What had felt originally to be an unfair match now felt to him as if he had the high ground. The high ground and more troops.
And a nuke.
Grinning, he looked across to the passenger seat. Lily was dressed smartly in a black jacket, a slim black dress, and a red blouse. She’d pinned her hair up and had the look of someone going into battle.
“We ready?” he asked.
The soul-eating mistress of death glanced at him and then gave him a cocky smile. “We’ll tear out their souls.”
“I’ll leave that to you. The whole beautiful soul-eater thing isn’t me,” Felix muttered. He pulled the keys from the ignition and stepped out of his aunt’s SUV.
“Remember what I said,” Lily reminded him, opening the front door and walking in ahead of him.
“Yes, dear,” Felix said in a whiny voice. Lily turned her head and gave him a piercing glare, blocking the doorway. “Sorry, yes, I remember.”
She arched a brow at him. It reminded him that she’d supposedly killed a couple hundred people in her career as a villain.
Only after having ripped out their souls to use as power.
After another second of Felix being forced to bear that heavy stare, she finally relented and moved forward.
“Felix Campbell and associate,” Lily said in a firm voice to the receptionist.
The receptionist blinked at Lily, then looked to Felix. “I… alright. Please follow me.”
They usually make me wait.
Lily gestured to the ground with a subtle move of her hand. Felix took the indicated spot, one step ahead of her and to the left.
As they moved to the conference room that he always ended up in, Lily grabbed a chair from an office that was empty as they passed.
The receptionist gave her a look, but then wisely decided she didn’t want to argue with Lily.
The looks on the faces of the normally placid board changed dramatically when they saw Lily.
Felix couldn’t place it, but he was sure they were annoyed and hoped they were afraid.
“Mr. Campbell, good morning. May I ask who you’ve brought with you today?” one of the board asked.
“This is Lilian Lux. She’s an associate of mine I’ve recently employed,” Felix explained. He’d been warned repeatedly by Lily that she was not legal counsel, but only there to provide her opinion and advice to him. Especially since she wasn’t a lawyer.
“I’m afraid that we can’t allow you to retain your own counsel, Mr. Campbell,” Joseph started.
“She’s not a lawyer. She’s here simply to provide me with her advice and opinions,” Felix clarified. “Please proceed.”
Joseph looked rattled. Clearing his throat, he looked to his paperwork in front of him and back to Felix.
“The first order of business is the discussion of the rent you owe,” Joseph said slowly.
“Good. I agree. First, do you hold to the statement that I owe payment for rent to the amount of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Yes?” Felix asked.
Joseph looked to the others on the board and they began to nod their heads. “That is correct, we—”
“Next. Who has deemed that I am the renter? In other words, who is the named landlord?”
Joseph turned his head a fraction of an inch to the side and then gestured to another person. “Mr. Jen is the landlord.”
“Good. That means you’ve collected wages for the seven years up to this point as landlord?” Felix asked, turning to Mr. Jen.
“I, uh… yes,” said the man.
The room was getting more tense by the minute. Lily had coached him very well, and it was clear she knew what would happen. Each question was provoking responses.
“Would you agree that the amount of that pay would be… roughly four hundred thousand dollars? Plus five percent of the rent as a bonus.”
Mr. Jen nodded his head.
“Could someone please provide me the document in which I agreed that Mr. Jen would be the landlord?” Felix asked, looking around the room.
Everyone froze. No one responded.
“If no one can provide that document, I’m afraid we have a problem.”
“No, no problem here, Felix. There’s no requirement that you—”
“Yes, there is. Per…” Felix had to look at the sheet of paper in front of Lily. “Section six, subsection c, listed as ‘approving of contractors and personnel,’ I’m listed as an approver. I did not approve. Therefore, the selection is invalid.”
Joseph opened his mouth and then closed it. “I… that is—”
“You are in breach of contract unless you can provide that document this very minute. Are you in breach of contract?”
Again, there was no response.
“If you do not provide the document in the next minute, or state that you can provide it in the next ten, I’m moving to have you in breach.”
Joseph swallowed and held up a hand. “Perhaps we should move to set this entire situation aside and—”
“I rule you in breach. Now that you’re in breach, under section ten, subsection a, all accounting will now be done through me. I am officially moving to hire an accountant this evening who will now be part of this board.”
“Now see here—”
“In addition, I move to elect myself the landlord of my own property,” Felix said, cutting Joseph off.
“Those in favor?” Felix asked.
No one but he raised their hand.
“Those against?” Joseph raised his hand immediately, as did Mr. Jen and a few others.
“Per my rights as the primary beneficiary to dismiss two people from the board every quarter, I move to strike two people from this board. Mr. Joseph and Mr. Jen. You’re no longer needed, thank you. Per my rights of breach, I move to strike one additional…” Felix looked at one of the men with his hand up. “You. You can leave as well.”
The three he’d selected were dumbfounded.
Felix picked up a packet that Lily pulled out of the case she was carrying.
“I have here a formal grievance for Reznik, Blacketer, and Troy. Once I send this, I’m sure I can have every one of you replaced. And have myself as the approver of every single person who comes into the board next.
“Now. With the departure of Mr. Joseph, Mr. Jen, and whatever his name is, I cannot remove anyone until the new quarter. Which happens to be tomorrow. I’ll be convening an emergency meeting tomorrow.
“Just to make sure everyone understood my previous question, I’d like to ask again to be made the landlord of my own estate and ask for a vote,” Felix said with a grin for the remaining five people on the board.
Felix raised his hand, and all five of the remaining people on the board raised their hands.
“Good. I’m glad you’ve realized the severity of this situation. Let’s hope you all remember this day.
“Now for you two,” Felix said, looking at who he believed to be the instigators of this situation. “I expect to be paid the entirety of the four hundred thousand dollars by this evening, Mr. Jen, Mr. Joseph.
“Otherwise, I will be forced to move to the next section of the breach clause, which is when I hire an attorney for myself, and you lose all access to the trust, as set up by my aunt and uncle. Then Reznik, Blacketer, and Troy get a black eye when I report it to the media. I imagine they’ll hold you liable and you probably will never work in your chosen career again.”
Lily slid a card in front of him. “Thank you, Lily,” Felix said, smiling to her. “This here is my bank account. I’ll be checking it promptly at eight o’clock tonight.”
Felix stood up and stretched his arms above his head. “Whew, that was fun. Do you have any questions for me before I leave?” he asked, addressing the five remaining members.
“No? Good. I’ll see you five tomorrow, and you three, never again.”
Felix collected his papers, leaving the card on the table, and left the room. Lily followed at his heel.
He didn’t say anything until they got back into the SUV, where he let out an explosive breath and doubled over. He rested his forehead against the steering wheel.