I reminded myself that a lot of that was his own doing.
But it still didn’t stop me from feeling bad about it. He was my father after all. I couldn’t just turn off my love for him. I poured some of the cream into a cup and handed it to him. Then I poured some for myself.
“Rimmel, I want to apologize for yesterday. My behavior was totally unacceptable. I knew you were coming, and instead of making sure you felt welcome, I drowned my guilt and tried to hide in the bottle.”
“Do you drink like that a lot?” I asked.
“More than I should,” he admitted.
“I need to know why,” I said, getting right into it. “Why did you let Mom’s murder go unresolved when you knew what happened?”
He set his coffee down and walked away, over to the windows that once overlooked the pool in the backyard. He was quiet a while, and I waited.
“I could tell you a million different reasons. Half of them would be partially true. And the other half would just be lies,” he said, clearing his throat. “But the truth is I was scared. Scared and so ashamed.”
The pain in his words was so raw and so real that I knew this couldn’t possibly be a lie. Plus, in all my life, I’d never heard my dad say that.
“I was scared of what would happen to me if I told people about the gambling debt. I thought I would go to jail or be charged with murder. I was scared those men would come back for me. Or for you. I was scared if I ratted them out, life would only get worse.”
“Did you feel bad that Mom never got her justice?” I asked, my voice low and hoarse.
It was a hard thing to realize your parent was only human too. That they too experienced all the heartache and struggles that everyone else endured.
“Every single day of my life,” he whispered.
“I don’t understand why you would start gambling again. Wasn’t what happened enough to keep you away from it forever?”
“One would think. And it did. For years and years. But then one night, I found myself standing in front of a bar with a poker tournament starting up. The next thing I knew, I was playing cards and falling deeper into that world.”
“You ran up half a million dollars in debt, Dad. How could you do that?”
He turned and furrowed his brow. “I don’t owe anyone that much money.”
Frustration had my back teeth coming together. “Don’t lie,” I accused. “I know.”
“I’m not lying. Who told you that?”
I told him about what happened this morning in our room. I told him about the guy following Romeo around and digging into all his personal information.
He seemed shocked and outraged all at once. Then the fear took over. “It’s happening again,” he whispered. “I can’t pay, so they’re going to come after you.”
“It’s not me this time, Dad. It’s Romeo.”
“And he’ll pay the money, keep you safe?” His voice was hopeful.
“I’m not sure what Romeo is going to do.” It wasn’t really a lie, because I didn’t have a clue.
“I’m losing the house,” he said. “It’s being foreclosed.”
“Maybe it’s better this way,” I replied honestly.
He swung around. “You’re not upset?”
“Why would I be?” I asked.
“Because this was where your mother was.”
“She also died here,” I said, frank.
He seemed taken aback and a little unnerved.
“I don’t need a house to remember Mom. I remember her here.” I laid a hand over my heart. “She wouldn’t want us, you, living in this house day after day, tormented by what happened.”
Tears filled my father’s eyes.
I hadn’t seen him cry since Mom died.
“You’re a good girl.”
“You raised me,” I said gently. “You’re a good guy, but, Dad, you need help. Like serious help.”
He pressed his lips together and nodded. “I’ll get it. Right after I take care of the guys who are harassing you.”
“No,” I said firm. “We don’t need your help. What you need to do is focus on yourself.”
“So that’s it?” he said, heat coming into his voice. “We doesn’t include me anymore. It’s just you and him?”
“Romeo has been there for me. Really there. And it’s not fair for you to be angry when you’re the one who put me in this position.”
“Let me make it up to you.”
“You can make it up to me by getting help. Rehab.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“Well, I guess that’s a choice you’re going to have to make. But if you want me in your life at all, you will do it.”
“Are you saying you’ll cut me out?”
“Yes,” I replied. It was the hardest thing I ever had to say and mean. But I did. “And, Dad? I can’t promise when all this is said and done the police won’t be paying you a visit. I won’t protect you like Gran and Grandpa did for all those years.”
He hung his head. “You shouldn’t have to.”
The weight of the conversation was almost too much to bear. So I went to the sink and started washing all the mountains of dirty dishes.
As I washed, we talked some more. There was so much to say yet nothing at all.
The truth was out, and the truth didn’t need disguised by excuses or pretty words. The truth was what it was. Talking about it wouldn’t change a thing.
Eventually, he asked me about school and classes. I never told him about the scholarship thing and the plagiarism I was accused of. It seemed pointless to bring up something that was already resolved. I told him a little about Zach and the attack, but I didn’t go into a lot of detail.
By the time I was finished with the dishes, cleaning the floors, and generally tidying up, I was exhausted. I didn’t want to talk anymore.
The doorbell rang a short time after that, and I think both Dad and I sighed in relief, grateful for a distraction from the tension between us.
I ran to open it and smiled wide because I knew I’d see Romeo.
But he wasn’t alone.
