I shook my head as Carson slipped an arm around my waist. “No, no, it’s fine. I would just turn right around and have to tell him, so it’s better for you to explain it straight away.”
Carson tugged me closer. “We’re together now, Dad.”
A big smile crossed his face. “That’s good to hear. Your mother will be thrilled.”
My face beamed at their approval—another first.
“Okay, boys, let me spell it out so you can get back to your Sunday.”
If he only knew the things I was about to do to his son.
“Yes, sir,” I said, wiping the thoughts away. “I’m ready.”
George nodded, then threw a monkey wrench into everything I knew about my previous life.
“So, as I went through your contract with the Storm, which is perfectly fine, I double-checked your contract with the league in Australia. Since you gave me access to your financials, I did some checking since your agent handles those things. And I found some discrepancies that caused some red flags.”
My brows knitted together as my heartbeat picked up. “What kind of red flags?”
“It appears the amount you paid was exponentially more than the fine imposed by the league. I checked the website since those records are public. When I compared it to what came out of your account, it didn’t add up properly.”
I swallowed as Carson tightened his hold. “How much more?”
George looked at the paper, then back up at me. “Twenty thousand.”
“Twenty thousand over the last six years?”
He shook his head. “No son. Twenty thousand for this fine. League records show the fine imposed was five thousand. I’m going to dig into the other ones and contact a forensic accountant. Unless you want me to leave it alone.”
Anger and embarrassment surged through me at the thought of how stupid I’d been to trust him. I couldn’t look George in the face, so I dropped my gaze to the countertop.
“Colin,” he called soothingly. I lifted my eyes to look at him. “You are not the first athlete that this has happened to, and unfortunately, he’s not an attorney. So having him disbarred isn’t a remedy.”
I balled my hands into fists. “Killing him with my bare hands would work just fine,” I gritted out.
George smiled. “It would be difficult to be with Carson from prison. We’ll let the courts take care of it.”
My anger was palpable. I could hear the blood rushing in my ears as my heart beat uncontrollably.
“What can we do, Dad?”
“Give me some time. I’ll need a proxy for me to act on your behalf. We’ll get this straightened out. We don’t know what he’s done with the money, but unfortunately, it’s not usually good.”
I needed to calm down.
“I’ll sign whatever you need to conduct a full investigation. Let me know how much I owe you.” My heart dropped to my feet. “Wait. Do I still have money?”
George nodded. “You do. But probably not the amount you should. It’s going to take me some time, but when I get to London, I’ll have my friend in Australia help. Just sit tight, and do not contact him under any circumstances. If you can freeze your accounts, so no money goes in or out, that would be best. You should be able to do that online. If you need some, I know a guy who can help you out.”
He glanced at Carson, then continued. “We want to catch him red-handed, Colin. Don’t worry. Just play it cool.”
Nodding, I waved as George said goodbye, and Carson ended the call.
He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. “It’s going to be okay.”
I wasn’t so sure.
Chapter 19
