The Crush (80)

“Watch it,” I growled.

Ned gave me a quick, nervous glance, his face leeching a little bit of that color.

Allie sat back in her chair and leveled him with an ice-cold look. “I’m not asking you to hand him over to my team, Ned.”

I gave her a quick glance. She ignored me.

Ned blinked. Then blinked again.

Allie pulled the black leather portfolio out and slid it toward him.

“What’s that?”

“The reason you’re going to allow trade offers on Emmett before the November deadline.”

His face leeched of color, the red disappearing like someone pulled a plug on a drain. “You’re blackmailing me?”

She tilted her head. “A man with nothing to be held over his head wouldn’t usually jump to that conclusion.”

I gripped my hands together tightly under the table. Mostly because I was trying not to sock him in the fucking jaw, but because this was the most nervous I’d been in my entire life. Allie sat perfectly still while Ned flipped open the portfolio. His brow furrowed.

“What does this prove?” He scoffed. “Strip clubs aren’t illegal.”

Allie took a slow sip of her water, then set it back down on the table. A server approached the table, and Allie gave him a polite smile. “How about a bottle of champagne in about ten minutes?” She turned her expectant eyes to Ned. “I think we’ll have something to celebrate, don’t you?”

I smothered a smile at the sheer annoyance that flashed in his eyes.

“Yes, of course,” the server answered smoothly.

When he’d left the dining alcove, Allie crossed her legs and settled her hands in her lap. “Of course, strip clubs aren’t illegal. That’s not my issue. But those next few pictures? The redhead with the very distinct tattoos who’s accompanying you into the VIP room?” The polite smile disappeared. Her eyes flattened. And if Ned’s balls didn’t shrivel up in fear at that moment, then he was a stronger man than I gave him credit for. “She was seventeen at the time.”

My head snapped in her direction, then his.

His mouth fell open. “Bullshit.”

“She lied on her application to the club. Management let her go when they found out a few weeks later.” Allie quirked an eyebrow. “Didn’t you wonder where she was when you went back about a month later?”

“That’s not my fault,” he sputtered. “I couldn’t have known that.”

“No but tell that to your father—all your ticket holders—when they find out you took an underage girl into a room where no cameras are allowed.”

My stomach curdled. My hands tightened, the skin going white on my knuckles.

Ned’s jaw clenched, and he stared down at the portfolio for a long couple of minutes.

“What do you want?” he whispered.

Allie gave me a loaded look. “I think now is a great time for you to email Emmett’s agent and tell him he can accept trade discussions. Can’t imagine it would take long for an interested team to put together an offer.”

Ned’s face wasn’t full of venom like I expected. He looked … exhausted. “I didn’t know.”

“I don’t give a fuck whether you did or not,” she said flatly. “You don’t deserve to be in a position where you hold power over people’s livelihoods. You’re a weak little man who didn’t stop to question whether she was legal or not because you got what you wanted.”

I blew out a slow breath. It was hard to feel victorious in any of this, but Ned slowly pulled out his phone and started tapping on the screen. He paused, pinning Allie with an annoyed look.

“I send this email and allow the trade discussions, these pictures are mine, right?”

Allie didn’t so much as blink. “They’re the only ones I have in my possession. You send that email, and they’re yours.”

He nodded. Ned refused to look at me as he typed out an email. Through gritted teeth, he smiled as he set his phone down on the table. “Email is sent. I’d imagine Emmett will be hearing from his agent shortly about what he wants.”

Finally, his eyes shifted toward me. There was the venom I expected. “Hope you’re happy.”

I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. Not without launching across the table at him.

Almost immediately, my phone buzzed. It was my agent.

Mark: What the hell did you do to Ned to get him to accept offers?? I’m reaching out to all the teams you mentioned right now. Hold tight. We’ll get this squared ASAP.

I looked at Allie and jerked my chin up in a nod. She let out a slow breath. “Thank you, Ned.”

He made a sound of disgust. “Why would you let other teams make offers?”

She shook her head, pity filling her eyes. “This was never about bringing Emmett to Washington. I can’t stand bullies, Ned. You’re trying to puff up your pencil-dick insecurities by playing at some role you don’t understand.” She leaned forward, settling her elbows on the table. “Your mistake was using my best friend’s son in those little boy games of yours. If Emmett wants to come to Washington? Great. But if he wants to go somewhere else, I will be just as happy.”

Ned stood from the table and tucked the portfolio under his arm. “I’d stay for dinner, but I find myself without an appetite.”