Chapter 96: Sadie: Losers

TREY

I didn’t expect Ezra to figure out I got Sadie fired, but I guess he was bound to get something right eventually. I put too much faith in his stupidity, and now he probably thinks he has something on me.

Yeah, I asked Howard to fire her. Not my best idea, but she’s living with me now, making twenty-four hundred dollars a day without having to put up with that annoying prick. I could feel bad about how I went about it, but I’m still not seeing where she lost out.

Will that hold up in an argument with her? No. Will Ezra be looking for proof to back up his claim? Probably.

But I’m not the bad guy here.

When I make a decision for Sadie, her life actually improves. Ezra can let me know when he’s managed that or done anything besides hurt her.

[She needs to know the truth.]

"Well, I want to tell her too, but do you think she’d take it well?" My hands tighten around the steering wheel, and I sneak a glance at Sadie before turning into the parking lot.

After two hours in that clinic, watching Julian crack jokes with her, I’m not in the mood to deal with his shit too.

Besides, Sadie looked upset enough earlier at the possibility that I got her fired. My knees went so fucking weak that I changed the subject before she could say anything else. There’s no way I’m telling her now.

In a few weeks, it won’t matter anymore. She’ll be too in love with me to care.

"Home at last." Sadie perks up as I park in the garage, exhaling while she fiddles with her bag.

I undo my seat belt and lean across to release hers. Her fingers stop moving the second I get close, and I take my time sitting back, smiling at her. She likes to give me a hard time, but she’s going to need better control of herself if she wants me believing I’m the only one affected here.

By the time I get out and turn toward her door, she’s already climbing out.

"Never heard of chivalry?" I ask, cocking a brow as she shuts it.

"Both my hands still work." She holds them up, bag and all, like I need proof.

"Yeah, I can see that." I shake my head and take the bag from her anyway. "You want shrimp for dinner?"

"Yeah." Her eyes widen as she falls into step beside me. "Are you making it, or are we ordering?"

"Last time wasn’t traumatizing enough?" I blink at her. "You want me back in the kitchen?"

[Even I don’t want that,] Trex chips in.

Nobody fucking asked him, but point made.

"We’re ordering in, and then..."

I can’t finish, because Ezra’s standing beside the elevator. I give it a second in case my eyes are messing with me, but he pushes away from the wall just as Sadie slows and looks my way. Good to know we’re both seeing the same asshole.

"You told security not to let me into the building." He approaches with a smug grin.

Sadie shifts until half her body is behind my back, and that bothers me more than him getting past security. I don’t like thinking she’s scared of him, especially with me standing here. Maybe she’s irritated and wants me to deal with him. I’m happy to go with that.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. "Security’s supposed to keep idiots out."

He closes the distance. "I need to talk to her. Would’ve been easier if you hadn’t manipulated her into moving in with you." He follows that with a glance at Sadie.

"You need to talk to her?" I hold his gaze. "What makes you think the feeling is mutual?"

"Then let her tell me that." His mouth curves as he looks around me again. "We have a new understanding. She knows exactly what I’m talking about, so step aside."

I almost laugh. He wouldn’t be telling me to move if he knew how much Sadie has told me.

"I’m too tired to deal with you." I shift Sadie’s bag in my hand. "Walk out, or let security help you. I’d pick the first one."

"Sadie, I came to talk to you." He ignores me, his eyes going to her again. "Stop hiding behind him and come here."

My fist closes around the bag strap. "I should—"

"You can talk to me from there." Sadie cuts in as she steps out from behind me. "And you can stop telling him we have an understanding. We don’t."

His lip curls as she faces him. "You really want him to hear about this? What you’ve done?"

"Tell him." She steps forward. "I’d love to hear what you think I’ve done, Ezra."

He bites his lip and drags a hand over his face.

"You’re coming with me," he snaps, reaching for her.

Idrop the bag and catch his wrist before he touches her, stepping between them as I turn his arm behind his back. He pulls against my grip, then swings at me with his free hand. I duck and drive him toward the wall with my shoulder, keeping hold of his wrist.

His palm hits the wall, and he tries to turn toward me to loosen my grip. I let him get halfway around before catching the back of his neck and pushing him forward again. He grunts, bracing himself against the wall as I hold his arm behind him. Then he tries to shove backward, like throwing his weight around is going to work better the second time.

I move aside as he pushes back, pulling him with me and hooking a foot behind his ankle. He drops to one knee, and I press on his shoulder until both are on the concrete. His free hand comes back toward me, but I raise his wrist behind him, and he groans instead.

A few more seconds of struggling gets him nowhere except bent forward with my hand on his shoulder.

"Remember how I used to kick your ass in high school?" I crouch beside him, keeping hold of his arm.

He looks up, furious, and makes another attempt to wrench himself loose. I tighten my grip, and he stops with his teeth clenched.

"You grew an inch and thought we were done with that?"

"That bitch doesn’t care about you," Ezra spits, lifting his head as far as my grip allows. "You’re defending her, and she picked me the second there was money involved. A position in the pack when I’m Alpha. We didn’t even have to offer her much."

His gaze drags toward Sadie, who’s standing a few feet away, her chest rising and falling as she glares at him.

"You still think she’s worth it?" he asks. "She’s just a hungry girl looking for someone to live off."

Trex’s growl rumbles through my chest, and the anger comes so fast I can feel it burning beneath my skin. I want to rip the fucker apart. I want to pull his jaw out and beat him with it until he understands what a mistake it was to open his mouth and call her names.

"How fucking dare you talk about her like that?"

I let go of his arm and drive my foot into his side, sending him sprawling across the concrete. He tries to scramble away, but I catch his collar and drag him up toward me.

"Trey, don’t hurt him. Just let him go." Sadie’s voice reaches me and I glance at her. She shakes her head, watching me with an expression that makes me hesitate, even as my fingers tighten in his shirt. "He’s not worth it."

How can she ask me that after what he just said? She heard him. She was standing right there. I don’t know how she’s not angry enough to want him hurt, because I’m having trouble settling for anything short of having his fucking lips sewn together.

"Listen to her," Ezra whispers. "Go on. Like you always do. She’s your bitch, after all."

"No, you fucking listen." I haul him onto his feet, and he grabs my wrist, trying to wrench himself loose. I knock his hand away and shove him against the wall, bunching his collar beneath his chin until he stops fighting for anything except room to breathe. "I know what Celia did."

His eyes widen, and I scoff.

"Yeah, you bastard. She told me." He swallows against my grip, finally looking like he understands how little he has to bargain with. "Tell your mother to back the fuck off. And she can forget about you winning the trials."

"And if you don’t want to get hurt, leave us alone," Sadie adds, stepping up beside me. Her eyes drop to his feet, and she hesitates before drawing hers back and kicking him in the ankle.

He groans, jerking against my grip as he bares his teeth at her. She keeps her eyes on him, her foot planted beside mine again.

"You rejected me when you didn’t know I could be useful, right?" She tilts her head. "Maybe you should ask Paige to help you. Although I don’t think she’s going to do much for your chances."

I glance at her without loosening my hold on him.

"She already lost to me, and you’re going to lose to Trey." Her gaze moves over his face. "Two losers. I guess you really do belong together."