Page 5 of My Brother's Enemy
“I told you—” he began. He said it nicely, but I caught a hard edge in his smile.
“To call you by your first name,” I interrupted. “But I’d rather not, because I don’t know you, Mr. Benoit. You have kept me in the dark this entire time, and yet you feel you have the right to bring up my family. You want to mention my brothers? Let me know that you’re aware of my connection to them?” I shook my head. “I’ll meet your ante using the only card I know I have. I’ve asked the reason for this meeting, and if you don’t provide it right now, I will leave.” I leaned forward. “I am good enough at my job to know that Ido not needto be here if you’re going to waste my time.”
His chest rose as he drew in a breath, but then he nodded, as if coming to some decision. “You’re aware that Minneapolis has two NHL teams?”
I leaned back. “I’m aware.”
“Even though the Grays began a decade ago, they’re still considered new to the NHL—as well as to the city itself. I represent the Grays. And you’re correct, Ms. Connors. I’m aware that you worked with Philadelphia for two years before they went to the Super Bowl, and they’ve made the playoffs ever since. I’m also aware that you worked with Baltimore before they, as well, got to their divisional championship game. I know how many individual players you’ve worked with, including a certain football prodigy who struggled his first two years in the NFL before moving to a new team where he’s their starting quarterback, and they’ve won their last five games.”
He dropped all pretense, leaning forward. “I have a team with the talent, the right coaching staff, and good upper-managerial support. We have a motivated owner and possibly unlimited resources at our fingertips, within the league’s rules, of course.” He sighed. “I have everything on the list for a great hockey team playing at an elite level, but they’renot. And the new owners want this team to start winning. I’m here to make that happen. I believe, Ms. Connors, I have a problem right up your alley of expertise.”
From the moment he’d mentioned the team he represented, I’d been running through what I knew about them. It was very little, which pained me, but I stayed away from the hockey world. All of it.
The Grays would play against my brothers’ teams. Did I want to expose myself to that? Then again, with my job, I could stay hidden in the background. It was feasible that they would never know I’d been connected to a hockey team and therefore connected to them in some small way. The nights they played the Grays, I wouldn’t need to be present. There were times I didn’t attend my clients’ games. Not many, but there had been times.
My stomach twisted with intrigue and fear. “What exactly are you asking of me?”
He smiled. “I want you to work your magic. This morning, I received a phone call that’s—well, I can’t say yet what it’s about. But I almost fell off my chair when I heard who might be interested in coming to us. If he pans out, we have a real shot at the Cup this year. I want everything to start moving forward for us. I think you can help ensure that happens, in whatever way you do that.”
“And what’s your role here? You have the authority for this?”
A hint of a smirk showed before he hid it, but he nodded. “I have the authority.”
I waited, but he didn’t say anything more.
“Restrictions?” I asked.
He shook his head. “There are none. We’ll work with you. We’re ready to give you the tools and assist you in any way so you can be effective with the team. The faster the better, as far as we’re concerned.”
Jesus. This was an ideal job. No restrictions? None? There were always some.
What was the catch? Because there was always a catch. Well, already this was a hockey team. An NHL team, which was a catch for me, but I knew another catch was coming. I could feel it in my gut. “If you really want me to help?—”
“I do. We do.”
“My methods are… I’m a woman. Certain barriers will be there. I’ll have to find a way to disarm them, bring down their walls. I won’t be micromanaged. If I’m doing something you don’t understand, I don’t care. I will not explain it to you?—”
He shook his head. “I already said there are no stipulations.”
I paused.Well, good.Moving on. “Pay?”
He reached into his pocket to pull out an envelope and slid it across the table to me. “We have it separated. A signing bonus now, plus base pay and a list of additional bonus options if we win a certain number of games, et cetera. A rather hefty payment if we go to the playoffs this year, and of course, if we get the Cup.” He grinned at me. “But you’ll see that the base pay should be more than enough.”
I took the envelope, but I didn’t open it. Honestly, when was the other shoe going to drop? “I need to do my own research, look into the team before I can make a decision.”
“Of course.” His grin faded. “Why don’t you take the weekend? Come to the games on Friday and Sunday? Let me know your decision Monday morning.”
“Who are you playing?”
He named two teams I’d once enjoyed watching. It had been so long since I’d let myselfwatchandenjoyhockey.
“If I agree to take this job, I will be excused from attending any games that involve my brothers’ teams. That would be a stipulation. No one can know my connection to them except you and those who are already aware. Who else knows in your organization?”
He straightened, a keen look on his face. “Only myself and the investigator I hire to do all my research.”
“The coaching staff?”
His lips pressed together, and he shook his head. “They’re not currently aware.”
