Vegas Aces: The Wide Receiver Complete Series

CHAPTER 25 TRISTAN

I text both my lawyer and Ellie once my plane lands. Nevada isn’t known as the quickie divorce state for nothing, and once I got my ass into gear to overcome that fear of what could happen if her blackmail goes public, well, I’m ready to set the rest in motion.

I want to be with Tessa, and this thing with Savannah is holding us up. Motivation activated.

Let’s fucking go.

Me: I’m in town. Can I swing by in a bit to talk?

Ellie’s positive reply comes first as I’m heading down to the car rental area. My truck is parked at O’Hare, so I rented an SUV while I’m in town, and I head right to her house since that’s where she works.

Her assistant, Leah, answers the door, and she leads me through the house to Ellie’s office.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Higgins?” she asks.

“This is, uh, confidential,” I say, glancing at Leah.

Ellie nods. “Of course, as is everything discussed in the confines of this office.”

I clear my throat, uncomfortable talking about this with more people than completely necessary, and Ellie addresses Leah. “Can you give us a few minutes?”

“Of course,” Leah says, and she closes the door behind her on the way out of the office.

“What’s going on?” Ellie asks as I collapse on the purple couch. The purple couch reminds me of the lilac bushes beneath Tessa’s windows. Purple always reminds me of Tessa, but then almost everything reminds me of Tessa.

Her husband bought the couch in this office for Ellie when he surprised her with an office after she opened her PR firm…the same husband whose position I slid into on the Aces when he retired.

The same husband who used to be married to my wife…who warned me against getting into a relationship with her, but I did it anyway.

“Savannah has been blackmailing me basically since we got married, and I’ve been trying to get out of this marriage ever since. I hit my hard limit yesterday, and I want out. I just wanted to warn you first of the possible repercussions of that,” I say.

Her brows raise. “What does she have on you?”

“You know her MO,” I say. “She slipped me some HGH, had me drug tested, and has threatened to take the results to the league ever since.”

“God, I hate that bitch,” she says a little viciously, and this is why I love Ellie. She’s smart, she’s funny, and she’s a fucking beast.

“Me too,” I mutter. “I fessed up to Coach yesterday, and he told me the team is prepared to support me however they can. But if I do this and she makes good on her promise, the test results will likely go public pretty quickly.”

“Control the narrative, Tristan,” she says. “If you put it out there before she does, you’re saving yourself a lot of judgment.”

“In this situation…” I shake my head. “I’m not sure that’s true. People will judge me either way, and I’m going to have to face that. But if I put it out there prematurely and she doesn’t do anything with her evidence, then I’ve jumped the gun and might have to face consequences I otherwise shouldn’t have to face. I have a plan. It’s risky, but it’s insurance.”

“What’s the plan?” she asks carefully, her brows drawn together in fear of whatever I’m about to confess to her.

I stand and pace the small rug in front of Ellie’s desk, and then I think better of it and sit back down to rest the hammy. “She kept telling me probation didn’t matter, that blackmail will only get her a slap on the wrist, and after seeing what you all went through at Jack’s place with the blackmailer, I very stupidly believed her. But Coach made me see if nothing else, I can use that to get my divorce. I just need to have evidence that she’s doing something illegal, and that’s why I’m back in town.” I lean my elbows on my knees as I face her. “I’m collecting hard evidence and I’m going to fucking destroy her.”

“Do it,” she whispers. “God, Tristan. This fire in you. I love it. I’ve never seen you like this. May I ask what the hard limit was that prompted you to take action?”

I blow out a breath. “I’ve been growing closer to my ex…it’s a long story, but she’s the one. I’ve always known it, and she’s back home and I’m back home and it feels like fate pushing us together. I moved in to kiss her yesterday, and she pushed me away because I’m married. She won’t enter the equation no matter how dead that marriage is. I was too scared to risk it before, so I just kept silent and let Savannah do her worst. But now she’s coming between me and Tessa, and that’s it. My hard limit.”

“Destroy her. I have your back. Luke will have your back. Everyone at the Aces has your back.” She shakes her head. “But nobody has her back. Go get her.”

“I’m going to talk to my lawyer first. She’s changed lawyers three times during these divorce proceedings, and I know the whole thing starts over every time one of us switches lawyers, but Ben recently gave me Jack’s lawyer’s info—Richard Redmond?—and I’m having him team up with my current divorce lawyer. I just haven’t told him about the blackmail yet.”

Ellie nods. “He’s one of the best, and he’s familiar with the case against Savannah.”

“That’s why I’m using him. I wasn’t ready for the next step, but I am now. I’m going to tell him everything and figure out the best way to proceed.” My phone buzzes on cue, a reply from Richard telling me he’s unable to meet with me today but is available for a phone call right now.

I take the option, put it on speaker, and tell him everything I just told Ellie.

He tells me to get proof that Savannah is blackmailing me, and once I do, to let him know. “I’ll get in touch with Mertz and we’ll redraft your divorce papers,” he says. “If you have evidence she’s committing a crime while on probation, you’re golden, kid. You’ll get everything, and she will get nothing. You’ll never have to show the league what she has on you, and you won’t miss any playing time.”

That sounds pretty damn good to me.

We end the call, and my eyes meet Ellie’s.

“You heard the man,” she says. “Go get your evidence.”

“Thanks, Ellie!” I yell as I race out of her office—cautiously, of course, to keep my hamstring in check—passing by a very curious-looking Leah on my way out.

I speed toward home, and my tires squeal as I slam on the brakes across the street from my house. I throw it into park and jog toward the house, and the second I unlock the front door, my heart thundering in my chest as I’m ready to confront this woman who lives to make my life hell…I realize she isn’t home.

Talk about anti-fucking-climactic.