“Mr.De Luca?”
The man stood.“Call me Leo.You must be Kayne Serruto.”
Kayne shook his outstretched hand.“Nice to meet you.There used to be an outstanding major league baseball player with the same name.”
“Outstanding might be generous, but yeah, that was me.”
“I was at the game where you hit the walk-off grand slam to win the league title.”
Leo smiled, warm and faintly wistful.“One of the best days of my life.”
Kayne nodded at his knee.“How’s it holding up?”
“All healed, though it was sketchy at the time.”
Kayne remembered reading about the injury that took out the reigning World Series MVP.Leo had been a third baseman attempting to turn a double play when the runner roll-blocked into him in an illegal move that destroyed De Luca’s knee and his playing career.
“Reed Steele is married to a colleague of mine,” Kayne said.Reed had been a teammate of Leo’s and also had his MLB career cut short by a knee injury.He’d transitioned to hosting a home renovation show, where he’d met Hillary Billings and fallen in love.The rest, as they say, was history.
“That’s why I called your company.I’ve kept in touch with him and met your bosses at Reed’s wedding.They made an impression.”
“You’re a lawyer now?”
“I have a law degree, yes.But I’m technically a sports agent.”
Kayne glanced over his shoulder.“You’re undergoing a serious overhaul.”
Leo sighed.“My sister’s latest obsession.”
“She’s the reason I’m here?”
Leo picked his phone up from the desk.“Let’s grab a coffee.I don’t want to talk here.”
Kayne followed him to a black Range Rover and slid inside, appreciating the semi-aniline leather.Being a sports agent paid well, not to mention that guaranteed MLB contract.
Leo drove them to a coffee shop and smoothie bar near Washington University.It teemed with college students, making it easier to blend in and talk without being overheard.
While Leo placed their orders, Kayne grabbed a booth with sightlines to the front door because old habits die hard, and the dangerous ones never die at all.The problem with this shop was that there were two main entrances.
Kayne thanked Leo when he placed a cup in front of him before sliding into the booth.He took a sip of his spinach and mixed berry protein-packed smoothie.Damn.That was good.
“This place is always busy,” Leo said.“They have the best drinks around.”
“Tell me what’s going on.”
Leo leaned back.“My sister, Chloe, well technically she’s my cousin, but we raised her from age six, started posting workout videos online a couple of years ago.They took off, and she’s got millions of followers.Her website launched recently and crashed within hours from all the traffic.”
Leo took a long drink.“I might be overreacting.I hope I am.But last week, a man named Fraiser Talbot was arrested for stalking her and slapped with a restraining order, but you know how effective those are to criminals.”
Kayne’s jaw tightened.Most of the time, not worth the paper it was written on.“What happened?”
“He was waiting for her at her apartment.Tried to grab her when she got out of her car.”
“How’d it end?”
“She took self-defense classes, so she put him on his ass.He’s middle-aged and out of shape.A cop who lives in her building witnessed it and arrested Talbot.They found tons of photos of Chloe on his phone, taken around town, and a box of love letters in his car.He drove here from Oregon.Claimed they were married.”
“He the threat?”
