“Ah, don’t let it get to you,” a man said as he approached my desk, “it always gets that chaotic with a gunshot wound.”
I cleared my throat. “Hi there. I’m--.”
He stuck out his hand. “Lexi, the new hire. It’s good to meet you. I’m Barney. I’m the in-house counsel for the hospital.”
I shook his hand. “Very nice to meet you.”
He leaned against the desk. “Do you know what protocol is for something like this?”
I nodded. “I just finished training yesterday. This is something I’m supposed to report to the police immediately.”
He grinned. “Better get to it, then. Nice to meet you, Lexi.”
“You too, Barney.”
And the second he disappeared down the hallway, a man with tanned skin and beady, piercing eyes approached my desk.
“Did I hear you say something about calling the police?” he asked.
I picked up the phone and nodded. “It’s protocol for all gunshot victims.”
He reached over and plucked my phone from my hand before dropping it into the receiver. “If you place any phone call to the police whatsoever, you’re going to know exactly how my boy feels right now.”
I blinked. “Is that a threat?”
He smirked. “Just a promise, beautiful.”
I stood to my feet. “By law, I have to report it. I could lose my job if I don’t.”
“Well, I could lose my job if you do, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only one between us packing heat.”
He flashed me the piece he had on his hip, and I wanted to bark with laughter. Did he honestly think I wasn’t walking around with a gun in my purse? I was a single mother in San Diego, for crying out loud. I was the new security guard at the hospital! Of course, I was packing heat.
“So, do we have an agreement?” the man asked.
I placed my hands on my desk and leaned in closer. “You need to wait outside. Guns aren’t allowed in the E.R.”
He whipped his gun out from its holster and pointed it at me, concealing it with his body so no one else could lay eyes on it. “Shut up and fix my friend so we can get the fuck out of here. And if you so much as think about picking up that phone to call anyone, you’re going to be very sorry you did.”
Anger coursed through my veins, and I quickly withdrew my weapon. “You sure you want to play this game? Because you aren’t the only one that can play it.”
He growled. “You wouldn’t dare.”
A paunch man in the same uniform I donned rushed up to the desk and the guy threatening me quickly holstered his gun. “Something the matter?”
I holstered my weapon as well. “Let this man and hisboysknow that they can wait outside for their friend.”
The guy put his finger in my face. “You’ll pay for this, bitch. All of you will!”
The other security guard gripped the man’s arm. “Come on. Take the ruckus outside.”
“That’s my brother in there, though. That’s my brother! Let me go!”
As the security guard hauled the bombastic man outside, I quickly dipped beneath the desk. I grinned to myself when I saw the silent alarm button and I memorized its position before I pressed it with my own fingers. Fucking hell, of course this shit would happen on my first on-duty evening.
I didn’t even get myself upright before a voice sounded off to my right. “Lexi, right?”
I whipped around and found a doctor standing behind me. I clocked his name quickly on his nametag.
