Diamond (Rare Gems #2)(54)
The office wasn’t anything Diamond had expected. It was on the fourth floor and was so lovely that she spent an hour when she’d arrived today just wandering around it. Thad had given her a big desk as well as the lovely chair she was looking forward to using, and Blair had given her a computer as well as a nice printer. She was set up. Even Sapphire had designed and printed her business cards that seemed to be burning a hole in her pocket to hand out. When Jan looked at her, she didn’t look any happier.
“Nice office. Who did you have to blow to get it?” Diamond didn’t answer, but she did think about pressing the button on her desk to alert security as soon as she sat down. But she couldn’t find it. There was no way she was putting up with this abuse any longer.
“I want you to leave. I’ve contacted security and I’m going to report you to the—” Jan pulled a gun out and pointed it at her. “That’s not necessary. You’re not only going to lose your job but your license too if you pull that trigger.”
“It’s a done deal now. As of this morning as a matter of fact, when I lost my temper in the nurses’ lounge. But they’ve all decided that they want to follow rules now and not help me out when I tell them I need them. You turned them all against me, and your sister went up and reported me already. What did you do, tell her to watch me so that my first little mistake, she would get rid of me? I really hate you Erickson women, all of you. Well, if I go so do you.”
Diamond wasn’t afraid, but she was concerned. If she pulled the trigger, not only might she get hurt, but Diamond was having a hard time calming her wolf. She wanted out to take care of this woman, and she was afraid that she would do it. She reached for Thad, hoping he was still close enough to help her.
Thad, are you still in the hospital? If you are, do you think you can come to my office right now? I have a situation.
His laughter hummed along her skin. You need me to come up there and show you what I meant about bending you over the desk? I assure you that it’s going to take me the rest of the day to get it just right. I might even have to continue showing you when I get home—
Jan is in my office, and she has a gun pointed at me. I’m not really afraid, but I would very much like it if you came up here and helped me out. She felt his terror. It’ll be all right, I promise you. Just come up, okay?
He told her he was on his way, and she could feel Blair sort of knocking at her mind. She told him what she told Thad, and he said he was coming as well. She just hoped that neither of them was hurt by this woman. Her wolf wouldn’t be contained if they were.
She’d tried to be calm, but the woman didn’t look like she had much to lose and was going to kill her. There wasn’t silver in the gun, but a bullet to the head was pretty permanent and she wasn’t ready to die right now. When there was a brisk knock at her door, she nearly stood up to let them in when it suddenly burst open. Thad stood there as a sleek, black wolf.
“I’d put that down if I were you. I’m pretty sure he is a great deal faster, and if he gets to you, he will tear your throat out.” Jan stared at Thad but didn’t put her gun down. “Jan, if you shoot him, you’re going to piss me off and I’ll shift too. You’ll never survive the two of us.”
“Where did you get that…what the hell is a dog doing in my hospital?” Jan shifted the gun to Thad, who growled at her. “What the hell is that thing doing here? And what do you mean ‘shift too’?”
“I’m a wolf too, and mine is really going to hurt you if you shoot at him. He won’t die, but he will be really pissed off.” Jan turned to look at her, but the gun was still on Thad. “You shoot him and I shit you not, I’ll tear your throat out so fast it wouldn’t matter if you were in the operating room to be repaired, you’ll be dead.”
“This can’t be happening. Wolves do not run free in the hospital.” Diamond could see Thad moving into the room slowly while Jan continued. “I just wanted to be a good doctor and make people know that I’m important. I am, too. I graduated at the top of my class, and you stupid nurses should respect me. I’m not going to go down easy.”
Thad was behind Jan’s chair when Diamond spoke. “You’re babbling, and I, for one, have no idea why you think we should respect you when you’ve never done the same to us. You’re nothing but a bully, and you’re getting just what you deserve.”
The gun went off just as Thad leapt at Jan. The room vibrated with the sound, and before Diamond could shift as well, if that was her intention, Jan was lying on the floor with her throat covered in Thad’s massive jaws. If she moved or did anything stupid now, she was as good as dead. Finally finding the stupid button, Diamond pressed it several times just as she moved around her desk to kneel down beside her on the floor. This was not going to go well, she just knew it. Thad had his paw on her chest as well, holding her still.
“I warned you.” Diamond moved the gun away from her hand and left it close in the event she needed it. “This is going to be how this works. And so you know, I hope you f*ck up because I’d like nothing better than to have him tear your throat out right now.”
I’m shot, love. Not in any place that I think will kill me, but my leg, my rear one, is hurting like a motherf*cker. Do you think we could...Christ, it’s not silver is it? Diamond heard the panic in his voice.