Page 106 of Lovers Like Us

If I calculate all the times I slip between the rules, I may be fined to the point where I’m working for free. Or worse, I could owe them more money than Imake.

I grew up fortunate. My father paid for my undergrad and medical school at Yale, but I don’t have a trust fund. His money is his money, and I haven’t accepted a dime since I changed careers. My salary is entirely from securitywork.

I can live on less than I have right now. The Hales, Cobalts, and Meadows pay for security’s housing. I don’t own a car, and I already paid off my motorcycle. I just need to be careful about spending. Because I’m not changing how I do thisjob.

“Fine,” I say.Merry Christmas tome.

“That’s not it,” Thatcher says as he removes his button-down.

Quinn and Donnelly undress to their underwear and mutter under their breaths to one another. Looking grateful that they’re not under thisspotlight.

“You’ll be asked to do a series of physical activities as punishment.” Thatcher nods to me. “Right now, drop and give me fifty push-ups.” He’sserious.

I don’t blink. “No.”

Thatcher is now two feet from my face. Towering, glaring. “This isn’tnegotiable.”

This is bullshit. “I’m not a green bodyguard. I’ve paid my dues, and I’m not dropping to my knees every time you’re pissed at me.No thanks.” I take a seat on the couch just to put distance between us, and I untie myboots.

He’sfuming.

Akara is more at ease since I agreed to a pay cut. He’s down to his boxer-briefs, and he digs in the shopping bag for the contest’sunderwear.

Thatcher scratches his unshaven jaw, his gaze narrowing on me. “When doctors told you to do something, is that what you said to them,no?

I yank hard at my laces. See, I listen to authority. I respect authority like Akara, but I’ve lost some respect for Thatcher the more he comes at me. This personal vendetta is gettingold.

“Did they even let you see patients,” he asks, “or were you a liability for themtoo?”

I glare. I’m not wasting my breath boasting about doing rotations. When the hospital was short-staffed, some attending physicians treated me more like an intern. Like an asset. Because I wasn’t afraid to listen to my gut. I knew myshit.

I thought quickly, and I didn’t treat textbooks like the know-all, end-all. And that’s exactly how I amnow.

Here.

I kick off one boot. “If you think I’m a liability, then fireme.”

“I should’ve,” Thatcher says coldly. “And I stillcan—”

“No,” Akara interjects. “We needFarrow.”

Quinn nods strongly. It almost makes mesmile.

Donnelly opens his mouth, but he catches my gaze that says,don’t. He’s not a lead of a Force, and they’ll just yell at him for interjecting. Donnelly doesn’t give a shit. “You fire Farrow, I’ll walkout.”

I cringe.“Man, be smarter thanthat.”

“You die, Idie—”

“Oh my God,” I mutter and pinch myeyes.

“Stay out of this,” Akara says to Donnelly in his harshest voice, then to Thatcher, he repeats, “We needFarrow.”

Thatcher shakes his head once, but he knows I’ve never made a mistake that’s trulyjeopardized the safety of a client. I’ve just done things differently than the status quo. And it unnerveshim.

“What the fuck do you want from me?” I ask him and kick off my lastboot.

“Be committed to thisprofession.”