Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

It had been a couple of months since his last meeting with James, but Mike still followed news articles about the senator on the chance his son was mentioned. Each day, Mike searched online for James’ name and, on one occasion, it reaped results. Mike found a news story that had hit the wires listing the year’s Tony Award nominations. The article’s headline was that the show that starred James, The More Things Change, was nominated for the most Tonys, including best musical. James’ name was called out separately, as it was newsworthy that the son of a famous senator was nominated for best lead actor in a musical.

Despite the split, Mike was smiling that James made the cut. He hoped James felt pride for securing the votes to be nominated.

Mike tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he pulled into the New York suburban mansion of Charles Vicksburg. He never thought he’d be in contact with a Vicksburg again—certainly not James’ father. Mike wondered if the senator had alerted either of his boys that Mike was paying a visit. He hoped not. Mike didn’t want them interfering with his plans.

Mike was surprised by how thoroughly he was searched by the security team before being led to the senator’s palatial office. When the guard knocked on the closed door, the senator commanded they enter. Once they did, Charles Vicksburg shot Mike an unreadable stare, then signaled with the blink of his eyes that his security team member was to leave and close the door.

“Have a seat, Mr. Cooper. But don’t get comfortable. I have a full schedule.” Vicksburg waited for Mike to follow his orders, watching Mike as he sat on the chair on the opposite side of the desk. Mike projected a confident and fearless demeanor. From Charles’ expression it was obvious he didn’t like that.

“So, you got a hold of my Chief of Staff to let him know you had a business proposal that you were sure I’d be interested in, and that time is of the essence. Well, I have to say, you’ve piqued my interest—but keep in mind—my time is of the essence. Make it quick.”

Mike tried a cocky grin. “Gosh, not even a question as to how your almost-son-in-law is doing first?”

Charles’ face darkened with anger. “You were never close to being that, Mr. Cooper. It must be tough, getting so old that your team, your advertisers and even your lovers wish to retire you.” Mike raised his eyebrow. “Yes, James told me he split with you, and I saw the news that your underwear sponsor dropped you.”

“My lawyers think it’s because of my sexual orientation,” Mike mentioned without defensiveness.

“Perhaps. I guess you have nobody to blame but yourself. It’s like I’ve said to James, if you like women too, why are you choosing to disgust people? His dumping you was one of my proudest moments as a father.”

Mike refused the bait. “More than his recent Tony nomination?”

Charles barked a laugh. “People wasting their lives portraying fictitious characters, nominating other foolish people for doing the same? No. Of course, I hope he wins. If he chooses to continue his ridiculous career, he may as well get something that will help his earning power. But no, it doesn’t make me proud, Mr. Cooper—any more than you should be proud that you made your money playing a child’s game and displaying your body to sell…banana hammocks.”

“Interesting tidbit. I never posed in jock straps or thongs.” Mike grinned, trying to show the senator’s derisions weren’t affecting him. “Well, not for ads, anyway. Your son seemed to enjoy seeing my ass, though.”

The senator seemed to be finding it harder to keep his cool. “Apparently, not enough. Why don’t you tell me why you’re here? You claimed that I would not regret this meeting. So far, you’re wrong.”

Mike stopped smiling, ready to play ball. “You have forty-percent ownership of the Cherry Hill Marksmen. I’ve always wanted team ownership.”

Charles’ eyes bugged out for a moment, then he laughed. “And I wanted to be president, but fate didn’t bestow that on me either. If you’re looking to buy from me, you’ve wasted your time. I’ll have security escort you out.”

“I’ll have sixty-percent ownership of the team within a week,” Mike stated before Vicksburg could press the button to summon his guard.

“What are you talking about? Stan Lyons owns the remaining sixty percent, and last time I checked, he wasn’t selling. Believe me, I’ve tried enough times to get his shares.”

“He promised to sell to me,” Mike responded. “We sign the papers next week to make it official.”

“Bullshit! Why would he sell to you?”

Mike shrugged. “Maybe because I know baseball and he’d be putting it in good hands? Maybe because he hates you and knows how much you wanted it?” Mike enjoyed watching the senator’s face contort with fury. “Or, maybe because he doesn’t want me going to the feds with the photos that my private investigator took of him with underage girls.”

