Harper’s mother also gets rich.
I go back to Isaac.
Isaac was scared. He needed a fall guy. Harper and I didn’t work out.
Isaac did this, but that means he hired a professional.
The elevator doors open and I eye the EMT to my left. “I’ll meet you at the hospital,” I say, not about to ride with them. To do so would seem insincere, an actor in a movie of lies, and right now, the last thing I need is more lies.
Nevertheless, I walk with the EMT crew, exiting the building behind them, but the minute I spot the press, I cut into the crowd, dialing Davis as I start the short walk to the hospital. “Where are you now?”
“I just got to the hospital.”
“Exit the front and go right. Walk a block down.” I eye the corner. “There’s a Starbucks.” I disconnect. I don’t care about making a showing at the hospital. I care about getting to Harper before her mother or the press gets to her, which means I need Davis to do damage control.
I finish the short walk and Davis is there at the same time I am. He meets me at the right side of the Starbucks entrance and buries his hands in the leather jacket he’s wearing over a T-shirt and jeans. “What the hell is going on?”
“I went to see my father. He took a drink from the coffee I brought him and started choking. I called an ambulance.”
“Holy fuck, man.” He scrubs his jaw. “Does Grayson know?”
“No. Go to him. Help him do damage control. Keep this away from Bennett Enterprises.”
“That’s impossible. You’re heading up a bid on an NFL team, Eric. You’re high profile right now.”
“Just do it. Make it happen.”
“You need an attorney, a criminal attorney. Call the guy Grayson was going to use for that big scandal he was in last year.”
“I’m an attorney,” I remind him. “And there’s nothing they can charge me with. I’m not going down.”
He arches a brow. “You’re that sure?”
“Talk to Grayson. Do what you need to do to distance me from the company.”
“I thought you weren’t going down?”
“Don’t push me, asshole.”
“You’re negotiating the NFL deal right now.”
“You just said that. Move on. I saved my father’s life. Paint a picture in our favor.”
My cellphone rings and I grab it from my pocket and curse. “Fuck. It’s Grayson.” I answer the line to hear, “I called Reese Summer, that powerhouse attorney—”
I don’t ask how he knows what’s going on. I know. The Walker crew knows him. They do work for the firm, too. They called him. “Eric?” he presses, when I don’t immediately reply.
“I don’t need a powerhouse attorney,” I say. “That makes it look like I need a powerhouse attorney. I’m an attorney. You need to stay away from this,” I order, and it is an order. “Davis is coming to you. He’ll help you do damage control.” I hang up and focus on Davis. “Go get him under control.”
“He tried to hire that same attorney I suggested, right?” He doesn’t wait for an answer. “You do need a powerhouse attorney. You handed your father a drink and he all but keeled over. He might die.”
“Go to Grayson,” I order.
“I’m going, but we’re going to talk about this.” He steps forward and pats my shoulder. “Because we’re friends and, genius or not, you’re being stupid. You’re fucked right now, man.” With that positive reinforcement, he walks away and Savage, who was obviously following me, steps to my side.
“I have good and bad news,” he announces.
“The bad news is your team told Grayson what was going on. What the fuck?”