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Sabrina tugs on my arm, wanting me to bend toward her. I do and kiss her. “Have a good day, Alejandro,” she whispers.
“Alejandro?” My brows quirk upward. “Where’s that coming from?”
“I like it. It suits you.” She smiles.
“Do not leave this building. You need something, you call, or someone else leaves to get it. No going out back, and for the love of God, wait for Damian to pick you both up tonight,” I tell her.
“Aye, aye, Captain.” She does a two-finger salute.
“Don’t be cute, or I’ll have to find a broom closet,” I warn her with a grin.
“Hmm. There’s a thought.” She taps a finger to her cheek like she’s contemplating the idea.
“My girl is insatiable.” I brush my lips over hers.
“Only for you.”
“Promise me you won’t leave the clinic. Please.”
She makes the sign of the cross over her heart. “Promise.”
As I leave the clinic, I see one of our cruisers patrolling the neighborhood. Caleb said he’d step up security, and he’s a man of his word.
* * *
Sabrina
As soon as Alex leaves,Chloe’s on me.
“Spill,” she says, clapping her hands. “I’m so happy for you.”
I haven’t said a word yet, but she’s already pulling me in for a hug. “I’m happy,” I tell her, and then I take a moment and let that sink in. Itrulyam happy. We head to the small staff kitchen to perk some coffee, and I tell her about calling my parents. I’ve been calling them more often, and right on cue, my phone dings with a text from my brother, Don. He sends me a unicorn emoji and quick note.
Wish me luck. Exam day.
I reply withMy brother can do anything.I finish it off with a heart emoji and show Chloe the message.
“He sounds sweet,” Chloe coos.
“Don’t tell him that. He thinks he’s a badass.”
“Badasses can be sweet. Look at Damian and Alex. And Zeke and Caleb, for that matter.”
I grab the freshly perked pot of coffee, pour a cup for each of us, and say, “We’d better get to work. I have appointments to reschedule. By next week, I’ll be able to get back to it full force.”
I spend the morning calling my patients and rebooking all the missed appointments. Then I catch up on paperwork. It’s not my favorite part of the job, but it must be done. There are three other staff here. Jesse, the other physiotherapist, George who is our naturopathic doctor, and Jessica, our administrator. Everyone in our small clinic makes the time to come in and chat. Hugs are exchanged, and hearing words like “We missed you,” and “So glad you’re back” makes me feel like I belong. Dr. Nestor insists on checking out my arm and keeps coming in to make sure I’m not overdoing it. His wife, Alison, made a Welcome Back cake for me. The decadent chocolate truffle cake is heavenly.
I thought it might be harder to come back to where the craziness began, but I’ve been too busy to focus on anything except my job. Having great people around is a blessing, and my coworkers are more like family.
* * *
Alex
Zeke’s donea deep dive into the background of the two organizations associated with the robberies. They’re both owned by the same man. Andre Petrov is the head of the Russian syndicate. He has strong ties to the underbelly of the mafia world. Ivan Mallovich is a petty criminal next to this man. The more we dig, the clearer it becomes that Ivan is just a flunky. Dangerous, but he only follows orders.
Andre is rarely seen out and about. Very few photos exist of him, and the ones we have found show him with a blonde on his arm at charity functions. That’s a laugh! A mafia king at a charity banquet. The FBI have been trying to get to Petrov for years with nothing to show for their efforts.
Petrov owns galleries around the globe. Lo and behold, many have been robbed. The question begs to be asked, why does a billionaire not have better security in those places?
