“You manipulated every aspect of my life to be what you wanted.” My voice is eerily calm, a contrast to his. “That stops now.”
“I gave you advantages you wouldn’t have otherwise had,” he hisses.
“I guess we’ll never truly know, will we?” We’ll never know if I was good enough to play football without his assistance, but the truth is that if I wasn’t, I never would’ve made it in the league for the last thirteen years. I wouldn’t still be playing today if I hadn’t proven myself on the field.
I mean…I don’t think I would be, anyway. Coach would’ve sat me. I wouldn’t have been a starter.
Unless my father paid for that, too.
I feel like there are some things money just can’t buy, though. At least I haven’t become so jaded that I can still believe thatto be true.
He sighs. “You wouldn’t turn me in. Think of the legacy, Madden. The house always wins, and it’s your inheritance, too. Bradleys always win.”
“I swear to Christ, Father, if you mention the legacy one more goddamn time to me, I will turn you in so fast your head will spin. You made that whole thing up so you could lord it over me, over all seven of us, and I refuse to sit back and take it any longer. You want a legacy? How’s this: you’re out. I’m in. Get the hell out of my office by the end of the day.”
“I didn’t sign anything over to you yet,” he sniffs, raising his chin self-importantly.
“No, you didn’t. But you will. I have the non-emergency line pulled up. Dare me to make the call,” I say, flashing my phone at him for proof.
“Where did I go wrong with you? Dex would never treat me like this.”
I can’t help a snort at that. “No, Dex would definitely support your illegal activities, but we both know the right person to lead this company is me. I’m the one who will treat it honestly and with integrity, even if you never did.”
He studies me, tilting his head a little as he contemplates that. “I suppose you’re right about that. But what good is it to vote me out when you won’t even be here? At least let me close out my current contracts and tie up loose ends.”
That’s not going to work with the plan I have in mind, so I shake my head. “No can do, Pops. You can stay to finish out your contracts and loose ends, but you’ll be demoted from CEO. Like I said, you’re out. I’m in. Sign it over today, or I call my friends over at the police station.”
He presses his lips together. “It’s not that simple, son. It’s going to take me a few days to get things sorted.”
“I don’t have a few days,” I mutter.
He presses his intercom button for his assistant. When she answers, he says, “I need Paul in here.”
The Bradley Group lawyer appears in my father’s doorway a few moments later.
“Close the door,” my father says, and Paul does it before he sits in the chair beside mine.
My father’s eyes are on me when he says to Paul, “I’m signing over the company to Madden as soon as possible. I need to erase all the shell companies first, and I’ll need your help. We need to get this done before training camp begins.”
“When is that?” Paul asks.
“Six days,” I grunt.
“Six days? That’s impossible,” he says.
“It needs to be donebeforesix days.” I raise my brows at my father, whose eyes are still on me.
He sighs. “Get it done in five,” he says to Paul, and then he turns away from both of us back to his computer.
“Three,” I demand.
Both men turn to look at me.
“Five, Madden. It’s the best we can do,” my father says.
I huff out a breath. It’s not enough, but I guess it’s my only shot.
Paul sits silently for a few seconds before he heads off to do whatever it is he has to do to make this company mine.