“How?”
“No one will hire her. She’s brilliant at what she does, but no one will work with her,” Larissa said. “She gets spat on in the streets. I won’t even tell you the names she gets called. Even after she changed her cell number and dropped her last name, she still gets hate calls.”
“What? Are you serious? Jesus, Larissa. A baseball team isn’t just one guy. It’s nine guys and a manager. What’s the excuse for the other eight players who tanked?”
“No, I’m not kidding. People are batshit crazy about sports. Surely you understand that. You know how important the Twins account is for Unique, right? You’re going to get a huge promotion if all goes well.” Larissa scrubbed her fingers through her hair, then clapped them once and turned her palms upright. Tears made her eyes glisten, and my heart dropped to my feet. “She’s screwed because of him.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“I don’t know what went on, but there’s something he did or said that made her leave. She couldn’t come to terms with it.”
“So, why doesn’t she just tell everyone about it?”
“I finally pulled one data point out of her under duress. He made her sign a nondisclosure agreement,” she said. “That’s all I know about it. It was the only thing I found out and that was only because I – now, I’m not proud of this okay? – but yeah, I read her diary. Don’t ever tell her I told you that. I just had to know because Luna wasn’t giving me the full story. We’re besties. I knew Thorn, and his family’s old money was behind it all.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around any of this, and the diary reading was the least of my concerns. Hell, I’d done it myself before my conscience got the better of me.
“Don’t judge me,” Larissa grunted. “She was a closed book when she stayed here. All she did was cry and sequester herself in the guest bedroom. I couldn’t stand seeing her like that. It wasn’t fair. And when I tried contacting Thorn, I got his secretary. I couldn’t get through to him after tons of attempts. I tried asking him to back off, but he blew me off.”
I ground my teeth. This Thorn guy was clearly an arrogant and self-important piece of work who’d had everything handed to him on a silver platter. But I couldn’t do anything about it until I knew exactly what he’d done and why.
“What are you going to do?” Larissa asked.
“I don’t know. I need to talk to her.” I needed to find out if she was okay because thoughts of her alone in her home brooding and hiding didn’t help me concentrate on figuring this mess out. Whatever happened, I couldn’t allow this shit to go on. No one deserved to live that way.
“Hold on a second,” Larissa said. She launched herself out of her armchair and bustled from the room.
I stared at the blank TV on the opposite wall, shaking my head. How had any of this come to pass? It seemed surreal to me. Like a bad movie script that never made it to the boardroom table. I’d spent years in Japan where they produced poop candy and watched tentacle hentai, but this freaked me out more than any of that crazy shit.
Luna had been engaged to Thorn. Any normal human being would’ve ended things with a modicum of respect, but it seemed he’d gone out of his way to make her feel unwanted and rejected. A pariah. And he was supposed to emcee the same Twins event that held my future with Unique hostage?
My stomach sank. It must’ve physically fucking hurt her to have to ask his people about his availability. Sure, my assistant probably handled the actual invitation, but it would still have eaten at her. But Luna had remained professional and done what she had to do to make it work for Unique and for me. Dammit, I wanted her with every breath in my body. She’d already wormed her way into my heart with her quirks and her sexy fumbling.
All thoughts of my promotion flew out of the window with its view of Larissa and Ross’s sunny back yard. I’d give up the Twins account to help Luna if it came down to that. And I didn’t doubt it would come down to that. Shit. With my connections and expertise, I could easily freelance as a consultant for start-ups and mid-listers.
Larissa entered the room, and I straightened. “What is it?”
“Just had to find my phone,” she said and sat down opposite me once again. “I’m going to call her and see if she’ll talk to me. And then I’ll see if she’ll talk to you. It can’t hurt, right?”
I crossed my fingers and showed them to her. “I need her to know that I don’t care what Thorn said about her. I know an asshole when I see one. I don’t buy into all his bullshit.”
Larissa sniffed. “I should think so. Now, quiet down.” She dialed the number, cleared her throat twice, then pressed the phone to her ear.
An awkward silence filled the space between us, punctuated by the muffled rings on the other end of the line.
Finally, they stopped. “Luna?” Larissa perked up and focused on a spot on the wall behind me. “Hey, I heard about what happened. Are you okay?”
Nerves assaulted my stomach, punching holes in whatever serenity I’d retained after the run-in with that bastard.
“Slow down,” Larissa said. “It’s okay. Listen, I know you’re upset but you – you need to talk to someone.”
I put my palm out for the phone.
“Yeah. He’s here. He wants to talk – Luna? Luna, hello?” Larissa moved the phone away from her ear and looked at the screen. She grimaced. “She hung up. She’s hysterical. It was the ugly cry.”
“I’m going over there,” I said and rose from the sofa. I paced back and forth in front of the coffee table, working things over in my mind. “I’ll talk to her face to face. She won’t be able to turn me away then. I’ll… shit, I don’t know, I’ll force the truth out of her if I have to. I know a great lawyer. There’s no such thing as a contract that’s iron clad.”
“What? Are you crazy?” Larissa shot out of her seat. “If you do that you’ll ruin everything for her. Who the hell knows what Thorn has planned if she tells anyone the truth about what happened between them? He has big money behind him, remember?”
