Page 29 of Married to the Enemy

“This afternoon I’m starting weight lifting exercises,” Evangeline grumbled, adjusting her seatbelt. “That contraption is a pain in the ass.”

Mia’s lips twitched, shocked. Her sweet, proper, always-dignified Nonna, cursing? That was new.

As soon as she slid behind the wheel, Mia froze. “Wait!”

Evangeline exhaled like a woman deeply burdened by her granddaughter’s lack of faith. “What now?”

Mia turned to her, wide-eyed. “We don’t know where they went! There must be five hundred doctors downtown. We’ll never—”

Evangeline rolled her eyes and dug in her purse. “Why does everyone underestimate me?” She shoved a folded paper into Mia’s hand with a flourish. “That’s where they’re going. Surgeon’s name, address, office number.”

Mia blinked at her. “How…?”

Her grandmother smirked, looking more mischievous than saintly. “I overheard Raffe talking to Freddy this morning before they left. And before you ask, yes, I already programmed the address into your phone’s GPS. Directions are ready to go.” Mia opened her mouth, but Evangeline cut her off with a glare fierce enough to silence hardened criminals. “Start the car. Everyone else has let Freddy down. We will not be part of that trend.”

Despite the urgency, Mia couldn’t help but laugh. Her amusement bubbled up, warm and shaky, because her grandmother was wicked, wily, and wonderful—and she was absolutely correct. Freddy needed them.

Mia tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “Yes, ma’am,” she said softly, then started the car.

She shifted her old sedan into drive and eased it down the stone driveway, wincing at the way her muffler rattled. In less than ten minutes, they reached the medical center near the downtown hospital.

The transformation in her grandmother was startling. Evangeline, who had looked so frail and timid at the courtroom yesterday, suddenly became a queen in command of her court. She charmed the receptionist with a smile, but her tone was firm as she extracted precise directions to the orthopedic surgeon’s office. Mia, jogging to push the wheelchair fast enough for her grandmother, had the distinct impression that no one on staff would dare cross her grandmother.

When they finally pushed through the glass doors into the waiting room of the surgeon’s office, Mia’s heart gave a little skip. Raffe was there, looming in one of the plastic chairs, flipping through a wrinkled magazine. His long legs were stretched out, his shoulders tense, his gaze flicking irritably to the clock every few seconds. Freddy sat beside him in his wheelchair, gripping the armrests so tightly his knuckles were white, his lips pressed in a thin line of false bravado.

“Mia?” Freddy yelped as soon as he saw her.

Raffe’s head snapped up at the sound of her name. He stared at her, and for one terrifying second, Mia thought he might explode. The look there was sharp, almost betrayal, as if her presence had disrupted something he wasn’t ready to share.

She nearly faltered, stumbling over her own feet. But Evangeline didn’t pause. Her grandmother wheeled herself forward, right up to Freddy’s chair.

“Now you listen up, dear,” Evangeline said, reaching out and patting his trembling fingers. Her voice was calm, but the kind of calm that brooked no argument. “You’re going to be fine. I looked up this doctor’s reputation—”

Mia’s head whipped around. “You what?”

Her grandmother ignored her. “—and she’s one of the best orthopedic trauma surgeons in the state. She specializes in difficult cases like yours.”

Freddy’s eyes widened, caught between awe and disbelief.

Evangeline leaned closer, lowering her voice so only Freddy could hear. “And if this bozo—” she tipped her head toward Raffe, “—ever takes you to something this important without us again, you just kick him in the nuts. Hard. We’re family now. Family sticks together.”

The boy blinked, then gave a shocked little laugh, like he couldn’t believe she’d said something so outrageous. Thankfully, his white-knuckled grip eased a fraction.

Behind them, Raffe made a strangled noise. Mia glanced over at him. He was staring at her grandmother, and she couldn’t tell if he was about to burst into laughter or object to being threatened.

A nurse in pale scrubs opened the door to the inner hallway. “Frederick?” she called with a polite smile.

Raffe leapt to his feet, all business again. The nurse’s gaze took him in, clearly admiring his broad shoulders and tall frame, and Mia swore she saw an appreciative spark there. A slow smile tugged at the nurse’s lips before she turned her attention back to Freddy.

Mia’s stomach clenched. For no rational reason, she wanted to scratch the woman’s eyes out.

Ridiculous, she scolded herself, folding her arms. She didn’t own Raffe. Yes, they were married on paper, but their union was a contract. Nothing more.

She had far too much to handle—her grandmother’s health, Freddy’s surgery, and most of all, keeping them both safe from her father. Escaping the country was her long-term plan, but Evangeline was too frail to travel right now. And Mia wasn’t sure her grandmother, stubborn as she was, would even agree to leave.

“We’ll be right here, waiting for news,” Evangeline called out as the nurse guided Freddy and Raffe into the hallway.

Freddy peered around Raffe’s tall frame, still uncertain, but with a flicker of hope lighting his eyes. He gave Mia a shy, tentative smile before the door closed behind them.