"Nope." He eyes me sympathetically. Most of the team knows the situation with her. It's not like I've made it a secret or anything. "I told her that we'd let you know. She kept wanting to know where you were, but no one told her."
I drop my head, muttering a curse. I'd bet my left nut that there is no emergency, at least not one that matters. Her funding issue isn't my goddamn problem. But looks like she's going to keep trying to make it my issue.
"You need a restraining order, man," Karsen says.
"No shit," I mutter, tipping my head up to glare at him. "But then we have to deal with the goddamn fallout from that. You think the press won't be all over us filing a restraining order against our own mother?"
Harlan, Tye, and I are all professional athletes. Hattie is married to a professional athlete. And the press has spent too much time in our business lately with all the weddings as it is. If we file an order, they'll be all over it.
They won't stop digging until they know every sordid detail of our fucked-up family history—like how our father died leaving our mother, or how he was leaving her because she was abusive to Hattie, practically starving her because she wanted her to lose weight. It'll all be out there, and I don't want to do that to Hattie, not when she's finally fucking happy and thriving.
I don't want to risk doing it to Tia, either. The last thing she needs is for anyone to dig up her past because of my drama with my mother. Daniel Jordan has caused her enough pain without the press getting a hold of the story in some quest to lay my entire life out for the masses. I will lose my shit if she walks away from me because I wasn't careful enough with her.
Karsen clamps a hand on my shoulder. "We've got your back, brother. You know we do."
"Thanks," I sigh. This team has always had my back, but they can't handle our mother for me, unfortunately. That one is on me. "I'll go deal with her after practice."
I don't want to deal with her, though. I want to be back in Minneapolis, with Tia in front of me and my mother the furthest thing from my mind. I want it so badly it's a goddamn ache in the center of my chest.
"Hey," I say before Karsen can walk away.
He pauses, glancing at me.
"I need a favor."
"Name it."
"You know anything about Daniel Jordan?"
His brows furrow. "The center for the Pirates?"
"Yeah, him."
"Not much. I don't associate with pricks, you know that."
I grunt, not surprised he knows Jordan's reputation. There isn't much Karsen doesn't know. "Turns out, he's a fucking predator. I can't get into specifics or reveal names, but he likes to make bets about who he can sleep with and then publicly humiliate them after the fact."
"Jesus Christ," Karsen growls, his eyes narrowing. "You talking about Kingston's sister?"
I grit my teeth, refusing to answer that question. Doesn't matter if Karsen is my captain; I'm not breaking Tia's trust.
He must see something on my face because he doesn't push. Instead, he nods, his expression dark. "You don't have to answer me," he says. "Just know that I've got it handled."
"How?"
"I know people," he says, grinning savagely. "Like the coach for the Pirates. Trust me, if he has a spot on the team once I'm finished, it'll be a miracle."
"Shit," I whisper, gratitude rushing through me. "Thank you."
"You don't owe me thanks, brother." He pauses. "Is she good?"
"Yeah." I swallow. "She will be."
"Then that's all that matters."
I don't have to go looking for my mother. She's waiting on my porch again when I pull into the driveway, perched on the edge of a chaise like a made-up little doll. It's all smoke and mirrors. If the world knew what kind of ugly lurked behind her perfect mask, they'd never see her the same again.
She spots me before I even kill the engine, rising to her feet. She doesn't come to me, though. She waits for me to come to her.
