Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
I would never wish an injury on any of my teammates, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t take full advantage of this opportunity to prove myself. And my mentor was right there, pushing me hard to accomplish the goal.
“Brady,” Lennox called as he sauntered over with a smile. We shook hands, and he cocked his head toward the field. “You were a fucking beast out there.” He grinned. “Either you’re determined as hell to start or you're taking out sexual frustration on the field. Although, I’m honestly not sure which since Prentice tells me you live like a monk.”
Prentice burst into laughter, but it quickly turned into a painful groan. I shot him a smug look. Served him right for being an ass. But he just grinned in return.
Lennox smirked and slapped me on the back. “Whatever is motivating you, it’s working.”
Then he turned and walked off, leaving me with Prentice, who I shot a glare at. “Since when did the two of you turn into gossiping old ladies?”
Prentice chuckled. “It wasn’t us gossiping. It was our wives.”
“And how the fuck does Naomi know anything about my sex life?”
His expression darkened, and his eyes flashed with warning. “Watch it, Brady. I might be injured, but if I hear you talk about my wife and sex in the same breath again, I’ll kick your ass.”
I wasn’t surprised by his reaction. Prentice’s obsession with his wife was well known…and not unusual when it came to the wives and girlfriends of my teammates. I’d been purposely pushing his buttons. However, I backed off because I knew he meant it, and I didn’t want him to worsen his injury.
“How does your wife know anything about my love life?” I rephrased.
“You mean the one that doesn’t exist?”
I growled in annoyance. “Yes.”
“I might have mentioned it to her.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed a bottle of water from the table to my left, twisting off the cap and downing it in a few swallows.
“And before you ask, you came up because Lennox was pissed at Tank for that little scandal last month. He’s exercising the morality clause in Tank’s contract.”
Every contract with the Nighthawks included a clause with a code of conduct. If a player wouldn’t sign it, Lennox walked away. Still, I wasn’t sure how I’d been brought into that conversation.
“How does that have anything to do with me?”
“Indirectly,” Prentice explained. “Talk of Tank shifted to the other players, specifically single ones. He’s worried about a few, but I assured him that you wouldn’t be an issue.”
“Thanks,” I said gratefully. I appreciated Prentice’s faith in me.
“However,” he added. “Without solid roots here, he’ll always wonder what your intentions are when your contract is up.”
I frowned, studying Prentice’s face to see if he was serious. There wasn’t a hint of humor in his eyes. “Are you telling me that being single could hurt my chances?”
He shook his head. “No, Lennox and the coaches focus on talent and dedication. You know that. I’m just saying it might not hurt if you’re not only the best QB—besides me, of course—but you show you're settled here.”
“Like buying a house?” I knew that wasn’t what he meant, but I gave it a shot, anyway, since I already owned a house on Long Island.
“Like finding a wife.”
I rolled my eyes and started walking toward the tunnel. “The last thing I need is a relationship,” I grunted. “I need to keep my head in the game.”
“That’s what we all said.” Prentice laughed.
I sighed. “That’s great for you guys, but I don’t need or want that kind of complication.”
“I hate to be a broken record, but…That’s what we all said.”
As we entered the locker room, I glanced around, and my brow furrowed as I thought about how many of my teammates had gotten married and started families over the past six years. There had to be something in the…I looked down at my empty bottle and grimaced. “Maybe I shouldn’t be drinking the water around here.”
Prentice chuckled and shook his head. “Damn, I’m going to enjoy watching you meet the right woman.” Then he whipped out his phone and started giving me notes as I gathered up my stuff to hit the showers.
2
TALIA
Landing a job at K-Corp’s daycare was a dream come true for me. The investment firm owners were all family men and had put their money where their mouths were when it came to building a space where the children of their employees spent their time—and they had a considerable amount of money since they were all billionaires.
I thought it was a long shot when I applied since I only had a high school diploma, but they’d still asked me in for an interview. When I got the call telling me I got the job, I did a little dance around my bedroom before rushing out to share the good news with my parents.