Gentleman Sinner(62)

‘What? Susan, you saw that man. He’s an arsehole. He’s lying.’

‘Then how do you suggest he sustained those injuries?’ she asks. ‘Broken limbs, Izzy. He hasn’t tripped up a kerb or walked into a door.’

I close my eyes briefly and try to calm myself, feeling tears threatening to break free. What is happening here? ‘I don’t know how he sustained those injuries, but I do know it has nothing to do with me or my boyfriend.’

‘Well, I have to treat every complaint according to protocol, Izzy. Mr Sugden’s behaviour prior to his complaint will be noted in your defence, but someone gave him those injuries. He says you encouraged the beating.’

I fall back in the chair, absolutely dumbfounded. ‘I encouraged it? What, like egged them on?’

Susan remains silent for a few moments, clearly thinking hard. I hope it’s hard enough to see damn sense. ‘Izzy, it may not be my place to ask, but do you really know this man you’re involved with?’

I stare at my boss, trying to form words in my head that don’t include a flat fuck off. I’ve never once had any kind of complaint made against me since I qualified as a nurse. I’ve never had a confrontation with another member of staff, a patient, or a relative. Susan must know that this idiot’s claim is out of character for me. I egged Theo on? What I actually did was plead with him to let the idiot go. I stopped Mr Sugden from being pummelled to death.

I run through the horrid incident in my mind, from the moment Mr Sugden cornered me to the moment Theo, Callum, and I got in the car. We were all together and . . .

My thought process grinds to a halt, ice gushing into my veins. In the car park. Callum forgot to pay for the parking and Theo went to validate the ticket. My eyes dart across the desk before me, trying to figure out if the few minutes he was gone would be enough to inflict so much damage on Percy’s son.

I should laugh at myself for asking such a pathetic question. Theo would need only ten seconds with him to inflict serious damage. I have no doubt. I push out a deep breath, now questioning what really happened. It doesn’t matter that Mr Sugden is stretching the truth and twisting things. If Theo has knowingly jeopardized my job, I will lose my fucking shit.

I look up to Susan and find her lips pressed into a straight line. ‘I’m sorry, Izzy. I suggest you contact the union, and I expect the police will be in touch to question you.’ Her head tilts, sympathy engulfing her face. ‘You should leave now.’

I get up, feeling numb, and walk away to collect my things. My head is a riot of thoughts as I go, questioning Theo’s honour to respect my wishes. There’s no doubt Mr Sugden held me responsible for his father’s death and wanted some kind of stupid vengeance, and Theo has given him the opportunity for the best vengeance ever. What better way than to get me fired? Ruin my career, and on top of that, have my boyfriend locked up.

I wander out of the hospital with my coat over my arm and my bag dragging along the ground. I’m in conflicting places, my mind a tattered mess. This was a lose–lose situation for me. Had Theo not been there for me last night, I’ve no doubt Sugden would have clouted me one, but I wouldn’t have been suspended from duty. Yet Theo was there, and yes, I’m unscathed, but I’m now facing the possibility of having my career fall down the drain as a result. Or Theo could have walked away like I thought he had, instead of sneakily going back to find Sugden and pulverize him. Then I’d be uninjured and still have a career. But Theo thought Percy’s son was someone else. He thought I was lying to him.

With a loaded sigh, I drop to a bench outside the hospital and stare blankly at the ground. How could he do this? Years of training wasted. My sanctuary taken away from me. I have bills to pay. What am I going to do?

My phone rings, and I sluggishly pull it out of my coat pocket, finding Jess is calling me. She’s on shift. Surely news couldn’t have made it to the other side of the hospital already. ‘Hey?’

‘Oh my God, Izzy. I just heard.’

I sink into the hard wood of the bench. Seems it could. ‘Sugden’s lying.’

‘What the hell happened?’ She’s whisper-shouting now, probably locked in a closet somewhere on the maternity unit.

‘I think he was waiting for me after my shift last night. He cornered me and threatened me. You know, your usual end-of-shift wind-down. He didn’t know Theo was with me.’

‘Seriously? Is the man blind? How did he miss him? He’s a fucking giant.’

‘He was getting me a coffee. I went outside to wait for Callum.’ I glance around to check my privacy and lower my voice. ‘Theo had him held at gunpoint, Jess. Callum had to talk him down. But the gun hasn’t been mentioned. Theo let him go, and the last I saw, Sugden was all in one piece.’

‘Oh, fucking hell,’ she breathes. ‘The last you saw?’

‘Theo disappeared for a couple of minutes to validate the parking ticket.’ I close my eyes and cup my forehead in my palm, my head beginning to pound. ‘Callum was behind the wheel at the barrier, so Theo went.’ It’s only now I realize Callum could have gone. If the car needed to be moved before he returned, surely Theo could have slid over to the driver’s seat and done it.

‘A couple of minutes? You think he could do that much damage so quickly?’

‘I know he could.’