Like a Boss - Annabelle Costa Page 0,70

“I just don’t feel like we’re a good match,” I say.

“Bullshit.” His face contorts in anger. “Always excuses with you. Meanwhile, you have no idea what you’re missing. I know I kiss better than that Thayer asshole.”

“I’m sure you do…” Where is that goddamn pepper spray?

My fingers are coming up empty. Meanwhile, Nathan is leaning towards me, his lips parted. Before I can run, he grabs my right arm by the wrist and pins me against the wall.

Oh God.

“Let me show you what you’re missing,” Nathan breathes in my face.

I squirm under his grip. He’s stronger than I would have thought. But at the same time, he’s uncoordinated from the alcohol. I wish I had my pepper spray, but I can’t find it so I’ve got to come up with an alternative. I take a deep breath, lift my right leg, and knee him in the groin as hard as I possibly can.

It’s satisfying the way he goes down. He doubles over, clutching his crotch. “You bitch,” he gasps. “I’m going to kill you!”

“Stay the hell away from me!” I cry.

“Ellie?” a voice says from a few feet away.

I swivel my head in the direction of the voice. To my surprise, Luke is sitting there in his chair. For a moment, he looks confused, but then he sees Nathan and his eyes darken.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Luke says. “I fired you.”

Nathan lifts his chin. “Yeah, well, fuck you. I’m here anyway. What are you going to do about it?”

My heart flutters. Even though Nathan isn’t a muscle man by any stretch of the imagination, Luke is in no position to take him on. Luke can’t throw a punch. His upper arm strength might be good, but I’m guessing you need your hands to fight. Or at least, you need your hands to win a fight.

But Luke doesn’t look even the slightest bit scared. He looks Nathan straight in the eyes, and even I get a little chill down my spine. He really can look every bit as frightening as his father when he wants to. “If you lay even one finger on Ellie, you will never get a job in this state ever again. Not even hauling garbage. I promise you that. If you so much as breathe on her, I will make sure you die alone in the gutter. Do you understand me?”

Nathan snorts. “Yeah, right. You’re not as hot shit as you think you are.”

“You want to test me?”

For a moment, the two of them stare at each other. Nathan makes like he’s going to take a step forward, but Luke doesn’t even flinch.

Finally, Nathan curses a few times, then takes off out the door. He’s limping a bit—I must’ve gotten in a good shot. Take that, you asshole.

And now it’s just me and Luke.

“Are you okay, Ellie?” His brow is furrowed. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No,” I say. “I kneed him in the balls.”

Despite everything, Luke grins. “I wish I could have seen that.”

I don’t return the smile.

His own smile fades. “I need to talk to you. Please.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“I’ll give everyone their jobs back.” He glances over his shoulder. “Well, except for that asshole. But everyone else. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

“It’s too late.” My voice breaks on the words. “It’s not what you did. It’s what you’ve done. I… I can’t be with a person who has treated people the way you have. I thought you changed since college. But you’re the same as ever.”

“I’m not a bad person, Ellie,” he insists.

“How can you even say that with a straight face?” I shake my head. “Everything about you is a lie. You made me think that you were…”

“Ellie, come on. You know it’s just business.”

“And that’s the worst part.” I let out a breath. “You don’t even think you did anything wrong.” I ball my hands into fists. “It’s not just business. It’s people’s lives.”

Luke opens his mouth as if to respond, but no words come out. Wow, I have finally rendered Luke Thayer speechless.

But there’s no victory. For once, I wish there was something he could say to convince me that I’m wrong. But there’s nothing he can say, because he knows I’m right. He knows it’s over.

“Goodbye, Luke,” I say.

And I leave him sitting there as I exit the office.

Chapter 28

A few days later, I’m allowed to visit Jenna at the hospital.

She’s hospitalized in a psych ward now. I imagined a sterile white