Page 65 of Ellie 1
We ate at an amazing hole-in-the-wall place near the building that Ha-joon was in love with. I fully understood because it was authentic Mexican and fucking delicious.
We arrived at the coven leader’s house about ten minutes before the meeting time, but Justin Shields was ready as well and didn’t play games.
Mostly.
He was confused why Ha-joon was there and frowned harder when he realized it wasn’t about helping his coven but having to do his job leading.
I gave him all of the proof and outlined what was going on, trying to take as much emotion out of it as possible.
“Do you want me to talk to him?” he asked when I was done, still frowning.
It was on the tip of my tongue to snark at him that no, I came just because he was pretty and I was bored. “Yes, I want you to handle your coven member and reel him in.”
The long breath he let out was so dismissive that it reminded me of my father and that never went well for me. But I was also older than this shit and had a better position than him in life.
And it was time people started remembering that.
“This seems more like a job for your HR and managing your hospital,” he pushed back.
I ran my tongue over my teeth, feeling better when rage poured off of Ha-joon. “He’s fired if I do that. That’s where we’re at. And then it will be one of your coven fired forstalkingandharassingthe woman who runs the hospital because he wants her wealth after he was punished repeatedly for his bad behavior.
“I could handle it easily, but it will be amess. For your coven more than my hospital, but I still would like to avoid it.” I went on when he seemed ready to argue. “And what will the members of this coven say learning there’s a predator here? They’ll probably push him out, and as much as I’d like to never see him again—someone needs to smack sense into him that he is the problem.”
“He is a dismissive narcissist who is playing games that reflect badly on your coven,” Ha-joon took over. “And I’m honestly disappointed that you are only learning of this situation or there was a problem.” The coven leader didn’t like hearing that, but clearly it was the right button to push. “My father would have been all over this the moment he was suspended.
“And you didn’t even know? This whole thing doesn’t just make magics and your coven look bad, but the leadership that you let it get this far. ASHisAtlanta. How many of your coven work there? Or support it somehow? Own shops where the massive number of employees frequent? All of this affects them as now magics are being cut out at the hospital as petty.
“Because some went to back him up and others won’t comment or ignore it. The shifters who were dragged in and have to deal with Fitz are pissed. Ms. Reed is a vampire. Her leadership gets involved and you have a disaster here. A massive one. And you didn’t even know about it.”
The look he gave Justin like he was disappointed and looking at a pissant who was in over his head wasamazing. Seriously, Iwas in awe of how well he played the situation and turned things around from me being overly sensitive to this.
“You’re right that I should have been informed before this,” Justin accepted even with a bit of an attitude about it. “I will handle Tommy and get him under control. I would suggest the hospital getting some magic-proof surveillance instead of—”
“There’s always a way around that,” I interjected, pissed he was turning this around to my poor management. “Most surveillance is a deterrent, and if people want around it, they will do so. We all know that. But it still did its job because Dr. Fitz was the only warlock in the parking garage before the cameras went down. It’s not a jump.”
“No, it’s not, and I understand. I will handle him. Thank you for telling me, and I hope you have a good night,” he said with a slightly hostile smile.
Well, that was one way to be dismissed.
16
Tommy
The hit came so fast from my uncle that I wasn’t ready for it. He’d done his normal act of politeness, but on the phone he’d acted like he needed my help with something.
Not that I was in trouble.
I blocked the next slap out of instinct which pissed Uncle Justin off even more. I held my hands up in surrender and backed away. “I don’t know what is going on, but there’s been a misunderstanding.”
He snorted. “So youweren’tsuspended from ASH without pay and your department head isn’t trying to get rid of you?”
I swallowed loudly. “I’m handling it.”
“No, you’re done doinganything. Because Ellie Reed was here today with Alpha Clark’s youngest son and I was fuckinghumiliatedbecause of you! What is wrong with you? I knew you were a cad just like my stupid brother, but—what iswrong with you?Weren’t you hurt enough by your father’s promiscuous ways? Now you’ve become worse than him?”
“It’s not like that, Uncle,” I defended, backing away when he stormed down on me.
“She hasproofyou’ve been stalking her, Tommy!” He nodded when I froze. “That trick you pulled with her car so youcould be the hero? You already did that to her!” He slapped me again when I winced.
