Tommy’s father was a notorious crook.

“Double-cross me, and it's over, Father,” Tommy warned, leaning on his father’s desk.

The mayor smirked, his fingers tracing a stack of dirty cash.

“What if I don’t, son?” he taunted.

Tommy’s fingers drummed on the desk before his right hand slipped into his pocket, retrieving a series of glossy photographs, each one a jab at the mayor’s confidence.

“You’ll be in prison before lunch.”

The mayor’s smirk faded.

Tommy’s father grinned, knowing he’d just outsmarted the city’s top negotiator.

https://substack.com/@sdcb/note/c-68393826 (Tag: “Negotiation”)