"Me?” He blinked in surprise. “Why would you think that?”
“Because you look like a hoodlum.” She nodded, as if agreeing with herself. “They have a show on Netflix about guys who look like you.”
He looked down at himself, trying to see what she saw. Through the dark lenses of his glasses, he took in his bling and the sweater he wore with his Gucci jeans. He’d left off the gold caps he usually fit over his teeth. He thought he looked normal.
“You look like you sell cocaine to unsuspecting tourists in the Grand Caymans,” Lottie continued.
He jolted, thinking about the situation with the drugs at his house. “You think I look like I deal drugs?” he asked in dismay. If this nice lady would think that, what would others think? Especially if it came out what was going on in his house.
She tipped her head, her brow furrowed as she studied him. “Take those glasses off so I can see you.”
He hesitated. If she thought he looked like a drug dealer as it was, what would she think if she could see his eyes?
Lottie sighed. “Honey, we can’t help you if you don’t trust us. You obviously need something, so why don’t you take the first step and take the glasses off?”
Her no-nonsense voice reminded him of his mom, and it reassured him. His mom had always told him the truth, straight out—even when it’d been brutal—and he knew this woman would do the same.
He reached up and took his sunglasses off.
“That’s more like it.” Lottie stepped forward, close enough to touch, looking into his eyes. “Just like I thought.”
“What?” he asked, almost despite himself.
“Lost.” She patted his arm. “In which case, you’ve come to the right place.”
The kindness in her gaze almost unmanned him. He wanted to put the sunglasses back on, but he didn’t want to disappoint her.
So he reminded himself that until just a few months ago he was one of the most fearsome players on the field and straightened his shoulders, drawing up as much confidence as he could. “I’m here to see Jamie MacNiven.”
“Without an appointment?” she said, sounding dubious. “We don’t just take anyone off the street. If you aren’t referred, you have to be vetted.”
Fuck—it hadn’t occurred to him to call ahead of time. What an asshole move on his part. It was like showing up at someone’s home unannounced, and he knewexactlyhow annoying that was.
He’d just have to play this off because hehadto see MacNiven. So he smiled his dad’s charming smile. “I don’t need a referral. MacNiven and I have known each other a long time. He’ll see me.”
She arched her brow, as if she heard the thread of doubt underlying his words. “It’s not lost on me that you didn’t say you’re a friend of his. You must have played ball with him. You certainly have the muscles and attitude. But you don’t have an accent like the boys, so maybe I’m wrong.”
“No, you’re right. I play for Chelsea.” He hung his sunglasses from the collar of his sweater. “I don’t have an accent because I grew up in Southern California.”
“Most American boys your size would grow up playing real football.”
Yes, but in his dad’s village, European football had beenthesport to play. It’d been when he’d proven to be so good that his dad had really accepted him. He could still remember the way his dad had beamed when he’d gotten his first offer to play professionally. “Most of the world would say we play the real thing.”
“Chicago isn’t most of the world.” Her face lined with concern. “You do realize that you still have to get past Jamie in order to be accepted as a client.”
“Handling MacNiven has never been a problem,” he said with confidence he didn’t feel.
She looked dubious. “He turns away more people than he takes on.”
He stared at her. Suddenly he knew who she was: MacNiven’s enforcer. She was the first guard to prevent people from getting past. He took a moment to admire the brilliance of it. Who’d run over a sweet older lady?
Though she was the kind of sweet that was hard underneath and wouldn’t break. Like the colorful hard sugar candy his mom wouldn’t let him have as a kid.
That cunning son of a bitch. Now heknewhe’d made the right decision to come.
Lottie patted his chest. “I’ll tell Jamie you’re here, but I can’t guarantee he’ll see you.”
“He’ll see me.” If MacNiven had shown up onhisdoorstep unannounced, he wouldn’t have been able to turn him away without knowing why. He bet MacNiven would feel the same.