Page 23 of Player CEO (Billionaire Secrets #4)

Theo

After finishing our eighteen holes, I sit on the edge of a soft chair at the Olympic Club with my closest friends, the cool breeze from the Pacific Ocean blowing across the clubhouse patio. It carries the fresh smell of salt and grass just cut. Laughter floats through the air, a small break from the heavy feeling we’ve all been carrying since we confirmed that Justin is gone.

Suddenly, my phone buzzes on the dark wooden table.

Rhys notices and raises an eyebrow, already smirking. “That better not be Mackenzie,” he says. “If she quits or decides to sue us, I’m blaming you.”

Then all of their phones start to buzz.

“It’s not Mackenzie,” I scoff, unlocking my phone. She’s never sent me anything on a weekend except calendar updates on Sunday afternoons. In fairness, that’s because we work together and we’ve mostly been spending the weekends together, but still...

When I look down, though, it is a message from Mackenzie. Something tells me it’s not good news. I scan it quickly. “Crystal emailed Mackenzie, and she forwarded it to all of us,” I tell them.

Austin and Rhys look at each other and grab their phones. Mason doesn’t move, but his shoulders tense.

I read the email. Crystal’s not coming back for the funeral. My stomach feels tight. “She’s hired a private investigator.” I shake my head. “I can’t believe she’s not coming home for the funeral.”

Rhys lets out a curse and scrolls through the message. Austin is reading too, his eyebrows pulled together.

“Could she be innocent?” Austin asks. He sounds unsure but maybe a little hopeful too. “We really don’t have any sense of why someone would want him gone.”

“But why wouldn’t she come home and fight this?” Rhys replies. “If everyone thought you did something you didn’t do?”

Mason pushes back his chair, the legs scraping loudly against the patio. “Excuse me,” he says, getting up without another word.

I watch him leave but don’t try to stop him. We’re all dealing with this in our own way.

“Guys,” I say, tapping my fingers on the table. “We want to believe she’s innocent, right? But this…” I stop, shaking my head. “This doesn’t feel right.”

“Maybe a private investigator can find something that points to her innocence?” Rhys muses. “But why doesn’t she trust Clear Security to do that?”

“It doesn’t make sense,” I say. “If Crystal really cared, why didn’t she get on the first plane back when she heard Justin had been found?”

No one says anything. Everything makes Crystal seem so obviously behind this that you have to wonder if she’s being set up. And the police aren’t telling us anything.

A few minutes later, Mason returns to the table, the wind brushing his hair. His face is serious. “Jim’s been in contact with Crystal,” he says as he sits down.

Around the table, we all let out a breath. I feel a little better but only a little.

“Can he convince her to come back?” Rhys asks.

“He doesn’t think so,” Mason says. “As you can see from that email, she’s decided the world is against her.”

“She makes it so easy to question her motives.” Austin picks up his empty glass and motions to the server.

“I really thought she’d be here for the funeral,” I say, shaking my head. The private funeral is set for Wednesday. Invite only, but it’s going to be packed—clients, investors, family, and friends. Everyone’s flying in. Except Crystal.

Austin rubs his forehead. “That’s going to be a tough day.”

I nod, already thinking of all the security and planning we’ll need to arrange. But no one seems too eager to dive into that now.

Instead, Rhys raises an eyebrow and leans in. “So…what’s going on with you and Mackenzie?” he asks. “You looked pretty close when we ran into you at the beach, and you seem to be spending a lot of time outside of the office together.”

I laugh and shake my head. “She’s living at my place right now with her little brother, for security. But yeah, we’re spending some time together. I took her by her place yesterday when we saw you so she could grab a few things.”

“You three looked like a family,” Rhys says. “Is that what you’re going for?”

I roll my eyes. “We let her little brother run wild for a while. That kid has more energy than the stock market on IPO day. If we could bottle it, we’d have our next big business.”

“Energy drinks are old news,” Mason jokes.

“Exactly,” I say with a grin. “Don’t tell me a never-ending energy source wouldn’t make us rich all over again.”

“Let’s hope that kind of energy runs in the family,” Rhys says, grinning. “Mackenzie’s going to need it these next few months as the company reorganizes.”

We chat a little longer, but soon the last sip of whiskey is warming our throats. No one says it, but we all know it’s time to go. The sun is setting, painting long shadows across the patio.

“Big game tomorrow—Prospectors versus Dodgers,” Mason says, stretching and grabbing his jacket. “You’re all coming over to watch, right?”

I nod. A get together—something fun, something normal—seems almost frivolous, but it’s an important break from all the stress and sadness.

“Bring Mackenzie and Levi too,” Mason adds.

“I’ll try,” I tell him. “Her dad’s living at the Four Seasons for the next few months, and they may have plans.”

“Doesn’t he work in LA?” Rhys asks.

I nod. “He runs a movie studio but is going to commute by plane.”

Austin shrugs. “If you can afford it, I guess that works. That’s great that he’ll be more present in his kids’ lives.”

I nod. I’ve thought a lot lately about Levi and what he needs, but it’s very possible that Mackenzie could use some added support from her dad too.

Eventually, the guys and I go our separate ways. I walk across the parking lot to where Phillip is already waiting with the car door open.

I slide into the seat, and the soft hum of the engine fills the quiet as we pull onto the road. The City moves past the window in neon signs and headlights smearing across the dark. Following a feeling I can’t ignore, I call Mackenzie.

She picks up after two rings. “Hey,” she says.

“Hey, thanks for forwarding that email from Crystal,” I say, skipping the small talk.

“No problem. I thought you guys should see it,” she says, sounding tired.

“None of us gets why Crystal didn’t come back right away when she heard about Justin.”

“I know,” she agrees. “It seems strange to me too. But now that I’ve been thinking about it, I kind of understand,” she says. “Honestly? I’m surprised at myself, but I don’t really want to go either. It just brings back memories of my mom’s funeral.”

I nod and try to think of something helpful to say, something real. But I can’t. I’m just lost in how strange and hard grief can be. We all deal with it differently.

“I’m sorry,” I finally tell her.

“Thanks,” she replies.

As Phillip drives through the traffic, we fall silent, and I think back over the day—cheering for Levi at his soccer game, relaxing with the guys on the golf course, and now this. Everything is a rollercoaster these days.

“Levi’s going out with Dad tonight,” Mackenzie says, pulling me out of my thoughts. “I figured I’d do some self-care. A moisturizing facial, maybe a pedicure.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” I say. But I’m already thinking of something else. “What if you waited on that self-care for a few hours?”

“I don’t know…”

“Come to dinner with me,” I suggest. “I know a great place—super chill, no pressure. We can go on a real date.”

There’s a pause. I imagine her chewing on her lip, thinking it over.

“Come on,” I say, leaning back in my seat. “We both need a good meal after this news. Trust me, we’ll have a great time.”

She sighs, but it’s soft, almost like she’s smiling. “Okay. I guess dinner sounds nice.”

“Perfect.” A smile spreads across my face. “I’m almost to my condo. I’ll grab a quick shower, then come pick you up in your room. Sound good?”

“All right. See you soon.” Her voice is lighter now, and I can hear the smile in it.

“Great. It’s a date.” I end the call just as Phillip pulls up to my place.

I head inside, already taking off my jacket. I text a friend who owns a restaurant and beg for a table.

In just a few minutes, he replies that he can make it work, but I’ll owe him. I will, and I’m good for it, I assure him.

Dinner with Mackenzie. It’s just dinner—simple, easy, and our first official date. But it’s also a step forward, and maybe the start of something we didn’t expect. But I think it’s something we both might need.