4.
Jewel is going to become a television personality who is known for her sarcastic wit and scathing critiques, kind of like Joan Rivers with a Texas twang.
Autumn Dumont
ZIGGY
When someone tapped on my door, I glanced at the clock. My next appointment wasn’t due for more than an hour. A surprise visitor didn’t shock me, though, since I still worked in the same building I’d occupied for years.
When Relio took over my position with the family, he inherited my old office. Since I still handled the business side of things, I kept an office on another floor, close enough to feel like part of the action, but far enough away to relieve the stress of the life I used to lead.
The clock showed my assistant was at lunch, so I stood up and walked around my desk to see who’d managed to get past the security I still kept with me at all times. I stopped short when I saw an old friend grinning at me from the doorway.
“Dal! What the hell brings you here?” I asked as I embraced my high school friend and teammate. “I haven’t seen you in ages!”
“It sounds cheesy, but I was in the neighborhood,” Dal admitted as I stepped aside and motioned him in. “I had a lunch meeting with the owner downstairs, and it went so horribly that I decided to come up here and see if you have something to drink.”
“You want a drink?” I asked in disbelief. “How bad was the meeting?”
“Bad enough for me to come beg you to pool your resources with your brothers and buy majority ownership before our current owner runs the franchise into the ground with his illegal bullshit.”
I’d known the owner of the Brooklyn Bangers almost as long as I’d known Dal, but it had never been a pleasant friendship. We weren’t mortal enemies, but we weren’t close either, simply because he was the same hotheaded asshole he’d been when we played rugby together back in high school.
“What sort of illegal bullshit is William into?” I asked, stunned, as I sat behind my desk.
“Apparently, his mistress met with an undercover cop to put a hit out on his wife. Now the cops are all over him.”
“Holy shit! Did he know about it, or did he put her up to it?”
“That’s what the feds are trying to figure out. His bad decisions have almost bankrupted the team already, so he’s going to need a quick influx of cash to keep himself out of trouble.”
I leaned back in my chair and studied my old friend for a few long seconds. “Does he want to sell, or do you want me to strong-arm him into it?”
“Both?” Dal asked with an uncomfortable laugh. “Hell, I don’t know what he’s up to. He’s got investors coming in from Texas, of all places, and he let it slip that he fully intends to cook the books. He wants to make this seem like a profitable endeavor so they’ll buy in.”
“Why would someone from Texas buy into a New York City team instead of bringing in one of their own?”
“He’s going to take them to the cleaners, pocket the cash, and then drag out the relocation process until the feds shut us down.”
“Probably for a RICO violation or some related bullshit,” I muttered.
For some reason, the idea of owning a team, especially one managed and coached by my old friend, sounded like an endeavor that could fill the empty spot in my heart left after I stepped away from the family business.
My brothers hadn’t shut me out completely, but I knew from the start there would be things they couldn’t share with me once the transition happened, even though I’d stay loyal to them until my last breath.
And since we all owned a portion of stock in the Brooklyn Bangers, the idea took root fast. I grinned at my friend as my brain worked overtime to calculate what it would take to make this happen.
Generally, I took time to plan and prepare for anything new, overthinking and worrying about every change. But for some reason, I didn’t feel the need to do that here. I felt the urge to jump in headfirst and let the cards fall where they may.
First, I needed to do a little research, if only to have solid numbers to present to my brothers when I asked for their backing.
“How much stock do you own in the team, Dal?” I asked as I stood and walked around the desk. Before he could answer, I added, “Do you think William is still downstairs?”
“When I signed up, I got ten percent. And William’s probably still down there. He was flirting with the server and asked her to move his tab to the bar.”
“Let’s talk while we walk,” I said, opening my office door and stepping into the foyer. My new guard stood with a concerned look, and I nodded at him before walking toward my assistant’s desk to leave her a note.
She walked in just as I picked up a pen. I stepped out of her way so she could sit. “I’ll be downstairs for a little while, so reschedule my meeting with the accountant. Check my brothers’ schedules and see if they have time to meet with me before they go home for the day.”
“Yes, Mr. Romano,” she said eagerly.
In the few months since this shift, I’d already gone through three assistants.
Apparently, my abrasive nature was off-putting, and the first two didn’t last long.
The third, blinded by dollar signs, ignored my attitude while trying everything in her power to get me into bed, likely aiming to become the next Mrs. Romano.
