Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
By the time Alton and a few of the orderlies get the new girl under control and strapped to a gurney, Mia still hasn’t come in the group room or started her rounds. Hasn’t she missed me as much as I’ve missed her? Weren’t the two days apart the most miserable of her existence? I can’t be alone in this obsession. Can I?
When I go in search of her, I catch sight of Dr. Crane and Alton in the hallway having a whispered discussion. I stay back in the shadows and listen for a moment. When the two of them are talking, it’s never good.
“Who the fuck called Dr. Rourk?” Dr. Crane hisses at Alton.
“Olivia tried calling you, but you didn’t answer. She paged the on-call doctor, and he’s doing the evaluation now.” Alton sounds cowed, like he’s not twice the size of Dr. Crane.
“She was supposed to go straight to the private wing,” he whispers. “She was promised to me.”
“What did you expect me to do? Get involved with Olivia and the intake team? How would that have looked?” There’s something that makes me think he wanted to do exactly that.
“Of course not,” Dr. Crane snaps. Then he lets out a long sigh and adjusts his suit jacket. “I’m getting sick of Dr. Rourk getting between me and my patients. He was brought in on a temporary basis but somehow convinced the board he needed to stay longer. I’m not sure I like him nosing around the place.”
“He mostly keeps to himself.” Alton’s tone is soft, and I wonder if he likes the new doctor. I’ve never had any interactions with him, but if he’s stepping on Dr. Crane’s toes, I imagine we’d be good friends.
“You should be worried too,” Dr. Crane says and takes a step closer to Alton. He’s so short he has to look up at him to meet his eyes. “If he goes poking in my business, it’s going to turn into your business soon enough.”
“Maybe you should reconsider doing your business here at the hospital.” Alton’s voice is stronger this time, and I wonder if he’s finally had enough. “I think it’s a good time to cool things down.”
“Lucky for you nobody gives a fuck what you think,” Dr. Crane snaps. “Have the room ready in an hour.” He moves closer to Alton and points a finger in his face threateningly. “Or you’ll be the one in a harness tonight.”
Alton flinches before Dr. Crane stalks down the hallway in the opposite direction of where I’m standing. I wait a full minute before I see Alton’s shoulders slump and he takes off toward the stairs.
I’ve heard enough between the two of them over the years that I know exactly what that conversation was about. But this is the first time that I’ve ever heard Alton push back. Maybe it’s not just Mia’s presence that has changed my world. Something about her showing up at Bellevue has stirred the pot. Dr. Crane isn’t being as careful as he usually is, and Alton isn’t going along like a good boy. Maybe there are more than a few changes coming.
Once the coast is clear, I go in search of Mia. Luck is on my side when I see her walk into the supply closet and I manage to sneak in after her before the door closes. She turns around to see why the door didn’t latch only to find me standing there.
“Hello, angel,” I say, my voice low and raspy. I pull the door behind me, and the sound of the latch is loud in the quiet. Too bad it’s not a lock. There’s nothing more I want right now than a locked door between the rest of the world and us.
“Jamison.” Her mouth is tight when she says it, and she crosses her arms over her chest.
My brows pull together in confusion. “You’re angry with me.” I know her body language as if it’s the only language I speak, so I don’t need to ask if she’s mad. “Why are you angry with me?”
“Did you enjoy the show?” She raises her chin ever so slightly, and it takes me a second to understand what she’s talking about.
“Come here,” I order, my tone unyielding.
She shakes her head. “No.”
My cock swells at her defiance, and it’s like she’s injected me with a drug. “Come here, Mia. Now.”
She shakes her head again and this time takes a step away from me.
My eyes widen, and I take a step toward her to close the distance. “Do you think for one second that I’d care about another living soul other than you?”
Her arms fall to her sides and her lips part, but she doesn’t say anything. There’s hesitation in her eyes, but she’s not giving in. Good.
“Do you have any idea what it’s like to be so utterly consumed with someone that everything around me has no meaning? All of humanity could disappear, and my world would still be complete.”