Page 22 of The Sweet Spot
Brandon arched a brow. “He’d do it to you in a heartbeat.”
“Maybe, but that’s not me.”
Brandon set down his bar and folded his hands. A devious smile that looked so amazing formed on his lips.
“But that’s me, so tell you what, leave being cutthroat to me.”
I was hit with a giddy excitement that scared me. Never had I wished harm on someone, not even Daniel, but the way Brandon smiled and how it felt made me want to go all out. “Okay, but what does that mean?”
“I’ll work with you on this, along with my aunt. You will getthe final say on all decisions, and I promise not to be overbearing, but the three of us are going to set Daniel straight. And if I have my way, he’ll be out of your life forever.”
All the giddiness bubbled up to the surface, and I let out a muted squeal. Why was I so excited about potentially ruining Daniel? And why did I want to jump across the island and never stop kissing Brandon? I quickly wiped the delicious image from my thoughts.
“All right. I’m in. Let’s set Daniel straight.”
Chapter Thirteen
Brandon
Iwanted Wolseley to be ruthless. The woman was just too damn nice for her own good, and I could see how it got her in trouble. It took some persuading—and not the dad kind—and that meant I needed to call in Aunt Donna. Donna had been my cool aunt, the youngest in my dad’s family, and the one who had been the most successful. Despite the competition in the family among the Warde kids, she’d risen above it all and managed to thumb her nose at her three older siblings at the same time. She’d gone off to New York to law school, kicked ass along the way, now partner at one of the biggest firms on Long Island, and all the while brushing off the toxic environment she’d grown up in. And that alone pissed off Dad. He only spoke to her when he needed her.
I had a great relationship with Donna because, in many ways we were similar. Both driven, sarcastic, and looked out for family even when they didn’t look out for us. Donna had found me my agent; she’d looked over my contracts as an extra set of eyes; she’d been the one I’d turned to when I needed an outlet.I could rely on Donna for her honesty and not what she thought I wanted to hear.
We talked and texted often. More text than talk because we were both busy, but the Wolseley situation warranted a phone call. I left her a message to call me when she had some free time, and she did just as the team had checked in to our hotel in Calgary. I had time before I headed out to lunch, so the timing was perfect. I’d picked the place for lunch with a few of the guys that actually included Ethan, Ryan, and Jeremy. I chose it because Wolseley had already arranged for my meal there, and when I told a few of the guys about it, our reservation ballooned to nearly ten. And we were all going to have the same thing, which I hoped made it easier on the restaurant.
I settled into the room with my team and bunkmate, Landon Montgomery. The kid was a rookie, hence why he was bunking with me. His name sounded like royalty, but the kid was from a small farming town in Michigan, and by the sound of it, had an asshole father like me. He wore a bit of a chip that I was determined to rid him of. The sooner that happened, the longer his career would be.
“Kiddo, what’s up?” Donna asked as I set down my bag and got out of my suit jacket. The weather in Calgary was nice enough, but not for shorts and a T-shirt, so I opted for jeans and a light sweater. Landon disappeared into the bathroom for a really long time. If he wasn’t taking a shit in there, he’d be answering to me. I’d seen enough guys addicted to shit, and Landon wasn’t going to do that under my watch.
“I need a favor. Maybe a huge one.”
“Sounds ominous. Shoot.”
“It’s a long story, so I’ll keep it as brief as possible. I mentioned my personal chef?”
“Right. The one whose food is fucking amazing? And if yousend me one more picture of her incredible dishes, I’m going to disown your ass. Stop showing off.”
“That’s the one, and I’ll never stop sending you pics. But that’s not why I’m calling. She’s found herself in some trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
I gave Donna the details, and knowing her, she was scribbling down everything. I finished by telling her that any help would be greatly appreciated.
“I know a great lawyer in St. Paul. I will connect with her today. She’ll take this on. She loves dealing with little shits, like this Daniel. I’ll assist in any way I can.”
“That’s great. Can you do me another favor? Get your lawyer friend to tell her it’s pro bono and send the bills to me.”
Donna was silent for a long second. Far too long for my liking.
“I can do that, but …” She trailed off, and I waited for her to continue, but she didn’t.
“But?”
“Is she more than your personal chef, because that sounds very generous of you?”
The statement caught me off guard. “No. She’s a sweet girl who got mixed up with a loser who will screw her over if she doesn’t stand up to him. She’s had a rough time, and the last thing I want is for her to worry about a huge legal bill. She’s already lost her restaurant and reputation. She also can’t afford any massive legal fees.”
“I see,” Donna said, sounding unconvinced. “Well, you put me in touch with her, and I’ll connect her with Jan in St. Paul. Let’s keep each other updated.”