“Who knew about your injury?”
People had been speculating for months after that loss, wondering if he was one hundred percent during that game. He suffered a rough tackle at the end of the second quarter. I remember him looking off after that play and scrambling when he normally looked untouchable. It suddenly all made sense. He wasn’t fully healthy to begin with because that sack shouldn’t have caused him to unravel the way he did.
“Coach Mac knew something was off.”
Of course he did. It was his job to notice everything. It was also his responsibility to protect his players, too.
“He sent me to the team doctor for a cortisone shot to help me get through it.”
My chest ached for him because I could see it so clearly now. His stubborn pride and determination made him push past his limits.
“I understand why you wanted to play, Nate, but Coach Mac had an obligation to look out for your best interests, not just his own.”
He shook his head. “It wasn’t all on him. I downplayed my injury to the staff and my teammates. Never mentioned it publicly.” He glanced up. “I agreed to it, Becca. Hell, I wanted to play. It was our team’s best shot at winning. We had momentum. I thought I could pull it off. I didn’t want to be that guy sitting on the sidelines while the entire season got flushed down the toilet.”
I rubbed my temples, trying to put myself in his shoes. I couldn’t imagine the pressure he was under or the expectations he faced. Not just from the fans, but also from his teammates, coaches, and management. He sacrificed so much for a chance to win, but he lost, and that must have stung ten times worse. Now I understood why he went off the radar.
“You said Brian had been blackmailing you. How did he even find out?”
While I didn’t know Brian personally, I’ve heard stories, and they weren’t all great.
“He walked into one of the training rooms when I was getting my shot. At the time, he still had access to medical records. It was never listed on the injury report, so it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together.”
That was such bullshit and a conversation for another day, because apparently, the Hawks organization had some shady-ass people working for them. My little reporter’s head was spinning.
“Okay,” I said slowly, giving my brain a minute to catch up. “That was last January. You said he’s been blackmailing you for weeks. Why did he wait so long?”
He huffed out a laugh. “He was waiting for the right moment. I’m negotiating a new contract. More pressure, more money. And what makes it worse is that he knows about us.” I blinked, feeling heat rush to my face while he continued. “Benji took a picture of us kissing on Saturday night. I guess he and Brian are friends.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
I was going to kill that little shithead. I never liked him, and this just confirmed what a creep he really was.
I rubbed my hands together, trying to get my brain to focus, because my thoughts were all over the place. But somehow, they kept circling back to all the rumors I’d heard about Nate’s ex-agent. I never met him, but from what I knew, he had a reputation for being a womanizer. The guy wasn’t exactly in a position to be judging anybody, especially not us.
All the gossip and whispers that had floated through the pressroom over the years came tumbling forward. Things I’d been told but never paid too much attention to, because I stayed in my lane, did my job, and avoided scandals. Now, I was replaying in my head every conversation I had.
The hypocrisy was strong with that one.
“Brian Sullivan isn’t exactly one to talk.”
Nate’s head snapped to mine. “What do you mean?”
“The guy is notorious for being disrespectful toward women.”
He folded his hands together. “Tell me more.”
I swallowed, forcing myself to remember everything I had heard. “He tried inviting a female colleague of mine to his hotel room during Super Bowl week, and she wasn’t the only one he extended an invitation to.”
Brian Sullivan had a reputation. He wasn’t the clean-cut family man he pretended to be. He was too handsy, and his inappropriate behavior made the female reporters uncomfortable.
Nate’s brows pulled together, confusion mixing with realization. “I knew he stepped out on his wife, but then again, so did plenty of other guys in my world.” He cringed, but that was nothing new to me. Most of the guys played the devoted family man in front of the cameras, but behind the scenes, they lived a double life. It happened in every sport, not just the NFL.
He grabbed my hand. “Has he ever tried anything with you?”
I shook my head. “No. I’ve never had any direct communication with him. I didn’t even think he knew who I was.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “He basically threatened to ruin your reputation.”
