Page 125 of Their Ruthless Sadist (Office Intrigue Duet 5)
Zeke: I’m not in the office. I’ll check in with you later tonight.
Not even a minute later, my cell phone buzzed again.
Jamie: Too late for lies, big brother. I called Dale. He confirmed you’re in. Do not move.
Damn it. The kid was too smart for her own good.
A body appeared in my doorway and I looked up to see Greg standing there.
“What’s up?” I asked, going for nonchalant.
“That’s supposed to be my question.” Without waiting for an invitation, he stepped into the office. “Need to talk?”
“About?”
“For starters, what went down at the club on Wednesday.”
“Nothing went down,” I assured him. “I had some things to take care of.”
“Yeah?” He dropped into the chair across from me. “That’s why Trent informed me I’d made a serious mistake by approving a certain submissive’s membership.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Matt Steinberg. Name ring a bell?”
I didn’t move, didn’t so much as blink. “Actually, no.”
“Shit, Zeke,” he said in a rush as he leaned forward. “I had no idea who he was.”
I sighed because it was clear Edge wasn’t going to let this go. “It’s not your fault. Not like I’m big on sharing details of my past.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, I’ve revoked his membership because of the incident on Wednesday.”
I couldn’t deny I felt better knowing that. The last thing I wanted was to have to stop going to Dichotomy because he was going to be there. I didn’t have a stake in the club, but it had become my safe haven, the one place I could go and not worry about anyone trying to get up in my business.
“Trent had a conversation with him before he left. From what I gathered, it wasn’t good.”
I nodded. “Matt showed up at my house that night.”
“Damn it.” Edge looked sincerely distraught. “I’m sorry, man.”
“No need to apologize. It’s been taken care of.”
“How about Brax and Case? They cool?”
I shrugged again. I honestly didn’t know how they were because I was avoiding them. The only thing I knew was that they were still sleeping beneath my bed although I refused to go back into the room. With the weekend coming, I knew keeping my distance would be more difficult to do, but I had no choice.
Edge leaned back in his chair. “Don’t tell me you booted them because of Matt.”
“Not because of Matt, no.”
Edge sighed and rolled his eyes. “Where are they now?”
They were at my house. I knew that because I’d heard them talking this morning. They had nothing on their agenda, so they were sticking close. I didn’t tell Edge that. “Who knows.”
“Have you talked to them?”
I sat up, feeling the stirrings of irritation. I didn’t like all the questions. “Nothing to talk about. They’ve run their course. I’m ready to move on. I warned them already so it’s not a surprise.”
Edge laughed, a hard, unamused sound. “You honestly think I’m buying this bullshit?”
My eyebrows shot downward, anger replacing the irritation. “I don’t give a shit what you’re buying, Edge.”
Before he could blast me with whatever was about to come out of his mouth, a knock sounded and I turned to see Jamie standing in the doorway. Her eyes darted from me to Edge, then back.
“I don’t mean to interrupt,” she said softly, her eyes once again swinging over to Edge.
There was something on her face I’d never seen before. Something I wasn’t fond of seeing now.
Edge pushed to his feet. “He’s all yours, Jamie. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.”
I watched their interaction, the way Edge moved toward her, the simple touch he offered as his fingers brushed her arm. My eyes narrowed and I wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp for touching her so intimately.
“Come find me when you’re finished with him,” Edge said softly.
“Bullshit!” I shot to my feet. “She’s not gonna come find you, Edge.”
Electric-blue eyes shot to my face. “I wasn’t asking your permission, Zeke.”
“Stop. Please,” Jamie pleaded, placing her hand on Edge’s arm. “I’ll come find you when I’m done.”
That seemed to placate Edge because he shot me a quick glare before disappearing down the hall.
Jamie stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. When she turned back to me, she pointed toward my chair. “Sit down. We need to talk.”
For fuck’s sake. Why the hell did everyone insist on telling me what to do?
Hesitating briefly, I finally sat when she positioned herself in the chair Edge had vacated.
“I stopped by your house this morning,” she said. “The boys said you left early.”
“They should be gone by now,” I muttered, then glanced down at the desk.
“They’re not leaving,” she replied.
“When I give them no choice, they will,” I assured her, meeting her determined gaze.
She sighed, then settled into the chair. “I heard what happened with Matt. I’m sorry you had to run into him again, Zeke.”
