Page 349 of John + Siena: The Complete Duet

“He’s … an unusual breed in our business. Let’s just say meetings with—well, he doesn’t call people patients, I guess—but his meetings don’t take place in offices or parks. That’s not really his style.”

Right.

Because that’s why John was here.

To meet his secondary therapist.

“So, where are we meeting him?” John asked. “And when?”

“Not far from here, and whenever you’re ready to go.”

A lot of things about this day made John want to go home, crawl into bed with his wife who he was sure he could convince to take a day off, and pretend like nothing else existed. But the thing was, he’d signed up for the long haul with Leonard, and the man’s ways when it came to treating John and his bipolar disorder. Including this because right now, it was needed.

“I’m ready anytime.”

Cara smiled brightly. “Wonderful. Let’s go.”

John wasn’t sure what he expected this Cree—who apparently had a major hand in a venture in Las Vegas that included training and auctioning assassins with a partner—to look like or anything. Leonard hadn’t given John much to go on when he said he wanted the two to meet so that he could consider working with a secondary therapist alongside his preferred one, but he didn’t expect the man who waited inside a boxing ring.

Wearing nothing but loose shorts, with his hands already taped up as though he were ready to fight, and his long, black hair plaited into a single rope down his back, Cree grinned at John.

“That suit isn’t going to do in here,” Cree said.

John arched a brow and stared up at the man. “You think I’m getting in there?”

“I think by the scars on your knuckles, we’re not going to pretend like you’ve never thrown a punch, Johnathan.”

“I prefer John.”

“Do you? Interesting.”

Was it?

He didn’t sound like it.

John passed Cara a look over his shoulder, but she simply shook her head and looked away with a smile. “So, Cree?”

She laughed under her breath. “Cree—he can take a bit to get used to. Give it a moment to warm up. That was my husband’s suggestion.”

“I do not need a moment to warm up to,” Cree returned. “I am simply an acquired taste that very few have been lucky enough to try. And I will accept no other description.”

John gave the man points for confidence.

“I promise he’s … give it a chance,” the woman said as though she knew personally. Hell, maybe she did. Cara shrugged at John’s questioning stare before saying, “Everyone, even men like you, John, living the life you do, need safe places, spaces, and people. Leonard does know what he’s doing—Cree simply does it differently. We all do.”

Right.

He’d try to remember that for this.

“Take the blazer off,” Cree called from the ring. “I’m sure you can spar in the rest. Next time, less formal clothing.”

Well, that was that.