“Lyons? You’re lying,” Vicksburg spat, but his eyes revealed he wasn’t sure of his assertion.

“I’m not.” Mike smiled. “If you don’t believe me, you can call him. He’ll tell you that he’s selling to me. Oh, but don’t mention that you know why. He gets a little testy about that part.”

“You’re an idiot,” Charles shot. “You haven’t signed the papers yet. I could blackmail him with that information now.”

“I have proof. You don’t. And I’m pretty sure if you hire your own investigator to get evidence, it would be too late. Seems Stan decided to end his dirty ways after he and I spoke. I’m sure he’s deleted any incriminating evidence. I’m the only one with photos, and they’re in a very safe place.”

“What is this?” Vicksburg spat. “Are you coming here to shake me down now? I can assure you, Cooper, I’m not Stan Lyons. You threaten me for my shares of the team, and it won’t end well for you.”

Mike sat back in the chair and looked at his nails, showing he wasn’t afraid of the man across from him. “I’m well aware of your tactics, Senator. Your son was very clear about them. You want the truth? I wasn’t ever that interested in James. I used him so I could learn more about you. I may not have been with him long, but it was enough time for him to share all sorts of stories about Daddy.”

The senator fumed. “That’s all they are! Stories. James has mental health issues.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Mike countered. “I was around him enough to know that. But you made sure that the first time he said anything about your underhanded dealings he was labeled as having a neurosis. It takes a special kind of coldness to find an unethical doctor to institutionalize your son just to shut him up.”

“If James told you that, he’s lying.”

“Come on, Senator. Your security team did everything but a cavity search on me—not that I’m complaining. The dark-haired guy is cute.” Mike enjoyed watching Vicksburg squirm with revulsion. “Point being, I’m not wired. Anything I would say you can dismiss as third-party rants repeating the delusions of your mentally ill son.”

Charles sneered back. “So, what are you trying to accomplish? If you know that I’d do that to my son, you should understand that I can do much worse to you.”

“I have no doubt,” Mike answered. “Maybe have me assaulted like what you did to your other son? Why was that again? Oh, right. He bought an engagement ring for a black girl.”

“That’s not why…” Vicksburg started. He took a large inhale of breath, then composed himself. “You should leave now.”

“But you haven’t heard my proposal yet,” Mike pressed. “As my new business partner, you should hear my thoughts.”

Vicksburg grimaced. “You won’t be my partner. I’ll stop this deal.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure how,” Mike mused. “Stan sure seems concerned about his reputation and his freedom. I don’t think you throwing cash his way is going to change his mind about selling to me. Whatever money you could give him won’t make watching the baseball games on his cellmate’s lap better, especially if he’s worrying about getting shanked at every turn.”

“Careful, Cooper,” Vicksburg warned. “You may be the one who gets shanked before you can sign the papers. Not that I would have anything to do with it, of course.”

Mike grinned. “Of course not. After all, you can’t know what your crazy connections might do, right? And you are very well connected, according to James. Organized crime, the police, fellow politicians… But here’s the thing, Charles. Can I call you Charles?” He didn’t wait for assent. “Stan already communicated to his business associates and his family of his intent to sell to me. His lawyer is putting together the paperwork. I’ve informed my agent, my publicist, my business manager and my family. So, if something untoward were to happen to me between now and the signing, it would raise a lot of questions in those peoples’ minds, wouldn’t it? You should know that I have someone ready to go straight to the New York District Attorney with a statement that I feared for my safety once you were informed of the purchase.”

“What do you want?” the senator repeated.

“Like I said, I have a business proposition. I’m ready to sell you ten percent of my shares. We’d be fifty-fifty.”

Vicksburg sat quiet for a few moments, and Mike supposed the man was attempting to discover the angle Mike was playing. “Go on.”

“To make things more enticing for you, I’ll sign over twenty-percent ownership of my restaurant in mid-town, as well as twenty-percent ownership of the one I want to build next to the ballfield in Cherry Hill,” Mike continued.

