Dirty Brawler: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (with bonus novel!) (10 page)

Tori

I never expected to feel so hurt at Shaun’s casual dismissal of me. It was what I would have asked him to do, and he played the part perfectly. In my mind, though, I was still reeling from the shock of seeing a picture of the two of us show up on national TV.

Seething inside, I knew I was going to have a few choice words with Georgie after the show. That wasn’t how things were played. You didn’t scoop a story in front of a national audience without some heads up. Georgie had been a two-bit entertainment reporter for one of the Hollywood rags for over a decade before she became legit. She had a nose for the most sordid kind of news, and I had heard rumblings that she still let loose every now and then when she had a guest on her show she had deemed tabloid press-worthy. I had thought we were beyond all of that in Shaun’s case.

Instead, we had taken a hundred steps back because he had just admitted to a one-night fling on national TV. That was the old bad boy image reemerging that I had so carefully been trying to put to bed.

That was the thing about spending so much time with him when there was no one else around. We had loads of sheet-twisting sex, but we also spent a lot of time just talking. We’d order room service, turn on old movies, and talk for hours on end.

It wasn’t like I believed Shaun was shallow, per se, it was just the things he keyed into and how sensitive he was to the world around him constantly astounded me. I could only think it came from feeling responsible for taking care of his sister and watching her struggle through her treatment. Shaun had always felt responsible for her wellbeing.

And far from being an uneducated muscle head, he was articulate, smart and so observant that sometimes it was spooky. It was as if he was a silent observer, watching everything around him and categorizing it into its place once he thought he understood it.

He had even gotten me to open up in a way I never had in any of my past relationships, brief as they’d been. I had always been so focused on my career that wasting energy on a lowlife who intended to wine me, screw me, and dump me within a matter of weeks had always been wholly unappealing. It hadn’t been worth the effort to let them get to know me better.

“He’s a real champ, don’t you think?” In my shocked stupor, I completely missed Nigel appearing next to my elbow.

“A champ,” I said. “You know anything about that little stunt Georgie just pulled?”

“Why would I have anything to do with that?” he asked with a wide-eye side glance at me. “PR is your area of expertise, remember? Shaun told both of us in no uncertain terms
you
are the expert.
You
are the one in charge. If shit hits the fan, that’s all on you.”

The way he said the words made it sound as if he was amused, that there was some secret undertone to them that I was missing.

“I
am
the one in charge,” I repeated after him, but there wasn’t any bite in my voice. I was watching everything I had been working for with Shaun come apart at the seams. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time in a worse place. Millions of people were watching.

Turning my attention back to the spectacle on stage, I saw that Georgie had somehow maneuvered herself even closer to Shaun. The woman was making a fool of herself in a painfully obvious attempt to flirt with him. Jesus, she was old enough to be Shaun’s mother.

“What in the fuck is she doing now?” I said to no one in particular.

“Reading love letters to Shaun sent in by viewers. She’s guaranteed to have at least three or four marriage proposals in there. Isn’t that a hoot?” Nigel said with a smirk.

Shaun kept tugging at the tie around his neck. It was clear that despite his attempt to recover from Georgie’s earlier blindside, he was uncomfortable and flustered. Georgie wasn’t letting up one iota, though. I wildly tried to think of anything I could do to save him.

“That’s the Shaun I know,” Nigel said, leaning toward me. His breath smelled like onions. I wrinkled my nose wishing I had nose plugs. “A little bit off-balance. A little bit awkward. Just one step away from blowing his load, physically or metaphorically.” Nigel chuckled at his joke, but I didn’t join him.

Things were starting to click into place now. The look on Nigel’s face when he saw Shaun and I together that first night in Des Moines in the elevator. The way he had blended into the background without even a peep of protest after that first blow-up on the bus. This wasn’t the first time Nigel had given up the goods on Shaun. Now I was positive of it.

“You gave her the picture, didn’t you? All along, I’ve been wondering how the paparazzi would know where Shaun was, but it was because
you
told them, wasn’t it? You’re playing a game with his image, aren’t you, Nigel? All of this bad press starts and ends with you.”

