Which was why Fawn had absolutely no idea what the hell he was doing here.
Linus was here too, silently watching everyone with an amused smile curving his lips.
“Yes, that’s Nikolai,” Declan now confirmed dryly.
“But what’s he doing here?” she demanded.
Declan glanced at the tall man in a bespoke suit, currently talking to and examining River in the cubicle behind them. The same doctor Nikolai Volkov had brought with him and who had asked them all to step outside in the hallway while he examined the patient. At least he had left the curtain open so that Fawn could still see her brother, even if she couldn’t hear their conversation.
Declan shrugged. “Knowing Nikolai, he’s brought this doctor here so he could give a second opinion on River’s condition.”
Her brow lowered. “Did you ask him to do that?” Without asking her. Without checking whether or not they could pay for a consultation from a man whose suit alone looked as if it cost more than the yearly rent on their very small two-bedroom apartment.
Declan gave a humorless smile. “No one everasksNikolai to do anything. The man always does exactly whatever the hell he pleases.”
“But—”
“If you wish to ask me questions about this situation, Miss Meadows, then I suggest you direct them to me.” Nikolai Volkov, obviously having finished charming the nurse, now stood beside them, blond brows raised in challenge.
The steel in his eyes said, as Declan had already implied was the case, that the Russian didn’t like having his movements or motives questioned.
“But first, let me formally introduce myself,” the Russian continued in a much pleasanter voice. “I am Nikolai Volkov, and you are Fawn Meadows, the nurse responsible for Declan’s continued good health.”
Fawn was sure there was an introduction in there somewhere; she just hadn’t heard it. “Mr. Volkov,” she returned cautiously.
The smile he gave her resembled that of a predator about to pounce on its prey. “You may call me Nikolai.”
“Fawn,” she returned distractedly, her gaze and most of her attention still fixed on River as he and the man in a suit talked quietly together. “Who is he?”
“His name is Mark Reynolds— Ah, I see you have heard of him,” the Russian purred with obvious pleasure.
Of course, Fawn had heard of him!
But she had no idea what a specialist and surgeon of Mark Reynolds’s caliber was doing talking to and examining her brother. A surgeon whom she knew only took private patients. Which meant she and River couldn’t afford him.
“Mr. Reynolds is here as my guest,” Nikolai drawled, no doubt having seen the dismay in her expression. “It is the least I can do when your brother was hurt while under my protection.”
Declan cleared his throat. “I believe River was undermyprotection.”
Nikolai looked at him from between narrowed lids. “I did not take your warning about the Koslov situation seriously enough. And, under the circumstances, you might not want to so readily take responsibility.” He gave Fawn a pointed glance.
“He was still under my watch,” Declan rumbled.
“But the previous situation should have been dealt with by me,” Nikolai insisted. “I should also have reacted sooner after you told me that Koslov’s brother was in the country.”
“River fell. He wasn’t attacked,” Fawn pointed out before the two men could continue their redundant argument. A pissing contest was what her amused mother would have called it. Fawn wasn’t in the least amused.
Cool gray eyes turned toward her. “And you would have been at home to witness and respond to that fall much earlier if you had not been taking care of Declan after he was shot by one of my countrymen.”
Fawn gave a snort. “I really don’t think you can be held responsible for the actions of all Russian men.”
“In this case, I can, and I will,” Nikolai rasped.
Fawn could see by the implacability of the Russian’s expression that there was absolutely no point in arguing further. “That still doesn’t explain why you brought Mark Reynolds here and asked him to examine and talk to my brother. Even if he were to agree to take River on as a patient, we don’t have a donor or the money to pay for the procedure if we did.”
“What procedure?” Declan prompted with a frown.
Fawn gave a defeated sigh, knowing that her private life and River’s were now a thing of the past. “River has had progressivekidney disease for the past three years. For the last year of that time, he’s been having dialysis three times a week. His kidney function is low, and he’s desperately in need of a kidney transplant.”
