Keeping Score (Brooklyn Monarchs 3)

Troy tossed the water bottle into the car. “Shouldn’t you calm down first?”

He pulled his cell phone from his gym bag and pressed the speed dial code for his wife’s cellular number. After several rings, a recording came on. “Dammit. I’m being sent to her voice mail. Mary, call me as soon as you get this message, okay? I love you.”

He had similar results when he called Marilyn’s work phone number. Warrick disconnected the call after leaving a message on that machine as well. He dropped the cell phone in the front pocket of his running shorts, then slammed the trunk closed. The violent act didn’t ease his temper.

“I can’t reach her.” Warrick’s muscles vibrated with tension.

Troy laid his hand on Warrick’s shoulder. “I understand you’re angry. But don’t do anything that will keep this story alive.”

With his pulse pounding in his ears, Warrick could barely hear the other man’s words. His car alarm beeped as it reset.

He looked at Troy, but he couldn’t focus on his friend’s face. Warrick’s vision was too blurred by anger. “What gives them the right to violate my privacy, my wife’s privacy? We were in our home with the blinds closed.”

Troy let his hand drop from Warrick’s shoulder. “I know this is hard, but think about Mary.”

He was thinking about Marilyn. Without responding, Warrick spun on his heel and circled his car.

Troy followed him. “Now where are you going?”

Warrick deactivated the alarm a second time. “To get the photos.”

“The discs are on their way.” Troy’s arm stretched from behind Warrick. His hand pressed against the driver’s side door to keep it shut. “So what are you really going to do?”

Warrick looked at Troy from over his shoulder. “This doesn’t concern you.”

Regret flashed in Troy’s eyes. “I’m your friend. Yes, it does.”

Warrick crumbled the Horn in his fist. His car alarm reset again.

He turned to clench the paper in front of Troy’s face. His throat worked as he pushed the words past his rage. “Imagine this was Andrea. What would you do?” He had the satisfaction of seeing Troy’s face darken and his jaw clench.

“I’d want to make the photographer eat his camera. I’d ...” Troy stopped himself. “Rick, tearing apart the Horn’s offices wouldn’t help Andy or Mary. Jackie’s taking care of this.”

“I’m Mary’s husband. This situation is my responsibility.” And his fault. He was the reason a photograph of his wife in the nude was plastered to the front page of a newspaper’s gossip section.

“Your way isn’t constructive.” Troy spoke carefully.

The cool breeze coming off the marina didn’t ease Warrick’s temper or his guilt. He tightened his grip on the paper. “Do you know what this will do to her? To her career?”

“I know what you’re saying. But are you going to the Horn for Mary or for yourself ?”

That pulled him up short. Warrick jabbed a finger toward Troy. “I do the press conferences and one-on-one interviews. I stepped aside as captain when Barron arrived. I sat on the bench when Jamal was drafted. All for the team. But I will not sit quietly while my wife is disrespected, not even for the team.”

Troy’s eyes dimmed with disappointment. “And I wouldn’t ask you to. This isn’t about the team, brother. This is about Mary. What will you do when you get to the Horn?”

“I told you not to worry about it.”

“Are you going to give the photographer a beat down? Take a swing at the editor-in-chief ?”

Warrick held his silence. He would neither confirm nor deny the other man’s suspicions.

Troy didn’t wait for a response. “You know the Horn would jump at the opportunity to charge you with assault. Think of the number of papers they would sell with that headline and those photos. But what would happen to Mary?” Troy nodded toward the paper crushed in Warrick’s fist. “As her husband’s reputation was being shredded in the press, that photo would be on rotation on television stations across the country. Networks would show it every time they talked about your assault trial.”

“This is bullshit.” Warrick stepped around Troy, needing some space. But he couldn’t run away from the truth of the other man’s words. He stared across the parking lot, the events Troy described playing out in his mind.

The media executive continued. “I agree. If we didn’t have to worry about the repercussions, I’d go with you. But in the long run, we’d only cause our ladies more problems.”

Warrick pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I need to talk with Mary.”