Someone was standing on the tiny porch beside him.
My eyes bounced back and forth between them.
Finally, I put my hands on my hips and gave them both a stare. “What’s he doing here?”
“Tutor girl!” Braeden said and burst forward to sweep me up in a hug.
“Braeden, I’m thinking you got on the wrong flight. Spring break isn’t for days,” I said against his shoulder even as I hugged him back.
Behind us, my father watched me interact with my two guys, but he didn’t say a word. I felt bad again because he probably felt like I’d moved on, made my own life that didn’t include him. I had found a life and people I loved, but cutting him out wasn’t part of that. Yet.
“I knew you missed me. I had to come,” B said. When I stepped back, he grinned down at me.
I rolled my eyes and looked behind Braeden at Romeo. He was holding a giant Frappuccino with chocolate drizzled over the huge pile of whipped cream and smiling his most charming smile.
That only meant one thing.
I wasn’t going to like this.
“Braeden?” I said. “Why are you here so early?”
He threw his arm across my shoulders and grinned. “I’m your new babysitter!”
Chapter Forty-Four
Romeo
He just had to announce it like that.
“I’m your new babysitter,” I mimicked and then grimaced.
He just liked causing little ripples between Rim and me. It was the big brother way. But I didn’t like it. I thought it was time Braeden found himself his own lady so he had someone else to focus on other than mine.
Rimmel glared at me. “You flew him out here to babysit me?”
“I flew myself out here.” Braeden objected.
“Be quiet,” we both told him at the same time.
“A guy flies all this way,” he muttered, “and no one’s
glad to see him.”
We ignored him.
“I just thought it would be a good idea for him to be here right now,” I said, not wanting to go into a lot of detail, but also fully aware of the watchful eye of her father.
“You didn’t think it would be a good idea to talk to me about this?” she pressed, hands on her hips.
She looked cute trying to be all rawr with me.
“You two can have your little spat later,” B said. “Introduce me.”
Rimmel seemed to deflate like an old balloon. I noticed the exhaustion that wrapped around her like a thick blanket. Quickly, I glanced around, looking for signs of any kind of argument. I didn’t see any broken glass. In fact, the place was a lot cleaner than it was yesterday.
When I saw the huge pile of freshly washed dishes drying on a towel, my mouth flattened. She cleaned while she was here. She felt responsible for him. I didn’t want that for her. It shouldn’t be that way.
“Dad, this is Braeden. He’s Romeo’s best friend,” Rimmel said, gesturing between the two men.
Braeden cleared his throat. Loudly.
Rimmel rolled her eyes. “He’s also my self-appointed big brother.” Then she smiled and added, “And one of my best friends too.”
Braeden ruffled her hair and then held his hand out.
“Brock,” her dad said as they shook. “Nice to meet you.”
When the introduction was over, silence fell over the room.
Brock cleared his throat. “Anyone want coffee?”
“Sure,” B replied before anyone else. He followed Brock into the kitchen, and I shut the front door.
Rimmel stepped up close. “Why would you involve him?”
I sighed. “Because having someone I can trust here to keep an extra set of eyes on you is important.”
“Romeo,” she sighed.
I pulled her against me and whispered into her hair, “This will all be over tomorrow night. Just hang in until then.”
“Fine.”
“How’d it go here?” I handed her the coffee.
She took it, wrapped her lips around the straw, and shrugged. “It was fine. Good, actually. We talked.”
“He willing to go to rehab?”
“I think so.” She frowned. “That is if he doesn’t go to jail first.”
“It’s gonna be okay,” I said again.
The sound of phones going off echoed through the room. Rimmel made no move to dig hers out of her bag.
“Rome!” Braeden called. “What’s this all about?”
Rimmel and I walked into the kitchen where B and Brock were standing. Braeden was starting down at his phone.
“What is it?” I asked.
“The newest Buzz.” Rimmel held out her hand for his phone, and he gave it to her while I pulled mine out of my pocket.
Ron Gamble announced a special press conference later this afternoon. The plan was being set into motion.
“Do you know what this is about?” Rimmel asked, looking at me.
“I have an idea,” I allowed.
By the look on her face, I knew she knew I wasn’t going to say anything else. To my surprise, she didn’t say anything, just took another pull of her drink and sat down at the table.
It made me feel bad because clearly she was too tired to even argue with me.
But then I reminded myself why I was doing this and my resolve strengthened.
When the press conference went live on a local station in Maryland, I knew it would hit the sports channel and other news outlets right after, but instead of waiting, we pulled it up online. Back in the hotel room, the three of us gathered around the screen while Ron Gamble took his position at the microphone.
“I called this conference today because I have an announcement. It’s rather disappointing and will likely come as a surprise, which is why I decided not to just release a statement to the media.”
Flash bulbs were going off in front of him, but Gamble didn’t even flinch. He acted like he didn’t even see them.
“The recent signing of Roman “Romeo” Anderson as the Knights newest quarterback is no longer valid.”
