Total pages in book: 211
Estimated words: 201554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1008(@200wpm)___ 806(@250wpm)___ 672(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 201554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1008(@200wpm)___ 806(@250wpm)___ 672(@300wpm)
I toss money on the table. “I’ll know when we get that information,” I say, eyeing Savage. “When do we get that information?”
He lifts his hands. “That’s in Blake’s court.”
“I need to talk to whoever Isaac is talking to in the mob. Get me a number.”
“That’s crazy,” Harper says. “Why would you do that?”
“I have a plan,” I assure her.
Savage scowls. “You’re going to call a mob boss on the phone?”
“He’s just a man. You know that, Savage. We’ve both seen war and we both know how war tears away the armor and gets down to the skin and bones.”
“But he doesn’t think he’s in a war,” Savage argues. “He thinks he’s hunting prey in your family and starting a war with him would be like saying you were taking on the Taliban by yourself, with the Walker army and nothing more.”
I consider that a moment. “I don’t want a war with the mob. I want to help them fight the war they have with my brother. If it even exists.” On that note, I stand and pull Harper across the seat to her feet, my hand settling on her hip. “We’re skipping the hospital. Let’s go buy an NFL team.”
Savage unfolds that big body of his to join me. “This is all about to blow the fuck up. You know why? Because you’re about to blow it the fuck up.”
Harper’s eyes go wide, and I grimace. Thank you, fucking Savage. I don’t even bother to reply. I snag Harper’s hand and lead her through the diner and away from Savage. We exit to the outdoors, and I quickly pull her to the side of the door, behind a big fake tree of some sort, where I press her to the wall. “This is about to be over,” I vow.
“But what does that look like?”
“Us, baby.” I lean in and kiss her, tasting the fear on her lips that I don’t want to exist. “Us,” I repeat. “Us living a new life together, which we’re starting now. Us happily ever after.”
“You aren’t the happily ever after kind of guy.”
“I’m an us guy and there is no place you and I go, but happily ever after. I won’t let it be any other way. This doesn’t end any other way. That’s a promise.”
“Don’t make a promise you can’t keep.”
Savage steps around the tree to join us, clearing his throat as he does. “Speaking of blowing this thing up. It’s happening now.” He holds up his phone. “Don’t send me to my room just yet. I have more news.”
Chapter one hundred fourteen
Eric
Turns out, it’s not Savage that has news at all. “Blake’s meeting us at your office.”
“About what?” I ask, releasing Harper to turn and face him, my hands sliding under my jacket to settle on my hips. “Don’t walk around whatever it is Blake wants you to walk around. That’s not your style.”
“No,” Savage says. “It’s not.” He offers nothing more.
I narrow my eyes on him. “Spit it out, Savage. I can’t pull this shit into the middle of my NFL meetings. I a have call set-up and a contract change to review. I owe Grayson, and everyone involved counting on this to be life-changing, my focus.”
“I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”
Frustrated, I take Harper’s hand. “This has to wait until I get out of my meeting. Tell Blake not to come to the office. I’ll go to him.” I eye my watch. “It’s later than I thought. We need a ride to the office.”
“Jesse is waiting right around the corner?”
I nod and catch Harper’s hand and start walking. “I’ll meet Blake,” Harper offers, keeping pace with me. “This has to be important. We need to know what it’s about, but you’re right. You need to focus. Take care of what you need to do for Grayson.”
“I need you in my meeting,” I say as we round the corner and bring Jesse into view.
“Me? I know nothing about this.”
“If you’re going to play a role in the NFL operation, you need to understand it from the ground up,” I say as Jesse opens the rear door. “And you need to know it’s what you want.” I motion her inside.
She pauses before entering. “You want me to handle the NFL?”
“Yes. I do. And Grayson agrees. I talked with him this morning. We need expanded staff to manage the new operation. You’ve got a strong management track record, and to top it off you’ve handled Isaac and my father. You can handle a bunch of arrogant rich people and athletes.”
“That’s intimidating but a little exciting.” She climbs inside the vehicle.
I’m aware of Savage at our back, and after Isaac’s visit I’m not complaining. Obviously, he tagged out Adrian, but I suspect Adrian will get to the offices before we do. I don’t know Savage well, but I know he walks a line, he’s willing to step onto the gray between good and bad. I get him. He gets me.