Read Online Ultimate Surrender: The Surrender Series, Book 2 by Jennifer Kacey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jennifer Kacey
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to mention the shit-tons of paperwork we have to fill out due to our government subsidies on top of the reams of crap we have to file being a medical facility.”
She stopped talking but there was something else. “What aren’t you saying?”
When she opened her mouth, nothing came out and she tried again a few seconds later. “I love the clinic. It makes me immeasurably happy. I love what I’m doing, love the people I work with, and seeing the patients grow and change and blossom does it for me in ways I can’t explain. And I’m extremely goal oriented. I use the time I have judiciously and I can get huge amounts done in a day. Don’t sleep much, that’s true. But I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
“And let me guess. If you tell someone you’re going to do something, then you have to do it. No if, ands, or buts about it. You stay late and get it done. Right?”
“Yes, something like that. Why? Going to give me a hard time about it, hot shot?” She puffed up as if he were dragging her to some heckling party.
“Not unless I want to be a hypocrite. I do the same thing. Been like it all my life. Seriously since I was small. Don’t meet a lot of people who think the same way. Work ethic and all these days. I lucked out when Clay and I were stationed together. He gets it too. And Angela. Interesting how we all ended up in this big small town together.”
“Oh.” She kind of deflated, but in a thoughtful way.
Next he’d be writing her fucking sonnets about birds singing and shit. “So. Schedule. Can you change the hours of the clinic?”
She looked like he’d slapped her.
“I’ll take that face as a resounding no. We’ll take it day by day for right now and adjust your schedule on the fly. You do have someone else there with you for open hours, correct?”
“Well yes, but—”
“Natalie, listen to me. This person who’s after you isn’t messing around. I know you know how serious this is so the last thing I’m going to do is preach at you about being safe.”
“Smart of you.”
“But,” he emphasized, as he took a step closer. “You hired us for a reason, because you trusted us to keep you safe.”
“No. I hired you because I know you. You’re a known factor and I believe you can find this guy. Trusting you has nothing to do with it.”
Yowza. Can you say trigger, boys and girls?
He wondered if her bite was as sharp as her bark.
“The reasoning behind hiring us still boils down to the same thing. You hired me to keep you safe and find the jackass trying to hurt you.” He was a step closer again and didn’t remember moving toward her. What the hell?
“I do think you can find him. I truly believe you can.”
“Then you have to believe I know what I’m doing here. This isn’t my first case. Not even one of my first dozen. I’ve taken on high-profile clients for quite a number of years and I haven’t lost one of them yet.”
“Good track record, but—”
“That’s just it. No buts, Natalie. None. You have to do what needs to be done. And I’m not fucking with your life for shits and grins. I do not get off on making you miserable. It’s not my kink. At all. Which brings up the next point.”
“What your kink is?”
“Uhh…no. The next step in protecting you.”
“Which is?”
“Your new roommate.” He smiled a slow smile and then a wiggle of his eyebrows.
Her realization dawned slowly and then her face fell.
“Lordy, it’s not like I’m not housebroken. You can wipe the horror from your mug.”
The pacing started about two seconds later as she walked away from him and back. “No. Not no but hell no. You are not staying with me.”
“I’m not.”
She paused mid-step. “Oh good, for a minute there I thought you—”
“I’m keeping you safe with 24/7 protection. That’s what we decided would—”
“Who the fuck is we?” She took a couple steps toward him, facing off with him as if she were some kind of royalty. And by New York standards, she
She stopped talking but there was something else. “What aren’t you saying?”
When she opened her mouth, nothing came out and she tried again a few seconds later. “I love the clinic. It makes me immeasurably happy. I love what I’m doing, love the people I work with, and seeing the patients grow and change and blossom does it for me in ways I can’t explain. And I’m extremely goal oriented. I use the time I have judiciously and I can get huge amounts done in a day. Don’t sleep much, that’s true. But I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
“And let me guess. If you tell someone you’re going to do something, then you have to do it. No if, ands, or buts about it. You stay late and get it done. Right?”
“Yes, something like that. Why? Going to give me a hard time about it, hot shot?” She puffed up as if he were dragging her to some heckling party.
“Not unless I want to be a hypocrite. I do the same thing. Been like it all my life. Seriously since I was small. Don’t meet a lot of people who think the same way. Work ethic and all these days. I lucked out when Clay and I were stationed together. He gets it too. And Angela. Interesting how we all ended up in this big small town together.”
“Oh.” She kind of deflated, but in a thoughtful way.
Next he’d be writing her fucking sonnets about birds singing and shit. “So. Schedule. Can you change the hours of the clinic?”
She looked like he’d slapped her.
“I’ll take that face as a resounding no. We’ll take it day by day for right now and adjust your schedule on the fly. You do have someone else there with you for open hours, correct?”
“Well yes, but—”
“Natalie, listen to me. This person who’s after you isn’t messing around. I know you know how serious this is so the last thing I’m going to do is preach at you about being safe.”
“Smart of you.”
“But,” he emphasized, as he took a step closer. “You hired us for a reason, because you trusted us to keep you safe.”
“No. I hired you because I know you. You’re a known factor and I believe you can find this guy. Trusting you has nothing to do with it.”
Yowza. Can you say trigger, boys and girls?
He wondered if her bite was as sharp as her bark.
“The reasoning behind hiring us still boils down to the same thing. You hired me to keep you safe and find the jackass trying to hurt you.” He was a step closer again and didn’t remember moving toward her. What the hell?
“I do think you can find him. I truly believe you can.”
“Then you have to believe I know what I’m doing here. This isn’t my first case. Not even one of my first dozen. I’ve taken on high-profile clients for quite a number of years and I haven’t lost one of them yet.”
“Good track record, but—”
“That’s just it. No buts, Natalie. None. You have to do what needs to be done. And I’m not fucking with your life for shits and grins. I do not get off on making you miserable. It’s not my kink. At all. Which brings up the next point.”
“What your kink is?”
“Uhh…no. The next step in protecting you.”
“Which is?”
“Your new roommate.” He smiled a slow smile and then a wiggle of his eyebrows.
Her realization dawned slowly and then her face fell.
“Lordy, it’s not like I’m not housebroken. You can wipe the horror from your mug.”
The pacing started about two seconds later as she walked away from him and back. “No. Not no but hell no. You are not staying with me.”
“I’m not.”
She paused mid-step. “Oh good, for a minute there I thought you—”
“I’m keeping you safe with 24/7 protection. That’s what we decided would—”
“Who the fuck is we?” She took a couple steps toward him, facing off with him as if she were some kind of royalty. And by New York standards, she
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