I groan and face palm. “I need to warn Elliot. And someone has to call Joan. She has the girls today.”
“Ms. Chahal was adamant that you wait and handle this with her. She said he needs to make his own decisions for his family, but you were hers.”
There’s no humor in my laugh. That’s my girl. She’s the smart one, and most likely the half of my brain I should listen to.
She thinks he’ll reject me on television. Deny everything, which makes the most sense for him, and leave me flapping in the breeze. She’s been here with me before. She doesn’t want me to be there to witness it firsthand. “She’s trying to protect me.”
“I’m not sure that’s the right call, sir.”
I drop my hand and look up at the back of his head. “What?”
“Mr. Ransom is not the kind of man who abandons his friends. Neither are you.”
We are friends. I like him as much as I want him. As much as I love him. “Even if it’s the best thing to do for his family and his career in baseball? I know he’s a good guy, Derek. You don’t have to sell me. But this might be one of those times when the best thing for him to do is cover his own back end. Introducing his daughter is one thing, but this?”
His scowl says he doesn’t agree, and every part of me wishes he was right. That there was a way to spin this that could keep Elliot’s flawless reputation and allow me to stay in his life.
The crowd comes into view. It’s not at Jonas Brothers levels, but it’s a good handful too many.
“Well hell, Derek. I bet you didn’t know what you were getting into when you accepted the job. Do you miss driving businessmen to the airport yet?”
“Not remotely, sir. I love a challenge. Ask my wife.”
The sight of a wild mane of red hair has me leaning closer to the window as we reach the curb. It can’t be. “What is that about?”
“I forgot to tell you reinforcements were called in. Ms. Chahal will tell you all about it once we get you inside.”
Derek rounds the car with surprising speed and agility, opening the door to flashes and shouted, overlapping questions.
“Mr. Redmond, when did you start dating The Flash?”
“Your ex-boyfriend’s fiancé says you’re responsible for their reunion. Care to comment?”
“How long have you known about EJ’s love child, and were you blackmailing him to keep his secret?”
Was I what?
Before I can react, and I really want to react to that last one, my hero arrives in black tights, a plaid skirt and a pissy attitude. “Oi. That’s enough out of all of you. Let the man into his building. Boys, help me out.”
Calamity waves a hand and three scary-looking bruisers face off with the reporters, arms crossed as their presence gives me an instant walkway.
I want to hire them and take them everywhere.
“It’s the chief’s cousin,” one of the reporter’s says. “Is this guy related to the Finns or something?”
“That’s right, I’m Chief Finn’s cousin.” Calamity is really playing her accent up as she slips her arm through mine and starts guiding me toward the door. “And I can give him a call right now, if you don’t feck off.”
“We have a right to report the news, Kate.”
“They have a point,” I murmur. “You can’t have them arrested.”
Ignoring me, she claps back at the reporter. “News? You can’t trip over a rock lately without stumbling on some of the biggest news stories in history. Politics. Climate change. The world is going to shit and you call this news? Feck off.”
She ushers me through the door and Mr. Gordon is pacing the lobby on his phone, his laptop facing out to show a live feed of the chaos I just walked through.
Calamity squeezes my arm to get my attention. “It wasn’t me, babysitter. I wanted you to know that.”
“I know it.” There’s no doubt in my mind, despite her glaring demeanor. “And thank you for the save back there.”
She cracks her knuckles. “We’re only getting started. No one messes with one of ours. We’ve already had enough of that to last a lifetime.”
There’s a reporter talking on screen, so I move closer to the laptop. “I’m not a Finn.”
“Tasha says you are. You gave us Jae.”
“Loaned,” I correct automatically.
“Gave,” she shoots back. “And your brother married Brady’s Marine buddy. Plus, we bonded over whiskey and dancing, and you kept your trap shut about Shelley. Congratulations, you made the cut. Welcome to the family.”
It’s like a hug from a hedgehog, but I’ll take it. “Let me listen to this.”
I turn the sound up.
“…mystery of EJ Ransom’s disappearance during what was shaping up to be a winning season. What some in the media were writing off as a difficult contract negotiation or a serious injury might be turning into something of a soap opera. A woman left behind. A daughter no one knew existed. A sordid affair with the millionaire Manny? The mystery man, Joey Redmond, had no comment when questioned, but I’m sure fans of Flash Ransom will be waiting for more details. Including the strange intersection of this reporting with our exclusive news that Vampire Hippos 3 is back in production. According to our source at the studio…”