“I—” My mind hectically searched for something to prolong this conversation to allow this dark prince to understand me or have some kind of reaction to me, but he had already spun around, not caring in the least for my wellbeing.
In a few minutes, I was inside the comfortable car as the lights of the city at night flickered in the window, while I wondered about the stranger.
Later on, I used all my hacker skills to get to know his past. What I found brought me to my knees, as I cried for him, knowing what it was like living at the mercy of hungry men who touched you without permission with their filthy hands. My life had new meaning for two years as I obsessively stalked the man, making sure his heart didn't belong to anyone.
But then I was momentarily distracted as I found Rosa Giovanni to be alive after her kidnapping, and then they had met.
And he wanted her.
Once again, someone preferred that bitch to me, and I couldn't forgive it.
Shaking my head from the haze before the unreasonable madness would take over, I dipped my toe in the hot water and, liking the temperature, slid inside and rested my back against the bathtub, groaning in satisfaction as it eased the sore muscles in my back.
Somehow, all the contacts I had used before were either dead or stayed silent. No one seemed to be able to help me in this battle.
It looked like the ultimate punishment would have to come from my hands.
Couldn't fucking wait for that.
Rosa
“All done.” The little boy clutched the teddy bear tighter to his chest, as he examined his little finger with a green Mickey Mouse Band-Aid.
“No pain?” he asked it almost accusingly while his parents groaned. They still felt embarrassed over the incident that had happened earlier. They hadn't stopped apologizing ever since.
Ben Walker was one of the sweetest patients Dr. Bellucci had on the pediatric floor; he was a little fighter. The boy was diagnosed with kidney cancer a few months ago, but thankfully in time for treatment to help him. He went through chemo and had to have his blood checked regularly, but his constant fear of it made the procedure difficult to say the least. He’d cry, shout, curse, and spit on the medic until he’d be weak enough for us to do the procedure. Only my promises seemed to calm him down, and that was why they permanently attached me to him for injections or any nurse-related stuff.
Digging my hand into my pocket, I took out a cherry sucker I’d put in there just for him, and his eyes lit up. “My favorite!” he squealed, wrapped his tiny fingers around it, opened up the paper, and started to devour it at once.
His mother smiled tiredly at me. “Thank you.” Patting her arm gently, I shook my head and exited the room as a lump rose in my throat at the thought of what they had to go through. Illness of one’s child destroyed the parent, as they were completely helpless against the diseases.
Placing the tablet with patients’ information back on the administrative desk, I squeezed my nape, groaning at the soreness in my neck. After almost six hours of standing or running around floors, I could really use some coffee to boost my energy.
Matilda, the head nurse, without taking her attention from the computer where she was typing, asked, “Rough night, huh?”
Nodding, I wondered if maybe I should go grab something to eat as well. The dinner at home wasn't very filling. “Yep.” She gave me a sympathetic look then, making sure no one watched us, opened up the cupboard on her desk, and threw a pack of M&Ms my way. I caught it just in time before it hit my face. The woman had no aim, seriously.
“You didn't get it from me. Leon already is hard on my ass about all the sweets.”
I laughed, remembering her husband who decided to lose weight several months ago, and Matilda, as his supporting wife, joined his quest. There was just one problem; she couldn't live without sugar. She was such a good soul. She constantly shared her stash with us girls when we needed a little boost.
“Thank you!” I popped the yellow one in my mouth, enjoying the taste, when my pager beeped.
The peace didn't last long, but then again in the hospital, it never did. “Gotta go!” Putting the sweets back on the desk, I rushed downstairs, as the call came from the ER. Making it in record time, I almost bumped chests with Nick, who was the head trauma surgeon. “Hey, you paged?”
He motioned for me to follow him. He threw the curtain open, and my rapid breathing from running caught in my throat as my eyes clashed with perfect amber pools that possessively ran over my form.
Who would have thought I’d meet Dominic Konstantinov again so soon? He was in the company of Vitya and some lean, blond guy who studied me as if I was a ghost while his mouth hung open. Not dwelling much on his weird reaction, I focused my attention on the young man lying on the bed who bawled loudly.
“He’s been in a fight. Broken ribs and nose, no internal bleeding,” Nick explained, while checking out his stomach. “It’s soft, but I’d like him to have an MRI. We will have an operating room ready for me just in case.” He whistled to Antony, who joined us. “Help me take him to examination.”
Frowning, I asked, “Why not me?”
Pointing at Dom, he explained, “This man needs his bruises tended to. Please see to it.” They left with the bed, leaving me standing with three men. Only then I noticed the split lip, bloody knuckles, and God knows what under that shirt of his, hugging him like second skin and exposing a six-pack that begged to be touched.
Mind out of the gutter, girl.
I pulled back another curtain with an empty bed and patted it. Thankfully we’d had quite a peaceful night in the ER, so I had the space and time to see to his wounds. “Please sit.” His mouth opened as if to protest, but then he closed it and did what I asked. Under his intense stare, goose bumps ran through me, and subconsciously I wanted to tug at my scrubs or change them all together. No way did I want to stand in front of him smelling of kids’ vomit with my hair wild all over the place and a makeup-free face. What female would?
