“Her name is none of your fucking business.” Colt wedges himself between us, popping out his earbuds. “So why don’t you just get back to your workout and let her do her job?”

The older man quickly sizes Colt up and either decides it’s not worth the effort or he doesn’t feel like getting his ass kicked. He backs off, hands raised. “Sorry. Just making conversation.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a gym. This is where we work out.” Colt waits for the guy to step onto a treadmill before turning to me, his eyes narrowed.

I don’t give him a chance to start his shit with me. “What is your problem?” I whisper. My cheeks are burning with embarrassment, and I know there are people paying attention even if they’re pretending not to. “I’m supposed to work here, you know? How am I going to keep my job if you do things like that?”

“He’s a piece of shit. And you were lapping it up, weren’t you?”

“You don’t have the first idea what you’re talking about. That much is obvious. He was only trying to be nice.”

“Would you grow up?” he sneers. “He wasn’t trying to be nice. He was trying to get into your pants.”

“Oh, and I forgot, didn’t I? I have no say in who goes there, either, do I?”

We’re still glaring at each other when Nix joins us, covered in a sheen of sweat, though he doesn’t seem winded. “Come on. Time to go.”

At first, I figure he must be talking to his brother, but then I realize they’re both looking at me. “You’re kidding.”

“Does it look like I’m kidding?” Nix grunts. “We finished our workout, so we’re going home. And you’re coming with us.”

This is all too bizarre. “But I’m working. I can’t just walk out.”

“Yeah, you can. Since that’s the arrangement we came up with. We know the guy who owns the place. We can pretty much do whatever we want.”

That’s their entire problem in a nutshell. They’ve spent their entire lives believing they can do whatever they want with no consequences or thoughts for anyone but themselves. “How am I supposed to earn any money if I’m hardly ever here?”

“Do you ever stop complaining? We’re going. That’s the deal. Don’t worry. You’ll get your money.” Nix rolls his eyes and turns away, followed by Colt. I guess I don’t have a choice but to believe them and follow. If this is all a joke, it’s a pretty complicated one, but even Piper looks surprised to see me leave. I can’t bring myself to acknowledge her, even to show my own confusion.