'Hit the Floor'~Bounce

Uncertainty

As much as Jude wanted to stay with Gideon, drink a bourbon and have some salmon, he knew he needed to head over to see Lionel before the morning. She had moved out of her Malibu beach house and into Oscar's Beverly Hills Tudor mansion. Not only was it more convenient to the arena, she knew that it would twist the knife just that much more for Oscar if Lionel were luxuriating in his hot tub, while he rotted in prison awaiting trial.

He punched in the security code and drove the Porsche up to the house, which was ablaze in lights. Since Lionel had taken over she'd not only given him security access, but keys to the mansion. Much like Lionel when it came to his apartment, he walked into the front door without knocking or ringing the bell. He went straight to the office that had once belonged to Oscar and found Lionel sitting at the desk entranced in the papers in front of her.

"Hey. Heard you came by. Listen, I hope you don't think my going to the board without you had anything to do-"

"--it's fine, Jude. I get that there have been questions. We're good." He could hear the slight dismissiveness in her tone as she looked at him, then returned her gaze to the papers on the desk.

"Okay." Her ease and acceptance surprised him. A lot..."Well...I heard about Jelena and Terrence's 24-hour ultimatum to the League. We're gonna fight this, together."

"We are. With a little help."

"Help? What help?"

"Hello, son," said Oscar from behind.

'Fuck.' Jude turned around to his father's self-satisfied grin. He wore orange, but this time instead of a prison jumpsuit, it was a casual collared shirt.

"I can see my presence has come as a shock to you son. Do you two need a moment?" Oscar ask in a relaxed manner.

Jude felt his heart drop. "Yeah...we do!" Jude shot Lionel a look, as she rose from her desk and came and stood in front of him.

With a raise of his thick brows, Oscar receded back into the other room

"Are you crazy? What were you thinking? Getting Oscar released?" he whispered.

"Relax, I still have him on a choke chain. If he so much as looks at me the wrong way, I'll use the proof I have of his racketeering to put him right back in his cage." She spoke in a low and confident tone.

Feeling anything but confident in Lionel's words, Jude crossed his arms close. Worried. "No, it just seems...drastic."

"Because it is. Do you think I'd spring him if I didn't have to? Terrence and Jelena are coming at us, hard. If anyone can stop them, it's him. Hate Oscar all we want, But he could mean the difference between us keeping the team or losing it."

He nodded his head in agreement, although he only agreed on paper...He knew Oscar and all that he was capable..."Fine...but, Lionel. Just be careful."

"I will. I've got everything under control," she assured him. "I have a plan..."
~~~

He didn't bother to say goodbye or anything else to Oscar before he left.
~~~

The double doors that lead to the patio were wide open as Jude made his way into the bedroom. Unlike the penthouse, the apartment had no surround sound. So, it was either listening to music on his phone or Jude's living room stereo, Zero chose the latter. He wore a familiar dark grey tee, black joggers and black flip flops. His feet were propped up on a wicker table, a lite beer against his chest. "So, how'd it go?" ask Zero.

"Oh...Oscar's out of prison..."

"Shit! Really?"

"Yeah, and it was Lionel who sprung'em."