Page 16 of Merciless Heir

“Your employer?”

“Client.” She waits.

“Jemima comes across as a ditz whose biggest thrill in her life is you and yeah, she’ll lunch on stories of your being here, doing her security system, but I’ve seen her slice apart powerful men with one word. She’s a kickass, killer of a lawyer.”

“But Mr. Mao likes ditz.”

“Mao’s an idiot whose wealth rivals mine. Jemima made adjustments to get the life she wanted.”

“You all disgust me.”

I smile because damn if I don’t like her. No, I don’t, not really. “You talk like you have morals. You don’t. You’d rob everyone blind in here if it suited you.”

“And you have morals?”

“I’m talking about you. And there are all kinds of morals, Sally.”

“Like shades of black and white? You’ll twist anything to suit yourself.”

“And so will you.”

Jemima walks past, and flashes an enquiring look at Sadie.

She sighs. “Duty calls.”

“I expect an answer in less than two hours. Or I’ll get someone else.”

She doesn’t answer. Just walks off.

I set down the glass on a tray held by a passing waiter and go to the elevator and hit the button.

Stepping in the empty space in chrome and white, I go down a few floors and then transfer to the equally empty one for the rest of the building and take that to the foyer. I could have taken the public one all the way, but that meant picking my way back through people who just might want to talk to me. So I took the private one.

Outside, I lean against my car that found a spot outside. It’s cold, but I don’t bother getting my coat from my driver. Right now, with the dark ink sky above, the lights of Manhattan giving the place a softer glow, I like the bite of the cold. It keeps me sharp.

I gambled in there. Giving Sadie an ultimatum of two hours or I get someone else is a risk because something tells me she doesn’t like ultimatums. And if I fail, I’ll do that; get someone else.

But I don’t think I will.

For one thing, someone like Sadie would kill to get their hands on a Sinclair jewel. So would most people, but for a cat burglar of her caliber, it’s a coup to be the one to find it. If it was stolen, steal it back. To touch, look, evaluate. All a privilege.

For another, I saw that scrap of paper my mother dropped.

Sadie’s going to take the job.

She’s just fucking with me.

But I’ve had enough of that. I need to move.

Sadie will come down. Sooner rather than later.

Funny thing is, I hate those people, too. And I’m more than aware I could have been one, so could have my brothers. Instead, we all chose to work. With a push from Father. And we worked hard.

I’d never say we had it hard, like many out there. And we did come from a place of privilege, but we earned what we got. We built our businesses and companies ground up.

Those people…so many just took what they were given and did nothing with it, other than be seen at the right places and donate to the best causes and call it a tax write off.

Even Jemima. She traded in her career for luxurious boredom, the kind of cage she perhaps enjoys, but is still a cage. She could have had it all.