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ONE
~*~*~*~*~*~
Zero really didn’t feel like celebrating. He was playing the good boy, sipping his beer and staying away from the hard stuff he really wanted. It was all a façade. He made the appearance because it was expected, but man he couldn’t wait until he had a new jersey that said anything other than Ohio.
He did his best to make small talk but his heart wasn’t in it.
One of the guys from the agency was making his way over. Maybe he would have some news.
“Hey. Sorry to interrupt.”
Zero nodded to the patron he’d been chatting with and motioned for the new guy to follow him. “Jude, right?”
Jude nodded. “Is there some place we can talk?”
Something about the tone of voice made him want to know what the other man was going to say. “Follow me.” Zero led him out back to a waiting limo. “Take five, Tommy.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Zero.”
Zero opened the door and stepped aside to let Jude slide in. “What’s up?” he asked as he closed the door behind him. “Conrad already prepping my new deal?”
If Jude thought it weird that they were meeting in the back of a limo, he didn’t show it. Jude shook his head. “Conrad is going to steer you toward Detroit.”
Zero tilted his head to the side to get a better view of Jude’s face in the low light. “He’s been making noise that way.”
Jude leaned into Zero’s space. “You really want to trade one rust belt team for another?”
“If it will give me another ring, sure.”
“What Conrad is not going to tell you is that the Detroit head office is trying to boot Mitchell as head coach and put in Reynolds.”
Zero’s eyes got wide. “Reynolds -- as in couldn’t win a college championship without cheating –Reynolds?”
“The one and only.”
“Why would Conrad want me in that mess? He only makes money when I make money.”
“He’s got a girlfriend in Detroit and with Johnson’s transfer to Miami, he’s got no legit reason to visit Motor City. You’d give him that reason.”
“Why are you telling me this? Couldn’t it get you in trouble?”
“Sure, if you tattle it might get me fired, but you deserve better than Detroit. You don’t get the credit you should. People constantly underestimate you. Ohio wouldn’t have won without you as their wing.”
Zero was used to people stroking his ego, especially agents, but Jude came across as totally sincere. Plus he spoke the language, which made him wonder. “You play?”
“I did.” Jude met Zero’s eyes with a sad smile. “Blew out my knee, freshman year in college.”
“That sucks, man.” Zero lived with that fear every day. That could have easily been his fate. “Where do you think I should go?”
Jude smiled like he’d been waiting for Zero to ask. “Phoenix or the Devils.”
Call it a coincidence, but Zero really didn’t think he could. Those were already his top two choices. He hadn’t shared that tidbit with anyone. Pretending he didn’t have a preference just made teams try all the harder to get him. That Jude would pick those same two teams out of the dozen vying for him was remarkable. “Tell me more.”
Jude settled back against the seat. “Phoenix has legit talent but they’re young. You could be a real leader there, mold that team how you see fit, but a championship would be at least three years off.”
Damn near the same analysis that Zero came up with himself. Junior Agent, my ass. This guy was the real deal. “And the Devils?”
“Up front, I should tell you that Oscar Kinkade is my father, but that could hurt you more than help you.”
“Meaning?”
“Oscar rarely acknowledges I exist and when he does it’s usually to let me know how I screwed up. That said, the Devils would be a good fit for you.”
“How so?”
“Wall’s got two maybe three more solid years in him. Roman is up for free agency next year. With you on the team, there’s a real shot at a championship this year. You and your skills are what that team needs. And whether Roman stays or goes, you’ve got a chance to collect almost as many rings as you have fingers.”
Again, almost the exact same conclusions that Zero had come up with. But he had to wonder if Jude had an ulterior motive. “So if you deliver me to the Devils, does that help you gain an in with daddy?”
“Probably not,” Jude said with a smirk.
Zero frowned. “Why not?”
“Because I wouldn’t let you sign for less than $30 million and the only thing Oscar truly loves is his money.”
Damn it was like the guy was reading Zero’s mind. “So if you were me, how would you play it?”
“Tell Conrad in no uncertain terms, you aren’t feeling Detroit. Have him start negotiations with both Phoenix and LA. Go practice with both teams. Decide which one is your number one choice, but then leak that you’re leaning toward the other. And let them get in a bidding war. When they reach a number you can live with, sign on the dotted line.”
Zero might have just met his match. “People underestimate you too.”
