I burst into the room, fed up with them and Noah and the entire world. “I get that I’m a bitch 9/10ths of the time, especially when I think you’ve made a mistake, but just for once, can you stop talking about me like I don't have any feelings?”
The two women had jumped when I came in, and they stood there with clean linens in their hands and stunned expressions on their faces. The other patient was out of the room, and they'd used the opportunity to make the beds. Always,always, I’d ignored them and not given them the satisfaction of knowing they got under my skin.
Not today.
“Dr. Wentworth,” one of them began.
But Noah cut her off. “Names, now.”
“Excuse me,” the other nurse said. “That’s none of your business.”
“It is now. I’ll be speaking with Dr. Hogan before I leave here today.”
The stammering began, but I was over it. They didn't care about me; they cared about being reprimanded by our Chief Medical Officer.
“Don’t worry, I can give that information to you,” I told him.
“Out.” Noah jerked his head toward the door, and the women dropped the pillow cases on my bed before scurrying out.
“You can leave too.” Feeling unbearably weary, I sank onto the partially made bed. “I’ll make sure to check in with Benito before we’re both discharged.”
“Sailor.”
His voice was warm, kind. I didn't deserve it.
“Please, Noah, just leave.”
I couldn't withstand one more second of the look of pity in his eyes.
Chapter Eight
Noah
Sailor’s attitude confused me. Every woman I knew would kill for a chance to stay in a suite at the Ritz. Fuck, I’d spent enough nights there with dates that the staff knew me and what I required in my room.
Honoring my promise to see the nurses punished felt important, so I made sure to have a meeting with Dr. Hogan before I said goodbye to Dad. I needed to spend the afternoon with Giovanni.
“Have we found anything new?” I asked, scanning the wreckage of what once was my childhood home.
Gio grunted. “Looks like their munitions were homemade so there wouldn't be anything to trace.”
“Well, that figures.” With my hands on my hips, I stared at the sky. I should have been looking up at the ceiling under my bedroom floor, but instead, there was nothing there. “Anyone known for doing this type of thing?”
At his head shake, I sighed. The back of the house was mostly intact, but it was severely damaged by water. The cold seemed to seep into my bones, and I resisted the urge to hug myself for warmth.
“How is my sister holding up?”
“You mean after she fell apart?” When I nodded, he continued. “She’s frantically worried that you or your father willdie. Now that it’s become clear someone is after us, she’s afraid that person took out a hit.”
A scenario I’d pondered myself, but hadn't found anything to suggest its validity. “I haven't heard of anything.”
“No, me neither, but that’s not enough to calm her mind.”
“I’ve got an empty suite at the Ritz-Carlton if she wants to move in next door to Dad.”
Gio squinted over at me. “I’d rather keep my fiancée in my house, thanks. Why do you have an empty suite?”
“I thought I would let Sailor stay there while she’s looking after Dad, but she freaked out when I made the offer."
