Page 52 of Mad Rivals (The Bradley Legacy #1)

Golfing

I remember Kennedy saying how taxing it is to go back and forth between two cities, and now I’m experiencing the same thing.

I’m back in San Diego after leveraging what I know against my father, and it feels like I’m battling between those two sides of my personality again.

I had to get back here. With training camp starting next week, this is the last week where I’m free for a while. That means workouts, meetings, endorsements, and sponsorships.

Take today, for example. I’m in my jersey, standing to the side while Clay films his part in the local anti-bullying spot we agreed to.

“Respect the game.” That’s my line.

“Respect the team.” That’s Clay’s line.

There are other local celebrities, too, and the final one ends with, “Respect each other.”

It’s a great message for kids, especially in today’s atmosphere. I’m really trying to be present in the moment, but I’m waiting on that call from Paul letting me know it’s done.

I haven’t gotten it yet.

I have a feeling they’ll wait until the very last possible second, and then I’ll be scrambling to get everything done, get back to San Diego, execute the next part of my plan, and be ready in time for training camp .

It’s cutting it down to the wire, and I’m waiting on other calls, too. I’m distracted.

As shown by the fact that I need to say my line twelve times before the crew is happy with it.

I’m all over the place. A hot mess, as my youngest sister might call me. But I’m doing all this for a reason. I have a bigger purpose in mind.

Tonight Clay and I have an appearance at a bar, and tomorrow I’m running a 5K for charity.

There’s little time to accomplish my other tasks, in particular any tasks related to Bradley Group, which is why I’ve started moving people around and getting people into place.

The company won’t be mine until the ink is on the paperwork, but we’re close enough, and I have enough authority where I sit now to start shifting things around—like, for example, bringing a few employees from Chicago out to San Diego to start training them on how things work out here.

I’m putting a lot of trust in John to run this office, and I’m not sure whether that’ll be for one year, five, or more.

I head back to Chicago on Saturday in anticipation of what to expect on Sunday, and sure enough, it’s around noon on Sunday when I get the call from Paul.

“The company is yours when you’re ready to sign the paperwork.”

It took the full five days for them to extract whatever traces my father had left of illegal activity in the company, and maybe I’ll never fully trust that it’s all gone…

which is why one of my first orders of business is to have a separate law company go over everything to ensure we’re squeaky clean.

And once the ink is dry, I’m the official president and CEO of Bradley Group.

I need to get back to San Diego. Stat.

Training camp starts tomorrow, and I can’t miss a second of that. I have things to do to prepare for it, too. Life is kind of crazy right now…yet nothing eclipses the priority of the current task at hand.

I push the button of the doorbell as nerves crawl up my spine.

I’ve faced three-hundred-pound linebackers who I was less nervous to go up against.

The fact that I’m the CEO now won’t be announced for a while, but I don’t care. I just needed the credentials to get started on executing the next part of my plan.

The door opens, and a woman with a face that looks too smooth for her age stares at me.

I see traces of Kennedy in her. She looks like she may be trying to pinch her brows, but the Botox is preventing the movement.

Hell, she looks like she’d be best friends with my own mother if there wasn’t a huge feud between our families. “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Mr. Van Buren. I’m Madden Bradley of Bradley Group.”

“He’s golfing.” She purses her lips. “We don’t do business with the Bradley Group any longer. Have a nice day.” She moves to shut the door, but I refuse to be deterred.

“Ma’am, if I could just have a moment of your time—”

“I’m sorry.”

Just before the door clicks shut, I yell out, “I’m in love with your daughter.”

The door doesn’t close quite all the way, and after a few seconds that feel like the longest in history, it inches open just a bit.

“What did you just say?” she asks.

“I’m in love with your daughter. Kennedy.

We met and started working together on a project, and I know Walter told her that she needs to stay away from me, but the connection was too strong.

And now it’s been four weeks that we’ve been apart, but I have a plan, and I need to talk with you and your husband because I will stop at nothing to win her back. ”

“Win her back?” Her hand flies to her chest. “I’m sure if you’re apart, there’s a good reason. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She moves to shut the door, but I set my hand on it before she can close it.

“We’re apart because I was trying to protect her. But I fixed the issue, and now the best way I know how to protect her is to keep her close.”

“Protect her from what?” she asks. “Is she in trouble?”

“No. I was protecting her from the investigations my father may be facing.”

“Oh.” She purses her lips again. “Why is he being investigated, and how was my daughter involved?”

“I assume you know about his casino,” I say carefully, and she purses her lips.

“Well, I didn’t know about them. Kennedy was with me when I discovered them.

I kept her at a distance to protect her, did what I had to do, and this morning, Bradley Group was signed over to me.

And now I’m here with an opportunity I’d like to discuss. ”

“An opportunity?” she asks.

“Ruth, who was at the door?” Walter asks as he walks into the foyer behind his wife.

I glance at Kennedy’s mother. “Golfing?”

She has the grace to look a little sheepish at the lie.

“Madden Bradley,” Walter says.

“Mr. Van Buren,” I say. I stick out a hand to shake his. I’m still standing in the doorway.

“What are you doing here?”

“He says he’s in love with Kennedy, and he’s the new CEO of Bradley Group,” Ruth says, basically summarizing our interaction so far.

“What?” Walter asks.

I lift a shoulder. “It’s complicated. But my father has erased all traces of illegal activity from Bradley Group, and this morning, I became the new president. And I’m here today to talk about a merger.”

“A merger?” Walter repeats. “ Absolutely not.”

“Sir, let me begin by saying that your daughter and I have been secretly seeing each other for months. I’m going to ask her to marry me, and I’d love to do that with your blessing, but I’m going to do it either way.

We’re a great team, and we’ve found that we really actually enjoy working together.

What was something we both thought we never wanted has become something I want more than anything if it means I get to do it with her, and I know she feels the same way.

She never wanted VBC until she got to compete against me.

But imagine how great it could be if we were working together instead of against each other.

And once we’re married, I plan to merge VBC with Bradley Group to create a new super development company that we can run as co-CEOs.

I know it’s a lot to ask, especially given how little you trust my father, but my season is starting tomorrow and I have nothing to lose by coming here to present this idea to you to get the ball rolling while I get my ass back to San Diego for camp. ”

Both Walter and Ruth stare at me like I’ve lost my mind, and maybe I have.

But honestly, I just think that’s what love does to you.

Walter raises his brows. “I can’t agree to any of it, son. I’m sorry. Your father betrayed me one too many times, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“Then you put whatever conditions you want on the merger. You may not trust me, but I trust Kennedy.” I shrug. It’s as simple as that to me.

I realize it’s much more complicated than all that. I realize there’s a long road we need to travel down and a merger won’t happen overnight. There’s a lot to be considered between negotiations, legal considerations and reviews, and integrating the two companies.

But all of that could happen over the next year or so while I’m playing football. I have people in place to help me with the things I can’t be present for, and I’m putting a lot of trust in them to help me the way they’ve said they will .

“Look, I had to throw the idea out to you before I presented it to her, but ultimately, you’re signing the company over to her, and it’s going to be her decision. Maybe you just sign it over now and we can move forward with our future,” I suggest.

“You’re a cocky son of a bitch, aren’t you?” Walter asks me.

“No, not cocky. I’m confident, sir.” I press my lips into a grim smile. Whatever happens, I’ll still have that confidence.

And that isn’t something my dad just bought for me the way he claims he bought everything in my life.

I know we’re at an impasse, but I also know that ultimately this isn’t his decision.

It’s Kennedy’s.

And I’m going to present this idea to her next…and let her decide what our future together is going to look like.