Page 110 of Hard to Score

He throws his head back and laughs. “You couldn’t give me more than that?”

“Nope,” I tease, but then my expression falls as realization hits me. I’ve dealt with men my whole career, and I’m proud to say that’s the first time anything like that has ever happened. I’d like to keep it that way. “Well, I always thought he was a harmless prick but now I know he’s an entitled asshole too.”

“That he is.” He purses his lips and nods. “You want to tell me what that was all about?”

“Your client was trying to pit us against each other to get a trade to LA.”

“And you took the bait?” he asks.

“Of course I did. If there’s a chance that I can steal someone from you and add one more pea between that stack of mattresses you sleep on in your tower, of course I’ll take it.”

“Fucking unbelievable.” But he chuckles.

I shrug unapologetically. “But I told him from the get-go that it was a long shot. That he needed to talk to his agent, because there was really nothing I could do.”

“And what exactly did you do?”

“I dropped some hints to the Chargers GM. I let them know Hobbs was interested in playing there, but there wasn’t much else I could do. Do you see that?” I ask as I hold my hand out to him.

“What’s that?”

“I’m passing the baton to you. He’s your client. After that little show, his allure has faded for me.”

“No shit.”

“I lied,” I say with a sigh.

“Uh-oh.”

“I do feel a little bad trying to steal him from you. I mean you did just kind of save me.”

“Nah. You Kincades don’t ever need saving. I saw that your knee was primed, ready to connect with his dick. You would have done just fine.”

I chuckle and look over at him. “Thanks, Finn.”

He nods. “If it’s any consolation, I was coming to tell him that the Las Vegas Raiders are interested in him. It’s not California, but it’s the next state over.”

I lift my eyebrows in surprise, upset the self-righteous prick will be getting what he wanted—a trade toward the West Coast—but I’m glad it’s not California.

I’ll take the victory no matter how small it is.

“The Raiders? That’s a good fit for him.”

“It is.”

I stare at Finn for a beat and shake my head. He’s not supposed to be the good guy. He’s the one I want to hate. My little sister’s ex-boyfriend who hurt her and a rival agent I like to think of as our enemy.

He’s not supposed to be a guy I’m smiling at right now and thankful that he’s here.

“Hey? When you negotiate Hobbs’s terms with the Raiders, do you think you could give him a pay cut in the process? I’m thinking he doesn’t deserve to be rewarded for being an asshole and trying to screw you over by going to a rival agent.”

Finn gives me a half-cocked grin. “You mean you?”

“You win some. You lose some. And this time I’m glad I’m losing to you. He’s all your problem.”

He laughs with me. “I’ll do my best on the pay cut part. No guarantees though. If it’s any consolation, I’ll draw negotiations out as long as possible to make him sweat.”

With my bag on my shoulder, I stop in front of him. “You know what? You’re not so bad, after all.”