Dom?I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.“Thank you.”
He walked into the room just a few minutes later, and took a seat next to me.“Sorry to make you wait.”
“You really didn’t.”I tempered politeness with my anxiousness and the urge to get this over with.If I was going to hearthere’s nothing I can doI’d rather know it up front.
“Todd and his attorney are in another room already,” Dominic said.“I asked them to arrive a little earlier.Figured it wouldn’t hurt to make them wait.”
I smirked.“I’ve always wondered if people do that.”
“Normally I wouldn’t, but this guy’s sleezy with a capitalZ.If I’d found your case, even without Judith’s prompting, I’d have taken it.And I can’t tell him this, because it might be interpreted as a threat, but I’m looking for every contract he has with bands.A lot of his deals are about to be broken, because there’s no way you’re the only one.”
“You’ll get no complaints from me.”Was that hope blossoming inside?It was kind of hot.
He smiled.“When I get them in here, answer any questions I ask, but not any of theirs.Only talk to me.”
Nothing else I’d tried so far had worked, and this sounded simple.“I’m not sure how much worse it could be so I put my musical career in your hands.”
“I promise you’ll love this.”He picked up the phone in the middle of the table and told the person on the other end to show in Todd Grude and his lawyer.
As they sat down, Todd looked at me and opened his mouth.
“We have a counter offer to your lawsuit, and we’d like to settle today.”Dominic talked over him.
I really liked this guy.
Todd snorted.“I’m listening.”
“Good.Make sure you do,” Dominic said.“The offer is, you let Ms.Ellis out of her contract, pay her any fees owed for the last five years—we’ll arrange for the audit—and erase, delete, or otherwise destroy any copies you have of her work.You’ll revert any and all rights you have to her recordings, songs, and anything else you currently control associated with Ms.Ellis.”
“No.”Todd laughed out the word.
Because really, what else was he going to say?Did Dominic think that would work?
He looked unfazed.“We have irrefutable evidence that you were associated with the posting of the video you’re suing her for, which means she’s not in breach of her contract.”
Todd worked his jaw.
His lawyer shot him a look.
“N— No you don’t,” Todd stammered.“Because I wasn’t.Why would you think that?”
“A case can and will be made for revisiting Ms.Ellis’s contract.We’ll present that it’s out of date, intentionally vague, and needs to be updated for a modern era,” Dominic said.“If you wish to pursue this part of the case, Mr.Grude, you may.You’ll be responsible for your legal fees and court fees, as is standard in cases like this.You can listen to me explain to a judge—a jury if you decide to pursue things to that extent—that the only reason you’re doing this is because you didn’t get your dick wet fifteen years ago.”
“Excuse me?”Todd’s lawyer finally spoke up.
“You can’t prove that, either,” Todd said.
Dominic silenced both of them with a look.
I hoped whoever he was fucking appreciated how hot he was.
“Can you afford to fight me when I try?”Dominic asked.“Ms.Ellis can.I will dedicate an entire team to ensuring you’re tied up in court for at least as long as you’ve consumed this talented woman’s career.I doubt it will cost what she could have made, but it will be expensive.”
Todd’s furious look was priceless.Merry Christmas to me.
His lawyer looked at Dominic and then Todd, completely ignoring me.“You still owe me for the work I’ve already done.I have to advise you now, to take this offer.”
“Don’t fucking say that in front of them,” Todd barked.