Page 17

Chapter

Seventeen

LOTTO

I dropped the remote as soon as the words brEAKING NEWS flashed across the screen.

I knew it was coming. Everyone fucking did. But I didn’t expect it this fucking quickly.

Nathaniel Fritz’s mugshot popped up on screen. Beneath it, ARRESTED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT were in big, bold, red letters.

The announcer cleared his throat.

“Nathaniel Fritz has officially been booked for embezzlement and money laundering. Prosecutors allege that he used his parent company, Point Seasons, to funnel money into overseas accounts for licenses from foreign governments to expand on foreign soil. The FBI is looking into all companies owned by Four Seasons and the Fritz family ? —”

The rest went in one ear and out the other.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and set it on the coffee table. It was a countdown ’til the message came from Lucien. Texts came in rapid succession. One minute passed. Two. Then three. Just when the clock struck 7:54PM, ‘Douchebag Sponsor’ lit up my screen.

I answered and put him on speaker as I went to make myself a much-needed drink.

“Hello, Lucien.”

“Did you see the news?”

“Yes.”

“Then we both know why I’m calling.”

“Sure do.” I rummaged around for my most expensive whiskey. “Get on with it.”

“With the feds breathing down my neck, every penny of One, Two, Hook is going to be looked at.”

“If your money’s clean, I’m not sure why that matters.”

The stretched pause on the other end told me everything. “The Circuit funds are clean.”

I snorted and poured a glass. “Good to know.”

“But you’ll have to understand. Right now, we need to turn our attention to more important things.”

“Like keep your ass out of prison. Right.”

Lucien huffed. “I won’t be going to prison.”

“I’ll keep an eye on the news.” I finished the whiskey in two gulps, and it burned as it went down. I set the glass on the sink.. “You couldn’t have stepped out weeks ago when this first came out? You’ve been a pain in our ass this entire time and for what?”

“You should be thankful you even got this far. Enjoy the bottom of the leaderboard.”

Before I could retort, the line went dead.

I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry. Maybe both. Maybe drink. What leaderboard? Without a sponsor, we would be getting nowhere. I had spoken with the Circuit just last week. Three alternate sponsors remained, but the more Ari and I looked into it, the more something didn’t seem right. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was just yet. I needed more time—time Nathaniel’s arrest didn’t fucking give me. I was going to have to talk to the others and build a plan. Something better than the “wait and see” bullshit we’d been pedaling so far.

I shot a text to our Smiley’s group chat for an emergency meeting. Before I put my phone away, it vibrated with another notification.

The text on my screen made my blood run cold.

Troy Godwin: I hope you’re having a good night because I certainly am. Are you ready to get on your knees and beg yet?

I gripped my phone so hard I thought it might break.

I already knew Troy was fucking with us and keeping good people off our team. I had an inkling he was behind the Fritz’s sudden law troubles. His text all but confirmed that. That bastard was everywhere. Like a shadow. Or more fitting, like herpes that kept popping up at the worst times. I didn’t respond. There were more important matters than assuaging Troy’s big-ass ego.

Everyone except for Pinstripe was already standing in the gym when I pulled up. The second the door closed behind me, Ari rushed forward to lock it.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

I looked around the group. With the way they all stared at me, they already knew, but I dealt the KO blow.

“Lucien’s out. We’re down our sponsor. His dad’s booked for embezzlement and money laundering.”

“Fuck,” Bones breathed. He ran his hand down his face before scratching at the back of his damp hair. He had been spending long nights at Smiley’s trying to rehab his hand and get back in the Circuit. His emotional state was fragile but steadily improving the more he got to use his hand. This was just another blow to his recovery.

“Is our money dirty? Are we as fucked as him?” River looked extraordinarily pissed and equally as fine. Instead of his normal casual style, he was wearing a crisp suit, his long black hair tied back into a styled bun.

“Lucien said no. All our funds were clean.” I ran my eyes down his body. “Did his bullshit interrupt something, River?”

River waved me off. “Forget it.”

“What about the other sponsors?” Teo asked. “There’s three, right?”

“Yeah, but…” Ari chewed on the side of her mouth. “They aren’t the best.”

“I mean, anything’s better than dropping out of the Circuit, yeah?”

“What’s wrong with them?” Frankie was still sweaty from his earlier training with Bones.

I ran a hand along my forehead. “They’re all pretty small. One’s a mom-and-pop shop. Which means someone is backing them with big bucks.”

“A sponsor of a sponsor?” River snorted. “Did we step into Inception or something?”

“You could put it that way. It’s extra funding from external supporters. So, Ari and I looked into the supporters and—” I glanced at Ari. This was probably better said coming from her.

She sighed and plopped down onto the metal stairs of the ring. “One of them is sponsored by an adult toy company.”

“I have no problem with that.” Teo cackled.

“Their logo is a strap-on and they posted on Craigslist last week that they’re looking for models to advertise their newest products, including erectile dysfunction tablets. They posted it again yesterday, so I’m guessing they didn’t get many hits.”

“So you’re saying we’d become the models?” Frankie blanched.

“It’s, um, more than likely?”

“Pass.” River grunted. “I know I said legit money, but I don’t want to have to explain what a strap-on is to my nephews.”

