Page 15 of Renegade Rift

Willow presses her lips together, considering. “Maybe start with those who have been traded in the last year. Or anyone who played with him before he was traded to the Blues.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I promise, a list of potential players to reach out to forming in my mind. Included in that list is the player himself. I haven’t heard from Mercer in months. Not since I volunteered to come to New York.

“Thank you.” She leans back in her chair and laces her fingers on top of the desk. “Now, you want to tell me about what happened this morning?”

Frustration simmers beneath the surface as I dip my head and bring my hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose.“Fucking Carson.”

Willow’s shoulders shake with laughter. “You should know this team is worse than a gaggle of teenage girls.”

She’s not wrong. If anyone knows how fast gossip flies through the ranks of the Renegades, it’s Willow. I’m still not sure how she and Bishop kept their relationship a secret for as long as they did.

“There isn’t much to tell,”I say, but the way Willow raises her brow lets me know she believes otherwise.

“Fine. The guys thought it would be hilarious to hire a topless maid to clean my apartment?—”

“Not their finest moment.” Willow rolls her eyes.

“No. Especially when that maid turned out to be Ju—Etta.”

Fuck, that’s going to take some getting used to. Especially when it feels like I’m referring to my grandma, not a gorgeous twenty-seven-year-old woman.

“Etta?”

“That’s what she wants to be called now.”

“Etta then. So, you found her…” A tick of a smile lifts Willow’s lips but drops just as quickly when I don’t continue. “Did you two talk?”

I pop my shoulders, my gaze narrowing on the wood grain of her desk as Imentally catalog my conversation with Juliet for the thousandth time.“If by talk you mean she told me it’s none of my damn business and stormed out, then yeah, we talked.”

“And is that good enough for you?”

My eyes snap up. It feels like a trick question. Like Willow is testing to see what I’m made of and while I know every single one of my intentions is pure, I’m not sure I like it coming from the owner of my team.

“No,” I answer with my full chest. “It’s not.”

She waits ten torturous seconds before a smile stretches across her lips, and she nods. “Good answer. I’m all for a woman’s right to have her secrets and to do whatever it is she wants with her body and life, but something about this whole situation isn’t sitting right with me.”

“I agree.” Glad that yet another person sees what I do. “Something isn’t right.”

“My offer stands to help in any way I can. Will you keep me posted on what you find out? Whether she wants our help or not, Etta is a part of this family, and as you know, Renegades protect what’s ours.”

Somehow, I don’t think protecting her is going to be that simple, but for the sake of this meeting, I incline my head in agreement. “If it’s all the same to you, though, I’d like to keep her whereabouts to ourselves until we know more.”

“Absolutely.”

“Thank you.” It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to be a part of a team that gives a shit like this one does. Even more so that it stems all the way from the top down.

Willow nods, and I get the distinct feeling this meeting is over.

I stand. “I’ll give you an update on the testimonials as soon as I hear back from the guys.”

“Sounds good.” Willow reaches for her keyboard and starts clicking away. But before I reach the door, she stops me. “Oh, and Ford?”

“Yeah?” I glance over my shoulder.

“I get the impression you and Tyler had a rough relationship, but he’d be happy to know you are taking care of her.”

My lips pull tight, and I fight back a grimace, offering Willow a half smile and slipping from her office before I say something I might regret.

---