Page 64 of Iron Will

“Excuse me… what?” I squint at him in disbelief.

“I have to tell you that I am extremely shocked and disappointed in you,” he says sternly.

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Are you asking me to answer to you for what I choose do to on my own time?” I gape at him.

“It certainly makes me question your judgment,” he sniffs, pursing his lips. “And also makes me question your motives.”

I’m not sure where this is heading, but I don’t like it one bit. “Motives? Motives about what? What are you talking about, Blake?”

He narrows his eyes, for just a moment.

“Delaney, you are an employee of this hospital,” Blake drones. “You have access to privileged information, and your integrity needs to be absolutely above question.” He’s chosen the sanctimonious air he uses when he wants to pull rank on an employee. “When I see you spending time with a man who clearly comes from the lowest rungs of society, I can only come to one of two conclusions. Either you are too stupid to realize he is playing you… or you are not too stupid. In which case, I have to assume you approve of, or even participate in, his criminal activity.”

My whole body stiffens with anger. “I absolutely resent those implications,” I shoot back. “Both about me, and about Rourke.”

“Aha. So youaretoo stupid to see it.” He shakes his head in exaggerated display of sadness.

My heart is racing. My head is pounding. In less than ten seconds, I’ve gone from nervous but resolved, to angrier than I can remember being in years. Maybe in my life.

“How dare you?” I hiss, half-rising from my chair. “You have no right to talk to me this way. Employee or not!”

“Delaney, you are putting the safety of our employees and our patients at risk by having contact with thatbiker.” He says the word like it’s a disease. “I will not have that at my hospital.” He leans forward, all pretense of above-it-all sanctimony gone. His eyes are blazing now — with anger, and something else that I only now am starting to see.

Jealousy.

Slowly, I start to understand. This is all about me rebuffing Blake’s advances. The fact that not only have I rejected him — but even worse, that I chose an outlaw biker over him — is a bigger blow to Blake Barber’s self-esteem than he can stand.

He intends to punish me for it. To salvage his own ego.

“You will promise me, right now.Right now, do you hear me?” His voice shakes with barely-concealed rage, as he bites off each word. “You will cease all contact with that biker. Both inside this hospital and out of it.”

He stops speaking, glaring at me over his desk. It’s clear he expects me to speak. To grovel.

But somehow, his fury ends up having the opposite effect on me.

My heart is still pounding, my skin abuzz with adrenaline. But strangely, I feel calm. Absolutely calm.

“I will not promise that,” I say quietly. “And I expect an apology from you. Right now.”

“An apology fromme?” Blake bursts into incredulous laughter. “Are you out of your mind?”

“No?” I put my hands on the armrests of the impossibly uncomfortable chair and stand up. “Well, then. I quit. Effective immediately.”

He flinches, and then blinks, as though he’s not sure what he’s just heard.

“You can’t be serious,” he says uncertainly. His face is still fixed in the same stern expression, but his body posture has collapsed.

I’ve stunned him. Outplayed him.

“I am serious. I’m not your slave, Blake.” I wait a beat. “And I’m not your girlfriend, either. And never will be.That biker, as you call him, is twice the man you’ll ever be. And there’s nothing you could ever do or say to make me think any differently about that. Or him.”

I lean over the desk, until my face is just inches from his.

“I’m done with your bullshit, Blake. You’re a shitty boss, and a shitty human being. And one more thing: I suggest that you count your blessings that I’m not bringing sexual harassment charges against you.Yet.”

I pause for a second, to let my words sink in. Then, I take a deep breath.

“I also want you to know that I’m quite aware I’m not the only woman on staff here at the hospital you’ve made unwanted advances toward. Your record as regards your female employees is abysmal. Women talk, Blake. We talk about how you treat us. You’ve made a lot of enemies here. And up until now, you probably thought none of your bad behavior would bite you in the ass.

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