Page 11 of Sweet Heart

“It is my job to ensure every person walking out of here is not at risk of rel—”

“Relapse. Yes, Kitty Cat, I know that. Part of my job description too, ya know? But have you ever seen me pull up a file without proper cause? You know they log that shit, Cat. What were you thinking?”

She is right. Of course she is. If they check the audit logs, I’m screwed. I know that. I stare at the screen for a beat and bite my lip. What was I thinking? Where is all that pride in being so ethical now? I shake my head again and let out a strained breath. Carmen instantly closes the distance between us and wraps her arms around me. My head lands somewhere against her shoulder, and I close my eyes. She is right. Of course she is. I’ve gone too far, and I know it. My whole body tenses in her arms, but it only makes her hug me tighter.

“It’s going to be okay, hermosa. Nothing happened, right?”

I shake my head, unwilling to open my eyes.

“Good. Then pull yourself together, Doctor Durand. It’s dancing time.”

She smiles against my hair before she pulls back and looks at me. I reluctantly open my eyes to meet hers. Her gaze is soft and warm instead of the usual playful one. It reminds me why I feel so safe with her. Even though Carmen is a hyperactive ball of sunshine, she goes completely still when it matters. And in this moment, it matters.

I nod softly.

“Good. We are going to do shots tonight, and the first round is on you.”

I groan again as I push myself away from her.

“One of these days you’ll be the death of me, Carmen Rodrigues,” I grunt, and she lets out a light laugh.

“Maybe, but at least you’ll die having lived. You are welcome, by the way.”

“Mm-hmm.” I roll my eyes. “My liver salutes you.”

She grins now and wraps her arm around my shoulder while gently pushing me toward the door. Somewhere inside my stomach, a knot loosens slightly, and I can breathe a little easier.

“You know what?” I admit. “Maybe going out tonight isn’t such a bad idea at all.”

Carmen’s grin widens.

“You know, having fun is the best medicine. So, I’d say the shots are doctor’s orders.”

I shake my head but can’t suppress my laugh. Doctor’s orders indeed.

Chapter 05

Mary

The rhythmic pounding of hooves against the dry sand sounds like thunder in the far distance. A cloud of dust shrouds the danger in an ominous cloak of anticipated misfortune. When it hits the village, it does so like a surprise lightning bolt, ripping through it with hot steel, and blazing eyes. There is no honor in what these wildlings do, only terror. Screams fill the—

The glow of the screen casts the room in a blue hue. It is currently the only light source. My work demands my attention, and when I am writing I simply forget everything else. But the aggressive buzzing of my phone shatters that peace.

My concentration evaporates and I blink before I glance up at the clock on my laptop. 2:15 a.m. Who the hell is trying to reach me in the middle of the night?

My heart leaps as my arm swings out toward my phone, nearly knocking over a cup of cold coffee. Oh, you forgot about that, too. My fingers curl around the device, and I turn the screen toward me.

1 message.

The number is unknown to me, and I frown. I know I should turn my notifications off and put the phone back down so that I can get a bit more work done, but my curiosity is louder. Much, much louder. I unlock the screen and swipe up to open the messages.

02:14 a.m. – Katherina

Have you checked your sugar?

I blink again, this time confused. There is nobody I know who goes by the name Katherina, let alone one who knows about my diabetes. So who the hell is this? I shake my head and put my phone down again. It’s probably just a freaky coincidence.

Right as my fingers hit the keys on my laptop, the phone buzzes again. This time, I grit my teeth, ready to rip this Katherina a new one. Does she not realize it is the middle of the night?