AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What else, besides being hungry, had she kept from him? “Actually, I’d like to hear about them from you.”
The nursing administrator carefully weighed her words, and her hesitation amplified his concern. “Heavenly is great with patients but hasn’t bonded with the nurses in her unit. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t be concerned, but I’ve been made aware of some situations recently that give me pause.”
Beck had no idea what she meant. Four lunches together, and Heavenly had told him nothing. “Really?”
“The surgical lube all over her locker could be written off as part of the grand ‘welcoming’ tradition, as could the unused catheters being stuffed inside.”
He rolled his eyes. “The nurses should have gotten the hazing out of their system by now. She’s volunteered here for a few weeks, and that’s crap they usually pull in the first day or two.”
“Precisely, and that stuff is harmless. But the pranks have escalated. More recently, someone rigged an aerosol can of deodorant to the door mechanism of her locker so that when she opened it, the spray blasted her face. Most disturbing, last Wednesday someone painted the word WHORE in red on the inside.”
What the fuck? That wasn’t mere hazing. “What’s been done?”
“I only became aware of this whole situation a few minutes ago when Heavenly reported some money stolen from her wallet, which had been locked away.”
Maybe that explained why she’d been prepared to go hungry…but not why she hadn’t breathed a word about any of this to him. Stubborn girl. He was going to get some goddamn answers.
“Is the nursing staff bored in the ER? Do they need more to do?”
“Oh, they should be plenty busy. But if you’re looking for a reason they’ve zeroed in on Heavenly, I’ve got some theories. First, she keeps to herself. Some may interpret her standoffishness as being haughty.”
No one was less stuck-up than Heavenly. She was too sweet to be so misunderstood.
“What’s your other theory?”
“That not everyone appreciates your marked interest in her.”
Translation: either the other nurses were condemning Heavenly without really knowing her or they were jealous hags. His money was on the latter.
He’d only meant to protect her from Manwhore’s advances. Granted, he’d been enjoying his lunches with her too much to stop. He certainly hadn’t given a second thought to the jealous vipers and their petty reprisals.
“Do you know who’s doing this to her?” Beck glanced at the slut squad. Kathryn watched him with a sharp stare.
Bridget followed his line of sight. “I have my suspicions but no proof.”
If it would help derail Kathryn, he’d cry sexual harassment to HR, since she’d made umpteen passes at him. But she could easily deflect by accusing him in turn. If he confronted the bitch directly, she might get even more vindictive with Heavenly. But somehow, someway, he’d protect her. He had faced more cunning foes than a horny nurse pushing thirty and come out just fine.
“What can you do to stop this?”
“I’m going to let everyone in her unit know this sort of behavior is grounds for dismissal.”
It wasn’t a perfect solution, but maybe that threat would shelter Heavenly from more of the bitches’ antics. If not, he’d come up with a plan B. “If the situation continues, please let me know.”
“Of course.”
Despite seething inside, Beck managed a smile. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“Enjoy your lunch.”
“One minute. Before you go… When did the nurses start bringing snacks to their unit on a regular basis? They never did during my rotation in ER, unless it was to celebrate a birthday or promotion.”
She frowned, confused. “As a rule, they don’t.”
“What about today?”
Bridget shook her head. “This morning when I spoke with Heavenly about her missing money, I didn’t see any goodies at their station.”
So not only had Heavenly not mentioned being bullied, but she’d lied to him about the food as well?
Beck swallowed a livid growl. “Thank you for the clarification.”
“Of course. Is there something special going on today that I’m not aware of?”
If Beck had his way, it would be Spank Heavenly’s Ass Red Day. Instead of balloons, streamers, or a parade, the two of them would celebrate alone—in the dungeon. He’d throw her over his knee, yank down her panties, and slap her tender cheeks until she couldn’t sit for a week. She’d learn the value of telling him the goddamn truth.
But he couldn’t do any of that, and it was driving him fucking crazy.
Beck shook his head and forced a cordial expression. “None I can think of. Have a good day.”
“You, too.” As the nursing administrator walked away, Beck tried to tamp down his blazing anger. It wasn’t easy. Why the hell hadn’t Heavenly told him about her problems?
Across the table, she slid a tray onto the scarred surface, laden with roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, a hearty dinner roll, a side salad, a wedge of cheesecake, and a large soda. It was a sizable dinner for a big man. But lunch for a little girl? Either Heavenly had one hell of an appetite or, more likely, she hadn’t eaten all day.
