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She nods. “Okay.”
I reach out and take her hand. “If you need me, I’m here. If he makes you feel uncomfortable or says anything else, please speak up.”
“I will,” she promises.
As soon as she leaves, I head straight to Jaxon’s office and ask to speak to him.
“What do you want to discuss?” he asks, tone calm and warm. He’s a very easy man to approach, and I think that makes such a difference in a working environment like this one.
“I wanted to talk to you about Cole,” I say, shifting in my chair. “He has been acting inappropriately and harassing myself and Joan, and who knows who else. I can’t just sit and say nothing anymore. Something has to be done, because it doesn’t make for a safe working environment.”
A muscle ticks in his jaw. He pulls out a pen and pad. “Tell me everything that has happened.”
I start with my story of events and finish with Joan’s. Jaxon is visibly pissed off about the whole thing, but stays calm when speaking to me. “Thank you for opening up about all of this. I wish you had told me this as soon as it happened, but I’m glad you’re telling me now. I will handle this. I’m so sorry that this happened to you, and Joan.”
“Thank you,” I say, standing up. “I just don’t want it to happen to anyone else. We both got lucky, but another woman might not.”
And do I think he would rape someone?
Yes. If he hasn’t already.
As I leave his office, he calls Cole in, the two of us catching eyes and locking for a split second before I’m gone.
I don’t care if he knows it was me. I’d rather take the blame instead of Joan. She’s sweet.
I’m not.
I can take the repercussions of this.
A few minutes later and I can hear Cole yelling, finally showing his true colors to his boss. “This is bullshit! There is no evidence of this!” I hear him raging.
And technically he’s right, but we could get the club security footage, and we could try to locate the woman who helped Joan. I can build a case if I need to, but I’m glad that Jaxon trusted me right off the bat, and didn’t need any proof other than my word.
Suddenly, my office door slams open, making me jump.
“You bitch—this is all your fault!” Cole screams, gunning for me.
Jaxon comes in and grabs him from behind. “You need to leave now, or the police will be here to arrest you.”
That seems to get through to Cole, because he backs away, but the hate in his eyes is evident. He’s going to blame me for this, not himself.
“Suffice to say, I have terminated Cole. You do not have to file a police report, but I will be having them come here to get something on the record.”
Jaxon leaves, and when the police come, I tell them everything and Joan follows suit. Surprisingly, three other women come forward, including Melinda. Jaxon is so mad, but thankfully he’s not mad at any of us. I feel so guilty for not saying anything sooner. I don’t know who is going to take the lead on Marko’s case now, but I know it’s not going to be me.
At the end of the day, feeling a little shaken up, more than I want to admit, I head home, and jump in bed.
Natalie: Where are you?
Atlas: At the clubhouse. Everything okay?
Natalie: Can you come here?
Atlas: On my way.
Tonight, I just need him to listen to me, and hold me.
When Atlas arrives he settles in bed with me, and cradles me against his chest while I unload all of today’s stress on him.
