“This is Bryan Fisher, the owner of the Nashville Assassins. Told him to come out for a good night and to get to know you guys,” my dad says, grinning at me, but I know what he is doing. He’s trying to blind me with a big hockey owner so that I’ll stay and talk. I don’t want to bite, but this could be my future. So I do what I have to. We talk to him, but I still ignore my dad. When he talks to me, I don’t answer, and I make sure he knows that I am only there to talk to Mr. Fisher. I find that he’s actually a really nice guy, which is surprising since my dad is such a dick.
“There is a girl on your team, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I say, meeting his gaze. “Baylor Moore.”
“River Moore is her dad?” he asks, and I nod.
“Yes, sir.”
“She’s something. I’ve seen her on YouTube. My niece, who’s also the co-owner of the Assassins, and I have actually discussed her. It’s a big risk taking on someone like her.”
I shrug. “I don’t see it as a risk since she is the best I’ve seen.”
His head cocks to the side. “Is that right?”
“Yes, sir,” I say confidently. “Her game is flawless, she’s always ten steps ahead of the competition, and she can take a hit like a full-grown man.”
He nods his head, looking out at the party. “Maybe I should go find her.”
“You should,” I say, turning to point her out. “She’s over there with Miller Raymond and Yuri Anderson.”
“Thanks, son,” he says, cupping my shoulder. “Good luck this year.”
“Thank you,” we both say as he walks away and I want to follow him, but then my dad is talking.
“Jayden, what are you doing? You’re supposed to talk to him not send him off,” he scolds me, but I look at him stone-faced.
“I explained my game, I sold it and Jace’s. There was nothing else I could say.”
“There is plenty. I just hope he doesn’t choose her over you.”
This is just like him, selfish, only caring about himself. He has tried to make me like that my whole life, and it drives me fucking insane. Remembering that he can’t control me, I shrug and say, “If that’s how the cards fall, then so be it.” He brings his gaze back to mine and glares as I ask, “Now what did you need to talk to me and Jace about Mom for?”
“Oh,” he says, taking a pull of his beer. “Where is she?”
Looking at Jace, since I’m pretty sure we were just played, I say, “She’s at home.”
“Didn’t want to come out?”
I shake my head. “Nope.”
“Hmm. Her loss,” he mutters with a shake of her head. “Probably knitting or something.”
“Or taking care of your granddaughter while your daughter works.”
He doesn’t say anything to that, almost ignores it as he says, “Well, anyway, I wanted to let you both know I donated twenty thousand to the team. I’m sure it can help out a lot.”
As he holds my gaze, a fire starts to burn in the pit of my belly. How dare he?
“Why?” I ask, and his brows go up.
“To help out.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, Jayden Marshall, I want to help you guys succeed.”
Sucking in a breath through my nose, I shake my head. “It’s Mitchell.”