Micah’s POV
My heart nearly exploded out of my chest. I scrambled backwards, frantically tucking myself away and zipping up my pants as my entire body trembled with sheer panic. I tried to wipe away any evidence of what I had been doing, but the dark-haired guy stepped fully into the stall, completely blocking my only way out with his big-tattooed body. He was still half-dressed from practice, sweat on his skin, eyes locked on me like I was prey.
"Who would have thought you would sneak in here?" He leaned his shoulder against the door frame, looking me up and down with a lazy, arrogant smile. "I guess you are one of those desperate photo guys desperate for a shot."
I forced myself to stand up straight, clenching my fists. I could feel my face burning with embarrassment, but I refused to let him see how terrified I was. I was always soft and quiet around Noah, but to any other person on this campus, I could be tough. I glared right into his eyes. "I am not one of anybody."
The guy chuckled, completely unbothered by my attitude. "I am Damon."
"No one cares about your stupid name," I snapped, trying to push past him, but he didn’t move an inch.
Damon raised a brow, his smirk growing wider. "You have a lot of mouth for someone caught doing something highly illegal in a varsity locker room. Why are you even here, anyway?"
I kept my jaw clenched and refused to answer him, looking away toward the tiled wall.
"Fine, play the silent type," Damon said, tilting his head toward the main locker room area. "I can just raise my voice and scream right now. Let’s see how the rest of the hockey team reacts when I tell them there is a pervert hiding in the bathroom stalls. The whole team would be interested to see what their captain’s little stepbrother was doing in here with his dick out. Your choice"
"Don’t!" The panic flared right back up in my throat. I couldn’t let him make a scene. If Noah walked in here and saw this, my life would be completely over. I swallowed my pride, looking down at the camera clutched in my hand. "I am new to the journalism team. I am supposed to write erotic articles about Noah Miller."
Damon’s eyes flashed with sudden, dangerous amusement. "Noah? Your stepbrother? Why on earth would you choose to write about him?" He stepped closer, crowding me into the corner until the heat radiating from his large body felt completely overwhelming. "Are you gay?"
"I’m not gay," I choked out, my back pressed hard against the cold bathroom tile as his heavy, tattooed frame caged me in. "I just... I admire my stepbrother. That’s all."
Damon leaned down, his lips brushing against my burning ear, his breath hot, wicked, and mocking. "Oh, yeah? Does ’admiration’ usually involve you jerking off to his photos, Micah?"
Before I could push him away, his fingers gripped my chin tightly, forcing me to look into his dark, chaotic eyes. "From now on, you write your filthy little stories about me instead. And if you want the inspiration... you’re going to have to earn it."
A surge of pure anger gave me the strength to slap his hand right off my face. "Fuck off," I breathed, glaring at him with everything I had. "I am only writing about Noah Miller. I don’t care about you."
Damon’s expression shifted, his smile turning cold and predatory. He leaned in even closer, his voice dropping to a harsh, threatening whisper that made my blood run cold. "You don’t have a choice. If you don’t want your holy daddy or your precious stepbrother to find out your dirty secrets, you are going to make me the star of your next spicy column. Imagine what your dad would do if I handed him the photos on this camera, let alone told him what you were doing to yourself while looking at his son."
The mention of my father completely shattered my defences. A cold dread settled heavily in my stomach. If my father found out about my writing, he would disown me, throw me out, and ruin my entire life. I had absolutely no choice. I frowned deeply, my chest aching with frustration as I looked down. "Fine," I muttered. "I’ll do it."
Damon chuckles, reaching out to pat the top of my head in a degrading, patronising way. "Good boy."
Before I could react, he suddenly yanked the camera strap right over my head, snatching the device out of my hands. He stepped back just enough to aim the lens down at his own crotch.
He was still wearing his tight hockey undergarments, but the heavy fabric did absolutely nothing to hide the thick, massive outline of his length printed visibly along his lap. He pressed the shutter button, and the camera flashed, capturing the explicit view.
Damon tossed the camera back to me, catching me completely off guard as I scrambled to grip the strap.
"If you wish to know more about my dick, I will see you around at my house for a hands-on interview," Damon said, giving me a slow, wicked wink. "I will text you the address later."
He turned around and walked casually out of the bathroom, leaving me completely alone in the stall.
My legs felt like water, and I almost fainted right there on the floor from the sheer rush of adrenaline and terror. I leaned against the wall, gasping for breath as I tried to process the nightmare that had just unfolded.
Remembering the document Raven had handed me earlier, I frantically pulled the manila folder out from the back of my jeans. My hands shook as I flipped through the pages, scanning the official campus sports rosters until my eyes landed on the exact name.
Damon Silver.
I read through the details on the page, my eyes widening with horror as I processed the information. He was the second heir to the incredibly wealthy Silver family, a notorious, arrogant brat on campus, and most importantly, he was listed as Noah’s absolute worst enemy and primary rival on the hockey team.
I swallowed hard, the reality of my situation hitting me like a physical blow.
Was I going to have to do an erotic interview with my brother’s worst enemy?