Chapter 59
Damon
I didn’t need to see the picture twice to know what it meant. Nathan was making his move. I’d seen that look before... the kind of silent warning that wasn’t meant to scare you, but to remind you that he was always one step ahead.
Alicia sat frozen beside me, her phone trembling slightly in her hands. I took it gently, staring at the image again. Someone from our circle had already been compromised. I didn’t need the message to tell me who was behind it. I could feel it in my gut... Nathan.
“Damon,” Alicia said quietly, her voice trembling just a little. “What are we going to do?”
I looked at her, trying to keep my voice calm. “I’ll handle it. You just stay here. Don’t talk to anyone about this, okay?”
She frowned. “You can’t handle everything alone.”
“I have to,” I said, my tone firmer than I meant. “He’s not just threatening me anymore. He’s threatening you. And that’s where I draw the line.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but I was already grabbing my jacket. I didn’t want her to see the storm brewing inside me. I was angry... at Nathan, at Marcus, at myself for not seeing any of this coming.
The moment I stepped out of the hospital, the cool night air hit me. My car was still parked where I left it, the engine cold, the air thick with tension. I slid into the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel, forcing myself to breathe.
Nathan had always been competitive, but this… this was obsession. He’d gone from rival to enemy faster than I could blink. I started the car and drove straight to the training facility. I needed to know if what I suspected was true.
When I got there, the place was almost empty. Just a few assistants cleaning up after practice, the smell of sweat and turf still heavy in the air. I walked straight to Coach Ramirez’s office. He looked up from his laptop, surprised to see me.
“Damon,” he said, raising a brow. “You should be resting.”
“I need to ask you something,” I said, stepping closer. “It’s about Nathan.”
Coach sighed, rubbing his temples. “What about him?”
“Has he been here? Or… did something happen with him and the team?”
The coach hesitated. That pause told me everything.
“What did he do?” I pressed.
Finally, Coach exhaled and leaned back. “Nathan put in for a transfer. Effective immediately.”
I blinked. “A transfer? To where?”
He hesitated again, then said, “The Denver Hawks.”
My heart sank. The Denver Hawks were our fiercest rivals... the one team that thrived on tearing us apart every season. If Nathan had gone there, it wasn’t just for a new contract. It was personal.
“When did this happen?” I asked, my voice low.
“Two days ago,” Coach said. “The league approved it this morning. He didn’t even say goodbye. Just packed up his locker and left.”
I clenched my fists, trying to process it. “And no one thought that was strange?”
Coach gave me a weary look. “Damon, the man’s been unpredictable lately. Arguments with teammates, showing up late to practice, disappearing after games. I figured he needed a change of scenery.”
A change of scenery. That was one way to put it. But I knew Nathan better than anyone else did. This wasn’t about scenery... it was about strategy. He wanted access to our game plans, our patterns, our weak spots and now he had the perfect position to destroy us from the outside.
“Does Alicia know?” Coach asked.
I shook my head. “Not yet. And I’d rather she didn’t, at least not until I figure out what he’s really after.”
Coach nodded. “Keep me posted, son. But be careful. Rivalries like this can get ugly fast.”
I left the office, my mind already spinning. Nathan wasn’t just after the team. He was after everything that gave me stability...my career, my relationships, my reputation. The man thrived on chaos, and now he had the entire Denver Hawks organization behind him.
Back in the car, I dialed Marcus’s number. It went straight to voicemail. No surprise there. After what he’d done, I didn’t expect him to pick up. But something told me he knew more than he’d said.
I decided to go to his apartment. It was late, and the city was quiet except for the hum of traffic. When I got there, his lights were off, but his car was parked outside. I knocked on the door...once, twice and finally, he opened it.
He looked rough. Eyes bloodshot, stubble covering his jaw, a beer can in his hand.
“Damon,” he muttered, his voice flat. “Didn’t think you’d show up.”
“I didn’t come here to fight,” I said. “I just want the truth. Why did Nathan contact you? What did he threaten you with?”
Marcus looked away, guilt flashing across his face. “You don’t understand, man. He had my kid. My little girl. He showed me pictures of her school, her teachers. He said if I didn’t do what he asked, she’d disappear.”
My chest tightened. “And what exactly did he ask you to do?”
Marcus’s voice cracked. “Just to feed him info. Stats, plays, schedules. I thought it was harmless until he started asking about you and Alicia. That’s when I tried to cut it off.”
I stepped closer. “But he didn’t let you, did he?”
Marcus shook his head. “No. He said if I told you, he’d go after her next. I couldn’t risk it.”
I exhaled, rubbing my temples. “You should have told me, Marcus. I could have protected both of you.”
His eyes filled with tears. “You think I didn’t want to? I was scared, Damon. You don’t know what that man’s capable of.”
I did. I knew exactly what Nathan was capable of... manipulation, intimidation, control. He was playing chess while the rest of us were still learning the rules.
I pulled out my phone and showed Marcus the message Alicia had received. His face went pale. “He’s not done,” I said quietly. “He’s just getting started.”
Marcus swallowed hard. “Then what are you gonna do?”
I looked him dead in the eyes. “Stop him. Before he destroys everything.”
I left his apartment without another word, the weight of it all pressing down on me. As I drove back through the city, I could see the Denver Hawks stadium glowing in the distance. It was a cruel reminder of what Nathan had done... of what he’d taken from me.
When I finally got back to the penthouse, Alicia was still awake, pacing the living room. She ran to me the moment I walked in. “Damon, where did you go? I’ve been worried sick.”
“I had to check something,” I said softly. “Nathan’s gone. He left the team.”
Her eyes widened. “Gone? What do you mean gone?”
“He signed with the Denver Hawks,” I said. “Effective immediately.”
She froze, trying to process it. “The Denver Hawks? Damon, that’s...”
“Our biggest rival. Yeah, I know,” I said. “And that’s not all. He’s been working behind the scenes for weeks, maybe months. Marcus was feeding him information because Nathan threatened his daughter.”
Alicia’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God.”
I nodded. “Nathan’s not after a game win anymore. He’s after us.”
She stepped closer, her voice barely a whisper. “What are we going to do?”
I looked out the window, the city lights reflecting off the glass. “We fight back. We don’t give him what he wants. And when the next game comes, we show him exactly who he’s dealing with.”
She reached for my hand, her grip tight. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
I turned to her, my voice low but steady. “I can’t promise that, Alicia. But I can promise I won’t let him win.”
She looked into my eyes, searching for something... maybe hope, maybe certainty and I gave her the only thing I could offer: determination.
Because Nathan might have switched teams, but this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot and as I held Alicia close, the only thought running through my mind was that the next game wasn’t just about baseball anymore. It was about everything... loyalty, love, and the dangerous line between rivalry and revenge.