“Do you?” smirked Christopher.
“Maybe,” he laughed. “If not, I’ll steal some of Brooks clothes.”
“All alert. All alert. Whoever is available head to the hospital. Disruption reported. Cruz and Doc are there along with Shep. Move!”
The three men took off toward the hospital, others joining them. As they entered through the back doors, they could hear Shep’s calm voice.
“Listen, you’re clearly upset about something. Let’s sit down and talk,” said Shep.
“Talk? I’m not going to fucking talk to you. You’re not listening to me. I just want the chance to practice medicine again.”
“I’m sorry but your license is no longer valid,” said Ajei. “We cannot allow you to practice here.”
“That fucking bitch you hired is the problem,” he spat. They all stilled and it was Gabi that stepped forward.
“You call any of my doctors bitch again and I’ll show you how good I am with a scalpel.”
“See! You’re defending her! Fat Marnie. That’s what she is. Who wants a fat doctor taking care of them?”
“Boy, you better shut your mouth if you know what’s good for you,” said Christopher.
“I know she works here. I know she does. She was the one that got me fired. She was the one that turned on me.”
“She didn’t turn on you,” said Ajei. “You were using and selling drugs. That’s not something we could abide by. I’m sorry. You need to leave or you’ll be arrested.”
“Fine. Fine,” he said backing up toward the door. “But I’ll be back. I’ll be back for her and that bitch will die!”
He ran out of the building and Mitch started to take off after him but Christopher and Brooks held him back.
“That’s what he wants. Don’t do that, son,” said Christopher. “We’ll find him. Ajei? What happened?”
“He applied for the other ER role we had and I recognized the name. Marnie told us why she left the other hospital. It all checked out. When I calmly explained we couldn’t hire him when he didn’t possess an active license, he flipped out. I think he’s still using.”
“Name.” It was an order and Ajei stared at the younger man with a glare that would make her sister proud. “I’m sorry. What was his name?”
“Alden Johns. He’s originally from Philadelphia, went to medical school at NYU and started working at the same hospital as Marnie about two years ago. Nurses had been reporting him for weeks but no one seemed to want to listen until Marnie had hard evidence. His signature for the drugs, a photo of him in the closet when he wasn’t supposed to be there, and the evidence of the wrong drug he delivered to the patient. That sealed his fate.”
“Didn’t he get jail time?” asked Brooks.
“Probation and loss of license to practice anywhere in the U.S.,” said Ajei. “You need to tell Marnie, Mitch. Don’t keep this from her. She needs to know and needs to understand that we’ll protect her.”
“She’s going to run,” he said staring at his father, pleading with his eyes.
“We won’t let her run. I promise.”
CHAPTER NINE
Mitch nervously paced the gazebo, the meal already prepared and waiting in the heated trays to be served. He was in nice jeans, a button-down shirt, and his best loafers. And. He was uncomfortable. Both for the way he was dressed and what he was going to need to tell Marnie.
He heard a sound and turned to see her walking toward him. She was in a soft tangerine dress that hit just above her knees, highlighting her shapely calves. The sweetheart neckline pushed her breasts up high, instantly making his mouth dry and full of desire.
“Hi,” she smiled with lips tinted in a beautiful gloss.
“H-hi,” he stammered. “Holy fuck. You’re stunning.”
“Thank you,” she grinned. “Believe it or not, I feel stunning and you can thank Angel for the dress. It was his gift to me.”
“I will. I absolutely will,” he said taking her hand. He kissed her at the corner of her mouth, careful to not smudge her makeup. Leading her to the seat, he grabbed the champagne and poured them each a small amount. Raising the glass, he smiled at her.
