Losing Game: A Winning Ace Novel (Book 2)

by Tracie Delaney

  “Mum’s almost well enough to start getting out and about.”

  “That’s good, isn’t it?”

  He rocked his head from side to side. “Yes and no.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Cash teased his beard with his fingertips as he expelled a soft sigh. “How do I explain her? I mean… how do I explain where my mother has been all these years without the full story coming out and being splashed across the front pages.”

  Tally blew out a breath. Now she got it. And he was right. It was a problem. His greatest fears were coming to fruition.

  She tapped her forefinger against her lips. “Hmm, yeah.”

  “Hmm, yeah?”

  “I’m thinking.”

  “Well, hurry up, because I’m all out of ideas,”

  There’d be no keeping this quiet. Even if they were extremely careful, the press would find out the truth in seconds. As soon as Cash was seen in public with his mother, the digging would begin. And Rachael deserved to live a full and proper life, not one hidden behind walls.

  The answer came to her in an instant. Simple and controllable. A broad smile spread across her face.

  “I’ve got it.”

  “Yeah?”

  She threw her hands out wide. “Give me the exclusive.”

  Cash’s eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. His mouth opened and closed again. He shook his head as though he had water in his ears.

  “How would that help?” he finally said.

  She covered his clenched hands with hers. “Babe, there’s no way you’re keeping this quiet. Not now. But by talking to me, and only me, I can control not only the way the information gets out but also the slant of the story. Plus, you’d get full editorial rights on the finished article.”

  Cash repetitively drummed his fingers on the kitchen worktop as he considered her proposal. She hoped he would think it through properly and not dismiss it out of hand. It was their only real option.

  “Okay.” He stared at his hands, refusing to meet her gaze. “I presume you’ll put it through Pete?”

  “Yes,” she said, a little stunned at how easily he’d come around. “And I’d like to tell Emmalee too, at least before it comes out in the paper.”

  Cash lifted his chin and gave the heavy sigh of a man who had struggled for years to hold on to a family secret only to have the walls he’d carefully built collapse around him. “Whatever you think’s best. As long as she keeps her mouth shut.”

  “Cash.” She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, absorbing his strength and giving him hers. “Everything’s going to be fine. Trust me.”

  “You know I trust you. But this is going to get rough, Natalia. I’m going to need you now more than ever.”

  21

  Pete surprised the hell out of Cash by not interrupting. Not even once. Apart from the odd raised eyebrow, he remained quietly attentive. Cash gave him the abridged version, but even that took a good fifteen minutes to get through.

  When he stopped talking, Natalia’s fingers curled around his, and he glanced down at where their hands were joined before making eye contact with Pete again.

  “Well,” Pete finally said. Cash expected more but didn’t get it. Pete stared out of the window, his fingers thrumming on his mahogany desk, and he gnawed at the inside of his cheek. The action reminded Cash of Natalia, and he almost smiled but managed to contain it in case Pete assumed he found the situation funny. There was nothing remotely funny about the position Cash was in. When his mother had begun her road to recovery, this particular situation hadn’t occurred to him. Fuck, he hated the loss of control.

  “Well…?” Cash prompted, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Anything could come out of Pete’s mouth, and the last thing Cash needed was a row. But if Pete acted like a cock, a row was precisely what he’d get.

  “I’m amazed you’ve managed to keep this quiet. All these years. That’s quite impressive, particularly for someone like you.”

  “What do you mean, someone like me?” Cash snapped.

  Pete made a calming motion with his hands as, simultaneously, Natalia tightened her grip.

  “Take it easy,” Pete said. “I meant being in the public eye, that’s all. Most celebrities have trouble hiding the fact they’ve taken a shit, let alone a story as huge as this.”

  “My life is not a story,” Cash bit out.

  “Cash, Pete doesn’t mean it like that,” Natalia said, trying, as ever, to be the mediator. “Do you?”

  Her pointed comment was steely, as if warning Pete the next thing that came out of his mouth had better hit the right tone.