Nigel grabbed my elbow and dragged me toward backstage. I tried to shake him off, but he was stronger than he looked.

As soon as he seemed confident we were alone, he rounded on me. The look of pure hatred in his expression caused me to take a step backward.

“I’m sorry, I think you’re confused about who your client is. The press, any press, good or bad, starts and ends with Shaun. I don’t tell that kid what to say or how to act. He does that all on his own, and in case you haven’t noticed, the guy has a bit of a temper. Lucky for him, I’ve managed to round up a nice portfolio of sponsors who don’t mind the ‘bad boy’ image so much. In fact, it’s something that plays nicely with their products and services if it isn’t too far over the edge.”

“You’re setting him up,” I said. I was shocked. I knew that Nigel was despicable, but I had no idea his betrayal of Shaun went this deep. “You’re feeding him to the wolves, for what? A pay-off? A fistful of cash?”

Nigel’s beady eyes bore deep into mine. Although I was at least an inch taller than him, his presence seemed to loom over me. “How long you been in this biz, sweetheart? Let Uncle Nigel tell you how this works. Shaun makes money, a lot of money, but most of that comes from his sponsors. The paydays from his fights are peanuts compared to what they’re paying him. Without them, he’s broke as shit. My job as his agent is to always produce the fattest paychecks for him possible so he can continue to live the life he’s become accustomed to.”

“He uses the money to pay for his sister’s medical bills,” I said, barely managing to keep my voice at an appropriate level. “They just found out last week her cancer is back, and it’s spread. No insurance company would touch her with a ten-foot pole because she had a pre-existing condition. That’s why Shaun wants the money, and you know it.”

Nigel waved everything I said away. “As his agent, I’m entitled to a portion of his income for managing his affairs. There have been some lulls since Rio. I’ve had to supplement it. But like I said, Shaun’s sponsors want him to be in the press wearing their logos, eating their food, drinking their liquor, driving their cars or whatever. They don’t want him smiling and making nice with a bunch of people that would never be caught dead buying what they’re selling.”

“They’re cancer survivors!” I exclaimed. “And not only is it good for his image, but he enjoys it.”

“Shaun is a pretty face paid to say whatever you put in his mouth. Don’t get me wrong. Your personal coaching…” his eyes wandered down my body in a way that made me feel dirty, “has clearly been very effective. But now it’s time for you to go home and let the big boys play the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I felt the vibration of my phone in my pocket. “Dammit.” I pulled it out. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the text message on the screen. It was from Kevin.

You slut. Loved the nightie. Can’t wait to hear all the details. xoxoxo

“Everything okay?” Nigel asked. That smug note was in his voice again.

“It’s just the office. It’s nothing,” I said, putting my phone away before he could read the message.

“Yes, the office, which is where you should be from now on. Definitely not here. You’re clearly not cut out for this line of work, love.”

My chin rose. “What are you insinuating?”

“Oh, given the new free time in my schedule now I’m not responsible for Shaun’s media appearances, I’ve had plenty of time to do a bit of homework on Kommen and Russell. I even had a chat with a few former employees there. Female employees who got a little too comfortable with their clients, if you know what I mean.” Nigel waggled his eyebrows at me.

The man was disgusting. “What exactly are you saying?”

Nigel shrugged. “It would be such a pity for a young, pretty thing like you to be tossed out in the cold for something so innocent. I mean, you’re single. He’s single. Really, there should be no harm in it, right? But considering you handle all of his press, one would have to wonder how authentic all of his other talking points were too, don’t you think?”

“Are you threatening me, Nigel?” I needed to hear him say it. My heart pounded so hard I was sure he could hear it.

He dug inside his suit jacket and pulled out a photograph. He handed it to me. My mouth dropped open. This one wasn’t taken the same night as the one Georgie showed. It was just a few nights ago. When Shaun was telling me goodbye, he had pulled me into the hallway. I got upset with him because I was wearing nothing but a barely there silk nightgown.

In this picture my face was in view of the camera, and the strap of my nightgown had fallen down in a moment of distraction, namely Shaun’s lips on mine.

