Page 21 of 40-Yard Line

“I don’t, but I would bet Lara does. She kept all his papers and personal things in their home in Scottsdale.”

“Okay. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll look into this, and we’ll see if we can find out what’s happening. I’m going to grab my handsome husband and get down to the courthouse and pull the public records on all of this.”

“Trevon, there’s nothing to worry about, son. You have employment with us now, you have the cabin, you have healthcare, all of it. You’re taken care of.”

“I know,” he said, nodding, “but what about the others? What if someone on the team is doing something to intentionally injure players?”

“We didn’t get a sense of that,” said Trak. “We felt something strange happening, but nothing dark. Noah didn’t get a feel for any ghosts. None.”

“You feel ghosts?” asked Trevon, staring at the big Viking.

“I can see and feel their presence,” said Noah. “There was none, which felt strange since Butch died there.”

Trevon nodded with a frown, then turned to leave.

“Trevon? You okay, brother?” asked Ghost.

“Yes, sir. I’m gonna head back to Miss Noelle and get to work, take my mind off of everything for a while. I’ll send a text to Lara asking about Butch’s contract.” Gaspar gripped his massive shoulders, squeezing them.

“It will work out, son. It might not feel like it right now, but it will. We’re going to find the truth about Butch, and we’ll bring those responsible to justice.” He nodded with a sad face.

“And if Butch is responsible? How do we punish him for all this?” Before anyone could answer, Trevon walked away. Gaspar looked at Ashley.

“Will you keep an eye on him, honey?”

“You know I will. He’s scheduled for some sessions with Bree and I tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it goes. There’s a lot for him to unpack. I’m not sure Lara is in love with him, but I think he’s in love with her. He’s a big man with a big heart, and he’s not a child, yet, in many ways, he’s naïve about a lot of things.”

“I wonder if all the men are like that,” said Nine.

“I can say definitively they are not,” said Trak. “Some of those men struck me as calculating. Almost like mercenaries.”

“Well, that’s not fucking scary at all, is it?” said Ghost.

“I will say that the one person who seemed to take our sessions very seriously was Kurt, the new quarterback. He was completely engaged with me,” said Cait.

“Me too,” said Ashley. “He seems like a good young man from what I’ve seen so far. I can only imagine the guilt he feels taking the place of a veteran like Butch.”

“But I did not feel that when I was around him,” said Noah.

“I didn’t either,” said Trak. “This is all strange. Maybe Alvin can help.”

“Trak, don’t fuck with me today. I’m tired, and Mama is driving us all crazy with the holiday decorations and events. Alvin cannot help.”

“He could. Let him decide who is guilty. He has great instincts.”

“I can’t entertain this conversation right now,” said Gaspar. “I’m hungry. I’ll see y’all later.” Gaspar left the room, the others smirking at his back. Trak shrugged, waving his hands in the air.

“He could help. I’m just saying.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Glenda Pinken looked down the long table of the executive conference room and stared at her financial analysts. Her brother and sister were both in the room, but knew they would have nothing to say in matters of money.

“You’ve been able to free up several million with the loss of Cavet and Marks,” said the man.

“Cavet was a death,” said someone at the table. She immediately looked up, staring at the man who was their public relations executive.

“Yes. A suicide,” said Glenda. “Tragic, but we don’t owe anything for that. After all, we don’t pay for suicides.”

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