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Chapter One
“Zahir,” Clayton McDerlad you were able toFrankly, I assu Fairuza instead”
Sheikh Zahir Aul Yes, it was unlike his He felt that A everything with eagle eyes Maybe he’d never heard of the art of delegation, at least not completely While he trusted his sister with his life, Zahir ell aware of how oily and difficult Clayton could be to deal with He was aout of deals and was as likely to pat you on the back as shiv you in it Yet the Boston businessman had access to some of the best steel refineries in the States, and Amun desperately needed those resources to help update his oil pipes Dealing with the devil was the best thing they could hope for, but Zahir still didn’t trust him
“We’re opening a neell outside of Al Ain, and there’s no one I trust more to put the fear of Allah in the workers thantrifled with,” he said, and he let his grin ease closer to a snarl Zahir wanted Clayton to understand that double-dealing was a poor choice when the Amun family’s reputation was on the line
“What a sha the handshake apart and sht blond hair Clayton’s hair was overly processed and shiny, just like everything else about hiuely reain, sowith the other man
“Indeed”
Clayton nodded and sat back down on his side of the conference table “No offense, my friend, but I’d rather she had co , a masquerade ball, and I wanted to invite her to couest”
Zahir’s jaw clenched before he worked it free “I’rieved to hear she h Perhaps I’d find it an aotiations”
“Of course It’s at Club Rouge don The owner’s an old friend You’ll love it It’s one of the biggest bashes in Bean Town”
“I’lad that his sister hadn’t come
Fairuza was no fool, and Clayton’s reputation as a womanizer ell known She’d have been bored to tears hued at the party If she stopped being bored, she ered all future business dealings Zahir, however, preferred to make his trips a es to being a young, wealthy royal, and no orously his sister teased him for it, Zahir intended to enjoy all of them
“Now that we’ve gotten through all the pleasantries…” Clayton fumbled The other corporate titan may be self-absorbed, but even he see Of course, i he’d wanted to take Zahir’s sister out didn’t help Perhaps there was still too much frat boy left in Clayton for him to have much common sense left “I think you’ll find the contract is well and in order I spoke additionally with my own advisors and lawyers, of course, pursuant to our last conversation”
“Oh I’ll bet,” Zahir said, taking the thick sheaf of papers and frowning as he thuh them
Technically this tête-à-tête was a prea with their lawyers and secretaries present It was a show of good faith so that neither of theal teah them, he realized that some of the stipulations he’d wanted had been dropped, and Clayton had certainly rethought his own points Angered, Zahir shoved the papers back across the desk It was a struggle to remind himself to keep his voice down
“Are you serious? Do you really expect to try sneaking in completely new terms?”
“I wasn’t sneaking I let you reread them and your attorney would have in a few er is about what you need You want access to the pipes and other steel thatout of this?”
“Ten percent stock options, and a hefty paycheck for the i as an entity,” he said, his voice still low and
Clayton chuckled, and Zahir wondered if he’d perfected that laugh in a et every action and tactic down pat As if any of that would snow hiet thirty percent of controlling interest out of this er or I walk”
“That would be insane The oil side is worth billions et thatwhat you’d do, how many other partners on the board you’d try and buyout Suddenly, I’d find ht that if Fairuza were here as my second she’d let this bullshit slide? You want any deals, it’s ten percent or I walk right now”
The other ed and leaned back in his chair “If that’s how you feel, but I know your whole infrastructure is in dire need of repair You acquiringout all the work you need, and half the all-American firms around here aren’t interested in overseas ith the Middle East anymore”
“They’re interested in ame in town, McDermott,” Zahir reminded him