Page 48 of Hades

“You can leave us. I’m sure it will be okay. The fewer people who know I’m here, the better. I’m sure you understand,” Dansworth says smoothly.

“I’m sorry, but that goes against protocol,” Preston says.

I study his hand and speak before he can.

“Good news for you, Mayor, this appears to be a clean cut with no debris left behind. I’ll grab someone to suture you up and you can be on your way.”

“No,” he says harshly, making my body tense.

“Excuse me?”

“The only person I want working on me is you. I want the room cleared with the exception of the two of us,” he demands.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Preston shift from side to side, but I don’t look away from the man in front of me.

Everything in me is screaming to run before he can do anything. To get the hell away from him as soon as possible, but I know I can’t.

To walk away from the mayor of this city and not give him top-tier care would be a massive red flag.

“Preston, be a dear and go get the discharge paperwork ready. I’ll take care of the sutures myself,” I say over my shoulder.

Triumph shines in Dansworth’s eyes. “And make sure to shut the door behind you.”

I step away from Dansworth and walk over to the cabinet to grab the supplies I need. My heart races as I hear the door click shut.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

Clearly he came here for a reason, the question is what. What does he think he will accomplish by coming here to me?

Talk. I need to get him to talk.

With everything gathered, I walk back over to him and set it all down on the tray.

“All right, Mayor, I’m going to clean this laceration with some saline before I get you stitched up. It shouldn’t take me very long,” I say as I will my hands not to shake.

“Take your time,” he murmurs.

“Would you mind telling me how this happened?” I ask carefully.

“I’d rather discuss something else.”

“Oh?”

I get to work, cleaning the wound as he speaks.

“Your brother is a thorn in my side.”

“I wasn’t aware you knew my brother,” I lie.

I know their story. How Dansworth wanted to join the club but my father didn’t think he was worthy. How there was suspicion that he took out one of the other prospects at the time, and that was all when he was eighteen. Now his list of crimes is longer.

“Don’t lie, that’s not becoming of a lady,” he says, making my body tense.

I set the saline down and pick up the needle and thread.

“Please hold still.”

When I stab him with the needle, he doesn’t flinch.