Page 97 of Chosen Beta

I might not believe anyone who works here would stab me in the back, but I know there are people out there who would love to scare me out of my position at the academy.

I refuse to live in fear of them.

If I was afraid of what they might do, I never would have accepted the position here.

There’s always opposition when a little boat rocking starts up.

I knew that when I climbed on board.

Real change can’t happen without a fight.

I’m ready to battle for what I believe in.

If they’re ready to do the same, let them try to take this ship from me.

I can handle a dozen or more crusty, rich, old bastards.

Owen scrutinizes my face before he says, “Whoever installed that camera out in the hall knows Pete checked the lights yesterday. He’ll be biding his time now. Waiting for the right moment.”

“We don’t know for sure the camera means anything.”

He gives me a derisive look that makes me wish I didn’t say anything.

“It’s a recording device that you didn’t sign off on, and we have no idea who’s using it. People don’t go around installing cameras for nothing. There’s a reason someone put that one up out there.”

Ugh. He’s right. You know he is.

It doesn’t matter. I can’t let this distract me.

“I have work to do, and I don’t have time for this, whatever it is.”

“That’s why you need us,” he tells me, straightening to his full height. “You might notthinkyou need a personal security detail, but you do, and now that I’m here, I’m going to make sure no one can get close enough to lay a finger on you.”

His voice doesn’t falter, and his gaze stays fixed on mine.

I ignore the way my heart races at that promise.

I’m just another client to him.

He only cares about protecting me from harm because it’s his job now.

It’s hard to marry up my feelings to the facts, but I can’t pretend I don’t know.

He could barely stand to look at me when he first got out here.

He doesn’t seem to have that problem now, but that doesn’t matter.

“I need to get to work,” I tell him, keeping my tone cool.

He frowns as I get up and move toward the door.

I unlock it and step out into the hallway.

“No one’s out here,” I call back to him.

He growls lightly as he comes toward me, stopping only to grab his jacket off the floor.

When he stops in front of me, I can see how mad I just made him.

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