“Or my kid.” Teo grimaced. “She’s starting elementary school now. What if I get called for show and tell?”

“I’m sure the principal would love to hear why you brought a dildo to show minors.”

“Man, fuck you! I’m not trying to be on any watchlists!”

“I’m sure you’re already on some.” Bones snorted and gestured to me. “The other two?”

“One is Green’s Auto Mechanics. Right down the road. Run by?—”

“Scotty Green.” Frankie said a few expletives under his breath. “How the fuck did that guy get through? He’s banned from the underground, for fuck’s sake. He’s got a rap sheet longer than my medical history.”

“It helps to be backed by an automotive insurance company.” I shrugged. “Money talks.”

“Well, it’s better than dildos, I guess,” River added. “The third?”

“Sport n’ Beauty. It’s a cosmetics company from Portland that sells products to recover from muscle fatigue and pain. Shit like that.”

“But we couldn’t find anything on their funder.” Ari leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. “They’re small. The smallest of the sponsors. So, someone has to be backing them, but we don’t know who.”

“They’re the best choice out of all three. I don’t want to tie myself to another shady asshole or some knockoff Viagra tablets,” Frankie argued.

“Yeah, you clearly don’t need the latter.” River’s smile stretched across his entire face.

“Keep your damn mouth shut.”

River held up his hands, but his smile didn’t waver.

“We could always sponsor ourselves.” Bones crossed his arms. “There’s nothing in the Contract against it. Is there?”

I shook my head. “Not from what I remembered. I’d have to look again.”

“You got the money, Bones?” Teo punched him in the arm. “’Cause I sure don’t. Child support is kicking my ass.”

“Didn’t you win at Heathens Hollow?”

“I paid off some debts, man! What can I say?”

Ari shook her head. “I could pitch in but…”

“It’s a last resort.” Frankie leaned against the ring next to Ari and looked down at her. “We’re already paying for enough. It’s not a gamble I am willing to make from our pockets. Not yet.”

River nodded. “We don’t know how the Circuit is going to go. Even if we make it to Vegas, the Circuit could fizzle out. Or we could not make it at all. Or?—”

“So, basically, we don’t know jack shit,” I snapped. Maybe it was the whiskey, or maybe it was the text from Troy sitting hot in my pocket, but annoyance crept into my growl. “We’ve just been sitting back and letting shit happen to us. None of this would have happened if we looked into the Circuit and sponsors in the first place. It’s like we walked into a final match with no gloves, no gear, and no training. We fucked ourselves over and have been playing catch-up ever since.”

“Lotto…” Ari’s sigh of my name was full of remorse. “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I panicked and jumped into the contract with Lucien too fast.”

“No, it’s my fault. I pushed you to do it.” Frankie set a hand on her shoulder. “So don’t say that.”

“If I wouldn’t have gotten hurt—” Bones scrubbed at his neck. “This wouldn’t have become such a big problem. Where the fuck is Pinstripe anyway?”

“Losing in the ring.” River grunted. “Which is probably my fault, because I got him to take a hefty cut on his contract, and he needs the cash.”

“I mean, I could fight better?” Teo offered.

“Better?” Frankie glared at him. “You could be good at all, you fucking scrub.”

“Man, I’m doing my best! Give me a break.”

“No one here is blameless. Including me. The Circuit isn’t like the underground. I should have known better.” I sighed. “But what’s done is done. Next time, we aren’t doing this shit.”

“Already looking to next season, Lotto?” River grinned. “You gonna pay our way to Vegas?”

I squinted at him. “You first, River. I know you bet hefty on our Heathens Hollow fight.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “I got shit to pay.”

“All of us do.” Ari pushed to her feet. “Let’s talk to Sports n’ Beauty first. See if they’re interested in us. If not, we can meet with Scotty.” When Frankie grunted, Ari glared at him. “It’s just a meeting. We don’t have to sign anything upfront.”

“We have another fight in three days,” Bones said. “We’re going to have to move fast.”

“I’ll call the Circuit heads and ask to meet with Sport n’ Beauty tomorrow morning.” I pulled out my phone and glanced up at Ari. “You should probably go this time.”

“I’ll go, too,” River offered with a raise of his hand.

“And me,” Frankie said.

“Stay here with Bones. Keep training. We need him back as leverage.” Ari flashed Bones an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry to call you that, Bones.”

“Doesn’t matter if it’s true.” His jaw tightened, but he didn’t look put out. Only determined. “I’m a liability right now, but I’ll be back in the ring in two weeks tops. Promise.”

We all nodded. When Bones promised something, he came through. Always. For the first time since he’d gone down, I was sure we’d be heading to Vegas as one of the top four.

“And me?” Teo asked.

Frankie pushed off the ring to clap a hand on his shoulder. His stare could have rivaled the sharpest of knives. “You’ll be here with us. Training. To be better .”

“Damn. I should have kept my mouth shut.”

“Probably.” River laughed.

“Everyone, go home. Get some sleep. I’ll set up the meeting, and we’ll meet again tomorrow, hopefully with a new sponsor.”

And hopefully with some more hope than we had now.

’Cause we were one more accident away from sinking to the bottom of the Pacific.

And walking straight into the backdraft of the shitstorm.