Page 32 of Sinner's Sacrifice

What did that mean?

Yvgeny had a fast but thorough shower. He picked up the bag, tied a knot at the top, and left the stall.

Sam was sitting on a bench against the far wall with her eyes closed.

“Sam?” he asked.

Her eyes slowly opened. “Done?”

“Yes, follow me, please.”

She got up, and he went to the door.

Outside, Mason waited a few feet down the hall. He didn’t say anything, just led the way to the incinerator room, which wasn’t far. Yvgeny shoved the bag and its contents into the burner and closed the door.

Mason turned up the burners.

Sam watched, but remained quiet. She wavered slightly on her feet.

She was exhausted.

“Come on,” he said to her. “You need sleep.”

“You need it too,” she retorted.

“I need a hammer to my head,” he muttered.

“Or that,” she replied.

He snagged her hand and towed her out toward the elevator that would take them to his apartment.

When the elevator doors opened to his living space, she frowned. “Can I take this elevator to the employee accommodations?”

He grabbed her hand again and tugged. “You don’t live there anymore.”

Her face went even more pale. “You’re kicking me out?”

“No, of course not.” He got her walking and headed to his spare room. “You’re staying here from now on.”

She turned wide eyes away from him to the bedroom and the few boxes of her things stacked on the floor. Not that she had much. Enough clothes to fill a suitcase, a few books, an e-reader, a laptop computer, and some family photos of her with her sister.

“Why would you move me in with you?” she demanded with some of her regular energy.

She might not be awake enough to be afraid, but she could still get angry.

“Because you keep pissing people off, you were nearly killed tonight, and no one is allowed to hurt you,” he said, his voice growing louder and louder as he spoke.

“Is this what Mason meant?” she asked.

“What?”

“When he was worrying about what you might do. Are you this protective of all your people?” She nodded, not waiting for him to answer. “I get it. I was told when I got hired that you were the kind of boss who takes care of his people, but I didn’t appreciate how far you take it.”

“Many people can’t handle my protective drive,” he said.

She grunted, “Huh. I became a paramedic pretty much for the same reason. People respond better to my being a nosy helper when I’m wearing a uniform.” She smiled that tired smile again. “Good night.” She went into the bedroom and shut the door.

He stared at the closed door.