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“You think? She’s yoursecretary, Brick. Actually, the only decent one you’ve ever had.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I shove my fingers through my hair. “That’s why I was trying to keep it in my pants. But she kept wearing those fuckingdresses.”
I stop when I see Nickel staring at me. I’ve shown too much.
“I wondered when you brought her to the ball. We all did.”
“Today was the first time.”
“The last time,” Nickel says firmly. “You don’t hunt what you can’t eat.”
I make a non-committal sound. I know he’s right, but I’m also not willing to saynever againwhen it comes to Madison Evans. I like the little human far too much for that.
“Or fire her, but it might be hard to do that now that you’ve literally cocked things up.”
As my brilliant young assistant already so aptly pointed out.
“I’m not firing her.”
“You’d better get a handle on this situation immediately. The last thing we need is some kind of sex scandal.”
“There won’t be a scandal. I can handle Madison.” As I speak the words, I realize I have absolutely no confidence in them.
It would be one thing if I didn’t care about her. I might put Eagle on the situation to ensure I still had legal grounds to get rid of her when necessary. To keep things in check. Make certain she’s not a liability.
If I believed that bluster Madison fed me before she waltzed out of here, if I really thought she seduced me to make herself unfireable, I’d crucify her. I stomp on black widows. My mother taught me not to trust a female with an agenda.
But I saw the cracks in her facade. I think I scared her today. Maybe because I was too rough. Maybe she fears she bit off more than she can chew. Or she just doesn’t want a repeat performance–my wolf bristles at that notion, but it’s possible.
Madison’s barely out of college. She may come off as a grown-up, she may be smarter than ninety-nine percent of the population, but that doesn’t mean she actually knew what she’d get today when she pushed me too far.
“Not to take her side, but you’re abusing a position of power, Brick. I know she doesn’t ruffle easily–but that doesn’t mean–”
“I know,” I cut in. Guilt stabs me.
We stare at each other for a long moment, and I see the doubt in my friend’s gaze.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Don’t let this spin out. If things need to be nipped in the bud, get Eagle involved right away.”
“I don’t need Eagle to handle this.I’ve got it.”
“All right. I hope so.”
“Enough,” I say with an alpha push in my voice to shut him up.
I only wish I felt as sure as I sounded.
* * *
Madi
I go home, take a shower, and put on my PJ’s. Aubrey has class tonight, and I intend to order in and curl up with a book.
It’s not that I want to forget what happened today, it’s justtoo muchto think about.
What happened was far too big to unpack.
