I blink, then blink again. “Marco isn’t a person?”
“No, thank the Fates. He gets into enough mischief as it is, I can only imagine what kind of trouble he’d get into if he could run his mouth, too.” Seeing my confused expression, she clarifies, “A pair of raccoons. Looks like they were trying to warm up somewhere and she burned the shit out of her leg. She’ll be fine once she wakes up, but I need to figure out a solution to keep the exposed skin safe until her fur grows back.”
“Someone seriously keeps a pair of raccoons as pets?”
She blinks back at me in equal confusion. “No, I found them rooting around in the dumpster out back this morning. Apparently that thing is a beacon for injured animals this week.”
So she takes in potentially rabid animals and nurses them back to health… for free? I saw that planner of hers; she only has three appointments this week. How can she even afford to keep the lights on at this rate? She shouldn’t be using up all of her supplies on wild animals.
Not to mention she’s fucking gorgeous and surrounded by hundreds of mysts desperate for a mate. Yet she works alone, off the beaten path, and doesn’t have so much as a security camera? My heart starts racing. Anything could happen to her and nobody would know until it was too late.
“Anywho.” Oblivious to my internal spiral, she wipes her hands off on her leggings and extends one. “What can I do for you, mister…?”
All my plans of using a fake name go out the window as the prettiest blue-green eyes trap me in their gaze and I rough out, “Stryker Thorne.”
Any regrets I may have had at blurting out the truth are instantly wiped out by her sweet smile. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Thorne. What can I do for you?”
Marry me.
Shaking off the crazy thought that suddenly has me caught in a chokehold, I pull out the paperwork tucked in my back pocket and pass it over. “Before we go any further, I need you to sign an NDA.”
Her eyebrow raises, unimpressed. “Sorry, but that was one thing that was drilled into me when starting up my business. Don’t sign shit until a lawyer looks it over. And if you can’t afford one to give you the all clear, you sure as hell can’t afford them not to.” It sounds like she’s reciting something someone’s told her a thousand times, and as frustrating as it is for me, I respect whoever’s looking out for her.
“Listen.” Discreetly, I wipe my suddenly sweaty palms on my black military pants, heart thundering. “My family is… well known, in certain circles. If anyone were to find out what I came to you for help with, that’s it. I’m done.”
The pretty little vet shrugs. “Sounds like a you problem.”
I growl in frustration, ignoring the way my cock twitches at her blasé attitude for the sake of my sanity. “Have your lawyer look it over and I can come back in a couple of days. But I would prefer we get things going as soon as possible; I’m working against the clock.”
She scoffs, gesturing around us. “Does itlook like I can afford a lawyer?”
My eye twitches. “What if I pay for it?”
She scrunches her nose. “Pretty sure that constitutes a conflict of interest. You could just pay him extra to convince me to do something that falls in your favor.”
As annoying as it is, she makes a good point. For a second, I consider saying screw this and finding someone else, but there isn’t time to start my search over. I already had to drive two hours away from home to ensure whoever I found wouldn’t be under my father’s thumb or afraid of crossing my brother. I really can’t afford to die on this hill, and as much as it kills me to admit it… I’m desperate. I’m the one askingherfor help; not the other way around.
Fuck it.
“Are vets held to HIPPA standards?” Before she can answer, I rake a hand anxiously through my tussled brown hair and start to pace. “Seriously. I’ll loseeverythingI’ve spent my life working towards if word gets out about what I’m about to tell you.”
Her gaze softens. “I might not be a real doctor like my brother, but I take patient confidentiality to heart. So long as whatever you want to keep a secret isn’t hurting your pet or putting other creatures at risk of harm, then you have my word. Whatever you tell me will be kept strictly between the two of us. Besides,” she continues, mumbling under her breath. “It’s not like I have anyone to tell that cares.”
While it’s exactly what I wanted to hear… I hate thinking about the implications.
A quick glance over my shoulder out the window shows a faint figure across the street, and I slide my sunglasses back on, stepping further into the building. “Can we go to an exam room?”
She hesitates for only a moment before nodding and saying, “Room two is free.” She gestures for me to walk down the hallway ahead of her. As soon as the door closes behind us sheleans against it with her arms crossed. “So, I’m assuming you’re sussing me out before bringing your pet in? You don’t need to worry, I’m experienced in handling high-risk mythologicals that require discretion to ensure their safety as well as specialized treatment plans.”
She does? Well, damn. Why the hell isn’t she booked up, then? Specialists like that are hard to come by.
Taking a deep breath, I pray this isn’t going to bite me in the ass. “No, it’s not for a pet. I need your help with a,” I swallow roughly and admit, “aconditionI’d like to keep secret from my family.”
She scowls. “I think you might be looking for my brother.He’s the golden doctor down at the hospital. Best I can do is give you directions.”
“No, I needyou,” I’m not sure how I know it in my bones, but the second the words leave my mouth, I know they’re true. I came here for a reason; the Angel of Mercy. The woman that’s only spoken about in hushed whispers, as if people are afraid of inviting the wrath of some higher power.”
It was only by sheer dumb luck I overheard a client talking about the mysterious vet that saved his pet griffin in Mercy Ridge and it sparked this entire, desperate plan. What I don’t understand is why she’s so hard to find with this level of talent.
