“For your information, Zuri, your name is on the narcotics log in the ER supply room. Forged it myself.”
I staggered back. Hip met crash cart. Again.Thunk. By now, the cart and I were in a committed relationship. Dang, finally someone—er, something wanted me. “Edwin, you f-forged?—”
“I needed a little more than what you had signed for in the ERcloset before taking off on maternity, Zuri. Since you got yourself pregnant, I decided, why not? When that little tax deduction cried its way into the world, I’d dig myself out of the deadly hole I dug myself into.”
“What hole?” I asked. Part of me screamed,Girl, this isn’t a job interview, where they ask, “Do you have questions for us?” and you feel compelled to respond.
He answered by flicking his gaze to the far corner.
A man leaned against the wall, face half in shadows, arms folded. Watching me like a future rape-kit recipient. My skin crawled as I folded my arms across my chest.
“Meet the Hole, Zuri. They own me. Don’t go to the horse tracks. Ever. If you have a gambling addiction.”
Wait. He’d said … they?
My throat closed. I couldn’t turn away from the stranger’s stare.
“You’ll decline the county dump. Excuse me, hospital’s offer,” Edwin said. “I’ll rescind your resignation. Because ofthat baby,you’ll sign whatever forms I need. Saves me the trouble of forging your chicken-scratch or grooming your replacement.”
“I—”
“Say you will,” Edwin pushed.
“Because”—the other man in the corner finally spoke, tone level as a flatline—“I can guess who Dr. Heine’s weak spot is. He doesn’t live without the baby. Or the sexy?—”
“Don’t want the baby.” Edwin chuckled, low and ugly.
“Okay. So,yourweakness,” the man replied, staring at me and pulling down the collar of his dress shirt to show a familiar tattoo. “Say you’ll stay atthishospital.”
Montana stroked my back as we sat on the balcony. “He let dude put hands on you?”
“Edwin only let him”—my tone lowered—“t-touch me. I did a couple of months because the guy threatened my son. His peoplecould find us anywhere. And the guy thought lifting pills meant he could lift my shirt too.”
“You went to Curtis and Deidre?”
“Yep. I picked up my baby from childcare and left. Everything.” I let out a pathetic chortle, glancing toward the morning sun. “So, wanna talk about this 3X balloon head?”
“Non…chère. Stop with all the joking. I love the banter. There’s a time for that.”
“Yeah?” My eyes rolled. Keep sayinglove, and I might lose my temper.
“Zuri, I’m serious. I can’t have you speaking in vain about yourself. Dry humor, self-deprecation? All that gotta go. Now, Big Country didn’t get to where he is, a sixty-five million a year MLB contract, speaking negativity to my spirit.”
Okay. Wisdom met ego with that one.
“Allowing someone to speak negativity over me? Please. I won’t allow nobody to do that to you, Zuri. What it look like me allowing you to badmouthyou?”
“Okay …” I was wondering if he was going to keep reading me.
“Joking just cause? I’m with that.” He nodded.
“So,” I gasped, blinking, “you’re passionate about this subject?”
“Yep. Jokes don’t hit the same when you use them as a defense—to protect yourself from me. You trust me?”
“Of course,” I murmured.
“Finish the story, Zuri.”
