Page 66 of Doctor Bossy

“Ah,” he gloated with a smile. “You’re finally home.”

I ran for the window behind me, but he was faster, grabbing me around the waist and holding me to his chest as he let out a chuckle.

“Oh, you’re a fighter,” he said. “Just like your mother said.”

The man was wearing a cop’s uniform, but I could tell from his face that he wasn’t a cop. Or he would not be staring at me like I was a fresh morsel of meat.

I screamed and clawed at his hands, attempting to claw at his eyes too, but he blocked my hands, twisting them behind me.

“Your neighbor is not home,” he said. “I already checked. And the police are nowhere within miles. There is no one to save you, so you might as well give in. Your mother owes me some money and told me that just a little time spent with you will deal with her debt, but I don’t think so.” He smiled lasciviously. “I think I might need two rounds.”

30

GRIFFIN

“What do you mean she’s gone?” I asked Willa, confused at what she was telling me.

Willa shook her head. “You have no idea the craziness that went on here, boss. It was insane. The director of the departmentandthe president came here, and they were all abuzz about something.”

“What did they want?” I had noticed a strain in the air when I came back to the office, but I assumed my emotions were simply heightened because of what happened to Becca.

But as Willa began telling me the story, I realized I was way off.

And I’d made a huge mistake in not coming back immediately.

Willa told me about how the president had come down and accused me of sending an email to try and sabotage his efforts and get him fired. She also told me how he was adamant about seeing me and discussing it, and then she revealed how Becca had taken the blame for it.

Shame and panic instantly set in.What the hell had I done?

“So she’s gone?” I asked, feeling guilt and anger churn in my stomach. Why the hell didn’t they wait for me to come back before they did that? Despite being the university president, he couldn’t fire my staff without my permission.

And everyone here, how could they just do that to her? Let her go like that? Couldn’t they tell it was all bullshit? And why had Becca agreed to take the blame for something she didn’t do? No doubt, she thought I might be in some serious trouble and wanted to spare me.

Damn it, that girl’s way too softhearted for her good.

“Good riddance,” Willa said with a look on her face. “I hate to say it because I loved her cupcakes, but that girl has been trouble since the day she got here.”

“Don’t ever talk about her like that,” I growled so suddenly and instinctively that Willa nearly jumped in shock. I understood in a logical sense that Willa thought she was saying the right thing, and I couldn’t blame her for her feelings. But I especially couldn’t stand the fact that Becca had taken the blame for something she hadn’t done and was suffering somewhere by herself.

God, I had to fix this.

“Set up a meeting with the university president and everyone else in this lab,” I said as I began heading into my office to organize things. “It is imperative that everyone is in attendance.”

“When?” she asked.

“Right now,” I shot back before closing the door in her shocked face. I did not doubt Willa could do it, even on such short notice, and I was proven right. In a few short minutes, everyone was organized in the conference room, with the department head a video call away. The room was full, and everyone was glancing at me curiously because I wasn’t the type of boss to call meetings often. I found them to be largely a waste of time when emails were sufficient to announce things. The fact that I’d called this one meant something truly vital needed to be heard.

And when I had all their attention, I began to talk.

“A grave injustice has been done today,” I said. “And I cannot, in good conscience, let it go without correcting it.”

“What are you talking about, Griffin?” the president asked.

“Becca did not send that email,” I said, looking him in the eye. “I did.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Yes,” I continued. “I did it because I was desperate for the drug to be on the market as soon as possible. One of my patients is dying pretty quickly, and without that drug, her chances become slimmer and slimmer. We accidentally sent up the wrong sample, costing us the university board’s approval, but I was sure that with the right sample, the approval would have been a breeze, so I was not concerned about it passing again. I simply knew it could not happen in the time I needed, which was why I sent the email asking for a favor.” The room was silent, and I could see confusion in several faces, but I didn’t bother clarifying. They would understand soon enough. “And I know my actions were wrong and have stained the reputation of this entire organization. But they are not a reflection of Center of Hope. Which is why I have decided on my own, with no one else’s influence but mine, to step down from my position as Head of Research at this organization and take a more backseat role.”

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