Page 105 of Dirty Rival

He’s lying. I realize now that I know this. That he has this weird pitch to his voice when he lies that I’ve always ignored. “You and Mike Maxwell are enemies.”

“That is, in fact, accurate.”

“You didn’t think I needed to know that?” I demand.

“I’ve been that man’s enemy for years. It’s never affected you.”

“I’m working with his son.”

“Who I told you was a problem. I told you to get out.”

“And you knew I wasn’t. You should have been specific. He hates you. Why?”

“We go back a long way.”

I think of Elijah and how easily personal hate drives professional anger. “You’ve gone after him. You’ve tried to hurt him.”

“Of course I have. Every fucking chance I got.”

“And his family?”

“Carrie—”

“That’s a yes. I’m working with his son. You didn’t think I needed to know that you’d tried to hurt him?”

“I told you, you need to come here. Now.”

“No. No, I have a chance to save the company and I’m going to.”

“He won’t let you.”

“I have a contract,” I say. “He will. He has to.”

“There’s a loophole or a plan to destroy you after he gets whatever he wants out of this. I promise you.”

“You underestimate my legal expertise and my ability to hold my own with anyone.”

“This isn’t about your skill. It’s about your morals. You have too many to survive a Maxwell.”

“In other words, you don’t? Who are you?”

“A man who holds his own, even with the nastiest of them all.”

A man I don’t know, I think. “What else don’t I know?” I ask.

“I have no idea what that means.”

“There are people who will work with me now that you’re gone.”

“We all make enemies.”

“We all make enemies? I never knew we had enemies.”

“I have enemies.”

“Apparently, that means I do, too. Can I get a list or is it too long?”

“You’re going too far with this.”