I stopped walking and fisted my hips. “What else am I supposed to do?” I demanded. “I need to know what happened, or I can’t deal with this appropriately. And Lar, I’ve got to deal with this. You didn’t see the look on her face when he arrived. It was just, it was pure terror. I’ve never seen such depth of emotion. And I couldn’t do anything to stop the train wreck from happening. I felt so helpless. And throughout the entire exchange, she remained professional. Well, until the end. She finally lost it and ran off.”
“You don’t think I know what it’s like to deal with this? I’ve been trying to help her for years, and nothing I’ve done can change anything!” Larissa’s voice rose to a screech. “She’s my best friend, and I can’t help her either. You don’t know her like I do, and I’m saying you can’t go over there now. You’ll ruin her. You’ll make everything worse if you try to–”
“All right,” I said, holding up my hands. “Larissa, all right. Relax, god. I won’t go see her. I’ll – I’ll figure something else out.” I hesitated a beat, then clicked my teeth, an idea forming in my racing mind. “Yeah, I’ve got to go.”
“What? Where?” Larissa still hadn’t come down from her panicked high. “You’re not going to–”
“No. I’m not going to see her. You can relax. I’ve got to figure this out another way.” I took my cell out again, unlocked and scrolled through to my assistant’s number. Jeffrey would have the details I needed. I dialed while Larissa looked on, both eyebrows raised.
“Morning, boss,” Jeffrey said.
“Jeff, I need you to organize a meeting for today. Now. As soon as you can.” This was my last shot at finding out exactly what happened. I’d have to frame it with regards to the event, or I’d never get away with it.
“Sure, boss, what do you need?”
Chapter 17: Corban
The Twins’ lawyer, Mr. Albert Woodstock, was an innocuous little man with a shiny bald pate and wrinkles around his eyes that burrowed
as deep as canyons. He sat behind his desk in the open plan office and rifled through documents.
“Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.”
“Well, it seemed quite urgent,” Albert said. He didn’t look like a Woodstock. That name brought images of hippies, rock and roll, and smoking joints while swaying to the Grateful Dead. This Woodstock wore a tie and was bland enough to bore a corpse.
“My apologies,” I said.
“That’s fine. I had to come down here to organize this mess.” He looked at me cautiously. “You’re Mr. Drake, yes? Part of the team at Unique?”
“That’s correct. I’m sure you’ve heard we’re hosting an event for the Twins in a couple days. It’s extremely important that it go off without a hitch.”
“Yes, it’s come to my attention,” the lawyer replied and scratched a long line down his nose with his pinkie nail. “Not that I have time to consider anything other than work.”
“Were you invited?” I had to find a way to broach this topic without seeming too eager. Or too hostile. I couldn’t give the game away – or the fact that I wanted to pound Thorn’s face into the concrete sidewalk until it bled. I flexed my hands to keep from balling them up at the thought of that guy’s smug and superior tone and expression.
“Of course,” he said. “Though I can’t say I’ll attend. Too much work.” Woodstock studied the document pile in his in-tray, then the second one in the center of his desk. He met my gaze pointedly. “You’ve come to talk about the event?”
I nodded. “In a way. I’ve got a bit of a problem, and I figure you’d be the man to talk to about it.”
“Why’s that?” Woodstock asked and scratched his hooked nose again. “I’m hardly the authority on event planning.”
The skin on the back of my neck prickled. Something about this guy rankled. Maybe this meeting hadn’t been my best idea, but desperate times called for desperate measures. “Because you’ve been with the Twins for years.”
“Done your research, have you?” Woodstock asked.
Not really. Jeffrey had done all the research for me. Unfortunately, he’d neglected to mention asshat Thorn or his connection to the woman I’d fallen for. Man, had I fallen for her. Hard. So fucking hard my cock had been in a permanent semi since I left her presence. I barely thought of anything else outside of our passionate night together. I hadn’t wanted to admit that in the beginning, but it was true.
Woodstock scanned me, filed my expressions and reactions away by the looks of it, then cleared his throat. “So? What can I help you with, Mr. Drake? What do you need to know?”
“As you know, we’re hosting the event in a couple days.”
“Yes, I believe you just brought that up.” Woodstock’s lips twitched at the corners. I had the sneaking feeling I was about to get lawyered.
I was too fucking nervous for him not to call me out, so I smoothed my palms over my thighs. “It’s been quite a task to organize everything. You know, make sure we’re ready for the guests and players. The Twins have a legacy to uphold, and we’re trying to match that high standard set by the fans of Minnesota. Perhaps even bring it up a notch.”
“Sure, sure,” Woodstock replied and twirled his hand.
“It’s come to my attention that the emcee of the event will be Thorn Edwards.” I watched the lawyer closely, but his face didn’t flicker. “And I need more information about him before we can proceed.”
“What kind of information?” Woodstock asked and tilted his head to one side.
“It’s regarding our event planner.” I leaned forward. “I’m worried that there will be some difficulties between them that could upend the festivities at the event.” This was it. The moment of truth. Would it be flying high or the old crash and burn? I had to sell this and sell it good, or I’d never find out the actual facts. “Her name is Luna Faye Anderson.”
