Chapter Twenty-Two
Lucas tapped hisfingers on his desk and studied his phone, tension lurking beneath the surface. It had been a month since his last report to the commissioner, since the season began. He had no reason to avoid the call. The Knights had a winning record and ticket sales were up. They even had a few sponsors renew their contract and a local media outlet had approached them to negotiate a deal for television and radio coverage, the holy grail for teams. All of this would increase their revenue and put them on the path to repaying their loans.
Somehow, he thought the commissioner wouldn’t be as positive about the results.
Oh, he wanted the team to succeed and not go bankrupt. Bankruptcy and bad financial states looked bad for baseball, especially in this era of high tickets, high payroll, and high costs to attend a game. Fans wondered how a team could go under when they charged so much. No, Roger wouldn’t like to see a financial meltdown. But, he hated Callahan and made it clear he wanted him gone. If the Knights succeeded, Callahan was here to stay. He never expressly told Lucas to get rid of Callahan but it was implied.
No matter how successful Lucas was in helping the Knights, Roger would see this as a failure.
The phone rang and Lucas picked it up. “Roger.”
“I expected your report a couple of weeks ago. And not a goddamn email. What’s going on?” Roger’s voice was sharper than a dagger.
Lucas took a deep breath. “Well, we’ve made some excellent progress.” He briefly outlined the prospects for the team and the revenue details.
Roger grunted. “So they’ll make the payment?”
“I think so. They still have a ways to go, but it’s looking good.”
Roger sighed. “That’s unfortunate. I was approached by a group of investors who are eager to buy in on a team. There are a couple of teams who might be willing to add investors but no one wants a complete sale.”
“And they want a complete buyout, no other partners.” A dead feeling settled low in Lucas’s belly.
“They want complete control. They think the Knights have a lot of real potential.”
“I don’t see Seamus selling the team anytime soon.”
“If he can’t make the payment to us or anyone else, he might be forced to.”
Lucas straightened in his chair, stomach churning. “What are you saying, Roger?”
“I’m saying there are people who want a team and you have a team who might need new ownership.” Roger’s voice lowered. “I wasn’t going to tell you this but they want you as their president. Imagine that. You, president of the Knights. You’ve always wanted that, your father’s chair, your inheritance. It’s within your grasp.”
“If I screw the Knights.” The words were bitter on his tongue, like acid.
“Don’t think of it that way.” Roger’s voice turned persuasive. “You know Callahan won’t stay away from the team for long. When he comes back, he’ll undo everything you and Miranda did, putting the team right back where they were two months ago, putting your father’s legacy in jeopardy. With this sale, you can save the team.”
Lucas wanted to deny the words but he knew they were true. When Callahan came back, and he would be coming back, he could change everything, possibly even fire people who came up with this plan. Miranda, Cole, the coaching staff, some of the players, could be gone in a blink of eye. Callahan was too stubborn to see the new way. He only saw his way, demanded his way. Could they fight him? And was it his fight to have?
“Lucas?” Roger’s voice echoed in the phone.
“Roger, I fully support Miranda and her decisions regarding the Knights. Until such time as that changes, if it changes, we’ll revisit it. But for now, she has my full support.”
“So the rumors are true. You’re sleeping with her. I never thought you would confuse pleasure and business.” The other man sighed heavily.
“One has nothing to do with the other. I support her decisions because they’re good, solid ideas and have proven results. Our relationship has nothing to do with it.” His voice was firm and resolute. “Are we done?”
“You’re making a mistake.”
“It’s mine to make.” But he only spoke to a dial tone.
He slammed the phone down, half expecting to see it explode in pieces all around. He had suspected Roger had ulterior motives when he sent Lucas here. What kind of a reputation would he have if he failed with the Knights? Or worse, if it got out that the team was sold and he had not been able to help, and then was offered the President position. A man he considered a friend and a mentor had placed him in a difficult position, used him like a pawn in a game of power and politics and Lucas didn’t appreciate it one damn bit.
Although there was one thing Roger had said that pricked at him. If Callahan came back and undid all the good work Miranda had done, where would that leave the team? The Knights were his father’s legacy, the one thing he loved almost as much as his family. To see it go down in flames, the financial state trotted out for the world to hear, then sold on the block like an animal at auction bother Lucas. He had vowed to do what he could to save the team. His way of apologizing to his father for abandoning him when his father had needed him the most.
He only hoped he could keep that promise.
“Lucas?” Miranda peered around the corner of the door, her eyes wide.