~~Young~~

Chapter Twenty

   “Not at all my good man,” he let out a mild chuckle, “I was simply giving my drink a chance to breathe.”

   As proof he held the glass beneath his nose and took a long sniff, closing his eyes and reveling in the notes the surely top shelf booze had to offer.

   “Mmm,” he hummed as he finally took a drag, “a thirty year old brandy is something that must be savored, not rushed, every note and every drop.”

   “Only a thirty years?” Gage raised an eyebrow, “I have some fine hundred year old Shackleton whiskey that you must try then.”

   Being immortal did have its advantages.

   “I may have to take you up on that offer sometime…assuming we are still on good standings when this meeting is adjourned.”

   “I guess that would hinge on whether you like what I have to say now wouldn’t it?” Gage mused, fully aware of the threat in Bobby’s words. It didn’t faze him though considering he planned to be the only one standing when this was over.

   “A matter I would have already been able to determine had you been willing to discuss it over the phone,” Bobby grumbled.

   No, Gage didn’t tell him much at all when he had him on the phone, mostly because he still didn’t have an answer for the man. Up until that conversation with Sera Gage hadn’t picked a specific target yet, a name to give the Senator as to who was responsible for his woes. He was hoping Sera could give up someone, maybe another of those “Angels” she knew to be less then honorable. But he hadn’t had the chance to ask when Bobby called demanding his answers for his family’s arrest. But that conversation with Sera changed everything.

   “Ah but you know how it is, there are always ears everywhere. One’s connected to those looking to take you down so I did have to mind my words.”

   “There are no ears here so you can get to it, what news do you have of those looking to ruin me?”

   Gage literally bit his tongue in an effort to not correct Bobby. He was ruined and if he thought otherwise after that media firestorm announcing every dirty little secret his family held then he was delusional. Squashing a story is one thing, erasing it from the eyes and mind’s of millions of people was a feat even God himself would have a hard time coordinating.

   “Well depending how you look at it,” he leaned back and crossed his ankle over his knee, “it’s either good news or bad news,” he answered slyly.

   He wasn’t going to give it all away that easy. He never did. He was like a cat playing with a mouse. He wanted to get a little fun out of it before he got bored and snapped his neck.

   “Well then get on with it,” the man shook his hand angrily at Gage, “so that I may determine for myself.”

   On second thought, he kind of pissed him off so maybe the sooner the better.

   “I’ve found the one responsible,” he said simply.

   “And what do you plan to about it?” Bobby asked, not in the least bit surprised by the news.

   Normally Gage would have taken that opportunity to gloat over the fact that nothing less than perfection was expected of him. And not because of the demands made. But because of his reputation for doing just that, for never failing in a single hit he was contracted for.

   Thing was, Bobby’s indifference wasn’t because of any sort of expectation. He asked what Gage planned on doing about the situation, not what he had or was doing to resolve his contract.