If You Go Down, I Go Down With You

Proposition

"Miss. Ridley?" My assistant comes into my office, bothering me for the fifth time today. "What do you want Mara? If it's because Logan is still down in the lobby asking for me, you're fired."

My ex boyfriend Logan had been trying to reach me all day and wouldn't leave until I spoke to him. He was too sappy. He always wanted to talk about feelings and shit and that wasn't how I rolled. He said I love you way too quick and I never bothered saying it back. Why lie to the poor guy?

I wasn't actually going to fire Mara because he was still here but I also told her to get him to leave and she didn't. So I would just call security. "No he actually left when I threatened to call security earlier." I guess I wasn't calling security then.

"Then what do you need?" She looked more scared now than when I said I was going to fire her if Logan was still downstairs. "Mr. Barnes is downstairs asking for you. Do I call security? Or have him searched and escorted up?"

James Buchanan Barnes. My competitor. He was the ;leader in the other drug cartel running through Brooklyn and I was determined to destroy him. And I was close. And he knew it. That's why he was here now. He wanted to make a deal.

"Have him thoroughly searched then have Daryl escort him up. And get me a large Vanilla Cappuccino a large black coffee and you can get yourself something too." I hand her twenty dollars and she goes back downstairs.

As promised, ten minutes later Mara is back and hands me my two coffees followed by Daryl and James. He smirks when he sees me, I set the coffees down on the table and sit behind my desk.

I had never seen him in person. I knew what he looked like, I'd seen pictures online, on the news, and of course I had to practically stalk him in order to create my plot to take him down. But the photos, they didn't do him justice at all. This man was a god.

"Ridley." He says as he sits across from me. "Barnes." I could see him looking over me as best he could. "Daryl you can wait outside the door, Mara take the rest of the day. Go over those files again."

"Thank you Miss. Ridley. I'll see you tomorrow." Her and Daryl leave the room, Daryl no doubt stays outside the door, he would even if I told him not too. He was my best security guard but if James were to try anything, Daryl wouldn't be able to take him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" I take a sip of my coffee and motion to the second one on my desk, silently telling him it was his if he wanted it. He was still checking me out. Not even making eye contact. I wasn't surprised, my chest was almost fully exposed.

"You've really been fucking my business Ridley." Tattoos covered his body. As far as I could see anyway. And it was hot. He was hot. "Would you rather me fuck you?" Something you'll learn about me quickly, is that I don't give a fuck about pretty much anything.

I do whatever I want to. And I say whatever I want to. And I get away with it. I was a very powerful women. I was dominant. I had money. I was fearless. I was bold. And I flirted. A lot. Just like I am now. I don't care that he's my competitor, I would fuck him, as long as he stayed out of my way.

"Are you offering?" He picked up the coffee and took a sip. "Are you planning on staying out of my way?" He came here to make a deal. That's the only reason he could have to be here. Either that or to take me out. And he's had plenty of opportunities since he walk through the door.

"I have a proposition. Something that'll keep us both in business and bring more money in." I uncross my legs and put my elbows onto my desk, placing my jaw on my palms and leaning forward, exposing my chest more. Intentionally of course. Distracting him a little bit. Because why not have a little fun? "I'm listening."

"We're running competing drug cartels. Trying to take each other down. And the more we do that, the closer the cops are to busting us. But if we were to work together, we can bring in and ship out twice as much and put our brilliant minds together to stay off their radar."

It was an intriguing proposition. And he was right, the cops were getting too close to proving what we had going on behind closed doors. But that wasn't the end of it. There was more. He wanted more. "Go on."

"I want to bring weapons into it. Weapons go for just as much as drugs do. We can make double and our clients are already asking if we know any weapon suppliers, so why not double dip from them? Be their drug and weapons dealer."

This was a brilliant plan. But how do I know he won't fuck me over. Maybe this was a trap and he would extort me, sell me out. "How do I know you're legit? How do I know you won't sell me out to the cops."

"Because if you go down, I go down with you."