“How generous,” Vicksburg quipped. “You keep telling me what you’ll do for me. So, what are you getting in return?”

“Your muscle and your connections,” Mike answered. “I want my restaurant competition bruised or eliminated. Right now, the Castalini family provides my mid-town location protection. Of course, I don’t have to tell you that’s their way of forcing me to pay a monthly invoice to prevent harm befalling my restaurant.”

Vicksburg shrugged. “I might have heard about their tactics.”

“I want protection from your team, free of charge, and I want them to lean in much harder on the restaurants around me,” Mike elaborated. “Could you make that happen?”

The senator didn’t respond.

“And when I’m building the new restaurant in Cherry Hill, I don’t want to pay the usual exorbitant contractor fees to get it done. You and I both know that a third of the costs go to mob associates. I want that fee eliminated. I want the same free protection you’ll give me for the mid-town establishment, as well as the same squeeze applied to area competition.” Mike was seeing no push-back, so he plowed on. “I want inspectors to look the other way at code violations, and I want special attention from the cops to keep the riff-raff away from my places of business.”

“You want a lot,” Vicksburg mocked.

“Maybe,” Mike acknowledged. “But since you’d own twenty percent, you’d have an ongoing incentive to make it happen.” He paused for effect. “You can make it happen, can’t you, Charles?”

After a long silence, Vicksburg nodded. “I can, but I’m not putting that in writing.”

“Of course not. It would implicate me as well. Anyway, I don’t need it in writing to know you’d follow through.” Mike smiled. “Like I said, it’s in your best interest to do what’s needed when you have twenty-percent ownership in the businesses.”

“Twenty-five percent,” Vicksburg pushed.

Mike snickered. “Don’t be greedy. This is a generous offer where you give very little to gain a lot. On the record, you’ll pay me for the extra ten-percent ownership of the team, and the twenty percent on the restaurants. We wouldn’t want anything to appear suspicious to the IRS or the Department of Justice. I’ll repay you off the books. I’m guessing you have some offshore bank accounts you use to hide money and evade taxes?” When the senator didn’t respond, Mike understood that to be acknowledgment. “From there, any ongoing expenses related to the business dealings we discussed are on you. Do we have a deal?”

The senator made a steeple with his hands in front of his face, pondering. “Get the paperwork together. I want to sign the same day you get Lyons’ shares.”

Mike rose from the chair and reached over to shake his new partner’s hands. “Charles, you may be the second Vicksburg man to give me an orgasm.”

“Jesus,” Vicksburg spewed, pulling his hand from Mike. “If we’re going to be partners, no more talk about my son or the revolting things you’ve done with him. And don’t go anywhere near him again.”

“No problem,” Mike assured him. “Been there. Done that.” He winked lasciviously. “New territory to explore and plow.”

“I suggest you leave,” Vicksburg warned. “It will do you well to be a silent partner.”

Mike chuckled and walked toward the door before turning back to the senator. “You know, once James finds out that you and I are in business together, he’ll be upset. Do you think he’ll cause a problem?”

Vicksburg smirked. “He might for a second. He’s like a cub. Sometimes, he tries to assert himself and take a swipe at me. Then he remembers how the hierarchy works when he gets swatted back harder. He won’t be an issue. I’ll make sure of it.”

Mike nodded. “Gentle swat this time, okay? I may have started the relationship to gather intelligence, but I did grow rather fond of him. If we’re in business together, I need to know you won’t hurt him.”

“He’s my son,” Vicksburg replied, sounding almost sentimental. “I know how much he can handle. You know, maybe I should tell him how this deal transpired. It might change the way he thinks—make him realize the men on pedestals, including the man he thought should be on one, are there by asserting their will. You may not believe me, but I care what happens to James, despite his failings. He’s still my son.”

“It’s up to you whether you tell him,” Mike replied. “But not until the deal is done. We don’t need him interfering.”

When Vicksburg nodded his agreement, Mike opened the door and was met by the dark-haired security guard. Mike eyed him from head-to-toe, then gazed back up his body again, winking and smirking. He glanced back at Vicksburg, who grunted with disgust, making Mike smile.