Chapter 52

Chapter 52
Damon

The crowd was still roaring when I walked off the field, but all I could hear was the ringing in my head. My blood felt too hot, my hands trembling even though I was trying to look calm. Security had already taken Marcus away, but his words kept echoing. He has her. He has my little girl.

Everything around me blurred. The locker room, the reporters outside, the noise. None of it mattered. Marcus had betrayed me, yes, but not for greed or jealousy. For something far worse.

Nathan.

I ripped off my jersey, grabbed a towel, and sank onto the bench, breathing hard. My teammates hovered near the door, whispering, confused. I could hear them saying my name, asking what happened, but I didn’t answer.

Then my phone buzzed.

One message. From Alicia. Come upstairs. Please.

I didn’t think. I just went.

The hallway to the private box was quiet compared to the madness outside. I pushed open the door and found her standing near the window, pale and shaken, her hands gripping her phone so tightly her knuckles were white.

She turned the moment she heard me. “Damon.”

Her voice cracked. That was all it took to make my heart twist painfully. I walked straight to her, catching her arms before she could back away. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

She shook her head, her eyes glistening. “It’s not me. It’s Marcus’s daughter.”

I frowned, confusion slicing through me. “His daughter?”

She nodded quickly, words tumbling out. “Nathan has her. That’s why Marcus did what he did. He was forced. He didn’t want to hurt you, Damon. He had no choice.”

I tightened my grip on her arms. “How do you know that?”

She hesitated, her lips trembling. Then she handed me her phone.

The screen showed a photo. A little girl with tear-streaked cheeks, tied to a chair. The timestamp was from less than an hour ago.

I stared at it, my throat tightening. Then I scrolled down to the message underneath.

Tell him Nathan says hello.

My jaw locked. For a few seconds, I couldn’t speak. All I could do was stare at the screen until the edges of my vision blurred.

“When did this come in?” I asked finally.

“Just now,” she whispered. “Right after they took Marcus away.”

I handed the phone back slowly. “He’s taunting me.”

“Damon,” she said softly, “this isn’t just a game to him anymore. He’s serious.”

I looked at her then, really looked at her. Her eyes were filled with fear, but beneath it was something else. Worry. Not just for Marcus or the little girl, but for me.

“I should have seen it,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “Marcus has been off for weeks. I kept telling myself it was stress, but it was Nathan pulling the strings.”

She took a step closer. “You couldn’t have known.”

“I should have,” I said, my voice sharper than I meant. “He was right there beside me, Alicia. My own man. I trusted him with everything.”

She placed a hand on my arm, her touch soft. “You still can. Marcus did what he had to do to save his child. That doesn’t make him the enemy.”

I wanted to believe that. God, I wanted to. But Nathan’s shadow had already poisoned everything. Trust wasn’t something I could hand out easily anymore.

I sat down, leaning forward, my elbows on my knees. “If Nathan went after Marcus’s daughter, it means he’s losing control. He’s desperate.”

“Desperate people are dangerous,” she said quietly.

“Yeah,” I murmured. “So am I.”

She frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’m done waiting for him to make the next move.”

“Damon.” Her tone changed, firmer now. “You can’t just run after him. You don’t even know where he is.”

“I’ll find him.”

“And then what?” she asked. “You’ll fight him? You’ll get yourself killed? That’s what he wants.”

I looked up at her. “You think I’m just going to sit here while he uses people I care about as pawns?”

Her lips parted. “People you care about?”

I realized too late what I’d said. For a second, neither of us spoke. The tension between us was heavier than the silence.

She looked away first, her voice trembling. “You can’t save everyone, Damon.”

I stood and reached for her hand. “Watch me.”

She tried to pull away, but I held her gently, not to trap her, just to make her listen. “Nathan has already taken too much from me,” I said. “He’s not taking anyone else. Not Marcus. Not that little girl. And not you.”

Her eyes met mine then, and something in them broke. “You can’t protect me from everything.”

“Maybe not,” I said. “But I can try.”

For a moment, everything went quiet again. The noise of the crowd outside was just a dull hum. The air between us was thick, full of unspoken words.

Then her phone buzzed again. She jumped, pulling it free from her pocket. I watched her face pale as she read the message.

“What is it?” I asked.

She swallowed hard. “It’s a location.”

I stepped closer. “From Nathan?”

She nodded, showing me the message. It was an address, just outside the city. The same industrial area where Nathan used to run his underground betting ring.

My pulse quickened. “He wants me to come.”

“Damon, no,” she said quickly. “That’s exactly what he wants. It’s a trap.”

I smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach my eyes. “Every game is a trap if you don’t know how to play it.”

“This isn’t a game.”

“It’s always a game with him,” I said quietly. “And this time, I intend to win.”

She stepped in front of me, blocking the door. “You can’t go alone.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

“Then I’m coming.”

I shook my head. “No, you’re not.”

“Damon, I’m not staying here while you go face him. You think I can just sit and wait again?”

I stared at her for a long moment. The fire in her eyes reminded me of why I’d fallen for her in the first place. She wasn’t fragile. She wasn’t afraid to stand her ground.

“This isn’t about bravery,” I said quietly. “It’s about survival.”

She folded her arms. “Then you’ll need someone to make sure you come back alive.”

Despite everything, a small smile tugged at my lips. “You’re impossible.”

“So are you.”

I sighed, rubbing my temple. “Fine. But you do exactly what I say. If things go wrong, you run.”

She nodded, relief flooding her features. “Deal.”

I turned back toward the window, staring at the city skyline. The sun was already setting, painting everything in shades of orange and red. Somewhere out there, Nathan was waiting. Watching.

For a brief moment, I wondered what he would do next. He was never random. Every move had a purpose. And if he sent that address now, after what happened with Marcus, it meant something bigger was coming.

Alicia walked over and slipped her hand into mine. Her fingers were cold, trembling slightly, but her grip was firm. I looked down at her, and she met my gaze with quiet determination.

“We’ll get her back,” she said softly. “Marcus’s daughter. We’ll find her.”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah. We will.”

But in the back of my mind, a cold thought lingered.

Nathan didn’t send that address for Marcus’s daughter. He sent it for me.

And if I walked into that trap, I might not walk back out.

Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had to go. Because somewhere between the lies, the fear, and the chaos, one truth had become clear.

Nathan wasn’t just after revenge anymore. He was after Alicia.