“Well what I was saying is that as a woman, my powers of persuasion may be a bit more receptive to her than yours,” Steph made sure to use her most convincing tone, even if she didn’t believe what she was saying. Her only goal was to get Cass out of the office as soon as possible.
Cass pondered Steph’s proposition for a moment, “Very well. I love seeing a woman do what women do best. If you get her to remove me from the book, I’ll have my attorneys drop the gag order and you can move forward with your deal. If not, then I’ll have to resort to tactics I haven’t used in a very long time, that don’t yield the most favorable results for you.”
Just like that, Cass winked at Steph, glared at John and signaled to his men to leave the premises. The group returned to the elevators leaving John and Steph alone once again. John wasn’t exactly sure what Steph was thinking, but he knew that whatever she had planned, had better work.
A collective sigh escaped their lips as John and Steph held still in hopes that Cass and his men had finally left. They stood there in silence with their hearts racing.
John was the first to say something, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Steph mumbled. “It’s not the first time I’ve dealt with Cass, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.”
“How about we call it a night?” John suggested. He wanted to know how she knew the gangster, but wasn’t ready for that conversation. He was scared that her answer would make him not want to be around her anymore, and he didn’t want that.
“Okay,” Steph agreed.
“I think you should come back to my place for the night,” he suggested. The look on Steph’s face wasn’t as agreeable with that one. “I promise to be on my best behavior. I know how Cass does business. Intimidation is only the beginning. I don’t want him tailing you back to your house. I don’t know what he has in mind. You can crash at my condo. There’s armed security and a spare bedroom for you to rest in. I can have my driver bring you home in the morning so you can get ready for work. I just don’t want you to be alone tonight. Not after he’s showed his face.”
Steph understood his reasoning and she knew what Cass was capable of. She had left that life behind and if going home with John allowed her to leave it in the past … than that’s exactly what she intended to do.