“Hello, Mrs. Winters.”
“Is he in?” Unlike the first time they spoke, Eloise Winters’s voice held little warmth. Tension rolled off her, and her lips were pinched in anger.
“I’m sorry, but he’s in a meeting. May I take a message?”
“How did this happen?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She brandished the newspaper. “The article by that Martin Price. It makes Armand lookawful. Like a weakling who doesn’t know which way to turn.”
Fear and shock zinged through him. “I-I don’t understand. He came back from the meeting in good spirits and said it went well.”
She gave a very unladylike snort. “He couldn’t have.” She flipped open the pages and started to read.
“‘Armand Winters is the epitome of a nice guy, but you know what they say about nice guys. And I’m afraid if the Kings are being led by him, that’s where they’ll end up. Last place. His carefully rehearsed answers couldn’t hide the fact that he’s woefully unequipped to handle the complicated inner workings of a top NFL team, which is evidenced by his insistence on turning away from top-college talent to pursue smaller names with little to no experience.’”
“Jesus,” he breathed, stunned beyond belief. That wasn’t what Armi was supposed to say. How the hell did Price find out?
She slapped the paper on his desk. “It gets even worse, but I’ll spare you.”
This was bad. Very bad. Not that Hayden gave a fuck about the team. His concern was the hit Armi’s self-esteem would take from a public whipping.
“How did he even know about the scouts Armi has with the Division III teams? Only the inner circle has that information. Someone must’ve said something. I wonder if Price spoke with anyone else besides Armi?” Hayden mused.
“Armi?” A sly glint lit Mrs. Winters’s eyes. “I haven’t heard anyone call him that in forever.”
Heat rushed through him.Dammit. “I—he said I could.”
“I’m sure he did. I’ll wait for him in his office if you don’t mind.”
“No, of course not. Please.” He opened the door for her. “Let me bring you something. Tea? Coffee?”
“No, I’m too upset. I might throw it against the wall instead of drinking it.” He waited until she settled into the chair.
“I’ll leave you, then.” He withdrew, and thinking fast, went online to read the article in its entirety.
The tragic death of Randolph Winters has revealed a weakness in the team they’re so desperately trying to keep hidden. The late owner had football in his blood, but that doesn’t seem to have passed down to his only child, who prefers to spend more time with his garden than the game. Kings fans can only hope that the team’s strong inner circle and Coach Jackson’s excellent skills and players will rise above the limitation at the apex to make the team a contender after this terrible loss.
It was as if Armi had been at a different lunch than Price. “This sounds like he had inside information from someone close to Armi.”
“Hayden? What’s wrong? You look angry.”
Unaware of the storm about to hit, Armi stood by his desk, and Hayden stifled the urge to put his arms around him. There was no way to prevent him from reading the article, and it was best to get in front of it, but Hayden also knew that wasn’t his job. Still, he wished he could offer something to soften the inevitable blow.
“Your mother is here. She’s waiting in your office.”
“Really? She didn’t say anything.” He checked his watch. “It’s late. Go home. You deserve a day off with how much you’ve helped me lately.”
Guilt swept over him, but he managed a weak laugh. “I’m barely here a few weeks, and you’re already trying to get rid of me? Plus, it’s the weekend. I’ll relax then.”
“I have no desire to get rid of you, Hayden. I’ll see you Monday. Night.” Armi walked into his office. “Mom, hi,” Hayden heard before the door closed behind him.
He debated for a moment whether he should stay, but when he heard raised voices, he decided it would be humiliating for Armi to find him sitting there, as if he knew and was waiting for him. He closed his computer and left.
Josh stood by the elevator. “Hi. Ready for the weekend?”
Was he? Hayden preferred to keep busy at work, giving him less time to think about being alone. “I always am.”
