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“Is Samuel available?”
“Who the fuck is—”
“He’s on shift tonight. Let me page him.” The nurse is quick to press a few buttons on her phone, cradling the receiver when the link clicks. “Dr. Pains, are you available for a suture removal? Umm, I don’t…let me ask her.” She makes eye contact with my girl. “Name, ma’am?”
“Mariah Asher.”
“He’ll be right up.” The young woman looks like she ate a lemon, her lips pursing a bit. “Must’ve heard you because he didn’t give me the chance to finish.”
“Thank you. I’ll wait over—”
“What in God’s name are you doing in my E.R., squeaks?” Who the fuck is he calling squeaks and why is Mariah smiling at this clown?
“Need these out.” My muneca holds her palm out, showing the small line of stitches from her accident at the restaurant. The day I came into her life like a frustrating hurricane and she broke a glass, according to Malcolm. He snitched the next day with another threat to treat her right. “Can you help?”
She bats her lashes and my eyes narrow. She leans over a bit and I nearly pick her up, throw her over my shoulder, and march the fuck out.
“Mariah, I think it’s best if we leave,” I grit out and all three heads turn my way. Two wary, while she’s all innocence. And wasn’t she afraid a minute ago? “Trust me on this.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Mariah…”
“Javier…”
“Do you two need a minute?” Dr. Pains asks, his lip twitching. “Or can I take care of my patient?”
The way he says my almost costs him his life, and were it not for Mariah, I would’ve shot the prick. Her hand grabs mine, entwining our fingers, and the harsh squeeze she gives them settles me—calms me down enough to not open fire inside the public building.
“Come on,” she sighs, rolling her eyes and I’m tempted to bite the brat. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Fine.”
“Good.” Pains walks toward the two doors with the keycard access needed and waves the plastic square in front of the reader. They open and we walk through, following the prick to an empty room near the back of a long hall where he points to the bed. “Sit and breathe. You know the drill.”
I cut my eyes to him; eyes narrowed. “Say it politely or I’ll—”
“Ms. Asher, can you please sit down and extend your palm facing up over the tabletop?”
“Thank you, Sam.” Now she calls him Sam, too. This woman is pushing my buttons. All of them. “Anything else you need me to do?”
“Muñeca,” I warn, this is past the realm of what I can take. “Quit it.”
“Quit what?” She bats her lashes and looks at me with that wide and innocent look that stirs something within. The kind that makes me want to drop to my knees and worship at her altar. “You brought me here. Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“I’m—”
“Close your eyes and breathe,” the doctor interrupts and Mariah’s bottom lip trembles. She does as he asks, but the sudden jitters make me feel like shit all over again.
I’m going from jealousy to anger to guilt all within the span of a few minutes; she’s going to drive me insane. Certifiable.
A lone tear falls and that’s it. That’s my limit.
“Touch her and I shoot.” Fuck it, I use her line. “We’re out, babe. Grab your things.”
“But, Javi—”