“You have beautiful tits, Ms. Ellis,” Nigel said, licking his lips.

I slapped him hard across his face without thinking. I could see the outline of my hand on his mottled skin. It felt good. Nigel worked his jaw for a moment and then smiled at me again. It was full of cruel promise.

The blood drained from my face. I was going to be sick. It was bad enough Shaun had just dismissed me out of hand in front of America. In this picture, though, I looked like little more than a two-bit hooker flaunting her wares for the world to see.

“What do you want?” I whispered.

“Like I said. Scurry back to where you came from. Send someone else more suited to the job. A man perhaps, someone who wouldn’t be so likely to give over to temptation. I’d say quit altogether, but that would make Shaun a bit too suspicious, wouldn’t it? You do this and I won’t send this picture along with my full report of all of the inappropriate, lewd behavior I’ve personally witnessed to one Martin Paterson along with every other hiring manager at every single PR firm across the country.”

“You’d be lying. You haven’t seen a thing,” I said. I could feel the heat of tears building in the corners of my eyes.

“Does that really matter? It would be my word against yours, and I have this.” He flicked the photo in my hands. “You can keep that one, by the way. I have more.”

“You can’t do this.”

“Think about your career, Ms. Ellis. You’re so young. It would be a shame to see that talent wasted.”

I didn’t have a choice and he knew it. I would be publically shamed, mocked, and run out of town if that picture was ever released to the press. I’d never work in this kind of job again, and that was unacceptable. I turned on my heel. I needed to get out before I broke down in front of him.

“Oh, and Ms. Ellis?” I paused, but I didn’t turn around. If I looked at him there was the real possibility I would scratch his eyes out. I turned my cheek over my shoulder so he knew I was listening. “Break off all contact with Shaun. No calls, no texts, no emails. Nothing. If I catch one whiff of you anywhere near him, the picture’s doing the rounds.”

Straightening my back, I walked away. I needed time to think. The worst part of it all, though? I’d never get to say goodbye to Shaun properly.

Shaun

I thought that the interview with Georgie was never going to end. I was mentally exhausted from the verbal sparring and I hadn’t done anything other than sit on a couch and talk to the hateful woman like we were old friends. Like I’d ever consider fucking her. It was the longest fifteen minutes of my life.

Now that it was over, I searched for Tori as soon as I made it backstage. With the lights, cameras, and people gone, I needed to see her and have her quell the anxiety and anger I felt welling inside of me. She had become quite adept at that, and my psyche craved her calming presence as much as my body craved hers.

The backstage area bustled with the show’s staff, but a quick scan told me none of them were Tori. Several people looked at me quizzically as it became apparent I was looking for someone. I remembered she had disappeared right after Georgie showed the pictures of us in the lip-lock. I could only imagine what was going on in her head if she had stuck around to listen to my answer.

I made my way back to my dressing room getting turned around several times. A guy who looked like he should still be grade school finally took pity on me and pointed me in the right direction. I opened the door expecting to see Tori waiting for me, but instead found Nigel relaxed on the couch with a glass of scotch from the mini-bar he’d helped himself to.

“Great interview, Champ!” he said, raising his glass to me.

“Don’t bother with the pep talk. It was a complete blindside that only got worse the longer it went on,” I said, barely managing to keep the anger from my voice. “Where’s Tori? I need to talk to her.”

“You mean, that wasn’t exactly what she had cooked up for this little feature?” Nigel said, taking a sip of his liquor. He swirled the amber liquid around in his glass. “That’s what you’re paying that girl the big bucks for, right? So you don’t get into any more sticky situations?”

I didn’t think for a second Nigel had no clue about what had happened. When he was in charge of my appearances the reporters seemed to spring surprise questions on me all the time about who I was dating or had been seen with out on the town. Nigel always pushed me to focus on my sex life or lack thereof. He said the more available I appeared to the adoring public, the better. It gave some kind of false hope to all the random girls out there that they could be the lucky one to eventually get me to marry and settle down.

Right now, there was only one woman I cared about. “Do you know where she is?” I asked again.

