“I won’t have any.” Stanley waves me away, wrinkling his nose as he studies me. “And I already know where I’m starting. With Roman, of course.”
My fingers twitch, wanting to grab one of my knives, but I force myself to stay calm. “Wouldn’t it be more prudent to start with the active suicide or self-harm subjects?”
“No. I want Roman. He’s, after all, the most important member of this Family. Therefore, he takes precedence.”
I shake my head, pitying that level of stupidity. “I think you underestimate the value of every member of this Family. But, whatever. If you’re seeing Roman, you’ll likely have Lio with him.”
“What? Are they a couple? I don’t intend on doing any couples counseling.” Given his upturned nose, I desperately want to point out the interesting dynamics that exist here, but I let it go. Maturity wins out, because I care too much about Roman to put him in a bad position.
“Roman is resistant to mental health help. He’ll feel more comfortable with his best friend there. I will not push him on this. If you want to start there, it will be with Lio as well.”
“So now you’re making decisions for me?” Stanley sneers. “I’m the therapist. You’re merely a glorified pill pusher.”
Standing up, I straighten my outfit and stare down at the man who likely won’t last more than a day here. “And yet, I’m the one in charge. If you want to start with Roman, you will arrange it with either Doc or Dr. Ranlen, and it will be in conjunction with Lio if Roman wishes—and I’m sure he will. Do you understand?”
Stanley grits his teeth, and for a moment, we remain locked in place, before he backs down and gives a sharp nod of acknowledgment. Breathing easier, I leave the room, not willing to stay in the vicinity of the man any longer than necessary.
I noticed he didn’t have any luggage, so either Doc gave him permission to live away from here, or he didn’t even expect the guy to last a day. We should have taken a bet on it.
For now, I turn to find Dr. Ranlen, so I can alert her. There’s no saving someone as stupid as Stanley. Times like this, survival of the fittest comes in, and is well worth it. I definitely need to ask the Chef for some popcorn.
Every unanswered call, text, and fucking email makes me want to go hunt Lachlan down in person. I would have already, if I could do it conspicuously. Though, this is why I have Oliver…
Tennant storms into the office, causing Boston to scramble to her feet, but when she sees who it is, she relaxes a little. Poor dog has been on edge since coming back inside, picking up on the tension in the house. I'm sure Lio taking Midas for the night hasn't helped either; the two of them have really bonded.
“You okay?” Tennant asks.
“Fine.”
He comes over and I lift my chin, turning my chair away from my desk and stretching out my arms, showing him I'm unharmed.
He nods once in satisfaction before glaring at me, his blue eyes growing cold. “You have a gun for a reason. Next time someone pulls a knife on you, use it.”
I don't react to that, saying flatly, “I wasn't worried. He wouldn't have killed me.”
“Your life is not a fucking game, Leandro. Next time you fail to defend yourself,Iwill fucking kill you, understand?”
“Sure.”
He frowns, but turns to Hollis rather than arguing. That is pretty much the usual for us. I may have Tennant's last name, and for all intents and purposes, he may be my father, but I haven't needed a parent since long before my mother died and Julian kidnapped me.
“We need to get you back in the training room, Tesoro. I don't care if it wasMayhemyou were up against, he never should have been able to overpower you so quickly.”
Hollis huffs. “I'll never be a fighter, Love.”
“I don't care. I'm not leaving your life up to chance, not after everything that's already happened.”
Hollis sighs, and I can feel him softening. It makes me curl my lip at him being so soft for Tennant. Something I am gratefully immune to. Even if having Oliver out searching for Lachlan is making me itchy. That's normal. Oliver ismine. Of course, I want him under my thumb. It has nothing to do with bullshit feelings.
Tuning my “parents” out, I focus back on diving into the nanny’s background. Keegan said to focus on Cole, but Hollis and Oliver are on that. So I can turn my attention to the bitch who somehow passed my checks.
It annoys me because I'm never wrong. Yet somehow, someway, that bastard Senator got to her… Unless she was already corrupt? Mm, that's an avenue I need to explore.
Nothing popped up during my deep dive, but then, nothing popped up on Oliver either, or Carter for that matter.
As good as Hollis and I are, we're not infallible. Even if I do pride myself on my work.
My phone rings and I put it on speaker as Ten and Hollis go quiet. “You find him?”