  “No, of course I don’t. But come on, Cash, you’re not dumb. You have to know this is coming out, and when it does, it’s going to be huge.”

  “That’s why we’re here, Pete,” Natalia said. Her grip on Cash’s hand had tightened to the point where he was beginning to lose sensation in his fingers. He flexed his hand beneath hers, and she relaxed slightly. “Cash knows there will be questions about his mum. Where she’s been. Why she was in a coma all these years. We’ve agreed the best way to handle the situation is to take control. Get the story out first in his own words.” She paused. “We want the exclusive to be with you.”

  Pete’s eyes grew wide in astonishment. “Here? You want to publish here?” His gaze snapped to Cash’s. “And you’ve agreed to this?”

  “Yes,” Cash said, clenching his teeth together. He ignored the growing ache in his jaw.

  Pete whistled through his teeth. “Smart move.”

  “All Natalia’s idea.”

  “Smart girl.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” Cash said with a fleeting smile in her direction.

  “So you’re in?” Natalia asked Pete.

  “Shit, yeah.”

  “Right.” Natalia pulled back her shoulders and placed her hands flat on Pete’s desk. “Here’s how it’s going to go. I’ll write the article. Cash has full editorial privileges. If he says no to something, anything, it’s no. End of story. And I want to work with Danny.”

  Cash flashed her a look. He’d never met Danny, an ex-colleague of Natalia’s and also a close friend, although she spoke of him often. Cash wasn’t sure how he felt talking with a stranger about something so personal. And painful.

  “That is, if you agree,” she said as if she’d sensed his unease.

  “Let’s talk about it later,” he said, unwilling to have this conversation in front of Pete.

  She nodded. “I’ll let you know on the last point,” she said to Pete. “But are you good with the rest?”

  A slow grin unfurled on Pete’s face. “Your father would be pretty proud right now, Tally. As am I. It’s a deal.”

  He held out his hand, and she shook it, her brief look of pain at the mention of her father quickly replaced with satisfaction.

  “Thanks.” She smiled and glanced at Cash. “Ready, ace?”

  “Yes,” he said, rubbing his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to get back to the hotel and put all this shit in the back of his mind. And there was one surefire way of doing exactly that. Natalia’s half-smile and twinkling eyes told him she was on the same page.

  “We’ll be in touch,” she said, rising to her feet.

  “When do you fly to Madrid?” Pete asked.

  “The day after tomorrow, but I’ll start working on the first draft immediately. I think we should aim for the week after next for publication.”

  “So soon?” Cash said, an uncomfortable feeling stirring in his chest. “That’ll be right around the Madrid finals.”

  “Let’s talk about it, decide together,” she said, rubbing his arm. “But the longer we leave it––”

  “The more likely it’ll come out.”

  “Precisely.”

  He gave a bitter laugh. His fiercely protected privacy was about to be splashed across the front pages of a national newspaper. And even though he would be in control of the words Natalia wrote,
the fallout was way beyond anything either of them could hope to regulate. He had no idea how his sponsors would react, or his fans. The next few weeks were going to be tough. He could lose his career, his lucrative sponsorship deals, and his fans, but worse than all that, those he loved the most were about to get caught in the crossfire.

  And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

  22

  Em sat in stunned silence as Tally finished telling her about Cash’s mum and the story Pete was going to publish. Every now and again, Em would open her mouth to say something, but then she’d simply shake her head and remain quiet.

  “So now you know,” Tally said, leaning forward to pick up the cup of tea Em had made her. She took a sip and screwed up her face. Cold. She leaned back on her chair and flicked the kettle on.

  “I feel terrible,” Em said. “I gave Cash such a hard time, and yet all he was doing was protecting his mum.”

  Tally shrugged. “It’s not your fault, but at least now you know why I was so quick to take him back. I wanted to tell you before it comes out, but please, it’s just between you and me.”

  Em made a locking motion across her mouth. “My lips are sealed. When is Pete going to publish?”

