Page 49 of Back in Black

If she had something to throw, Gillian would have lobbed it at his head. How dare he put this all off on her? He didn’t want their intimate relationship known either. Sure, she had more to lose. But if the SBC owners found out, Drew could end up fired.

Officer Sparks looked between them with disinterest. “I take it one of you is married, huh?”

Gillian gasped,“No.”How dare he make such an assumption? Holding up her ringless fingers, she gave the cop a good frown. “It’s not like that at all.”

Drew silenced Gillian with a single look, and when he gave his attention back to Officer Sparks, his smile turned feral. “Neither of us is cheating, but again: it’snone of your business.”

Thankfully for Gillian’s peace of mind, the officer let it go. “Were you supposed to be at the bar tonight?”

Drew shrugged. It amazed Gillian that he was as at ease in a towel as he was in a suit. “Had planned on it, yeah.”

“What happened?”

“You’re kidding, right?” He referenced Gillian with a shrug of his head. “I found a better way to spend my evening.”

The fib left Gillian uncomfortable. Drew had changed his plans because of Dickey. Getting together with her happened after that. But maybe he had a reason for keeping Dickey out of the equation.

“Were you supposed to meet anyone at the bar?”

“Not a set meeting or anything. Just loose plans to hang out with friends.”

“Any of those friends maybe want to see you blown up?”

Drew laughed.

Asking the question forefront in Gillian’s mind, the officer said, “That’s funny?”

Cool, rainy air blew in through the open door, but Drew didn’t invite the cop in to extend his visit more comfortably.

“Look, in my position, someone always hates me. Threats are made.” He shrugged with indifference. “It comes with the territory.”

“How so?”

Holding out his arms, Drew said, “The buck stops here, baby.” Then, more seriously, he explained the scope of his responsibilities. “I’m the one who decides if a fighter gets a spot in the SBC or if he gets sent home. I choose the venues, not just here in the States, but in the rest of the fucking world, too. Everyone wants us, but not everyone can have us. So someone’s always crying foul play.”

Officer Sparks stopped writing to listen.

“I deal with overzealous managers and agents, and the athletic commission. On top of all that, I handle a lot of the press. Every pissant so-called reporter who doesn’t get a scoop wants to rip my guts out. And then there are the fanatics who think the sport is too brutal or who—”

Holding up a hand, Sparks cut him short. “Got it. You can be public enemy number one.”

Drew’s smile showed his lack of concern with the animosity. “Yeah, and sometimes I’m everyone’sbestfriend. Just depends on what’s going on and who’s involved. I can’t let any of that shit get to me or I wouldn’t be able to do my job. I’m sorry that Roger had the hassle, and I hope it didn’t ruin the night for anyone, but what the fuck? You can’t expect me to take it seriously.”

Gillian held back, but it wasn’t easy. Whether or not Drew saw any validity in the threat, it scared her.

The cop considered his attitude. “Actually, as long as I’m taking it seriously, I’d appreciate it if you did, too. So tell me, have any of the haters, past or present, seemed the type to issue a bomb threat?”

“Not really, no. But then I don’t exactly go out of my way to understand the mental workings of those who give me grief, you know?”

“Understandable. So who knew about your plans tonight?”

“Just some people in the business. Regular folks.”

“You know them all well?”

“Well enough that I wouldn’t accuse any of them of being bomb happy.”

The officer had several more questions, wrote lots of notes, and finally handed a card to Drew. “If you think of anything, even something that might not seem important to you, give me a call.”

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