"Good, I knew you'd come around," Jamal said with a sly grin.
Liam's jaw tightened. "Don't get too excited. I'm only doing this for my mom, nothing more."
"And I'm only in it for the money. We both have skin in the game here, so let's not lose focus on what matters." Jamal poured them each a glass of whiskey. "With or without you, I'll pull this off. But it'll be a hell of a lot easier with you on board."
Liam took the glass but didn't drink. "Enough with the sales pitch. Just tell me what I need to do so we can get started. My mom doesn't have much time."
Jamal held up a hand. "No need to get testy. I've got every detail planned out in the last letter. Follow my lead, and we'll be sitting pretty."
Liam fixed him with a hard stare. "How are we going to do this, Jamal?"
He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a thick manila envelope. "I've been preparing for this for months. This file contains all the details we'll need to legally, and completely, drain Ava Taylor's entire fortune."
Liam eyed the envelope warily. "Legally? You expect me to believe you've found some aboveboard way to take a billionaire for everything she's worth?"
"Have a little faith, would you?" Jamal was tasked in annoyance. "I've drafted up official documentation transferring a massive portion of her assets directly to you. All nice and legal - on paper, at least."
The pit of dread in Liam's gut grew deeper. "And I suppose you'll just waltz up to her place and kindly ask her to sign it all away?"
"Don't be an idiot." Jamal knocked back the rest of his drink. "That's where the real plan comes into play. One that will require all of your...skills."
Dread crept up Liam's spine. "What are you suggesting?"
"We create a situation where Ava has no choice but to trust you implicitly. A life-and-death kind of situation."
Liam shook his head vehemently. "No way, man. I'm not killing anyone!"
"Would you relax?" Jamal snapped. "Nobody's getting killed here. Just listen to the plan."
Liam crossed his arms, his foot tapping impatiently. "I'm listening."
Leaning forward, Jamal lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "We stage a kidnapping."
"A kidnapping?" Liam sputtered. "Are you out of your mind?"
Liam scoffed in disbelief. "And you think stuffing us in a trunk together is going to make her just hand over her life's fortune? Not a chance."
"I'm not talking about stuffing anyone in any trunks, you simpleton." Jamal smacked his palm on the desk in frustration. "This is a specialized psychological operation. One that will make you out to be her savior."
Despite himself, Liam felt a flicker of intrigue. "What do you mean?"
Leaning back with a self-satisfied look, Jamal began laying out his plan. "We'll arrange for you two to be abducted - by professionals I hire, no cheap thugs. Held for a few days, just long enough for the fear to set in."
Liam opened his mouth to protest, but Jamal barreled on. "During that time, you'll be her protector. Looking out for her, keeping her safe, being the strong shoulder she can lean on. When it's all over, when you've 'rescued' her, she'll be so grateful that she'll do anything for you."
"You're talking about putting us through a literal traumatic event just so I can play some convoluted mind games? This is crazy, Jamal, even for you!"
But his former friend seemed unfazed by his objections. "Don't worry about the little details, just trust me. Once she's softened up to you and getting to trust you will be a minor thing, you will be close to which is what we intend to achieve with this then getting her to sign those transfer papers will be child's play. The money will be moved to offshore accounts before she even knows what hit her."
Liam felt like he might be sick. This entire plan was unconscionable, a total moral event horizon. "This is messed up, man. You're talking about ruining this woman's entire life!"
For a brief moment, something dark flickered across Jamal's expression, like a shadow passing over his face. "That's kind of the point. Ava Taylor deserves everything that's coming to her after what her family did to mine. And we are not getting all of her fortune it is just a little piece of it and will last us for a long time."
The sheer vitriol in his tone gave Liam pause. He opened his mouth, considering asking for details, but quickly thought better of it. Best not to drag up ancient wounds.
Besides, it was clear Jamal was not interested in going over sentimental backstories - he only cared about one thing.
"So?" he pressed, refilling his glass yet again. "You got any other objections, or are you ready to get to work making us both richer than kings?"
Liam's throat constricted as he weighed the choice before him. Everything about Jamal's depraved scheme made his skin crawl...and yet, his mother's life hung in the balance.
"You're sure this is completely foolproof?" he asked in a strained whisper. "You can pull this off without getting us both locked away forever?"
Jamal met his gaze with an intensity that bordered on unhinged. "I give you my word, brother - I've planned for every possible contingency. This score will set us up for life, all you gotta do is play your part."
Raking a shaky hand through his hair, Liam felt his ethics crumbling away little by little. He was a good person, wasn't he? He would never purposefully hurt someone, not really. At least, that's what he desperately tried to convince himself of at that moment.
But the desperation clawing at his heart won out over his dwindling morals. With a resigned sigh, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"Okay. Let's do this."
The soulless grin that split Jamal's face would haunt Liam's nightmares for years to come.