Devastated (Anger Management, #1)(76)

He understood all right. She had him by the balls. Her husband was a mean son of a bitch when it came to the law and Chase wouldn’t be able to find anyone good enough to defend him before he found himself in the geriatric ward.

Shit.

There was no fucking way that he was going into one of those places again. The rehab center they’d forced him into after the accident had been a nightmare. It was only by sheer luck that Melissa hadn’t tried pulling this shit before now.

His eyes went back to the two ice bitches that looked smug. Fuck. If they knew that he couldn’t fire them, then he was totally fucking screwed. He had no doubt that he’d be able to run either one of them off without a problem, but then he’d be back in the same situation in a day or two.

No, he needed to find someone he could handle, control even. Someone that would be here for appearances, but would leave him the fuck alone so that his sister would hold off on this bullshit plan of hers. Someone like...

His eyes darted to the woman leaning against the wall. She looked bored, very bored. She also looked really laid back, like the type of person who went with the flow and would be more than willing to collect her paycheck and keep her mouth shut. Yeah, this could work.

“Fine. I’ll take the bitch by the wall. The two ice bitches can go,” he said, already pushing his wheelchair towards his sanctuary.

“Well, I never!” one of the ice bitches exclaimed.

“Uh-huh, just don’t let the door hit you on your fat ass on the way out,” he said absently because his attention was already focused back on the television. His favorite soap opera was starting and he really wanted to see if Jack was going to discover that Janet had been fucking his father and brother for the past year and that the baby he thought was his son might really be his brother or his nephew.

Daytime drama fucking rocked.

There was a small commotion in the foyer followed by muffled talking. He rolled his eyes as he raised the volume to drown out the bullshit. Melissa was probably filling his new “helper” in on bullshit like paychecks and duties, nothing he cared about.

He tossed the remote on the couch he had very little use for these days except for a place to throw his trash and settled in to watch his show. His beer was lukewarm, but he wasn’t in the mood to roll into the kitchen to get a new one. Maybe his new little helper would come in handy after all. She could do beer runs, he thought with a chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Melissa asked, as she stepped in front of him, but was careful not to step in front of his television. She’d learned that little lesson a few months ago.

His good humor instantly died. “Nothing. Get out.”

“I’ll get out of your way in a moment. Your new nurse’s name is Sloane Maxwell.”

“Couldn’t fucking care less.”

“She’s been hired as a live-in caretaker. She’ll be sleeping in the room next to yours.”

“Whatever,” he said absently, wondering how writers came up with this shit.

Melissa mumbled something under her breath. “Try to be nice to her. She actually comes highly recommended.

“I’m sure we’ll be the bestest of friends,” he said mockingly.

She rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers. “Look, I know this isn’t the ideal situation. I’m sorry that I’ve had to resort to doing this, but you need help. You used to be one of the greatest guys I know, but now...” she shook her head sadly. “Now you’re angry all the time.”

He snorted.

Her hands dropped by her sides. “You’re alive, Chase. Isn’t that enough?”

“Yeah, it’s just fucking awesome being stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Really makes me appreciate all the little things and all that shit more,” he said dryly.

“Chase-”

“Don’t.”

“I’m sorry about Michelle. I know that it hurt when she walked out, but you can’t let that bring you down.”

He barely held back his anger. “I’m over that bitch.” And he was. It didn’t hurt that she’d gone and married his best friend and went on the honeymoon they’d planned two weeks after the doctor gave him the news that a wheelchair was going to be his new best friend for the rest of his life. Yeah, he was just fucking peachy about that.

She looked down at her watch. “Look, Michael’s going to be home soon and I need to pick the kids up.”

“Good. Don’t come back.”

“Chase-” she said on a tired sigh.

“Go.”

“Fine, but be nice to Sloane. Don’t cause any problems or you’re going to Pine Oaks,” she threatened coolly.

“Fucking bitch,” he grumbled.

She looked like she was about to argue but didn’t. Well, she was smarter than he thought. He heard the front door close and sighed. It was time for more important things, like his soaps.





Chapter 2


“Thank freaking God,” Sloane mumbled to herself as she looked over the selection of cleaning supplies stacked on the shelf above the washing machine.

She’d been half afraid that she wouldn’t find anything, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Her newest patient had everything from Comet to room freshener and all of it was brand new. No doubt his sister had something to do with that.