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“Yes, I’m in an empty patient room.”
“Ok, good.”
“They were after Sergei, agent Roberts had been building a big case against him and now he’s turned his sights on you.”
“Yeah, but if they’re desperate enough to go after you it means they’ve got nothing. I told you, Mads, everything’s going to be fine.”
She groans her skepticism. “Bash, Emma’s really beginning to question my commitment to the job and even in her decision to back me. This has got to stop.”
“I won’t lie to you, Mads,” I say earnestly, but then pause to choose my words carefully. “Both of our careers are extremely high pressured and time consuming. So yeah, things are going to get a little intense, but I’ve got you, baby. We’re going to get through this and you’re going to be the best heart surgeon that hospital’s ever produced. That’s my promise to you.”
I hear her sigh heavily.
“I love you so much, Mads. You’re everything to me, fucking everything.” I close my eyes letting my feelings radiate from me, hoping to find their way to her. “I won’t let you down, that’s something I’ll never do. Just have faith in us, all right?”
“Bash, I…”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I say as my throat tightens with the onslaught of emotion. “I just don’t know…I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”
There’s beeping on her end.
“Bash, I’m sorry, we’ll talk when I get home tonight, all right?”
Her tone is clinical, detached. I’m both hurt and angered by it. I allow my silence to convey my emotions.
“Babe, you know I love you too, but I’ve really got to go.” She ends the call without waiting for me to reply. She’s a doctor, I remind myself, she’ll always be in demand, her time is precious. When I chose her, I knew the deal. I’ll always play second fiddle to her career. As much as it galls me to know this, it’s part of what I admire about Mads.
That knowledge didn’t prevent something ripping open inside of me at her coolness.
I have a feeling it’s Emma’s diminishing faith in her that’s really got Madison rattled, more so than the idiot DEA agents. If Madison truly feels her career is being threatened, she’ll try to cut me loose.
I must prevent that at all costs, which means, I must deal with Chief Resident Emma Weiss.
This is for Madison. She’s worth every effort I plan to go through to keep her.
As I leave the jewelers and head for the car, my cell rings again. It’s Stieg.
“Yeah,” I answer as I hop into the car.
“Orlov’s a fucking joke,” Stieg starts in. “He thinks you’re going to just step down or let him run half the business. We ought to cinch off some more of his business just for the insult.”
“The rat bastard’s so offended that I broke off with Natasha when he knew all along what his daughter was doing with Sergei. He was just too much of a chicken shit to call Sergei on it.”
“He’s going to make trouble for us,” Stieg says. “He’s trying to raise support for his rise seeing as how you’ve decided to go outside the fold for a bride.” He snorts, “I’m joking about the bride part, but how serious are you two?”
“She makes me happy, Stieg. Plus, she’ll be a valuable asset, far more so than a hundred of those dumb, fake tit pool girls.”
There’s nothing but silence for a few seconds. I let it play out.
“You know what you’re doing, Bash?” he finally says. “It’s one thing to knock around with your doc, but if you get serious…being in your position, you’ll need the head’s blessings. Considering she’s not Russian…among other things.”
“The Wolf didn’t achieve his position by being a backwards fool,” I blurt out. “I’ll take her to meet him in Moscow, he’ll recognize it for the brilliant strategic move it is. To hell with the rest of them.”
“Jesus, Bash,” he exclaims in alarm. “What if they side with Orlov and offer the seat to him? You willing to lose everything over this girl?”
“I won’t lose a damn thing,” I reply. “For months now, I’ve been working out a new direction for the business. It involves high finance, far more cash and a lot less blood work.
He scoffs. “Tryin’ to go all respectable. Damn that doc’s done a number on you.”
