Double Daddy Trouble

“What?” Danny looked startled.

“I said no.” I threw the linen napkin on the table. “You can’t have my team.”

Grammy chocked on

her coffee. “Nessa!”

“I’m sorry Grammy. Or maybe I’m not sorry for saying it. But I was raised a warrior and this is me finally becoming one. If you want my team, you’re going to have to fight me for it.”

I stormed out of the family house. Past the portrait of my grandfather in the hall. Over the past couple of months I had done everything the opposite of that man, until this moment. I looked at him as I marched into the sun.

I pulled out my cell phone as I slid behind the wheel of my car.

“Charlie, I’m going to need to see you at the office. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

I hung up as I raced through the guard gate and toward Austin. Toward my team.

Forty

Vanessa

Candy greeted me in the executive lobby with a latte. I turned my head. Why did all the coffee smell so terrible?

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.” I took the cup, wanting to be polite.

“Charlie Maine is already in your office. I let her in.”

“Good.” I had never felt like a mission was this important. Candy fell back as I rushed to my office.

Charlie stood in front of the windows, looking out onto the stadium. She turned when I walked in the room.

“I guess you’re anxious to hear my great Isaac plan.”

“Oh that. Yeah. I am.”

“Oh that? I’ve been working all week on it. You hand me the biggest scandal of the century and somehow reduced it to oh that?”

I closed the door behind me. “I have a bigger problem. Or an equally as big problem.”

“I’m going to have to start charging you more.” She exhaled.

“It’s my brother. He’s returned from his eight years of being a professional partier and he wants to take the Warriors from me.”

“Holy shit.”

“What can I do?”

“That’s a question for your legal team. That’s way outside of my area.”

“But it’s going to blow up in my face. There has to be a way to protect the team from this. That’s what you’re good at doing. This is your wheelhouse, Charlie.”

She considered what I said. “Why does he want it?”

I shook my head. “I have no idea.”

“Who is pushing this?” she asked.