Page 36 of The Rebel King

“I’m not saying it was your fault. But I’m very exacting about her safety in a way that you don’t know how to be.”

“You can’t be serious.” Lennix laughs, but there’s more outrage than humor in it. “You’reexactingabout my safety? What does that even mean?”

“I told you there’s a broader conversation we need to have,” I tell her, keeping my voice even. “And it does not concern Wallace, except for him to know he will never be in charge of your safety again.”

“He was notin chargeof my safety in Costa Rica. I’m in charge of myself.”

“How’d that work out for you?” I ask.

“I’m not a child you tell to look both ways before I cross the street, Maxim. I’m a grown woman.”

“Mywoman, and that shit show from last week won’t happen again.”

“Look,” Wallace says, “this is between the two of you, but we’ll be extra careful on our next service trip if you’d just—”

My laughter cuts in on his stupid words. “Next service trip? What part of ‘never again’ do you not understand, Dr. Murrow?”

“Talk tome,” Lennix says. “I’m the one who decides if I go on another service trip.”

“I’m not saying you won’t,” I tell her with a shrug. “I’m saying I’ll be involved because I don’t trust anyone else to keep you safe.”

“I’m gonna leave now.” Wallace walks toward the door.

“Excellent idea,” I say.

Lennix angles a chastising look over her shoulder at me while she walks Wallace out.

“When do you go back to work?” she asks him.

“Tomorrow.” He squeezes the bridge of his nose. “It’s weird because they didn’t have to pay anything to get me back and didn’t lose the vaccine. It’s like nothing happened. Nothing’s changed.”

“Have they informed the FDA yet?” I ask.

“Not yet.” His eyes meet and then skid away from mine.

“Well, let’s hope your company’s rat doesn’t blow any whistles or link up with another psycho and try to steal the vaccine. I don’t have to tell you how powerful and dangerous something like that would be in the wrong hands.”

“Agreed,” Wallace says. “I’m pushing for them to hand it over, but these things take time.”

“Don’t take too much time,” I say, warning with a look. “I know about this now. I have no deniability if it comes out. Get your boss to do the right thing, or I will.”

Wallace stares at me for an extra moment before nodding. He bends down to kiss Lennix on the cheek and then goes.

She turns to face me, her back to the door, arms folded behind her. There’s a somber cast to her face. I’m braced for more disagreements, especially when I tell her about the geotracker, but I don’t want them. Not tonight.

“Let’s not fight,” she says, like she’s reading my mind.

“I don’t want to.”

“It feels like we disagreed so much tonight.” She pushes off the door and crosses the room, stopping right in front of me. She steps so close that her clean, fresh scent surrounds me and I could drown in those water-sky eyes.

“After seeing us fight tonight, your friends may wonder if we’ll last.” I loop my arms and link my hands at the base of her spine, bringing her closer.

“My friends remember how I was when we were togetherten years ago.” She stares at the floor and pushes long, dark hair behind her ear.

“How were you?” I kiss her temple and work my thumbs into the tense muscles in her back.

“Oh, that feels really good.” She moans and closes her eyes, resting her head on my chest.

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