Page 68 of Filthy Player

Something about that guy always rubbed me the wrong way. He’d played defensive end for the Dolphins back when they were winning division championships. He’d also been a player in his day, three different marriages, rumors for decades about multiple women on the side.

His interviews didn’t just stick to the sport or the game. He got personal. He was also the highest rated sportscaster on ESPN.

“Two weeks, right before you play Seattle.”

“Hyping up the re-match?”

“Exactly.”

“Fine.” Banner was a jerk but I had other, more important things on my mind. I’d keep his questions to the game and that was it.

***

I walked out of the training facility feeling a thousand times worse than I had when I arrived.

Agent Joe Spellman, an investigator with the Raleigh PD, had come, talked to Shelly and I about the letters and he’d taken them with him for evidence. Although he’d also told me most people were smart enough not to leave fingerprints on things like this.

Which made me feel like pummeling my fist through a wall.

Stadium Security who came with him told me they’d provide additional security for Paige and myself when we were in the buildings or on Rough Rider property, but they couldn’t watch her personally.

Which made me feel like throwing a chair across Shelly’s office.

Basically, there was nothing we could do yet. Wait and see. Let the crazy lady keep following Paige or myself.

Which meant I was already on the phone with Jaxon Hayes by the time I reached my truck.

“Beaux Hale,” I said as soon as his assistant Charlie answered the phone. “How are you, Charlie?”

“Better than you are probably.”

“What have you heard?”

“Nothing,” the feisty blonde replied. She’d worked for Jaxon for six years. I’d only known her for one but we’d met several times. “But no one calls for Jaxon on a good day.”

“Right.” My tone was clipped. “Need his help. Or someone else’s but I’ll make it worth his while to take this on for me. Does he have time to meet?”

Clicking sounds came through the phone line. “He’s got a short opening at three. What’s it about?”

“Some fan stalking me and my girlfriend.”

Dead silence hit me and I looked at my screen to see if the call dropped.

“Charlie?”

“Uh, yeah.” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. You said girlfriend? I’m talking to Beaux Hale, right?”

I laughed, despite the shitty day and my shittier mood. “Yeah. You heard me. We just had a meeting with Spellman with Raleigh PD and stadium security. Someone’s following her. I think it started with me and now whoever this whacko is, has photos of Paige.”

“Paige,” she whispered. I rolled my eyes. “Pretty name.”

“Pretty girl,” I said. Because Charlie was good at her job and feisty but I had a feeling she could be a major pain in the ass, too. “I’ll be there at three.”

“I’ll let Jaxon know.”

I said goodbye and hung up. Leave it to Charlie to treat this more like a lunch date than a serious issue. Although, based on what she saw and heard on a weekly basis, this was probably nothing to her. Jaxon Hayes used to be a special agent with the FBI and before that he was special ops military. His client list was distinguished, at least the ones he was allowed to share he worked for. It was the fact he had a list of clients he couldn’t talk about that made me confident he was the guy for this job.

***

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