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Okay, this is going terribly.

“Alright. We’ll go,” I say, defeated. I will have to try and talk to her another time, once she’s processed what I’ve told her.

I wave my hand towards the door, and she’s about to rush through it when one of my employees walks in. “Sir, we have a bit of an emergency. I’m so sorry to interrupt.”

I glance at Lara. She rolls her eyes, her lips pressed together.

“What is it? Can it wait?”

“No, sir, it can’t, it’s Plato. He fucked up and got his hand caught in the machine.”

“Are you fucking kidding me,” I snarl, worried for him. “Lara, I won’t be long, I have to deal with this. Just stay close.”

“Fine,” she mutters under her breath, folding her arms across her chest, protecting herself from this place as she hurries along behind me.

I follow, jogging through the warehouse, towards a circle of workers huddled around one of the machines. It’s used to vacuum pack and press products, and Plato has his hand stuck in the press.

“Move, everyone move,” I demand, and they quickly step aside. “What the fuck, Plato,” I grumble at him.

He chuckles, his face as white as ash. “Sorry, boss, you know me, though, I can’t let a week go by without creating some kind of entertainment.”

“Is the machine pressed all the way down?”

“No, Jim managed to switch it off before it flattened my hand, but I’m pretty sure it’s broken.”

“Better broken than crushed. We’ll need to reset the machine before we turn it back on, otherwise it’ll finish the movement.”

“Yeah, that’s why we needed you.”

“Jim, stand near Plato, I’m pretty sure it’s going to hurt when it lifts.”

Jim steps close to his friend and colleague, wrapping his arm around the guy’s waist to support him. “You really are a fucking moron, you know,” he teases, trying to lighten the mood.

Plato grins. “I know it.”

I walk around to the back of the machine and punch in a reset code, press my finger against a red button, then gesture for someone to turn it back on.

“Go ahead.”

The entire crowd around Plato holds their breath as the switch gets flipped. The machine hisses and then releases, rising up to its starting position.

Thank fuck.

Plato staggers backwards, leaning on Jim, who guides him to sit down on the edge of a crate. I hurry over to him to check his hand.

Chapter 14 - Lara

The man falls backwards, his friend catching him and helping him to sit down as I stare in disbelief. Nestor is calm and attentive in taking care of the guy. He crouches in front of him.

“Let me see the damage,” he says, and fully trusting him, Plato holds out his injured hand, letting Nestor carefully turn it to get a good look.

“Definitely a few bones broken in there. I’m going to have to sign you out for the rest of the week, and we can see how you feel after that.”

“I don’t have any more sick leave, sir. I can still work.”

“Don’t be a moron. I won’t dock your pay, but I swear, you are the clumsiest guy on this floor,” Nestor huffs, standing up. “Jim, what are you busy with now?”

“Inventory, sir.”