble?” he asked his driver.
Kerri sighed. “I was a very good girl. I was ready on time and I told funny stories nearly the whole ride here.”
Tim’s face remained impassive as he said, “No, sir.”
“We shouldn’t be more than an hour. Then you can take Ms. Sullivan home.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kerri smiled at Tim. “You should call him Nathan. I think he’d like that.”
One corner of Tim’s mouth twitched. “I appreciate the advice, Ms. Sullivan.”
“Oh, sure. Now it’s Ms. Sullivan. And we were so close just a short time ago.”
Tim closed the door. Kerri glanced around, then walked toward Jason.
“Hi. I’m Kerri Sullivan. You don’t look like a lawyer. Nice haircut, by the way. So, are you going to protect my rights, too? Should I call legal aid and get my own representation?”
Jason shook her hand. “Everything is very straightforward, Ms. Sullivan.”
“You are so lying.”
Jason grinned. “Not as much as you’d think. I kept things simple. Mr. King provides the money to the research facility, you allow yourself and your son to be—”
“Exploited?” she asked sweetly.
Jason ignored that. “You and your son allow Mr. King to present himself in a more favorable light.”
“Lucky us.”
Nathan stayed by the window, watching rather than participating. He admired Kerri’s bravado when it was obvious, at least to him, that she was terrified. Her hands trembled slightly and she kept inhaling deeply, as if consciously telling herself to breathe. None of the indicators were blatant, but he knew what to look for. It always paid to know what the enemy was thinking and feeling.
Not that she was his enemy. She was too far out of her league for that. He kept thinking he could squash her like a bug, if he took the time.
Except he couldn’t—he needed her. He, who prided himself on needing no one.
Jason led her to the conference table and set a folder in front of her. “Here’s the paperwork. If you would please look it over before you sign.”
She opened her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper. “I have a few requests of my own, first,” she said.
“Excuse me?” Jason asked.
Nathan ignored him and turned his attention to Kerri. “The hell you do.”
“I mentioned it when you were at my house.”
“You were kidding.”
“I was at the time, but when else am I going to be able to negotiate with the great and powerful Nathan King?” She fluttered her lashes at him. “I’ve been reading about you online. You’re even richer than I thought. So I’m going to need a little bit more to cooperate.”
“Did I mention the money hasn’t been transferred yet?” She was bluffing, he thought. She had to be, but damn, she was good.
“You’ll do it.” She pushed the list toward Jason. “The top two are not negotiable.”
Nathan took another sip of coffee. “Read it,” he said, intrigued even as he prepared himself to be taken.
He could guess what she would want. A new car. Hers was a piece of crap. Some dented, rusting import with an engine that missed and bad tires. Maybe some cash. He eyed her cheap handbag. A shopping spree. The women he knew always wanted to go shopping.
“New baseball uniforms for the Songwood high school baseball team.” Jason looked up at him. “Apparently their old ones were destroyed in a flood.”
“They store their equipment in the basement,” Kerri said. “A pipe broke last week and everything was ruined. They’ve been fund-raising and they’re doing pretty well, but they aren’t going to have enough for new jerseys. The pants, too. And before you ask, you don’t get to put your name on the back or anything. This isn’t about you.”
If he’d been drinking, he would have choked. Baseball uniforms?
“Ah, a commitment to provide all the turkeys needed by the First Baptist Church of Songwood for their Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners,” Jason continued. “Two thousand tulip bulbs for the Songwood community center to plant in the fall. A new fence for the elementary school playground and five thousand dollars for the local library.”
She had to be playing him, Nathan thought. No one got him alone with what they thought was a blank checkbook and asked for tulip bulbs. That, or she was an idiot.
“What about for yourself?” he asked.
She looked at him. “I have what I want. Money for research. I wish I could just buy a cure, but I can’t. This is the next best thing. You made that possible and I appreciate it.”
“I can tell,” he said drily.
“No, I mean it. You’re paying for a miracle. How often does that happen?”
Nathan shifted uncomfortably. He looked at Jason and nodded. “Fine.”
Kerri beamed. “Seriously? All of them? I should have asked for low-cost housing for the needy.”
She didn’t mean herself, he thought, amazed when he would have assumed he was beyond amazement. She had nothing but her current paycheck in the bank. No savings, no IRA, no nothing.
It was a game. A strategy. She would reveal herself soon enough.
“There’s just one more thing,” she said, smoothing her skirt. “It’s personal.”
He put down his coffee and folded his arms over his chest. Here we go, he thought. Now they were going to see the real Kerri Sullivan.
“I need help with something.” She stared at Jason, rather than Nathan. “Something big. I need to fly.”
“You want a plane ticket?” Nathan asked.
“No.” She sighed.
“You’re not getting a private jet.”
She turned to him. “I don’t want a private jet. I want to fly. By myself.” She held out her arms, as if they were wings. “Or maybe walk on water, although that could be more problematic.”
Great. He was making a deal with someone insane. That would help his stress level.
She looked back at Jason. “When my son was diagnosed, he got depressed and I was terrified he was going to give up. He was only