“Uh…” Keegan mutters unintelligibly. Seriously, the guy needs help if he’s supposed to be the great Mayhem. I’m most looking forward to meeting some of the others though.
“If you could show me to my room? And I’m assuming you have an office for me as well?”
Carter opens his mouth, but hesitates. I think he’d like to kick me out, but he trusts Doc enough to know I’m their only chance, so he swallows whatever he wants to say. “I’ll ask the butler to show you around. I believe we’re needed elsewhere at the moment.”
Escapism. Hmm. I should mark that down. It’s not a good sign if Carter is the one representing the Council at the moment. Still, I am a bit of a shock to some. No idea why…
“I’ll wait here then. I’ll plan on seeing my new patients at nine AM tomorrow. Sharp,” I say with a thin smile. “I do tend to like things sharp…”
All three of them stand up, but no one says a word as they walk out, the door closing with a finality that reverberates around this ugly room. If they think they’ve had the final word…Well, they’ll learn. They’re in my sandbox now. And I’m going to make them work for everything. After all, there needs to be growth, and it’ll happen, whether they want it or not.
I can’t wait to get started…
As I follow Carter and Keegan to the medical suite, I pull out my phone.
JUDE
Send me your file on Javi—and don’t try to say you don’t have one. I know you and Hol would have put one together as soon as you heard his name.
LEANDRO
He’s harmless.
JUDE
Not what I asked. File. Now.
Instead of replying, I get a notification from the Council’s secure network that Hollis, Leandro, and H have been buildingsince we moved. Good. As much as I still want to stab Leandro for putting my Bel Fiore in danger, I am glad the mimic is on our side, and that he listens, sometimes. When it interests him.Hell, maybe Leandro is one of the people Javi wants to study. I’d love to see which one of them dies first.
Switching text threads, I send a message to my Boys.
JUDE
I expect all three of you to be ready for me by the time my meetings are done. Don’t worry about dinner, I’ll arrange it with the kitchen.
I get threeYes, Sirsback, along with a string of emojis from Nario, which makes me smile. My Angelo is always ready for whatever fun the four of us can have. He and Nicolo together…there’s something special about their bond, and exploring it as I take them apart has become my favorite thing. They truly are my shining stars.
As for Antonio…well, the Bel Fiore has captured my attention from the beginning. And it’s for him and Hollis that I’m willing to give this Javi asshole a chance. If he can help, can ease my lovers’ minds in a way nothing and no one else has been able to…then I’m willing to at least hear him out. Doesn’t mean I won’t be watching his every move.
We find Doc and Soren in the break room they created, and both of them look up as we enter.
“So,” Carter says slowly. “We met with Javi just now.”
Doc leans back in his chair and grins, that stupid, smug ass smile that he gets whenever he knows he’s right about something. I settle my hand at my hip where my knife is holstered, noting that Soren tracks the movement.
“And? How’d it go? Do I need to catch the first flight to Brazil to escape Ely’s wrath because his parts are strewn all over the city, or is he getting settled in?”
Carter sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, which has Keegan reaching for him. Soren gives Doc alookand his hand disappears beneath the table—I’m assuming to give Doc some kind of silent warning.
“He knew things about us,” Keegan says. “About our sons. Marcus and I making Carter a part of us, and him becoming one of Cole’s fathers? That is not public knowledge.”
Doc shrugs. “He’s thorough. He likes to do his research before walking into a situation. It’s fine, I promise, he’s…well, not harmless, but his intentions are good. You trusted me to get Lio and Hollis the help they need, and this is me doing that. Dr. Ranlen signed off on allowing me to make the decision, because she knows I have everyone’s best interest at heart.”And probably because she already has one foot out the door.“Yes, he’s a little…unorthodox, but trust me, any of the other fuckers either of us went to school with, or who are in the field currently, will not be so willing to help out. Yes, we could acquire one like how Allesandro acquired Benjamin, but considering the…delicate situation we find ourselves in, I wouldn’t trust them to do what’s right.”
Carter lets out another sigh and leans further into Keegan, trusting his Dom to hold him upright. “I fucking hate when you use logic,” he mutters.
Doc snorts. “Just…give him a chance. Between him and Stanley, who is starting at the beginning of next week, by the way—I thought it would be good to give both Lio and Roman a few days to settle first—I trust they’ll get Lio and Hollis level again.”
“Oh, no,” I say in a particularly sadistic tone. “It’s not just Hol and Emilio who Javi wants as his…test subjects. He has a whole fucking briefcase full of file folders. I’m pretty sure I saw your name on one of the labels, Doc…”
