Zack switched tactics. “He might just be taking a break. I think he mentioned he was going on a business trip or something. Maybe he can’t get to a phone.”

“You’re contradicting yourself. Did he get bored with you, or did he say he wouldn’t be available for a few days? Which is it?”

Zack’s veins pumped shards of ice. He had no idea if agreeing or denying it would be better. He tried to make a quick decision, but he waited too long.

Colette spoke again. “Is there something you want to tell me, Zack?”

Zack tried to swallow, but a lump had taken up residence in his throat. “No.”

“Nothing? Nothing you’d like to confess?”

She knows, Zack thought. She must know. “No.”

“If you fucked this up,” Colette said evenly, “then you may soon find yourself in need of other employment. That whale was the only thing you had going for you, and I believe you know that.”

It took everything Zack had to keep the panic from showing on his face. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I won’t bother discussing this further right now,” Colette said, turning away. “I believe I’ve made my position clear. Just understand that I’m going to be keeping a very close eye on you from now on, and if I discover anything untoward has occurred, you’re done.”

Chapter 15

It took Zack all of two seconds to decide he wasn’t going to stop seeing John. He’d understood the risks from the start. It wouldn’t be fair to cut ties with John after everything they’d gone through to get here. Besides, there was nothing Colette could do to prove Zack was breaking the rules.

At least, Zack hoped there wasn’t.

He spent the rest of the workday trying to ignore the dread in his gut. It was like a cold ball of steel had nestled in the pit of his stomach. Alexa stopped by his desk on her break, but when she received nothing but distracted grunts from him, she left him alone. A twinge of guilt compacted Zack’s already tumultuous feelings.

As if on cue, Zack’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Kira. He read it with a smile. She asked how he was just casually enough to let him know two things: Alexa had told her something was up, and he was lucky enough to have friends who cared about him no matter how much of a moody brat he was being.

If things went sour, at least he knew they had his back.

Still, Zack couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being too cavalier about this. Murmur Inc. was his main source of income. Losing his job would be financially devastating. He might even have to move back in with his parents.