“Brent?” One of the girls leaned in closer, her perfume noxious. “You okay, baby?”

“All good.” I forced a grin. My usual smirk that had every girl I could ask for eating out of my hand. That one was still touching me, even. With everything I could want, why the hell did a pang of...whatever that feeling was hit me so hard? “Just thinking about our next baseball game win.”

Ever since I first laid eyes on her, Blondie had been messing with my head. She was different. She didn’t give a shit about appearances, getting what she wanted with no remorse, or anything that would interrupt how optimistic she was. I tried to tell myself that I didn’t care, but it only pissed me off more.

The girls chattered about the baseball game before my phone buzzed in my pocket. While I was happy for a chance to get away from the groupies, I was not happy about the name on the screen, or the amount of time left to answer it before consequences would be doled out.

He had impeccable timing for an old man. I stood up and brushed off the clingiest one. “Gotta run, ladies.”

I felt their eyes all over me while I walked away to answer the phone. “Yes, sir?”

“Your driver is waiting.” Click.

“Yep. Love you too,” I muttered into the abyss he’d never hear me from.

––––––––

“Sit down.”

His office was something out of a 1920’s mafioso playbook. Antique dark furniture. The decor. And, of course, the cigars. The air told me that it wasn’t just another stern talk he was going to dish out to me. A couple of lawyer types stood around, adding to his aesthetic and intimidation factor.

I did as his cold and commanding voice said and plopped my ass in the chair across from him. Whatever was happening, his expression wasn’t good.

“A matter of importance,” he started, seating himself behind his large desk, “is why I brought you here. There is something to be aware of. Something dangerous that could impact everything and your future. I caught wind of...certain situations involving some of the wealthiest families. There is a federal investigation underway and multiple hands in the pot. The news is already leaking, and I expect it to blow up at any minute. When it does, things will get very ugly.”

I glanced around the room, at the men standing around, and eventually landed back onto my grandfather. My eyebrows pinched together in confusion because that was most definitely the vaguest thing he has ever told me. “What does this have to do with me?”