Chapter 51
Alex
That dayas I’m packing up after practice, I get a message from my father letting me know that he’s been able to neutralize any bad press Drew has dreamed up. He’ll fill me in on the details later, but I don’t need to worry anymore. I’ve never been so happy in my life, and I immediately pull out my phone to text Saint.
My father says we’re good.
SAINT
Oh my god. What a relief! He might be my hero, at least in this one case.
Let’s not get carried away. I’m finishing up practice now. Then I’m going to Drew’s office to fire him.
Be careful. You know he’s going to react. Can someone go with you so you’re not alone in case he tries something?
She has a good point. I look over at Tobias’s locker as he packs up.
“Hey, Tobias!” I call to him, and he turns to look at me as he puts his shirt on. “Could you go with me to Drew’s office?”
“Now?” His brow furrows.
“Yeah. I got the all-clear and I want to fire him. I’ve already lined up with your agent to take over. Saint pointed out I probably shouldn’t go alone.”
“She’s a smart one.” He grins at me. “Yeah, I’ll go.”
Tobias is going with me.
Good. I quit today.
What?!
I stare at my phone. Given how important her job is to her, everything she’s been trying to do to come up with a way to save it these last few months it’s hard to believe.
This way Drew and his father can’t use it against me. There’s a board meeting tonight. I’m guessing his father will have something to say to me.
Well, we can tell the whole family to go fuck themselves now.
Too bad his mother can’t be there to point out how bad my food is.
Fuck her. Your food is delicious.
But what are you doing for work then?
You have to say that.
Joss and I are going to band together to start the non-profit we talked about.
I raise a brow at my phone. I’d only spent a few hours near Joss, and I can only imagine the two of them together running a company. I guess they’d have a spectrum of personalities and talents.
Oh yeah?
Yeah. I’m excited. I’ll miss the museum, but I think it’ll be good. Tell you more later.
Okay. Love you.
Love you.
* * *
An hourlater I’m walking into Drew’s office just as he’s getting ready to leave for the day. His secretary tries to wave me off at the front desk, but I tell her he’ll make time for me. He looks up just then from the glass door of his office, his face going hard when he sees me and Tobias standing there.
He opens the door and looks at me. “Can I help you?”
“We need to talk.”
“And you needed company?”
“He’s here to make sure I don’t do anything stupid.”
“Harper told you then.” His jaw tightens.
I walk to his office door, staying in the hall and Tobias lurks behind me, keeping his distance but staying close enough to keep things civil if he needs to.
“Harper told me the day you showed up at her work. I’ve known this whole fucking time. I just had to make a few calls first.”
“Whatever you think you’re going to do, I promise you. It won’t work.”
“It will.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to clean up the mess eventually, but in the meantime you and she both will be out of a job.”
“She already quit her job. I already have a new agent who’s fully informed of the situation. I’ve given him everything he needs. I just came by to tell you you’re fired.”
“If you think that will stop me, it won’t.”
“No, but my army of lawyers will. The auditors who are going to be investigating how you could afford that new penthouse suite on your salary. Especially when you’re bleeding clients.”
“I’m not bleeding clients.”
“You will be after today. When I tell them that you regularly break your NDAs and now you’re blackmailing your best client because you don’t like the choices he makes in his personal life.”
“You fucking went after my wife.”
“No. I never went after your wife. I left your wife alone. Your ex-wife, now that’s a different story. I lined up to give her anything she wanted the second I knew you were done.”
“Fuck you, Xander. Some fucking friend.” He looks around my shoulder to Tobias. “Just a matter of time until he betrays you too.”
“I’m not worried.” Tobias shrugs.
“You shouldn’t have cheated on her. You shouldn’t have lied. You shouldn’t have fucking tried to blackmail both of us to bring us to heel. You’re the fucking asshole in this scenario, so I don’t want to hear about friendship right now.”
“If I’d cheat on her, we both know you will.”
“I’ve never cheated on anyone in my life. I sure as fuck would never do anything to hurt her.”
“Yeah, well we’ll see if she still wants you when I’m done. When your reputation is fucked, your career is nonexistent and you’re a shell of who you were.”
I laugh, a smug smile coming to my lips as I try to control my temper.
“I already have her. In fact, I just had her earlier this week at Ben’s party. And if I’d known you were cheating on her, I would have had her even sooner than I did. Because the only thing keeping me away—was loyalty. And you had none.”
“Lecturing me about loyalty when you could have any fucking woman and instead you go after my wife. It’s fucking rich.”
“I had loyalty to you. She was with me first. Before you ever met her. She wanted me. I just couldn’t see what I had in front of me until it was too late. When I saw the two of you happy, I wanted to believe that you were the better man. That you’d treat her better. That I wasn’t good enough for her. So I stayed out of your way, thinking you’d make her happy. But you didn’t. You treated her like trash when in reality you weren’t good enough for her. Cheating on her was wrong, but that instinct you had that you didn’t deserve her? That was dead on.”
“You don’t know the first thing about my marriage.”
“There’s a lot I don’t know. I’m sure. But what I do know is I’ve never seen her look at you the way she looks at me.”
“Yeah, well her looks aren’t gonna keep you warm at night, Xavier.”
“You’re right, but the way she wraps around me and moans about how I’m the deepest anyone’s ever been… That? That does keep me fucking warm. Every fucking night. Because she’s happier fucking me on top of your dining room table than she ever was sitting next to you at it.”
His punch is lightning fast. I’m fucking surprised he has it in him. It nearly gives me whiplash and the blood on my cheek is immediate. I laugh as I rub the spot. Tobias has moved forward, but I’m calmer than I expected, holding my hand out to stop him.
“Wow. I didn’t think you had it in you. Good for you.”
“You’ll never have her. I’ll make sure of it.”
“It’s too fucking late. I highly suggest getting a lawyer. You’ll be hearing from mine tomorrow, and if you try to go through with any of your threats against me or her, I won’t be the only Xavier making your life miserable for it.”
“Is that a fucking threat?”
“It’s a promise.”
“Get the fuck out of my office.”
“Happy to. Stay the fuck away from me and my girl. And good luck Drew. Honestly, fucking good luck with the rest of your life. I hope if you get another chance, you don’t waste it.”
“Fuck off, Xander.”
Tobias gives me a pointed look, and we leave the office. I lean back against the wall of the elevator as it starts to move, trying to stem the blood still trickling down my cheek.
“I’m proud of you. Not hitting him back. I’m impressed.” Tobias grins at me.
“No way in hell am I doing anything that’s gonna fuck up my chance to be with her.”
“Wise.” Tobias’s eyes zero in on the cut. “He got you good though.”
“Yeah well, a cost I’m willing to pay.”