He frowned. “She got a call or something from her office during the interview. I think she’s in a bit of trouble, to tell you the truth.”

“Trouble for what?” I felt my fists clench against my sides. It was a rhetorical question. If Tori was in trouble at work, it was highly likely it was for one very specific thing.

Nigel smirked at me. “Burning the candle at both ends, maybe? I mean, I didn’t want to say anything, but I’m not surprised you hit that. She’s got legs for miles and tits that would make a man sit up and beg for mercy.”

“Don’t talk about her like that,” I said through clenched teeth. It was one thing to listen to Nigel spout off about random women we encountered out and about, even though I was never really cool with it. I wasn’t going to listen to him degrade Tori the same way.

Nigel put his hands up in mock defense. “Sorry, Champ. Didn’t realize there was anything serious there. You just met the girl what? A month ago? Quite the whirlwind romance I take it?”

That was the core of my entire issue. I had been reluctant to name it because Tori had been so adamant we needed to keep it secret. So I was stuck in the awkward position of potentially defending something that was nothing in the end and looking like a complete fool.

“I just don’t like you talking about her like that. Show some goddamn respect,” I said. I started to yank the crummy tie off. I didn’t care if Tori said she liked it. I felt like it made me look like someone I wasn’t. I was a boxer, not some stuffy banker.

“Well, I’m not sure what happened, but she took off right after she got that call,” Nigel said, continuing to sip his drink. “She didn’t say anything else to me about it.”

I whirled on him. “Took off? Where?”

He looked at me in surprise. “I imagine she had to report back to the office.”

“Now?” I was in shock. Tori wouldn’t leave without at least saying goodbye, would she?

Nigel shrugged again. “I think it was important. She was probably getting called out on the carpet. That place she works for is pretty strict about their whole ‘don’t fuck the client’ policy.”

I sat down heavily in the make-up chair and thought about all the times Tori told me about how much she loved her job and what a blow it would be to her if it got out we had slept together. She told me it was the equivalent of career suicide. I thought it was ridiculous. This wasn’t the Stone Age. If two people were attracted to each other, it didn’t make sense to have a stupid rule that would keep them apart or jeopardize a woman’s entire career.

“This is my fault,” I said stiffly. “She told me she didn’t want to get involved, and I pursued her anyway.”

“You are quite the ladies’ man, and you’re hard to resist,” Nigel said, his tone knowing. “But you can’t beat yourself up, Shaun. This isn’t your fault. Ms. Ellis is supposed to be a professional. That’s why you hired her, remember? Now in the span of just a few weeks she’s parading you around like a show dog and has you wrapped around her little finger.”

“What she was doing was make me look like something other than a dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks athlete. She was making people like me again and think I had something worth saying other than rattling off fight statistics.”

Nigel waved his hand in the air dismissively. “You want to support a charity? Write a fat check once a year like the rest of us. But you’re young, Shaun. If you play your cards right you could have the world by the balls. Victoria Ellis wasn’t helping you. She was hurting you. Then she got caught sticking her hand in the cookie jar when she knew it was against the rules. That’s not your fault. Whatever is going to happen to her now is on her.”

I was barely listening to Nigel now. I pulled out my phone and dialed Tori’s number. It rang and rang and went to voicemail. “Dammit,” I said. I tapped out a quick text instead.

Where are you?

I waited a minute, but there was no answer.

“I’m telling you, Champ, that girl doesn’t give a shit about anything other than her career. That’s what she cares about, and she’s running back with her tail between her legs to beg for forgiveness.”

“She still works for me,” I said. “I’m still her client.”

“You are Kommen and Russell’s client,” Nigel corrected. “I’m sure the firm will send someone else who understands the vision better, someone who won’t be such a distraction for you.”

“Tori wasn’t a distraction.” I didn’t even feel it inside of me to argue. She left me. Just like that. I stared at my phone again, but there was still no response to my text.

“Come on,” Nigel said, standing up. He finished his drink with a long pull and slammed the glass down on the table. “After that shitshow, you need a drink.”

For once, Nigel and I were in complete agreement.