Double Standards // ziam

Chapter 19

"Thank God you're back!" Mary burst out late Wednesday afternoon when Liam strode swiftly into his office, followed by Niall and Harry. "Louis Tomlinson needs to talk to you immediately. He says it's an emergency."

"Have him come up," Liam said, shrugging out of his suit jacket. "And then come and join us in a toast. I'm about to whisk Zayn off to Las Vegas to get married. The plane is being refueled and checked out right now."

"Does Zayn know about this?" Mary said, frowning. "He's downstairs in Harry's office, hard at work."

"I'll convince him of the wisdom of the plan."

"When the plane is airborne and he has no choice," Niall put in with a knowing smile.

"Exactly." Liam grinned in high good spirits. He had missed him so much that he'd called him three times a day, every day, like a lovesick schoolboy. "Make yourselves comfortable," he added over his shoulder. Reaching into a wide closet that held several changes of clothing, he took out a fresh shirt.

Five minutes later, he walked out of the bathroom, freshly shaven, and glanced at Louis Tomlinson and the round-faced man who were standing near the couch where Harry and Niall were seated.

"What's up, Louis?" he asked, going over to the bar and removing a bottle of champagne, his back to the others.

"There's a security leak in the Rossi project," the attorney began cautiously.

"Right. I told you that."

"The men in Casano trying to find out about Rossi were Sinclair's men."

Only a momentary stillness in Liam's hand as he unwound the wire from the plastic champagne cork betrayed his tension at the mention of Sinclair's name.

"Go on," he urged evenly.

"Evidently," Louis continued, "there's a man on our payroll who appears to have been spying for Sinclair. I arranged for Rudy here to listen in on the extension of his office phone and to keep him under surveillance."

Liam took down four champagne glasses from the bar, his mind dwelling on Zayn's smile, his beautiful face. Tonight was going to be their wedding night. After tonight he and he alone would have the right to take him in his arms, to join his starved body with his, to kiss and cuddle him... "I'm listening," he lied. "Go on."

"Yesterday he was photographed passing Sophia Sinclair copies of four of Pay-co's bids. We have in our possession a set of the copies he passed to Mrs. Sinclair to use as proof in court."

"That filthy bitch-" Liam fought down his blaze of fury, trying not to let his animosity for all the Sinclairs spoil his mood. This was his wedding day. Coolly he said, "Harry, I'm going to do what I should have done five years ago. I'm going to put them out of business. From now on, I want Pay-co to bid on every job she bids on, and I want you to bid below our cost. Is that clear? I want this bitch out of our hair!"

When Harry murmured agreement, Louis continued. "We can make a warrant for the young man's arrest. I've already discussed the matter with Judge Spath, and he is ready to do so as soon as you give the word."

"Who is he?" Harry demanded when Liam seemed more interested in pouring champagne into his glasses.

"Sophia's Sinclair lover!" Rudy burst out eagerly, his voice ringing with pompous self-importance. "I checked him out personally. The guy is living like a pampered prince in a fancy Bloomfield Hills condo that Sophia's paying for. He dresses like a model, and..."

Dread exploded in Liam's chest, and his whole body tensed against the agonizing certainty already pounding in his brain. His mind formed the question, but before he could force the words out, he had to brace his hands on the bar for support. With his back still to them, he whispered, "Who is he?"