Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88463 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“No, no message of any kind. Just the images.”
Just then, my phone pings with a text.
From an unknown fucking number.
“Wait, I’m getting something now. Hold on, I’m putting you on speaker so I can read it.”
I tap the screen, put Will on speaker, and then open the text.
Unknown Contact: I’m sure I have your girlfriend’s attention. To keep all these images out of the press, you’ll need to pay me $180,000. I’ll be in touch with more instructions.
I read it aloud to Will, but my ears have started to ring.
“What a stupid motherfucker,” I growl.
“I take it you know who it is.”
“For fuck’s sake he’s stupid. My former agent. He called me just yesterday and asked me to loan him that exact amount of money.”
Will huffs out a laugh. “It’s amazing you did as well in your career as you did.”
“He’s desperate. He owes the wrong people.”
“Not your problem.”
“No, not my problem. But now I have to prove it. I have my brother, who’s with the Secret Service, looking into the phone records.”
“Wow, that’s a cool connection to have,” Will says.
“I know. I’ll call Mac and get things going on that end.”
“I’ll call my brother, too, and be in touch. And Ryker, I know you think you know this man, but if he’s desperate enough to do this, don’t let your guard down.”
“Yeah, I thought of that too. Thanks, Will.”
I hang up, drag my hands down my face, and take a moment to feel . . . sad.
Andy was my agent since I started in the league. He always went to bat for me, got me good contracts, and was good to me. Hell, I recommended him to other players. It was only in the past year, when he could sense that I was nearing the end of my career, and he got desperate, that things got bad.
He was never my friend, but I respected him.
I trusted him.
And now he’s nothing.
I hear movement from the bedroom, so I leave the office and walk to the kitchen to make my girl some coffee, and when I return upstairs, I find her just coming out of the bedroom, ready for the day, yawning.
“Is that for me?” she asks.
“Of course.” I pass her the mug and lean down to kiss her pouty lips. “Good morning, sweetheart.”
“Morning.” She sips her coffee and hums. “That’s good. It always tastes better when you make it.”
I can’t help but grin at that. Christ, she’s cute. “It does?”
“Mm-hmm.” She steps into my arms and snuggles against my chest. “I thought you’d be out with the guys.”
“No, I have to figure some stuff out first.”
She frowns up at me. “What’s happening wi—”
I cup her face and kiss her softly. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t want you to think about it. I’m handling everything, and when there’s news to share, I’ll fill you in.”
“Promise?”
“Yes. I promise.” I kiss her again. “You need breakfast. What do you want me to make for you?”
Her eyes soften again. “You’re always feeding me.”
“I’ve been hungry before. The people I love will never go through that. We have eggs and potatoes. Or oatmeal. Or bagels and smoked salmon.”
She rubs her hand up and down my chest. “I’ll go make myself something. My voice isn’t quite awake enough to jump into work yet anyway. Do you want to join me?”
I start to say yes, but my phone rings, and it’s Mac.
“I have to take this. Rain check?”
“Of course.”
“Oh, and how about if you and I go swimming this afternoon? Just you and me. It’s going to be hot again.”
“You, mostly naked and wet and all to myself? It’s a date.” She winks and then heads downstairs toward the kitchen, and I take the call and walk back into my office.
“Dude, what the fuck is going on?” Mac begins before I can even start talking.
“What do you mean?”
“What do you mean, what do I mean? The retirement was a publicity stunt, and you’re coming back to the team? That’s kind of fucked up. I mean, I’m one of your best friends, and I had to find this out from the team?”
I pace my office as more anger pulses through me.
“Mac.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m not coming out of retirement. Jesus, no.”
“But Andy told Barry—”
“Andy has lost his motherfucking mind.” I shove my hand in my pocket and stand at the window. “He’s trying to extort money out of me, man. And I need your help.”
Mac is silent for a moment, and then the fun-loving persona is gone and his deep voice rumbles through the phone.
“What do you need?”
I lay it out for him, and by the time we hang up, we have a plan in place.
Then, I make a call to Barry, the owner of the Blizzard. After the press conference, he told me to call anytime, so I’m taking him up on that.