Page 27 of Too Safe

When I cross my arms under my chest and glare, he continues.

“Could affect a lot of people in a lot of ways. And that’s a big fucking problem.”

My chest squeezes at the implication, but then I scoff.

“Nobody gives a shit if you like to get facials or chemical peels,” I counter, looking from Kendrick to Locke, then finally back to Decker. Truth be told, I have no idea what services the guys were in for. I’ve worked at Lake Chapel Radiance for less than a week.

“Is that what this is about?” I throw out my arms in a display that I’m sure comes off as childish. “I’m a spa assistant, asshole, and I’ve worked there for all of four days! I don’t even know the scope of what they offer yet, and I have no idea what sort of procedure or treatment they were there for.”

Decker examines me coolly, and Kylian looks up from his device. When no one says anything, I continue my defense.

“I was in the middle of my shift when I spotted Locke.” I omit the part where I idiotically thought he’d shown up to see me. I drag my gaze to him and add, “I thought I saw afriend.”

A thick fog of awkwardness passes between us. Awkwardness mixed with agony on his part. But I refuse to read too much into his emotional state. He’s done literally nothing to help me tonight. I don’t owe him shit.

“I called out to them,” I jut my chin toward the two men, “then I followed them out the back door to the parking lot. I stupidly thought maybe they didn’t hear me. I just wanted to say hi. Isawnothing. Iknownothing. Just because I work at—”

“Worked.”

My eyes flick up to Decker’s. “Excuse me?”

“Youworkedat Lake Chapel Radiance. You don’t work there anymore, Josephine.”

Bile rises up my throat again, but I choke it down. I can’t fall apart.Not yet. My uncle said Decker Crusade is a local celebrity. A known figure around town. I have no doubt that if he wanted me fired, the med spa would do so without hesitation.

I’m powerless in this moment. Powerless and going numb around the edges. Blinking, I suck in a steadying breath. I can’t succumb to the hopelessness threatening to consume me. I refuse to go down without a fight.

“You can’t tell me what I can and cannot do.”

A cruel smile teases the corner of his lush lips.

“Oh, but I can. I protect what’s mine. And as of tonight, you’re a liability. I don’t believe a word you’ve said,Josephine Meyer.” He spits out my name like it’s a curse. “You’re not as innocent or unaware as you’d like us to believe. So here’s what’s going to happen.”

He takes a step forward, and I instinctively shuffle back until my calves brush against the chair behind me.

His next words come out soft and melodic, like he’s whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

“You’ll stay here, with us, for the foreseeable future. You’ll be accompanied to class, and you’ll come to our games. You don’t leave this isle without an escort. You don’t tell a soul about what you saw. You don’t so much as move a muscle without running it past one of us. You’ll resign from your job. You’ll make up excuses your uncle will believe. And you’ll doexactlyas I say.”

His tone leaves no room for argument. Hot, indignant tears press behind my eyes without my permission. But I fight against them—will my body to reabsorb them—as I step forward to stand toe-to-toe with this despicable man.

“Ihaveto work,” I hiss.

I don’t know why, out of all the bullshit that just spewed from his mouth, that’s the point I cling to. But I won’t backtrack or back down now.

His lip quivers into a hint of a smirk. “Then you can work for me.”

Outrage swirls inside me as my coping mechanisms battle for dominance. The numbness continues to spread, yet I can’t stop now. I haven’t survived the last handful of years, haven’t made it this far, to go down without a fight.

“You can’t keep me here. That’s essentially kidnapping. I’ll call the police.”

A chortle sounds behind Decker. “Tell my father hello when you call in to the station,” Kendrick says smoothly. “And that I’ll get with him after the game tomorrow.”

“Your father is a police officer?”Of coursehe is.

I peer around Decker’s huge body to glare at the three stooges who have been all but silent throughout this exchange. Kylian is fixated on the screen of his iPad—surprise, surprise. Locke is focused on his feet. But Kendrick is staring right back at me, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. He’s more animated right now than I’ve ever seen him.

“My popsisthe police. He’s the sheriff.” Then he adds, “And my uncle’s the county commissioner.”

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