Roth & Maximus face to face

Snippets from Maximus' POV the night he blackmails Roth.

There were four men waiting for him at the elevator. He recognized one of them from the weekly reports he received from his head of security. He had men following Roth, just as Roth had men following him… when they could. There was a reason he resided at Tuxedo Park. It was impenetrable, even for someone with Roth’s resources. But on the occasions when he ventured to the city, he always had a tail. It was a blessing that he and Jasmine hadn’t made contact until today. It kept her safe until he could make his move.

When he made eye contact with the man who frequently tailed him, the man averted his gaze. He wasn’t surprised Roth didn’t come down to greet him. He wouldn’t have.

“You go up alone,” one of Roth’s goons said. 

 Even as his security stepped forward to bar his way, he grinned. Roth didn’t trust him. He’d always known the boy was too smart for his own good. But even he wouldn’t be so brash as to bring an assassin up with him. If he wanted Roth dead, he would have skipped the face to face and called the hit when Jasmine left him a year ago. Maybe he should have. That would have made things simpler and he wouldn’t have to make this trip. But, he couldn’t deny a certain eagerness to face his enemy for the last time. 

He stepped into the elevator and watched the numbers stutter before they opened onto an entry hall. He’d been half expecting Roth to be standing there and refuse to let him in. Instead, he was forced to make his way down a hallway of polished black marble to a massive living area. 

Roth stood before an impressive view. Those black eyes that haunted his dreams locked with his. Despite the late hour, Roth was dressed in an impeccably tailored Brioni suit, a far cry from the sports coats, jeans, and boots he once favored. Roth aged a decade in three years, but that was the price of success. Although he looked the part, they both knew he was playing dress up. Roth would never be at his level. 

**This is a raw draft of Roth’s book. Please do not share or distribute.