There was no need to glance back to find out if I was correct or not. I already knew Gabriel was watching.
Chapter 2
Nine Months Later
Gabriel
“That sounds like a great idea to me,” the sponsor I spoke with on the phone said. I sat in my office, on a call to negotiate sponsorship deals for a couple of my athletes. “I’ll bring it up with my team later this week and get back to you.”
“Make sure you do.” I leaned back in my chair, feeling slightly victorious. “This is a win for all sides.”
“I would have to agree. We’ll get back to you.”
Disconnecting the call, I pushed out a breath before placing my elbows on my glass desk. It was late, and I was dog tired but work needed to get done.
Preston was out of town until the following day, working with another one of our clients, so it was up to me to maintain the day-to-day office tasks, reach out to new sponsors for our clientele, and stay on top of my training.
I’d been back in Texas for a week after spending months in Thailand, and I came back hitting the ground running.
I went to lift the phone again to place another call, but it rang before I could.
“Micah, what’s up?” I answered my oldest brother’s call.
“Figured you were still in the office.”
“You figured accurately.”
“Yeah, well, I got a call from Toni,” he said. “It’s best you get your ass down to The Rustic.”
I bristled at his tone. “You’re the oldest, but not my damn daddy.”
He chuckled as if I’d made a joke. “Our middle brother needs you, and in case you forgot, I’m getting married next week,” Micah reminded me. “Aside from helping Jodi finalize all of these bullshit details I know nothing about, I doubt Ace will want to see my face. Given today’s date and all.”
I shot my gaze over to my computer, noting the date on the screen. “May first. Shit,” I griped.
I hoisted myself out of my chair and shut off my computer screen. There went my plans to work for the next hour.
“I’m on my way.”
“Thanks, little wolf.”
“It’s Grey Wolf,” I said before hanging up. He knew damn well what my name was.
I exited my office, shutting down the lights before making my way down the stairs to the gym area that sat on the ground floor. Our company, No Sweat Management, took up the entire second floor of the building.
Preston was a partial owner in the gym, while I had partial ownership in the building overall. Together, we co-owned No Sweat Management and were on our way to building it to the best management company in athletics.
Business would have to wait until the following day, seeing as how I needed to handle this situation with Ace.
I slammed my car door shut and revved up the engine on my Camaro. “He’s lucky he’s my damn blood,” I murmured and peeled out of the parking lot. Aside from my family and Preston, there wasn’t anyone I’d do this type of shit for.
The Rustic was about a twenty-five minute drive from my office and sat on the edge of Harlington, where I’d grown up and continued to live. Tetrarch’s song “Negative Noise” filled the inside of my car, silencing any thoughts of what I would find once I reached The Rustic.
The distraction of the music worked well until I pulled up to the bar and got out. Inside, the wailing sounds of some woman pining over lost love or some bullshit greeted me.
With a slump in my shoulders, I headed toward the bar. The bartender, Toni, looked up, and relief flooded his face.
“Thank God,” he said. “He’s been playing this damn song over and over again on the jukebox. He’s threatening anyone who tries to play something else.”