When she realized that was never going to happen, my demeanor suddenly became too much to bear, and she bolted just like the others.
When the position opened again, I admitted defeat and asked the women in my family to conduct the interviews. It took some time, but they found a young woman who was eager to please, yet resilient enough not to cower when I spoke to her.
It was refreshing, and I appreciated her efforts to make my life easier. I had even worked on my attitude in the hopes of keeping this one around.
“Text and let me know what they say, please. If we can’t meet this afternoon, let them know I’ll be available in the morning.”
“You have an appointment in the morning that will last through lunch,” she reminded me. “I’ll arrange a meeting tomorrow afternoon if they’re not available today.”
“Thank you for the reminder. Once you’re finished with those tasks, take the rest of the day off.”
“Thank you,” she said with a genuine smile.
I turned to Dal. “Do you want to come with me to speak to William or keep your interest under the radar?”
“I’m all in!” Dal pushed the elevator button, grinning. “I haven’t seen you in action in way too long, my friend. The thought of you going toe-to-toe with him again makes me downright giddy.”
“Giddy?”
“I’ve never felt like this before, so I think that might be it.”
“It could be indigestion.”
“No, I’ve had that since William got controlling interest in the team. This is different.”
“I might not be able to make anything come of this, and I’ll need to talk to my brothers and see if they’re in, but . . .”
Dal’s laugh cut me off. “I played with you long enough to know that when you get that look in your eyes, whatever you're focused on is going to happen no matter what obstacles pop up.”
I had to admit that he was right. When I was younger, no competitor could make me doubt myself; my own self-doubt always did me in. But I wasn’t feeling that now.
Instead, my competitive spirit kicked in. I knew this was where I was meant to go, and since it was completely unknown, I’d be forging my own path. I welcomed the challenge. Something bubbled in my chest, and I couldn’t help but smile.
I knew the feeling wasn’t indigestion. For the first time in a very long time ,it was hope.
During the ride downstairs, I grilled Dal for information on what William had been up to and asked about any rumors he’d heard regarding William’s business dealings beyond the shady shit he’d already told me about.
By the time we joined William at the bar, I had a plan in mind. Less than an hour later, I was the majority stockholder in a failing rugby team.
◆◆◆
“Your first venture into legit business was a hostile takeover?” Relio asked, confused. “Isn’t that a little . . .”
“It’s right up our alley,” Rico interrupted with a bark of laughter. “What the fuck are we going to do with a rugby team, Zig?”
“Take advantage of box seats at all the home games?” I asked dryly.
“We’ve got at least six teams here,” Relio pointed out in exasperation. “Aren’t all the games at home?”
“I’ve done some research and looked into the different league openings.”
“And?” Rico asked.
“Since Matteo’s wedding, we’ve been toying with the idea of buying property in Rojo, and I think this might be the perfect catalyst to get the ball rolling.”
Relio shouted with laughter. “You want to buy a rugby team and move it to Texas? Are you mental?”
“Do they even play rugby in Texas?” Rico asked at the same time. He paused, then grinned. “Although, if you could recruit even a portion of the young men we met at that wedding, every game would sell out the second tickets went on sale. Every play would be a complete bloodbath!”
“Hell, they’ve got enough family in that town to guarantee season ticket sales,” Relio agreed with a chuckle. “Holy shit. Zig might actually be onto something.”
“I know I am. In fact, I’m already invested.”
“What do you mean?” Rico asked.
“I paid William a little visit today. I reminded him that he already owes the family, and right now would be a horrible time for us to collect that debt.”
My twin’s smile turned sad. “It looks like you’ve already made your decision.”
“I want to be part of this almost as badly as I wanted out of the family business,” I admitted.
“If that’s the case, then let’s make it happen.”
◆◆◆
JEWEL
“I hope this meeting doesn’t take long, because I’ve got plans this evening that I don’t want to reschedule.”
“You’ve got plans?” I asked, shocked.
“I do things.”
Spruce looked at Terran in confusion. “Like what?”
“If I wanted you to join me in my outside endeavors, I would have invited you.”
“You’re not really spending time outside, are you?”
“I’m not a vampire, Jewel,” Terran said petulantly.
“If there were vampires living in Rojo, you’d be their leader,” Spruce announced.