Page 128 of Their Ruthless Sadist (Office Intrigue Duet 5)
We were back to that again. Jamie had ensured she told me as much several times throughout this ridiculous conversation.
“I have work to do,” I told her as I sat up in my chair. “I get that you’re pissed at me, but you’re not gonna change my mind.”
“Have you ever asked Case why he needs you to hit him?” she asked, her tone suddenly changing.
I frowned. “Why would I?”
Her eyes softened. “There’s something you don’t know about him, Zeke.”
I tried to hide my curiosity as best I could, but my sister saw through it. Still, I kept my mouth shut.
“After the first time I came over and I found out they were living with you, I decided to do some digging. I know how you are. I know you don’t refer to them by name because you want to keep your distance. Which meant I had to be the one to protect you in the event they weren’t on the up and up.”
“You watch too much television,” I told her. “I’m capable of taking care of myself.”
“Oh, I know. And what I found out certainly doesn’t put you at risk. However, I get the feeling Brax doesn’t even know.”
I kept my expression neutral. I wanted her to tell me, but I wasn’t about to ask.
“Because if he did,” Jamie continued, “he wouldn’t expect Case to sleep in a cage beneath your bed.”
I frowned.
“Yes, I know about that, Zeke.” She rolled her eyes. “You might think I’m some sweet, innocent kid, but I’ve got as much darkness in me as you do. Only mine doesn’t involve me wanting to hit someone or have them hit me. Why do you think I pursued psychology?”
“Because it interests you.”
“It does. The human brain is fascinating. The way people respond to their surroundings, how they deal with the things that happen to them … I find it riveting. But it was my own desires that drove me to pursue it, Zeke. I’ve never once wondered why you want to beat on a submissive. I never questioned it. That says as much about me as it does about you. However, I think some have reasons. Not everyone is simply born with those desires. I don’t think I was. And I think Case’s experiences have made him the way he is, too.”
Fucking hell. This was a conversation I could’ve lived my entire life without having. It wasn’t so much what Jamie said about Case that bothered me. More so what she was admitting about herself. I’d always seen her as the kid with the pigtails and the sassy mouth, the girl who looked up to me because I was her big brother. This woman sitting in front of me looked older, wiser, and far more in tune with herself than I thought possible.
“You might be able to blow them off, but I don’t think they deserve it. You owe them an explanation. You can’t change your past, Zeke. You can’t go back and change the fact that Matt hurt you. But you can move forward. You can find the happiness you’ve always sought.” Jamie pushed to her feet, her eyes glassy. “In fact, I think you’ve already found it, but you’re too damn stubborn to see what’s right in front of you.”
Ah, damn. I wasn’t sure I could handle my baby sister crying. Please don’t cry. Please don’t fucking cry.
Jamie straightened her spine. “It’s fine if you want to be selfish. But remember, you’re no longer the only person who’ll get hurt. Those two have feelings for you, and if you’re not careful, you might push them to do the one thing you claim you want them to do.” She turned toward the door. “And when they walk away, they won’t be coming back, Zeke.”
Jamie slipped out the door, closing it behind her. I stared at it for several minutes, her words sinking in. I glanced over at my computer. I considered pulling up a search on Case. I knew it wouldn’t be hard to find out the details Jamie had evidently unearthed.
However, that wasn’t my style. I didn’t like when people snooped into my business. And that meant if I was going to assuage this curiosity, I was going to have to address the situation directly.
I yanked open the desk drawer and grabbed my keys.
The least I could do was stop running. That wasn’t the way I was programmed. I faced issues head on, so why would I stop now?
*
Brax
(The cowboy)
I WAS SITTING AT ZEKE’S kitchen table, scanning the Internet for houses. While I didn’t want to leave Zeke, I knew Case was right. The man had asked us to go and it was rude to stay when it was evident he didn’t want us here. I had held my ground for the past two days, but I knew it would come to an end eventually. I wasn’t strong enough to power through those thick walls Zeke had built around himself.
