Adored (Masters and Mercenaries #8.5)(16)

Will winced. “I told you not to get him started on his ex-wives. It’s a sore spot for him.”

It was more than a sore spot. The two ex-Mrs. Bradfords were very likely the reason Mitch had never been willing to give her a shot. He’d spent his love and affection on women who hadn’t returned it and now he wouldn’t try again. He would hold on to his bitterness the same way he’d attempted to hold on to that rattrap old copy machine. Of course, she’d managed to get around that. While Mitch had been playing poker with the Taggart brothers one Friday afternoon, she’d simply had a new one brought in and the old one scrapped.

And now he loved the new copy machine.

“Well, I don’t have to worry about any of it now. I have a spiffy new job.”

“That pays less than half of what your old job did.”

She frowned. Where were Lila and Lisa? This was starting to seem very much like a classic Will interrogation. And how did Will know what she was making? “I’m going to get a lot of experience here.”

“Will they let you go to law school and continue to pay you? Because I believe that was Mitch’s offer. You’re telling me he was so difficult that you would walk away from twice the pay and a boss who supports you financially through school for some experience that won’t mean anything if you don’t go to law school?”

Yep. This was an interrogation. “It wasn’t working. It was too hard. Look, Will, you know I had feelings for him.”

“Yes, which is exactly why I had to wonder if Mitch had done something he shouldn’t.”

She was getting weak in the knees. “No. He didn’t do anything. I decided it was a good time to start over. I like it here so can we stop talking about this?”

He slanted a suspicious stare her way. “Fine. You don’t want to work with Mitch any more. Is there a reason you no longer want your Sanctum membership? Because the last time we discussed it, you were quite adamant about getting training. You jumped through all the hoops, and you’ve even been spending your weekends watching kids to pay your way. But now, all of the sudden you quit without any better reason than you changed your mind.”

“I did.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. Everyone had been right. She’d been interested in D/s because of Mitch. She didn’t want anyone but Mitch. Hopefully in a few months she would be able to get the irritating man out of her head. “I changed my mind.”

“Without even meeting the training Dom selected for you? I’m supposed to believe that? You fought me, tried to get around me, and all so you can quit before you start?”

Her head was now extremely light and it made her stomach churn. “I’m keeping my promises. I told Taggart I would continue to work in the nursery, and he’s going to pay me now.”

Will was frowning at her, but it seemed like that was all he’d done since he’d walked in the door. “Are you all right? Laurel, sit down. You’re very pale.”

But it was already too late. Her peripheral vision was fading. She heard Will shout as she started toward the floor.




Four hours later she was doing some frowning of her own. “I’m fine. I needed to get something to eat and now I’ve wasted an entire afternoon, and I don’t even want to think about how much that ambulance trip is going to cost me. I could have solved the problem with a five-dollar sandwich but no, Dr. Daley has to subject me to a million and one medical tests.”

Will sighed as he moved to her hospital bed. He glanced around the room where Lila and Lisa were sitting. “Has she been this surly the whole time?”

Lisa nodded. “Yep. And don’t get her started on the food.”

No one would let her have any food until all the vampires had done their worst. Finally, after they’d decided she wasn’t dying, she got to have some pudding. Yippee.

“I’m ready to go home, Will. I’m fine. I feel great. I want to go home.” She was sick of being bullied by Will and Lila, who were using the whole “we work at this hospital” thing to their advantage.

She was really glad there was that patient confidentiality law in place.

Will held his hands up. “All right. I’ll push the nurse to get you out of here as soon as your blood work comes back.”

The doctor chose that moment to enter. He was a kid, probably in his first year or two of residency. He had a clipboard in his hand and a big smile on his face. “Dr. Daley, your sister’s blood work is all perfectly fine.”

“Hey, what happened to confidentiality?” She sat up but took a deep breath. She was fine. Her blood work was fine.

She wasn’t pregnant. That was good. That was amazing.

So why did she feel so…lost?

Will patted the ER doc on the back. “Thanks, Barry. I appreciate it. I know I’ve been a little paranoid, but she’s my sister. I’ve been watching out for her for a very long time.”

Barry practically beamed at Will. “Of course, sir. All her blood work is normal. I’m glad to be the bearer of good tidings and, on another note, I’m so excited to be on your service next week. I’m looking forward to a stint in neuro, and you’re the best.”

She was going to vomit for different reasons now.

Lila was on her feet. “I’d like to see her blood work, please. Something’s off with her and it has been for a couple of weeks.”