Page 116 of The Sadist and the Brat

“I don’t know, but I can’t wait to see the look on Sadie’s face when he comes to find her,” Jack said. “And after that, we’re going to have a serious discussion with James about getting rid of Joel.”

“Amen to that.”

In the storage cloakroom, Sadie stared at Sam, her shock mirroring his. “Did Jack just agree togive me to Joel?”

“We must have misunderstood,” Sam said. “I could hardly hear anything when they had the water running. Just something about women only being good for one thing, and…having a suit made?”

“Joel said, ‘you’ll transfer ownership of Sadie to me’, and Jack said ‘absolutely’.” He saidabsolutely, Sam.”

“I’m telling you, we misunderstood. First of all, Jack doesn’thaveownership of you, collar or no, so how could he transfer it?”

“He said he’d tell me Joel was coming to get me,” Sadie went on, gathering steam. She was somad, but under the boiling anger was a hole, dark and deep.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Sam insisted. “We had to have missed something important. Hecollaredyou, Sadie.”

“It’s just a play collar,” Sadie said, desperate to believe it. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“You have to talk to Jack,” Sam began.

Sadie shook her head fiercely and tried to ignore the weight around her neck. “I can’t.”

“Okay.” Sam turned toward the door. “I’ll go talk to him.”

“I have to go.”

Sam swung back, panic in his blue eyes. “What? Sadie, you can’t leave.”

“I want to go home,” she said, and had her purse in her hand before she remembered. “Shit, he drove. I’ll take a cab.”

“Sadie, you’re wearing Christmas lights under a man’s coat,” he pointed out. “You can’t get into a cab like that.”

The reminder that she was wearing Jack’s coat had her shrugging out of it. Leaving it in a puddle on the tile floor, she yanked her dress and coat off their hangers. “Happy now?” she asked when she’d dragged them on.

“That’s really not much better.”

“Sam, I can’t stay here.” She grabbed his hands, pleading. “I can’t. Please.”

He stared at her, concern bright in his eyes, and nodded. “All right. I’ll take you.”

She sagged with relief. “Thank you.”

“But you have to let Jack know you’re leaving. You have to,” he said when she shook her head.

“I’ll text him when we’re gone, all right?”

Sam hesitated. “As soon as we’re in the car?”

“Before I even buckle my seatbelt,” she promised, and held her breath.

Sam nodded, eyes troubled. “Okay.”

She flung her arms around him and choked back a sob. “Thank you, Sam.”

“You’re welcome. Hey.” He eased her back to peer into her face. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I know.” She swiped at her cheeks, but they weren’t wet. They were dry, and cold. So cold. “I know.”

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