on Lucas, who doesn't have a business savvy bone in his body," she said, rubbing at one of her eyes in a rare show of vulnerability.
Wincing, I said the only thing I could to help ease the sting of being passed over for everything she'd ever wanted. "He loves you."
"He does," she agreed. "I know that. But it doesn't change the fact that I was his last option. It didn't stop him from looking at you like you hung the moon and could help me manage his legacy, because in his eyes I can't do it on my own. If I were one of my brothers? I'd already own the gym. That's the brutal reality. Instead, he still owns it and I'm just a manager, six years after he retired."
"I'm not going to have anything to do with the gym," I reassured her. "That's your baby. I'm helping you find a location because I want you to be safe, not because I want to tell you how to run it."
"I know, and I understand that. I might hate it, but I also know that it's for the best. Even if we don't go anywhere in the long run, I am always going to be associated with Matteo because of Ivory. I can't keep burying my head and pretending that I'm not involved in the criminal side of the city. But if my father already doubts my ability to run the gym—and he does—can you imagine what might happen if he gets wind of my disorder? It will just be another reason for him to think I can't do it," she whispered.
Reaching over to grasp her hand in mine and rest them on her thigh, I squeezed. Our relationship, while serious to me, wasn't at the point where I felt comfortable interceding on her behalf. I'd stress her abilities to her father when I could, but I wasn't comfortable enough with either of them to have a conversation with him about how his actions affected Sadie. My guess after meeting him was that Oscar had no idea how his passive comments and lack of faith upset Sadie. That she felt like less than her brothers, even though the two of them had far more in common than he had with his sons.
There was nothing to be said in the face of disappointing a parent when all we wanted was to earn their approval. She might not have said it, but the words hung in the air, regardless.
Nothing she did would ever be enough for her father to see her the way she wanted.
The way she deserved.
The last thing I wanted to do was bring Sadie back to Tease. The woman could find trouble in a nunnery. Bringing her to a house of sin and expecting her not to play was just plain dumb.
Rebel wasn't a fan of the loud music, her intelligent eyes casting judgment on the scantily clad girls as we made our way through the main space.
Some of the girls blew Sadie kisses as we passed, actions that Sadie returned while men glanced her way despite the already half-naked women available to be the evening's entertainment. Tease housed some of the most beautiful women and best strippers in the city.
Something about Sadie shone from within, making her glow brighter than they did, even in their element. She might not have legs long enough to touch the sky or the biggest tits in the house, but she had a face that knocked men on their asses, with angled honey eyes framed by thick eyelashes that were as dark as night. She'd slipped on a pair of distressed jeans that showed the golden tone to her tawny skin on her thighs, and a black t-shirt with a whiskey brand on it.
She guided the way through the club in that confident way she had. The walls had risen higher than ever after her revelations about her relationship with her father the night before. Blocking me out to the best of her ability, she strutted through the space like she owned it. I allowed it, knowing it was a temporary defense that I'd eventually wear down.
Guilt still consumed me that I'd hurt her, even if the physical injury hadn't been severe enough to leave marks. Being attacked in her sleep couldn't have been easy for Sadie, given the events that led to our meeting. While she never talked about it or acted like she had any fear because of it, I knew that,