Page 43 of Final Drive

“Three of them,” she says. “You’re bonded to three members of your crew.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then tell me I’m wrong.”

Nobody does.

Her eyes move to Tyler. “Sable Ridge lists Ms. Callahan as a Beta. Is that information accurate?”

“Her eligibility paperwork is in order,” Tyler says.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“It’s the answer you’re getting.”

Kowalski studies him for a second, then looks back at me. “Were you knowingly registered under the wrong designation?”

My mouth goes dry.

Gray cuts in. “We’re done.”

“Captain—”

“No. You came here without an appointment, brought a camera into our boathouse and started asking a student about private medical information. We’re done.”

Kowalski’s expression barely changes. “I’m running the story this weekend. Print and digital. I’m giving Ms. Callahan the opportunity to respond before publication.”

Cameron has his phone out now, thumbs moving fast. His face changes.

“It’s online.”

Kowalski turns toward him.

“The photo,” he says. “Three gossip sites already.”

Kowalski’s mouth tightens before she can smooth it out.

“You knew,” Beckett says.

“I knew material had been circulating.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

“No, it isn’t.” She pockets her phone. “The full video isn’t public yet. When it is, this gets harder to contain. I’m offering you the chance to comment before that happens.”

Bo’s voice drops. “You’re done here.”

She looks at me one last time. “Ms. Callahan, if you want your version included, call me.”

Then she’s gone.

The door swings shut behind her, and for half a second nobody moves.

Zane exhales. “Fuck.”

Then everybody comes unstuck at once.

Cameron is already opening one of the posts. Eli moves over his shoulder. Gray starts asking Tyler about the school’s media policy while Beckett swears under his breath and Jackson looks like he’s deciding whether punching a wall counts as personal growth.