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He shook his head, and when the elevators dinged, signaling we’d arrived at the floor I needed for the doctor’s office, he froze.
I’d already walked out and turned the corner before I realized he wasn’t following me.
“Michael?” I called, turning around and looking for him.
I found him still inside the elevator, his hands on the doors to hold the door’s open.
“What doctor’s office do you use?” He hissed.
I reeled back at the vehemence in his tone.
Blinking, I said, “Women’s Center. Why?”
Michael yanked me to him, then further pulled me to the stairwell.
“What, Michael? What is it?” I asked in alarm.
He didn’t stop until we were three floors up, and I was breathing hard from exertion.
He yanked the door open to the sixth floor, and pulled me right along with him.
Once he saw that the coast was clear, he visibly relaxed.
He let me go almost immediately, then pulled out his phone and placed a call.
“Yeah, my woman’s been going to the Women’s Center for months now!” He hissed quietly into the phone, looking around him as he inspected the empty hallway. “Why didn’t one of you fucking catch that?”
I blinked in surprise.
“Yes, she’s fine. And no, you told me you had the place under surveillance. You should’ve known!” He half yelled.
I refrained from saying, ‘You should’ve known.’
Instead, I kept my mouth shut and pulled out my phone, taking a seat at a small chair that was next to a potted plant.
I immediately saw that I’d be late if he didn’t hurry up, but I figured whatever it was was important if he had reacted the way he had at realizing I was going to a certain center.
Then realization dawned.
He’d only care about where I was going if the place was dangerous.
And there’d only been one case he’d been working on lately that would’ve made sense to warrant this reaction from him.
And I had a feeling I knew exactly what it was.
And I was nauseous again.
Mother fucker!
A cold sweat started to pepper my skin, and I visibly started to shiver as I jumped to conclusions.
Michael continued his seething conversation with the person on the other end of the line, and I started to let my mind wander.
Had I let some killer get close to my baby?
What would happen to us now?
Would the baby and I be in danger?
Could I switch doctors?
I’d have to drive out of town to go.
The Women’s Center dominated the entire Ark-La-Tex. There was only one company in the area that worked with my insurance, and I had a feeling I’d be finding out what panic felt like very soon.
Then sorrow started to fill me.
Had all those women come here, given their trust to one of the doctors or nurses, then had their faith ripped away when they’d shot those poor women and their husbands?
“This is it. We do this today, and tomorrow she finds another doctor. Do you hear me? I’m being one hundred percent serious. If anything happens to her, there’s not one thing on this goddamn earth that’ll save you from me. And no, I don’t fucking care that I’m threatening an FBI agent,” Michael growled.
Then slammed his phone shut.
When he turned to me, his eyes immediately went soft.
“I’m so sorry, Nik. Had I known, I would’ve never let you come. I swear on my life I’ll protect you,” he promised, dropping down to his knees beside me and wrapping his arms around my midsection.
I moved my head, resting it on the top of his.
“What’s in the past is in the past. Let’s look forward from now on. You, me, and this baby,” I told him.
He squeezed me a little tighter, and I felt the now familiar flutter in my belly signaling our unborn child’s movement.
“I love you,” he said, looking up at me with his heart in his eyes.
I leaned down and smashed my lips against his.
Our tongues dueled as he thrust his tongue into my mouth. His tongue slid along mine as his hands moved up my back, burrowing under the loose shirt I’d stolen from him.
The one I wore to every doctor appointment because I liked to think that he was there with me.
“You’re wearing my shirt,” he said against my mouth.
I leaned my forehead down to his.
“Yeah,” I said simply.
“It’s a little big on you,” he surmised.
I laughed.
“Yeah, you could say that,” I agreed.
It was big.
Really big.
I’d tied it into a knot at my waist, at least making it somewhat flattering.
I didn’t really care what I looked like, though.
It was all for sentimentality.
And by the look in Michael’s eyes, he knew why I wore it, too.
“You ready to get this shit over with?” He asked quietly.
I nodded.
“Michael,” I hesitated. “There are some good doctors in this office. I’ve seen a doctor and a nurse practitioner so far, and my regular doctor, well he’s a sweetheart. His name is Doctor Mead. Him and his wife are the creators of this practice. Even Memphis works here.”
His eyes widened.
“Does Downy know Memphis works here?” I asked carefully. “The place that y’all are investigating?”
He shook his head. “Nobody knows. But he’ll know within ten minutes of me leaving the office. And I’m taking Memphis with me until they’ve discussed it.”
I snorted.
“Yeah right,” I laughed. “She won’t go with you.”
“We’ll see about that,” he muttered, tugging me along to the elevator.
Thank God.
I didn’t think I could do those stairs again.
Even if I was only going down them.***“Michael!” Memphis said, clapping excitedly. “You’re here!”
Michael grinned at Memphis, his face lighting up with pleasure.
“Yeah, I’m here,” he nodded.
“Well, how’d the appointment go?” Memphis asked, patting the table.
I handed Michael my purse, and he tossed it onto the chair. Something I could’ve done.
“I had a coke in there,” I muttered darkly.
He winked. “You shouldn’t be drinking coke. That’s what the doctor just said.”
“Michael, you’re not my doctor. Dr. Mead is. He hasn’t said a word about my caffeine intake,” I growled.
He was insufferable!
He’d been going on and on, contradicting the nurse practitioner about damn near every piece of advice she’d given in the hour and a half we’d been here.