Jude laughed, but not with any humor. “People either assume I’m riding my father’s coattails or that I’m so green that I don’t understand how the game is played. I’ve learned to use both to my advantage.”
“So how do you want to play this?” He didn’t care if Jude was a Junior Agent, he wanted this guy on his team.
“What?”
“You just earned yourself a spot on Team Zero, stupid.” Zero put his hand forward to seal the deal.
Jude met Zero’s eyes with his own, but held his hand back. “One condition.”
Zero couldn’t help but smile at Jude’s bravado. This guy was going to keep him on his toes. “Name it.”
“I want to be the one to break the news to Conrad about Detroit.”
Zero smirked. “You’re going to play it up like you tried to sell me on Detroit, aren’t you.”
“Damn straight. I tried my best but you couldn’t be swayed. You just aren’t up for another cold winter.”
Zero couldn’t help but laugh. “I really do need to work on my tan. You and I are going to have so much fun together.”
Jude finally put his hand in Zero’s and shook. “I look forward to it.”
TWO
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Jelena? Really?” Jude set the take-out on his coffee table and sat down on the floor next to Zero, who had already grabbed plates from Jude’s kitchen.
Zero opened the containers and handed the beef with broccoli over to Jude first. “What? According to our game plan, I need to be dating a Devil Girl.”
Jude took the container and emptied a portion onto his plate. He met Zero’s eyes. “Yeah, our plan was a Devil Girl, not the head bitch in charge.”
Taking the container back from Jude, Zero licked his lips and smirked. “What can I say, power does it for me.”
“You just like playing with fire. She clued in on that you are anything but sincere? ” Jude asked between bites.
“Not in the least. She’s playing hard to get at the moment but I’ll wear her down eventually. How’s it going on your end?”
“Oscar’s got me jumping through hoops like I thought he would. He’s got me crossing some lines I’m not really comfortable with.”
“You don’t owe him anything. You know that right?”
Jude nodded. “I do, but there’s a part of me that can’t seem to stop trying to gain his approval.”
Zero patted Jude on his leg and slid the last of the beef and broccoli to him. “Just watch yourself?”
“I will, if you promise to do the same with Jelena.”
Zero nodded. “Deal. But really what’s the worst she could do to me?”
Jude just gaped at him. He raised his glass in a salute. “Here’s hoping you make it out of this with your balls still attached, stupid.”
THREE
~*~*~*~*~*~
Zero pulled away from the kiss and ran his thumb across Jude’s bottom lip. “Okay, your turn to spill. Where were you?”
“I went to see Oscar, again.”
“Jude.” Zero packed a bunch of emotions in just that one word.
“I know. I know.” Jude held his hands up in surrender. “It’s why I didn’t tell you beforehand. But it’s over. I gave him one last chance to be my father and as always he chose option B.” He laid his head against Zero’s shoulder.
Zero cupped Jude’s nape in his hand and swept his thumb back and forth. “Fuck him. He doesn’t deserve you and he never did. Let him rot.”
“That’s the plan.”
He sounded so dejected that Zero couldn’t just leave it at that. He lifted Jude’s head up so he could look in his eyes. “Tell me.”
“I’m not surprised you know. It’s what I expected but man it still burns.”
“What did you do?”
“I found the M.E. who’d been hiding from him.”
Zero just stared at him.
Jude leaned in and kissed Zero’s jaw. “Don’t worry, I never planned on sharing the info with him.”
“But you told him you had it?”
“I did. I had my PI spoof a number to my phone and I gave that number to Oscar with the option of having a relationship with me or calling that number and never hearing from me again.”
Zero leaned forward and began massaging Jude’s shoulders. “He chose the number.”
Jude blew out a breath. “He didn’t even wait until I’d made it out of the prison’s parking lot before he called it. He never gave a shit about me.”
Zero wrapped his arms around Jude and whispered against the shell of his ear, “you’re better off.”
Jude rubbed his nose against Zero’s neck before he pulled away. “At least I know for sure. I don’t know about you, but I’m about done with this day. I’m going to call Lionel and let her know I’m not going to be in tomorrow. You should text Pete and let him know you’re going to miss training tomorrow but you’ll do double time on Wednesday.”
Before Jude was out of reach, Zero curled his arm around his neck and kissed his head. “Just remember, you’ve still got me, stupid.”
Jude tilted his head and kissed him. “That means everything.”