The Wolf of Los Angeles

Chapter 47: Self-Made Stories

By mid-April, Los Angeles was heating up.

Edward returned from an outing, grabbed a bottle of ice-cold cola, and gulped half of it in one go. He pulled a check from his bag and placed it in front of Hawk. "Photos I took last night sold for $280. It’s all here."

Hawk took the check and continued leafing through Dwayne Johnson’s personal dossier. The chaos surrounding Robert Downey Jr. had delayed his discussions with Johnson about movies and personal branding. Fortunately, Johnson had been busy flying across North America for promotional work and had only just returned to Los Angeles yesterday.

With nothing better to do, Edward fiddled with a camera, grumbling, "Boss, don’t you think work’s been pretty dull lately?"

Hawk looked up. "Romantic troubles?"

"No," Edward sighed. Having tasted the adrenaline of headline-worthy, high-stakes work, he now found routine photo assignments unbearably mundane. Licking his lips, he said, "We’ve been pulling off huge stories, making the front page every time. Now doing these $200 side gigs feels awful."

Hawk ignored him and asked, "Any updates on Deborah?"

Edward leaned back. "She’s been tied up with Downey’s inheritance proceedings. It’s not the right time to make a move. I can’t just drop the ball on what we discussed—she’s working at the shelter, and cutting things short would be too irresponsible!"

With a self-satisfied grin, he added, "I’ve thought it over. Widowhood isn’t my forte. I’ll take a more indirect approach—through her son. I found out her kid, Indio, goes to Brentwood School."

Hawk smirked. "You’re a genius."

"Boss, we need another big story!" Edward practically vibrated with energy. "No, scratch that—we need to manufacture one!"

Hawk closed Johnson’s dossier. "Soon."

Edward nodded approvingly. "I get it now. Big stories aren’t stumbled upon; they’re made—like what we do."

Hawk pulled out his phone and called Johnson. Once the call connected, he said, "It’s Hawk Osmond. Saw the news you’re back in L.A."

Johnson remembered him immediately. "Been busy lately, so I haven’t followed up. Any progress on what I asked you?"

"I’ve got some ideas. Let’s talk in person," Hawk said.

Johnson glanced at his schedule. "How about Tracy Gym this afternoon?"

"Works for me," Hawk agreed and ended the call. He thought for a moment, then called Eric, who was stuck on a script and looking for an excuse to get out.

---

In the afternoon, Hawk arrived at Tracy Gym on time, changed in the locker room, and waited. Johnson and Eric arrived shortly after.

Hawk grabbed a towel and said, "I’ll warm up in the boxing area. Join me when you’re ready."

Johnson gave him a thumbs-up and headed to his private locker room. Eric, however, used the public area.

As Eric changed, a burly white man emerged from another private locker room. Spotting Eric, he veered toward him.

To the man, Eric’s scruffy beard, tired eyes, weathered face, and perpetually pursed lips exuded an artsy, submissive vibe.

Placing a hand on Eric’s shoulder, the man said, "Hey there, newbie?"

Eric stepped forward to shrug off the hand, sizing him up. "Who are you?"

The man smiled. "Miller Collins, wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers."

"An NFL star, huh?" Johnson emerged from his locker room, shaking hands with Miller. "Dwayne Johnson. Don’t think we’ve met before."

Miller gave a polite nod. "Just joined recently."

Glancing at Eric, he added, "It’s the offseason. I bought a house in Santa Monica and am staying here for now. Gotta keep training."

"Good luck with your season," Johnson said amicably.

"Thanks." Miller turned to leave but cast another look at Johnson before exiting. His mind wandered. Not my type. Too much muscle. Artsy vibes are better. Just then, his wife Maria arrived.

"You’re taking forever," she said.

"Ran into Dwayne Johnson. Had to chat," Miller replied, kissing her cheek.

As they walked out, Maria spoke enthusiastically. "Your career won’t last forever. Moving to L.A. is the right move. Start networking with celebrities while your name is hot. It’ll set us up for the future."

She smiled warmly. "Dorothy’s growing up fast. We need her to fit into L.A.’s elite circles."

"Don’t worry. I’ve got it handled," Miller assured her. "Last month, I used my connection with Beckham to meet Tom Cruise."

---

Meanwhile, Johnson and Eric joined Hawk in the boxing area, where Hawk was drenched in sweat, throwing punches at his sparring partner.

After a while, Hawk stepped back to the ropes, had someone help him remove his gloves, and asked Eric, "Feel like a round?"

Eric quickly pushed Johnson forward. "You fight him."

"I’m not in his weight class," Hawk said.

Johnson motioned to the weights area. "Let’s hit the iron."

Hawk stepped off the ring and followed. On their way, Eric commented, "Something about that guy didn’t sit right with me."

Johnson frowned. "Seemed fine to me."

"Strange," Eric murmured.

"What are you talking about?" Hawk asked.

Eric recounted the locker room interaction and pointed subtly toward the dynamic duo on their way to the spin bikes. "The guy’s over there."

Hawk glanced quickly, realizing he’d seen the man before—at the Viper Room bar, chatting with Beckham.

"That’s Miller Collins," Johnson explained. "A star wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers."

Hawk nodded. An NFL player. It all made sense now.

The three worked out, with Eric tapping out early and retreating to the rest area. Hawk and Johnson, however, completed their routines before joining him.

Eric groaned. "This place isn’t for me."

"Let’s try climbing or shooting next time," Hawk suggested.

Eric grumbled. "Your media job doesn’t involve armed robbery…"

"High-stakes business," Hawk reminded him. "You saw it in Park City. Without a strong body, how do you win?"

Eric thought back to George’s mess and reluctantly agreed. "Fine. I’ll try again."

"What high-stakes business?" Johnson asked, intrigued.

Eric explained briefly, and Johnson nodded thoughtfully. "Earlier this month, a production company in New Jersey held a test screening for distributors. Suddenly, the town lost power. Investigators think a rival investor sabotaged the electrical grid."

"George opened Pandora’s box!" Eric fumed.

Hawk sipped his electrolyte water but didn’t swallow, spitting it into a nearby bin without a word.

Johnson gave him a thumbs-up. "You know movies, and you know how to fend off competition. Impressive!"

Hawk thought to himself, It’s all self-made.

Switching gears, Hawk addressed Johnson. "I’ve got a plan for that matter we discussed."

Johnson, influenced by Eric and Katherine’s high praise, was eager. "Fantastic!"

Hawk outlined his approach, emphasizing, "We’ll need to sign an agreement before proceeding."

"I’ll bring in Dani. She’s my wife and manager," Johnson said. Dani had already connected with the Invasion production’s director and producer, Beto Blount, at Johnson’s request.

Half an hour later, Dani Garcia arrived. Eric excused himself, while Hawk and Johnson retreated to a private lounge to hash out the details.

After an extended discussion, they finalized the agreement at Johnson’s management office and signed the deal.

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