“Oh,” Woodstock said, and his expression lightened. “I remember Luna. I always liked the girl. She was down to earth, kind. And she put up with Thorn which is–” Woodstock cut off. “My apologies. That was unprofessional.”
“No need to apologize,” I replied. “I need to know all the details, no matter how minute. If Edwards is a tough customer, we’ll need the inside edge. We want to make this a success for everybody.” I placed one hand on top of the other in my lap. I didn’t want Thorn as the emcee for our event, but I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. It became set in stone when it was announced to the public.
Woodstock worked his lips over his teeth, then glanced at the closed door to the office. “I supposed there’s no harm in discussing this. I’m not under any obligation to keep this information a secret, and if it will affect the Twins as a franchise, then I feel it’s my duty to speak out. My job is to protect the Twins and ensure their continued success. Thorn is no longer part of the Twins organization and has his own counsel.”
Excitement thumped against the inside of my rib cage, but I kept my face impassive. “Please, go ahead. We’re discussing this in a strictly professional capacity since we both work for the Twins.”
“Understood,” Woodstock replied. He ran his fingers along the edge of his vast walnut desk, silent for the moment. “Thorn Edwards was a hazard for the team in a legal manner. The man was, how shall we say… he was prone to accidents.”
“A liability?”
“You could put it that way, yes. To make matters worse, Thorn insisted on using his personal lawyer for everything. My services weren’t good enough, which made liaising with his appointed attorney all the more difficult. The man he chose didn’t have the best track record in my opinion.” Woodstock pressed his hand to his chest.
“Meaning?”
“I took the bar exam with him. He scraped by, and he’s been shrouded in scandal ever since. Taking on rich and famous clients, helping them manage their various ‘accidents’ or infidelities.”
The word ‘infidelity’ spiraled through my mind. “And Thorn is represented by this man?”
“Correct.” Woodstock sighed and rubbed the wrinkles on his forehead. “Thorn was a star player. The public adored him. His teammates, for the most part, put up a show of loving him too but secretly detested him. Not a day went by without one complaint or the other. Harassment in the locker rooms, hazing. Twins management refused to do anything about it. They’d lose money if he was traded. Carl Pohlad is a notorious tightwad. You know those typical billionaires who only care about the bottom line. Thorn Edwards filled the seats with asses. And wallets.”
“I see.”
“I’m only discussing this now because it’s in the past, understand?” Woodstock said and loosened his tie. “And I feel what happened to poor Luna was regrettable.”
I struggled to keep my hands still. We were close to it now. To the truth. I could almost taste it.
“I remember on one occasion, Thorn got in a lot of trouble for – well, this might sound a bit extreme, but he assaulted a stripper at the King of Diamonds.”
Holy fuck. “Really?” I frowned and pretended this was a huge problem for the Twins account. Really, it was a huge problem for my anger which had bubbled constantly since that prick had turned up at the Hotel Ivy and ruined our brunch.
“Yeah. I don’t have all the details, but apparently, Thorn rounded up some of the other team members and dragged them down to a local strip club. Drinks flowed, money did too, and when Thorn demanded a dance from one of the strippers and she said no, the conversation became heated. This was during his engagement to Luna.”
Heat crept up my neck. Fuck, I had to keep a lid on things before I combusted in a steaming explosion of ire.
“Naturally, Thorn didn’t want any of it to come out in case it ruined his engagement, and thus, his glowing public image,” Woodstock said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I don’t think he cared much about Luna’s reaction, just the publicity. So, he worked with his lawyer and publicist to cover his tracks. He settled out of court. By this time, the Pohlads had becom
e disgruntled with him, but they couldn’t trade Edwards. There would’ve been an uproar.”
“So, what happened?” I asked.
Woodstock straightened his tie. “Luna happened. She walked out on their wedding. She hasn’t made an official comment in the press, but I know what really happened.”
“What did happen?” I asked. Hopefully, this dude didn’t know about Luna’s NDA.
Woodstock huffed a sigh. “As a lawyer for the Twins, I have all of their medical records on file. I also had multiple discussions with Luna during her engagement to Thorn. She wasn’t happy and spoke to me at length about the legalities of leaving him. I was loathe to give her advice while Thorn was on the team, but she revealed a lot of personal information to me.” He scratched his chin. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable sharing it with you.”
“Please,” I said. “It’s imperative that I know for the sake of the Twins and for Miss Faye herself. You can be assured that I will keep any information you share with me private.” I mentally crossed my fingers, thumbs, and fucking toes this time.
“Thorn was infertile due to a baseball injury. Line drive to the junk in his youth. He didn’t want children of any kind because of it. That’s what he claimed to Luna in any case. I believed that Thorn wasn’t interested in having children for more selfish reasons.”
“Which reasons?”
“He cares only about his image and career. Children didn’t fit into his lifestyle or his plans. He used his infertility as an excuse. He claimed it was because he felt less of a man and that even a glimpse of other people’s children sent him reeling, but I didn’t buy it. Luna loved him, so she bought it at the time.”
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