His expression never faltered as he looked down at the recorder on the table and then back at me.
A trickle of apprehension slid down my spine. I ignored it. "You have doctor-patient confidentiality, John. Nothing you say here will ever be shared outside of the two of us. Not even if they put me on the stand." I didn't actually know if that was why he hesitated, but it never hurt to give a reminder. And by the way his eyes flicked to mine, I'd say I guessed correctly.
His phone vibrated, breaking the silence, and he winced slightly as he retrieved it from his inside jacket pocket. As he did so, I noticed a thin strap that crossed his chest. Had he brought a weapon into my office? Open carry was allowed in Texas, but my rules on firearms were very clear on my website and the sign on the door to my office.
Preparing to remind him of my policy, I met his eyes as he silenced his phone and put it back in his pocket, really looking this time. Complete and utter darkness stared back at me. Cold. Calculated. Keeping eye contact, he deliberately adjusted his jacket to cover the holster strap, making it perfectly clear he couldn't care less about my rules and policies. A deduction confirmed by his next answer.
"I'm not normal. And I'm not in love. I locked her in a fucking cage."
His answer jolted my attention from the possible weapon he was carrying, and my eyes flew back to his face. No expression whatsoever to reveal how he felt about what he'd done.
I held up one hand, palm out. "Before you say more, I need to make sure you're clear on the confidentiality agreement. It's no longer applicable if I believe you're a danger to yourself or someone else."
He stared at me with those cold, dead eyes. "I would never hurt her. That's the whole fucking problem."
"But youwantto hurt her?" I should probably put an end to this right fucking now. But I couldn't help but be intrigued. Despite the anger in his tone, his expression continued to show no emotion whatsoever. It was the most fascinating thing I'd ever seen. Also, if I could find out where he was hiding this woman, I could sell the information to a crooked cop I knew and give him the opportunity to play hero. It was always good to be owed favors.
"No. I locked her up to keephimfrom hurting her."
"Okay. Okay." I took a deep breath and sat back in my chair. He was showing some concern. At least that gave me something to work with. "Does she have a name?"
His eyes narrowed. "Jane."
Of course. "How long have you kept Jane locked up?"
"A few weeks."
"And you haven't hurt her?"
"No. I told you, I can't."
"Are you planning to let her out?"
He thought about it for a second, then shook his head. "No. She's safer in there."
"So, what do you want from me?"
Visibly agitated now, he got to his feet and ran a hand through his hair as he began to pace. "I want you to fix me. Undo whatever the fuck she did to make me feel all of this shit, like I need to protect her. To make mefeelat all."
The man was clearly unstable. As he turned back to face me, something new caught my eye—a bright red stain seeping through his white shirt, just above the waistband of his pants.
I came half out of my chair before I caught myself. "You're bleeding!"
He didn't stop his pacing or even bother to look down at his shirt. "Yes."
"Why are you bleeding?"
"Because she shot me," he said distractedly.
I stood up, my notepad falling to the floor. "What are you doing here? Why the hell didn't you go to the hospital?"
He tilted his head, looking at me with a furrowed brow. But again, it was his eyes that really scared me. Like looking into a black hole. "I didn't want to be late for my appointment."
He didn't want to... "You need to go to the hospital." I wanted this man out of my office, and this was the perfect excuse. I walked to my desk and pressed the intercom. "Lydia, call an ambulance for Mr..."
The slide of a bullet being loaded into the chamber made me freeze. I looked over to find the barrel of a pistol pointed directly at my face. "No ambulance."
My entire body went cold, and I froze. Holding up my free hand, I swallowed hard. "Lydia, cancel the ambulance."
