I push the man old enough to be my father against the wall and get into his face. “I don’t owe you shit. You made alotof money off me. What you did with it isn’t my problem. I don’t want you here today. You’ve shown me over the past couple of months exactly who you are and what you want for me, and I’m done with you, Andy.”
I turn to the security guard who was keeping him out of the media room.
“Escort him out.”
He nods and reaches for Andy’s arm, but Andy jerks it away, his face scarlet with rage as he scowls at me. “Fuck you, James.”
“You’re not my type.”
With that, I return to the room, and everyone quiets down. Mr. Jefferson gestures to the seat next to him.
Rather than standing at a podium today, we’re seated across a long table because we’re likely to be here for a while, answering questions.
“I’m going to immediately pass this over to Mr. James, so he can make his statement,” Mr. Jefferson says.
I look at Willow and clear my throat. She smiles even as she brushes a tear off her pretty cheek. God, she’s beautiful in her blue summer dress, her hair falling around her shoulders. She’s wearing makeup today, and she’s done something to make her lips glossy.
Aiden’s next to her, listening raptly, and he’s actually holding his aunt’s hand.
That’s probably one of the reasons she’s crying.
“I’ll just dive in,” I say. “I’m announcing my retirement, effective immediately.”
The room erupts with voices. Questions. And so, for the next hour, I talk about why I came to the decision I did, how much I love my team and my teammates. How it’s time for me to move on to the next thing.
When it’s time to go, I stand to leave, but someone calls out, “Ryker!”
I stop and raise an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“No wink? Are you already forgetting how you do this?”
There are chuckles, and I give him a crooked smile before my eyes dart to my girl.
“No need to wink today,” I tell him. “She’s in the room.”
And with that, I walk out and wait for my girl to join me. She launches herself into my arms, and I hold her tight, kissing her for all I’m worth.
“Okay, lover boy,” Mac says, clapping me on the back. “Let her go for two seconds. There’s going to be a party tonight at Sport.”
I pull Aiden in for a hug, pound him on the shoulder, and then turn to Mac. “What time?”
“Seven. There will be food. Beer. The usual.”
“I’ll stay at the condo with Aiden,” Willow says, and I scowl down at her.
“Bullshit. You’re both coming with me.”
“Uh, I’m not taking my kid to a bar, not even for you, Captain.”
Mac snorts.
Aiden rolls his eyes.
I cup the back of her neck and lean in to whisper in her ear. “Call me that again in this building, around my team, and I’ll find an empty room to fuck you in. You and Aiden are coming tonight. They’ll close it down for us, and besides, it’s a restaurant. He’ll be fine. You know I won’t let anything happen to him.”
She licks her lips as I pull away.
“We don’t want to know,” Mac says to Aiden, who just shakes his head.