  “Not sure yet. A couple of weeks, maybe earlier. My preference is sooner rather than later.”

  A frown flickered across Em’s face. “Why the rush? He’s kept it under wraps until now.”

  “Well, Rachael is getting stronger all the time, and she wants to start spreading her wings, which will undoubtedly cause questions to be asked, but for me, it’s more than that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Tally rested her chin on her hands. “Cash has carried the guilt over killing his father around for years, but he’s also consumed with fear—of losing his career, his livelihood, his fans. Once his story is in the public domain, he can let the fear go. And my guess is none of those things will happen. It’s all about how we manage the message.”

  Em nodded. “Makes sense.”

  Tally stood and made another cup of tea. “Want to hear my other news?” she said as she sat back down.

  Em tilted forwards. “Always.”

  “I found out who took the photographs of Cash with Gracie.”

  Em’s mouth fell open. “Who? How?”

  Tally smirked. “The ‘how’ is because she confessed. The ‘who’… Kinga.”

  Em sucked in a breath. “Oh my God.” She shook her head. “I never trusted that woman.”

  “I know.”

  “Cash must have gone ballistic.”

  Tally chewed the side of her cheek. “I haven’t told him.”

  Em’s eyebrows shot up. “Why not?”

  “He’s got enough stress right now. Plus he’s just getting back into playing again. The last thing I want is to knock him off course again.”

  Em wrinkled her nose. “Babes, I’m not sure that’s the right decision.”

  Tally shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe not, but it’s the one I’ve made. I told Kinga that when I gauge that the time is right, I’ll tell him.”

  Em let out a low whistle. “What a fucking mess.”

  “I feel for her. She’s trying to do the right thing, make a fresh start.”

  Em snorted. “She doesn’t deserve your forgiveness, but then, you always did have a forgiving nature. Me? Not so much.”

  Tally laughed. “Yin and yang—that’s us.”

  Em grinned. “The perfect team.”

  Isaac dropped Tally and Cash outside Danny’s place later that evening. Danny had invited them round to dinner after Cash reluctantly agreed to include him in writing the article. Danny didn’t fool Tally, though. His benevolence was only because he wanted her to meet Luke, his latest boyfriend, whom he’d described as “the one.”

  “Ready?” she said, weaving her fingers through Cash’s.

  He glanced at her, his face expressionless. “No.”

  Her heart cramped. If there were any other way around this terrible situation they’d found themselves in, she’d take it.

  “It’s going to be fine. I’ve already filled Danny in on most of it. He wants to get to know you a little—that’s all. It’ll help when it comes to the edit.”

  “Let’s just get it over with, okay?”

  She sighed and started to walk up the path, Cash trailing slightly behind. She was halfway to the house when Danny flung the door open and stepped out to greet her.

  “Hey, baby girl,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and rocking her from side to side. “It’s been too long.”

  She giggled. “Danny, get off. You’re making me dizzy.”

  He released her. “And here’s the reason I haven’t seen you in, like, forever. Although I’m not surprised,” he said, leering at Cash with a salacious grin on his face. “If he were mine, you wouldn’t be seeing much of me either.”

  Tally gave her friend a dig in the ribs and stole a glance at Cash. She wasn’t sure how he would take to Danny. She had grown used to Danny’s camp ways, but some people found him a bit much.

  She needn’t have worried.

  “Shame for you I’m hetero, then,” he said with a broad smile as he shook Danny’s outstretched hand. “And you need to watch it. She’s beyond feisty when she’s jealous.”

  Danny laughed. “Oh yeah. Vicious bitch doesn’t even begin to describe her.”

  Tally planted her hands on her hips when Cash chuckled, and she shook her head at both of them. “I am here, you know.”

  Danny looped an arm around her shoulder, tucked his hand into the crook of Cash’s elbow, and hustled them inside. “Come and meet Luke. I’ve told him how utterly fabulous you are, so try not to let me down, Tal.”

  Tally glanced once more at Cash. Danny had worked his magic. Cash had completely relaxed. The worry lines around his eyes were gone, and his shoulders were no longer hunched up next to his ears.

