Fuck.
I shove all of that out of my mind and switch into work mode. Isaac’s name is at the top of my call log, so I press his name and wait for him to answer.
My stomach tightens, and I realize that I haven’t felt this way since we got here. Frustrated. Angry. Stressed the fuck out.
“Hey,” Isaac says. “Thanks for calling me back.”
“Sorry it took so long.”
“Yeah, no problem. So, there have been some developments, and I need you back in Vegas on Saturday.”
I swallow over a lump in my throat. “Developments? Pertaining to what, exactly?”
“You were right, and Drew Van is filling Duckworth’s seat on the commission. They made a formal announcement this afternoon.”
“Fuck.” I growl, catching myself before I get too loud. “Now what?”
“Nick is flying here on Friday to go over a few things he found pertaining to Drew. You really picked a great enemy, Brooks. That man is a menace to society.”
I step out onto the balcony and close the door behind me. “What do you mean?”
“Drew was behind the bribe that was sent to you before the Hicks fight. Nick’s trying to get his ducks in a row. We haven’t been able to tie him to the PEDs violation, but that could’ve been a coincidence.”
Holy shit.
My head spins with the realization that my suspicions weren’t conspiracy theories. I wasn’t jumping to conclusions. He was behind my attempted downfall.
“Wow. Okay,” I say, glancing over my shoulder to ensure Audrey doesn’t hear any of this. “What about my shoulder? Was he behind that, too?”
“Don’t know yet. I mean, at this point, I’d venture to say yes. But I can’t prove it and, if we can’t prove it, we can’t use it.”
I rub my forehead, trying to do mental gymnastics to sort all of this. This will kill Audrey. Even though she’s frustrated with her brother, I don’t think she knows he’s capable of so much wickedness. And, if this is true, it’ll cause a huge media storm, at least in the fighting community. It’ll get ugly, fast.
But what will this do to me?
“We’re getting everything together, like I said,” Isaac says. “Can you be back here on Saturday? We don’t know for sure, but I have a friend who has a golf buddy on the commission, and he says they’re shoving your case to the front of their agenda.” He pauses. “They could decide as early as Monday.”
“You’re kidding? You know it’s Van. He’s pissed at me.” For knowing his sister. He’d be a lot more than that if he knew I’d had every inch of her on my tongue for the last few days. “He’s going to try to push the hearing and get me permanently suspended. I know it.”
“We’re going to try our best not to let that happen. I’ll have Brenda send you a ticket back. Any time work best for you?”
“Nope. I’ll watch for the email confirmation.”
“Great. Talk to you Friday.”
“See ya.”
I end the call, letting my hand hang with the phone.
What the fuck do I do now? The bastard ruined my career … and smugly thinks he can get away with it.
Audrey
“I don’t know what we’re doing now,” I say, answering Gianna’s question while I sit on the bedroom floor and fold up my clothes and put them back in my bag. I did a quick load of laundry this morning, so I won’t have so much to do before I leave town for the weekend. “We’re heading back to Sugar Creek tomorrow, and then I’ll fly to Boston on Saturday morning. So, I guess …”It’s over.
Hearing the words echo in my brain makes me bristle in discomfort.
I’ve shared three straight days with Brooks Dempsey, and every day I’ve found myself growing closer to him. He’s not just nice to look at. He’s funny, sharp, and intelligent. He makes me feel deliriously good about myself. We can order cheap pizza or go to a nice restaurant, and it’s all the same.
