She glared back at him, furious, and beyond ready to tell the man off in a rude way. “What is to explain? Don’t make me go over this again. I already have a hundred times and nothing is going to change just because you have a problem with them having their own security officers. Officer Fury helped me clean up inside that bathroom. I shook too badly to walk from being that upset. I had to kill two men, I’m not military, and I don’t have that kind of background.”

“I know that,” he snapped.

“I was shaken up that day those crazy freaks broke into Homeland and I couldn’t even walk. If you saw the videos of what happened then you know Officer Fury had to carry me. My clothes were bloody and he just lent me his briefs and a shirt. He did the decent, kind thing. What is your problem?” She rose to her feet and resisted the urge to smack the offensive ass**le.

“He inappropriately touched you and I want a formal complaint filed by six o’clock today. We need to show them they can’t do whatever the hell they want. They didn’t get authorization to do what they did.”

Unbelievable. Ellie gaped at him. “I won’t do it. He didn’t inappropriately touch me. If you want to have a pissing contest with someone to show who’s in control, don’t pull me into it. I don’t even have the right equipment.”

He ignored her sarcastic comment. “That man carried you into a bathroom where you stripped na**d in front of him and he stripped na**d in front of you, obviously, to give you his damn boxers. That is totally unacceptable. Write that report now. That is an order.”

“There are no cameras inside that bathroom. You don’t know what went on in there!” Ellie yelled, beyond furious.

“I can guess. Is that it, Ms. Brower? Do you have the hots for Officer Fury? Did you two do more than exchange clothing? Did he f**k you?”

She took a step back and her hands balled into fists. She wanted to deck him so bad she had to struggle to get hold of her temper. She couldn’t. He’d gone too far.

“You’re a dirty-minded ass**le, Director Boris. That man and his team saved my life. Where the hell was your security when those men were using vehicles to ram down the front doors of the dorm? Where were they when they chased me through the first floor and I was forced to kill two men? Where were they while those jerks manhandled me and planned to brutally rape me in front of your cameras before they killed me? Let me tell you where they were. They were watching from their safe control room. The NSO security officers saved my life and Officer Fury, for your information, stepped into a stall while I cleaned myself, kept his back to me the entire time, and his eyes closed. He never saw me naked,” she lied. “And I never saw so much of an inch of his skin except his arms,” she lied again. “Don’t tell me to commit perjury on some bogus report because you’re pissed they saved the day when your shitty security measures were a joke.”

Director Boris rose to his feet. “You’re fired. Get your shit and get off Homeland immediately. I’ll personally have you arrested for trespassing in one hour if you are still here and let my shitty security toss you onto your ass out the front gates. I’ll have the local police waiting to give you a new home inside the city jail.”

She nodded. “You’re a spineless prick.” She spun and stormed out of his office.

Ellie choked on tears as she headed for the outer door. She only had one hour to gather everything she owned and leave the only home she had. She’d have to call security to ask them to bring her car to the dorm to load her belongings. All personal vehicles were stored inside a secure parking lot at the back of Homeland. It was a standard security measure to prevent their cars from being messed with. She had no home anymore, only a few thousand dollars in her savings account, and no job. What hurt most would be that she’d miss the women she’d grown closer to. She reached the security guard at the door that lead outside and he moved suddenly to block her path with a grim demeanor.

“Director Boris ordered me to take your security card and escort you directly off Homeland. He stated your personal possessions would be packed into your vehicle and brought to you within the hour at the front gate.”

Shock tore through her that she wouldn’t even be allowed to say goodbye to the women or pack her own things. My prick comment has probably driven Director Boris to a new level of ass**le. Shit. Her next thought centered on Fury. I’ll never see him again. Pain lanced through her. She might not be his favorite person but to never lay eyes on him again left her feeling miserable.

She nodded grimly as the security guard put his hand on his gun in case she argued the point. It would only make the impossible situation worse. She unclipped her security card to hand over. He released his gun but grabbed her arm instead.

“I can walk myself, thank you.” She tugged to break his grip but he didn’t let go.

“I’ve been told if you put up any kind of resistance to arrest you and have you transferred to civilian officers of the law when we reach the gate.”

She didn’t struggle but she wanted to. She lifted her chin instead. She fought back more tears as the man yanked on her arm roughly and pulled her out into the bright sunshine. Two more security guards waited outside, one of whom snatched her security card from her hand.

Director Boris had really rolled out the angry red carpet for her, it seemed, since she’d been assigned three security guards. Asshole. The two new men took front and back positions while the guard still gripping her arm stormed to one of the security cars. He practically shoved her into the back seat. She closed her eyes when the car moved, knowing they drove her to the gate, and out of Fury’s life forever.