  Luke was nothing like she’d imagined. Based on Danny’s previous boyfriends, she’d expected someone midheight with dark hair and a fairly lithe physique, a little bit wimpish. Luke couldn’t have been more opposite. He was tall—quite a bit taller than Danny—and broad shouldered with a thick head of sandy hair that flopped over his forehead.

  “It’s great to meet you finally,” he said, giving Tally a peck on the cheek. He was a lot more circumspect with Cash, leaving the greeting at a firm handshake. “Please, come and sit down. Let me get you both a drink. Wine okay?”

  Tally and Cash nodded, and as Luke disappeared into the kitchen, Tally’s eyes darted to Danny’s.

  “He’s a bit of a departure from the norm,” she said.

  “I knew you’d say that,” Danny whispered. “But he’s amazing. Everything I could ever want. I want you to like him. It’s important to me that you two get along.”

  “Listen, if he’s good enough for you, he’ll do for me.”

  “Good. Now shush. He’s coming back.”

  “So what do you do for a living, Luke?” Tally said as Luke returned with bottles of red and white wine, which he set in the middle of the table.

  “I design Linux systems.”

  Tally gave him a questioning look. “What are Linux systems?”

  “They’re basically IT operating systems,” he said, laughing as Tally screwed her face up. “Yeah, I know. IT is boring except for geeks like me.”

  “IT confuses me,” she said.

  “You’re not alone. I get confused at times.”

  “What made you choose IT?” Cash said as he accepted a glass of wine.

  “I don’t think I chose it as much as it chose me. While other kids were out playing, I was in my room building servers and desktop computers.”

  Cash smiled. “I guess it’s a bit like me with tennis.”

  Luke nodded. “I’ve never wanted to do anything else. I love tinkering with computers, working out what the problem is when they go wrong.”

  Tally caught Danny’s eye and nodded in approval. His grin coul
dn’t have been any wider as he soaked up every word Luke spoke.

  After dinner, Luke and Danny cleared the dishes, and once they were out of earshot, she squeezed Cash’s hand. “You doing okay, ace?”

  He gave her a genuine smile. “Yeah. Danny’s grand. They seem like a great couple.”

  “Danny’s the best. He’ll do right by you on the article, as will I.”

  Cash lowered his voice. “Can he be trusted to keep his mouth shut? I don’t want him sharing anything with Luke. After all, we don’t know him.”

  She nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it clear to Danny this is a three-way, not a four-way.”

  Cash chuckled. “Not sure he’s my type, and you’re definitely not his.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You could turn any innocent comment into a filthy one.”

  “And you love it, baby.” Cash coaxed her onto his lap and nuzzled her neck with the tip of his nose.

  “Stop.” She half-heartedly tried to pull away.

  “I’ll stop when your words match your body language,” he said, tracing his tongue along her collarbone. When his teeth grazed her earlobe, she hissed loudly.

  “Cash, let me go. They’re coming back.”

  She managed to wriggle out of his arms and make it back to her chair in time to save her blushes. Or so she thought.

  “Don’t let us interrupt you,” Danny said, barely repressing a grin as he sat down. “And if you’re going to try to hide the fact you’ve been making out, you might want to sort your hair, Tal.”

  He and Luke shared a look before the two of them burst out laughing.

  “Bugger off, the pair of you,” she said, running a hand over her hair.

  “Impressive,” Danny said to Cash. “We’ve only been gone five minutes, and you’ve got her all of a dither.”

  Tally huffed. “Oh, for God’s sake, don’t encourage him.”

  “No, do,” Cash said with a grin. “My ego needs a bit of stroking.”

  Tally choked out a laugh. “Any more stroking, and your ego will be lying on its back waiting for me to scratch its belly.”

  “Now, there’s an image,” Danny said as he poured three coffees. “Okay, let’s get on so you two can finish what you started at my dining table.” Danny glanced over at Luke, who nodded.