A ripple went through the crowd. Rimmel gasped and glanced at me.
“This is highly unusual because once a contract is signed, its iron clad. However, due to recent information that has come to light, I have made the decision to dissolve the offer. Our highly skilled team of lawyers have voided the contract, and all parties have been notified. Mr. Anderson is no longer part of the Maryland Knights. There is no additional interest in him as a player by the NFL at this time. Mr. Anderson is no longer a free agent with the National Football League.”
The people gathered at the conference all started talking at once, yelling out questions and demanding a larger explanation.
My stomach turned a little because even though I knew what was really going on, I didn’t like any of this.
Ron held up his hand and the crowd quieted. “I am not at liberty to discuss any further details at this time. This is a private legal matter, and the institution of the Knights would appreciate you respect those boundaries.”
With that, he walked off the stage.
The station cut to the news anchor, who talked a little more about the announcement, and then it went to commercial.
Rimmel pushed out of her seat. “What the hell is going on!”
“I’ll explain later,” I said.
She looked at Braeden, who didn’t seem the least bit worried about the conference.
“Why aren’t you two going crazy with this news?”
“Do you trust me?” I asked.
“You know the answer to that.”
“I’ll explain everything tomorrow night.”
I don’t think any of us really slept that night. Rimmel was too worried about what was going on, and I didn’t want to go to sleep and miss someone trying to break in here again.
Instead, I surfed the internet and watched Ron Gamble’s news spread like wildfire, farther and faster than I even hoped. The pure fact that he said he legally couldn’t discuss his reasons for kicking me off the team fueled the fire.
Everyone loved a good secret.
It was what I was counting on.
When the three of us went out to breakfast, reporters were waiting. They swarmed around us and tried to get quotes and pictures.
After breakfast, we holed up in the room again, but even still, the reporters waited downstairs.
In the early afternoon, my cell phone rang. It was the men I was supposed to meet.
“Do you have the money?” a low voice demanded.
“I tried to get it. It cost me my job.”
“You get that money or we’ll kill the girl.”
“Where do you want to meet?”
He named off some random address, probably in the worst part of town.
“Are you kidding?” I said. “I can’t make it there alone. There are reporters camping out in the hotel, following my every move.”
There was some silence and some swearing on the end of the line. “Make it happen.”
“You want me to lead a bunch of reporters to you, I will. Maybe they can run a story on the fact you’re extorting money from me, threatening murder, and got me fired from the NFL.”
“We have nothing to do with your job.”
“You think Ron Gamble is stupid?” I said. “You know he’s powerful. The minute I tried to get an early advance on my salary, he knew something shady was going on. He’s accusing me of illegal gambling. Of betting.”
“Just bring us the money.”
“Come get it,” I countered. “You can get in here unnoticed. Me leaving will draw too much attention.”
There was some silence on the line. It stretched so long I started to worry they wouldn’t go for it. That all these lies would be for nothing.
“Fine. We’ll be there tonight. After dark. Be alone.”
“Okay.” I didn’t have to fake the nerves or anxiety in my voice.
>
“You better have the money. If you don’t, those reporters are going to be reporting your murder.”
The line went dead.
Braeden and Rimmel were watching me.
I tried not to show them how freaked out I was getting. If this went wrong, we could all end up dead.
“We got work to do before nightfall,” I said.
And then I got to work.
Chapter Forty-Five
Rimmel
The sun was dropping lower in the sky when Romeo ushered Braeden and me out into the hall.
I felt the way he watched everything and stared into every corner of every space we were in. His hawk-like attention made me extremely nervous.
I couldn’t understand what he was doing.
Or where we were going.
Then he knocked on the hotel room door beside ours.
After several seconds, the door opened soundlessly and Romeo motioned for us to go inside. The three of us walked in, and the door shut and locked behind us. I spun to see a man in a black suit and red tie standing there.
“Mr. Anderson,” he said. “I’m Agent Marks. We spoke on the phone.”
“Of course,” Romeo said and stepped forward to shake the man’s hand.
“Agent?” I asked.
“Ma’am,” he replied and then produced a very shiny official-looking badge. “I’m with the FBI.”
My eyes widened. “The FBI,” I echoed. I turned to Romeo. “I thought you said no cops.”
“He’s not a cop.” Romeo shrugged.
I narrowed my eyes.
He sighed. “Well, he’s not local. None of them are.” He gestured farther into the room where there were several other men dressed just like Agent Marks. “I couldn’t take any chances that the local cops weren’t involved.”
Agent Marks nodded and moved into the other room. “We’ve actually had this area on our division watch list for a while. Several of the police officers are suspected in illegal activities. We just haven’t come up with enough evidence to make any arrests.”
Romeo called the FBI. He set up an entire sting in just one day.
This was the kind of stuff that only happened in movies. It was so hard to wrap my head around it being real life.
#Player Page 25
