Chapter 2 - The Price of a Signature
"Marcus! Get over here now!" Nathaniel roared, his voice cutting through the dull roar of traffic.
Marcus bounded over the guardrail, carrying a portable first-aid kit from the SUV.
"We can't wait for an ambulance," Nathaniel said, his hands shaking as he lifted the woman into an upright position. "Help me carry her to the car. We’re driving her to Cedars-Sinai ourselves."
"Sir, traffic is completely gridlocked," Marcus warned, though he was already lifting the woman’s legs. "And your 5:00 PM meeting—"
"Forget the damn meeting!" Nathaniel snapped, the fury in his own voice surprising even himself. "Lift her!"
Together, they carried the unconscious woman into the back seat of the leather-clad SUV. The little boy scrambled in after her, clutching his mother’s limp hand, his tear-streaked face reflecting in the polished mahogany trim of the interior doors.
Nathaniel climbed into the front passenger seat. "Drive on the shoulder, Marcus. Flashers on. Horn down. If a state trooper stops us, tell them it's a medical emergency."
Marcus slammed his foot on the accelerator. The heavy SUV mounted the concrete curb and surged down the narrow shoulder of the freeway, kicking up gravel and dust as it bypassed hundreds of stalled vehicles.
Nathaniel turned around in his seat. The little boy was staring at him, his small hands holding tight to his mother’s blue fingers.
"What's your name, son?" Nathaniel asked softly, his corporate authority dissolving into something far more fragile.
"Leo," the boy whispered. "And she’s Sarah."
"She’s going to be okay, Leo. I promise you," Nathaniel said.
I promise you. It was a bold lie. Nathaniel didn't make promises he couldn't control; in business, a promise without a legal guarantee was liability. Yet looking into Leo's wide hazel eyes, he felt a sudden, terrifying obligation to keep this woman alive.
His phone buzzed violently in his pocket. The screen flashed: JULIAN CROFT - PACIFIC HORIZON.
Nathaniel answered, sliding his thumb across the screen. "Croft."
"Nathaniel, where the hell are you?" Julian’s smooth, sharp voice came through the speaker. "The board is taking their seats. The international buyers from Singapore just walked in. If you aren't in this room in fifteen minutes, I am opening the meeting and signing the acquisition documents myself."
"Hold the meeting, Julian," Nathaniel said, watching the heart monitor app he had opened on his phone to track Sarah’s shallow breaths. "I have a critical emergency. Give me thirty minutes."
A sharp, mocking laugh echoed over the line. "A critical emergency? Nathaniel, this is a half-billion-dollar deal. You’ve spent two years climbing over every body in this city to get to this desk. There is no emergency bigger than this contract. If you aren't here by 5:00 PM sharp, you’re out. I’ll take the lead on the merged firm."
"Listen to me carefully, Croft—"
"No, you listen to me," Croft interrupted, his tone turning to ice. "You taught me how this company works, Nathaniel. Business doesn't wait for weak moments. 5:00 PM. Not a minute later."
The line went dead.
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Nathaniel looked at the black screen, then turned around to look at Sarah’s pale face. Beside her, Leo looked up, his voice barely a breath. "Is my mom gonna wake up, mister?"
Nathaniel slowly put his phone face down on the dashboard. "We're almost at the hospital, Leo. Hang on."
