Carl had not only represented Zero's interests in the first Dallas deal but he'd been repaid with Zero's betrayal. "I heard you kicked Sam out?" Carl said, finally breaking the oppressive silence by mentioning the boy toy that'd caused trouble.

"I wouldn't say kick out but yea." Sam was a lesson Zero had learned the hard way. Before him, he'd kept all men at a distance sticking to quickie sex, dates in a club and never ever talking about his love life in the media.

He'd never believed a man would accept and love him flaws and all.

Then came Sam a high school teacher who'd convinced him to trust him but after his injury, he'd quickly discovered. Sam wasn't the soft-spoken man he'd understood him to be. Sam had changed into a money-hungry, self-indulgent, control freak and Zero had never seen anything like it. 

He'd been too caught up in the game because the game was all he had to define himself. So while Zero was laid up in the hospital with a concussion and a potentially career-ending hit to the knee Sam made a deal with Atticus Bryant and Associates Carl's PR rivals. He talked Zero into signing at a time he was drugged up on painkillers and fear.

"So how do I know you learnt your lesson?" Carl asked. The rough timbel in his voice told Zero that the man was softening.

"Would I be here grovelling if I hadn't?"

A smile lifted Carl's mouth "What are you doing here kid?"

"I'm this close to opening up a lodge in my hometown upstate."

Carl leaned in closer elbows resting on his large glass made desk. Eyes squinting, "And why the hell would you want to do that?"

He understood Carl's question. With all the recent aggravation, Zero often needed to remind himself for why he needed this venture to succeed.

"It's going to be a winter retreat for affluent adults and a school slash summer camp for special kids." Kids whose education fell short, who slipped through cracks and couldn't read as well as others even with effort.

A moment of understanding passed between the two because Carl knew Zero's secret, the weakness he never showed or shared. Sure enough, Carl nodded slowly "So what's the problem then?"

"Shit's hitting the fan. I'm renovating an old hotel. The problem started with incomplete deliveries, then some missed orders altogether. Finally, a few construction crews failed to show up on time and two high profile interior designers quit. In each case, they claimed I'd rescheduled. There's email evidence."

"Did you?" Carl had to ask.

"Hell no! We're already behind schedule as it is. I announced a Christmas opening but with the way things are going..." Zero rubbed on his brows.

Carl grimaced "Any chance your assistant or secretary made the changes?"

"Not if they wanted out of a job, none of them did, just like none of them spread a rumour there're termites in the building. When there isn't even a bug to be found, we also traced the IP address. It's a ghost town." Zero slammed his hand on the desk, his frustration returning. "I need damn good publicity and I need it quick or I stand to lose my investment I'll even lose funding for the next summer. The kids Carl, those kids need this."

Carl rubbed his hands together "Of all my Associates you need one of the Reynolds." pause "Jude."

"Steven!" Zero said thinking of the miracle-working nephew.

Carl laughed, his eyes glowing with pride at how the subject had changed to his adorable 'kids'.

Zero pressed his case, "I saw what Steven did to turn Terrence Wall's crime centre amusement park into a high-class establishment. Right in the middle of his petty twitter war with whatshisname."

"Steven was darn good for Terrence but only because Steven doesn't consider golfers athletes he wouldn't touch you within a ten-foot pole."

At Carl's declaration Zero knew Steven wasn't an option. "Ok I'll take Soph then. The folks in town will love her." and they would.

Whichever of Carl's nephews and niece Zero was gonna take would have to spend time in his hometown at his house under the same roof with him. That's why he desperately needed any of them except Jude.

Jude was too much, too everything to do his lodge or reputation any good. At this point, his success was tied to both.

"Sophie can handle any jock only problem is she's already doing that just that for another client. Who you need is Jude."