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Security enters and helps us get Mr. Simmons on the bed and into a gown. After a CT scan, we figure out he has a fractured skull. Lena cleans the cut on his head, and I discharge him into the care of his nursing home.
Just as my head hits the bunk in the on-call room, my pager goes off again. So much for catching any sleep tonight.
Chapter seven
O’Doul’sispackedtothe brim when we arrive. I give a nod toward Jimmy, the bartender, and head for the private room reserved for our family. Jimmy tosses his head back in greeting then grabs an unopened bottle of whiskey for me and Paddy.
″Just the two of you, Mr. Murphy?” Jimmy asks, grabbing two glasses.
″Aye.”
He follows us to the private room, opens the bottle and sets it in the center before heading back to tend the bar.
Whatever meds the doctor gave me are working. I feel buzzed, lightheaded, and the pain in my arm is barely existent. Paddy pours two fingers of whiskey, sliding the glass towards me. “Haley told you not to drink, brother.”
″We’re Irish. We have whiskey and beer in our blood.” I flash him a grin, as I sip my drink. ”She’s feisty, that one. And the mouth on her? Did you ever fuck?” I have to ask because it’s been on my mind all night. I’m not a jealous man, but I am possessive. If a woman is mine, my brothers can’t touch her. Haley might not know it yet, but I want her, and I will have her. If Paddy fucked her, well, I have an issue.
″Did I fuck Savi?” Paddy chuckles, shaking his head. Thank fuck. “No, mate. Our buddy, Griffin, says she doesn’t date. Too busy with work. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s never popped her cherry.” He sips his drink, leaning forward. His eyes narrow, considering something, then he shakes his head again.
I chew on the inside of my bottom lip, my hand wrapped around my glass as I contemplate how I’m going to see her again. I could figure out her schedule and ask her to take out the stitches in a few days.
That would make me look needy. What grown man can’t take scissors to his arm and cut off some lousy stitches? No. I’ll have to run into her naturally. It’ll be easy if I have someone on her tail. I can easily use the excuse that I want to make sure she doesn’t turn us into the police.
″Have Scotty put a tail on her,” I say.
Paddy looks up, one eyebrow arched as he furrows his lips. “Why?”
″I want to know when she goes out with that copper, and what she says to him. Just because she agreed to patch me up doesn’t mean she won’t rat on us the second she gets a chance.”
Paddy nods, content with my answer. He doesn’t question my motives, like the good little brother he is. Scotty is our best guard. He’s Sean’s favorite, and since he’s head of security, I trust his judgement. I also know he won’t question why he’s been asked to follow a girl around who’s got no ties to the mafia. Sean will know with a quick vetting and a few days of Scotty tailing her if she is trustworthy, too. Then maybe we can bring her onto the payroll as an on call doc.
I’ll have to make sure he knows I want her conversation at dinner listened to. I want to know what exactly her relationship is with the copper and if she’s chatted with him.
I try to place my finger on what has me so intrigued about the doctor. She’s held my attention longer than any woman that’s ever been in my life. Not that I date, because I don’t. I meet women in the club, bring them home for an evening, then toss them out before the sun rises. Commitment isn’t for me. Eventually, I will have to marry and have children, and make sure I have a son to rule the kingdom for me, just as my father will leave it to me when he dies. But, for now, I can let Haley roam free in my thoughts.
When Da decides it’s time to make my own heirs, and I haven’t married, he’ll probably choose my wife. If I don’t settle down soon – and I have no intentions of doing so –Da is likely to choose the daughter of a soldier that has protected him to show his gratitude. I’ve never had to worry about my future wife, so I don’t.
I choose to focus on the things I can control. Like how Paddy can convince the doctor to work for us. “Tonight was easy. I mean, getting the doctor to patch me up. We need a second doctor on staff for nights when Vito is out. Do you think you can convince her?”
″You just want her in your bed, Cal. Admit it.”
I shrug because he’s not wrong. There’s no point in denying it. “I just don’t want to need to go to the hospital again. This is strictly for those reasons. So she can meet us without causing a scene.”
″Whatever you say, bro.” He drinks his whiskey, playing some stupid fucking game on his phone.
″We need a family meeting. We’re done with H. We can’t keep going into these deals and risking our lives, Paddy.”
″I know, Cal. I know. We’ll get out. The Columbians are too risky to deal with.”
The sound from the crowded area of the bar trickles through the walls of our room. And, though we are secluded, I lower my voice when I speak. “We’ll need to find other ways to bring in that cash flow.”
He glances up from his phone. “What are you thinking?”
″We need some legitimate business to launder our money. I want to buy some hotels in the area.”
″I’ll run it along. Maybe Saoirse can manage some of that. She likes interior decorating and shit.”
Our sister is more than just into interior decorating. She majored in architecture at Harvard and dabbled in interior design on the side when Da realized how good she was doing at college. He forced her into the practical route with design, then let her have fun once she proved herself.
