“Ah, you must be Ms. Jones. Mr. Stevens is expecting you,” he said, his smooth voice seeming to calm her. He gave her a small smile and gestured for her to go in.
“Oh—uh, thank you,” she whispered and ducked into the hall, the officer trailing behind her.
The doctor turned to me, and that smile turned sad as it spread further across his face. “I would have preferred a phone call years ago. You know, just to tell me you weren’t actually dead,” he drawled, tucking the tablet under his arm.
I smirked and tilted my head. “I was a little busy, man.”
“Yeah, no shit, Connors,” he deadpanned before looking to James. He held his hand out. “Dr. Derik Stevens, cardiologist.”
“Agent James Garner,” he replied, shaking his hand. “How do you and Dean know each other?”
“We played baseball together in high school,” Derik answered, slapping my hand. We did our usual shake.
Just like riding a bike.
“Ah.” His eyes dropped to the engraving on Derik’s scrubs. “You don’t have privileges here. You’re from Dallas?”
“Correct, and I do as of ten minutes ago. They are prepping the OR for Mr. Stevens,” my old friend replied, clapping my back. He looked at me. “Though I wish it were under better circumstances, I appreciate you calling me.”
“You're the only man in the word who can handle this,” I replied and looked to the door before adding, “I’m sorry this was the first time I did.”
The words of the ER doctor echoed in my head.There’s not much we can do for him.
One look at Kay’s face, I knew I had to do something. Derik Stevens was one of the best cardiologists in the country,specializing in rare heart conditions and traumas. He also happened to owe me a favor.
I scoffed. “Thanks for coming on such short notice and not punching me in the face when you got here,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
He nodded once, his jaw tightening. “Well don’t get your hopes up too high, Connors. I still might. That jaw of yours looks like it needs to be broken.”
“I’ll let you break my jaw when you finally admit your feelings for Alyssa.” Alyssa was his best friend and one of the top cornea specialists in the south. They met in medical school and have been stuck like glue ever since.
Before he could speak, the asshole doctor from the ER walked up to us and glared at me. I smiled, giving him a bright grin. I had been waiting for this.
He must have just gotten the news that Collin Stevens was no longer his patient.
“You don’t get to pull strings here because you know how to play baseball, boy! That was my patient! How dare you?”
I clenched my jaw and stepped to him. I had at least a foot on him. “Do me a favor? Find me a fuck to give.”
“Dr. Moring, how nice to see you again,” Derik drawled, stepping up beside me.
“Fuck you, Stevens,” he sneered as he walked away from us. I shot Derik a look. “What was that about?” I asked, curiosity peaking.
“Hawaii conference. Two years ago.”
“And I thought our lives were a shit show,” James muttered, staring down the hallway where Dr. Moring disappeared.
After a moment, my old friend cleared his throat. “I have to prep for surgery.”
I nodded once. “Be straight with me, Derik. Does Collin have a chance?”
His eyes held mine, unblinking. “I’ll do everything I can.”
I cursed under my breath and pinched the bridge of my nose as he walked away.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Kay
