Only Mine (Honey Mountain #5)(6)

“Dad,” I called out, as his hand wrapped around the doorknob.

“Yeah.” He turned around to face me.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that. It won’t happen again.” I put my hand up when he smiled as if I’d just conceded. “I still don’t think she’s right for the job. But I’ll give her a shot.”

“That’s all I’m asking for. Plane leaves first thing in the morning. Touch base with Leo, and make sure your flights are all set. You’re hitting ten cities over the next two weeks. Go find us some players.”

Leo was one of the pilots who worked for our family, and he’d been with us for as long as I could remember. My dad found good people to employ, and he kept them around. I admired that. I was used to counting on a small group of guys to have my back. They were my brothers. My family. I didn’t trust many outside of them.

And I sure as fuck didn’t trust the little minx who’d be joining me on this trip.

Not a chance.





three





Dylan





Duke had sent a car to pick me up first thing this morning. I wheeled my suitcase outside of the swanky building where my sister and Hawk lived. When I returned from this trip, I’d be moving into the corporate apartment owned by the Lions. I hadn’t seen it yet, but Roger assured me it was very impressive.

I was still steaming over the scene that Wolf had made yesterday. Most people would have just pretended we never met. The man completely outed me. And then continually bashed me. I’d phoned Ashlan, my baby sister, on the way home and told her what happened. That led to a sister FaceTime call with all five of us, as they gave me endless tips for how to ‘let things go.’ I knew perfectly well how to let things go; I just didn’t feel like I should.

But I’d be professional because I wanted this job.

I had ninety days to prove myself.

But I knew Wolf didn’t want me there, so I’d keep my eye on him.

“Good morning. I’m Casper,” the older man said as he stood in front of a black car and opened the back door for me.

“Good morning. Thank you for picking me up.” I climbed into the car and buckled up.

As we made our way to the hangar, where a private plane would fly us to New York, I looked over my notes that Roger and I had gone over yesterday after the interview from hell. There were a lot of dynamics to consider since there were regulations in place to keep teams from contacting players during the season. The interview window was very short and ran from June 25 to June 30. Five days to meet with players to discuss general contract terms, and deals couldn’t be signed until July 1. We needed several new players, and laying the groundwork now was going to be key to pulling that off. Meeting with agents, especially those who represented current athletes on our roster, wasn’t breaking any rules. If we mentioned interest in other players in casual conversation, we’d at least find out if they were interested in being pursued by the Lions when the time came. I’d done my research on both Juan Rivera and his agent and followed them on social media so I could get a feel for exactly what we were walking into.

I glanced out the window as we moved down the highway toward the hangar. I wondered if it would be awkward traveling with Wolf after he’d made it clear that he didn’t want to work with me.

I knew what I had to do. I had to win over Braxton Jones to prove that I deserved this opportunity. Roger had prepared me about having a thick skin because when he and Duke had flown out to meet him last year, he’d no-showed on the first meeting. Apparently, he represented some of the top guys in the league, and a man with too many options could make you chase after him. It was probably part of his game.

I’d memorized all of Juan’s stats so if I had a chance to meet with Braxton, I’d at least look like I knew what I was talking about.

When we pulled up at the hangar, Casper helped me with my bag and walked alongside me to the large plane that sat just a few feet in front of us. He climbed the steps and set my luggage inside before jogging back down toward me and motioning for me to step inside.

“Safe travels, Miss Thomas. And welcome to the team.”

“Thank you.” I made my way up the steps, and when I turned the corner, my gaze locked with Wolf’s.

There were maybe six rows of two seats on each side of the aisle, and I scanned the area trying to decide where to sit. He was on the aisle in the second row.

“I don’t bite,” he said, his voice deep and void of any humor.

I fought the desire to roll my eyes or say something snide because I was here to prove that I could handle my temper.

I moved to the seat on the other side of the aisle from his and set my briefcase on the empty seat before sitting down and buckling my seat belt. “I’m not worried. We’re both professionals.”

“As long as I don’t cut in front of you in line, right?” His jaw ticked.

“Well, you took your shot. You did what you could to make sure I didn’t get this job, yet here I am, sitting beside you. I’d say that’s a bit worse than cutting in front of someone in line.”

Something passed in his dark blue gaze, but I couldn’t read it. Maybe he felt bad? Maybe he was just trying to see how far to push me.

A man appeared in front of us. “Mr. Wayburn, we’re ready for takeoff.”