Olivia sat fidgeting with her paper coffee cup. It had been scalding to the touch at one point, but now it had cooled to a dull heat. Much like Derek's reaction to her after she'd let him know that she knew all about the coke.

"You know I have the proof, right?" she repeated what she'd told Jude before Derek could deny it.

"Yeah. I have no doubt you do," he said, an icy look in his brown eyes.

Not so much that he was a recreational user. Hell, half the players, executives and she suspected a couple of the Devil Girls liked and used it sporadically. Back in the early days, Chase, Sloane, Pete and she had quite the reputation, but luckily there hadn't been the Internet. Only random polaroids and maybe some old dusty VHSs sitting forgotten in someone's closet, of their nineties' antics. No one was ever gonna see photos of her naked and strung out in Cabo.

But, Derek had gotten sloppy, and his mistake was an advantage. She'd been smart enough not to let on that she also had her Gucci clad boot on Jude's neck, too. She didn't want these two boys to get together, have each other's backs and try to outmaneuver her. Jude had latched onto the super star, not unusual for an agent, but then he had ridden the baller's coat tails all the way to Oscar's proximity.

"Why are you coming for me like this, Olivia? I thought we were cool."

"We were. We are… but, I need someone like you. The Roman Emperor on my side, if I'm gonna deal with Oscar, I need that kind of backing. Regardless of your, shall we say… less than stellar reputation off the court, the League, the public, the press, still love and value you," she said taking a quick sip of the now cold, dark liquid.

He looked around the busy coffee shop, leaned into her as he set his powerful arms on the table and folded his hands to his handsome, but sour face.

The bright L.A. sun streamed in through the windows and put him in a sort of halo. She almost laughed.

"You're crazy. I'm here to play ball, not get caught up in whatever drama you've cooked up between Oscar Kinkade and you... I'm just tryin' to win a championship ring!"

"Come on, Derek, don't make me threaten you. Again. You've been playing on borrowed time… you could be banned for life, bringing that stuff into the locker room, the team plane... as well as a few other illegal substances. Failing a drug test could be lethal to your career. Then you'll never get a ring." 'Just ask Terrence and Jelena.' "You could lose everything… including what looks like a budding… "friendship?" she said lightly. "With Ahsha Hayes." Another one, who's ambition and Jelena's aggression, had made it easy to manipulate... "I also don't think Pete as her father and your coach would be happy…"

That made his eyes flash, then it was gone. "Why are you trying to fuck up my shit. Get a lawyer… take Oscar to court."

Yeah, he and Jude were really singing from the same sheet of music. This kid had no idea the lengths Oscar would go to. No doubt one day he might. It had definitely been smart not to let on to any of the others who else she had lined up. It was going to be as much of a surprise for them as it was going to be for Oscar.

"I don't need a lawyer, when I've got you." She was exhausted. She'd already met with that piece of trash, Kyle Hart, and sitting here trying to deal with Derek was even less pleasant. A wild one, yeah… but that wasn't her problem. "Listen," she said getting up, and pulling her purse onto her petite shoulders. "I think we both know what you need to do." She then put on her Dior sunglasses and walked out. She could feel his eyes bore into her back as she left.