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As she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, she could hear Elizabeth’s melodious voice blending with the deep, male voice of someone who could only be her son. Sasha was glad she didn’t have to meet him. Not only did she feel too grimy to be social, but after so many flights and hours in the air, she probably looked like a homeless woman herself.
Her phone buzzed on her lap. Sasha wasn’t expecting any calls or messages and almost ignored it, but to make sure she wasn’t dismissing something important, she decided to check.
Welcome home, doctor.
It wasn’t a known number or caller, which was strange and unusual. Putting her cup down, she started typing to enquire who the sender was, but the field remained blank. Instead of replying, she deleted the message. Whoever that was, it could be a misdirected message from one of her contacts, and she had a few doctors in them. Just as she decided to let it go, it buzzed again.
Feeling safe yet?
Her heart rate increasing, Sasha tried to understand if it was a hoax or a real threat when she got her answer.
Enjoy it, as it won’t last. Good night, Doctor Landry.
There were weirdos everywhere, and Sasha knew better than take it too seriously. Anonymity could make people do things without worrying about the consequences. However, she made a mental note to change her number to be on the safe side.
Her dark thoughts changed direction when the voices in the lobby grew louder. Sensing trouble, she went to stand but froze when she saw who walked into the living room. It was like her mind vaporized when Lazarus King stopped short and gaped at her in return.
“Sasha!”
The last time she’d seen him, he’d just woken from a coma, was pale and unsteady, and snarly as ever. From a doctor’s perspective, she was glad to see he’d returned to a healthy body condition. The woman in her purred at the muscled body she could guess under his simple shirt and pants. Mentally slapping herself, she got to her feet, deciding that being professional was the way to go. “Lazarus?”
What was he doing here? Was he following her?
Elizabeth gaped at the scene before asking a question, but Sasha’s heart beat too loudly in her ears to understand it.
“We worked together a while ago.”
That was a vague answer, one that probably represented how much he hid his intentions and work from his mother. And then it clicked. Elizabeth’s last name was King. Somehow, her neurons hadn’t made the connection.
With silver eyes on her, Sasha steadied herself. “I didn’t realize Elizabeth was your mother. We know each other through different humanitarian missions we’ve done together.”
“So this is a friendly visit from a former coworker?”
His question acted like a cold shower, full of suspicions. The man clearly didn’t want her there, close to his mother. Duly noted. But Elizabeth beat her to the explanation.
“Sasha has agreed to a temporary assignment with the non-profit I’ve told you about. Isn’t it wonderful?”
The smile he gave his mother was sincere but lacked warmth. “Indeed. Sasha is a wonderful doctor. You’re lucky to have her.”
“The darling girl had only just stepped off her plane when I called her. I insisted that she stay here tonight. But maybe it would be an idea if she remained with me for the duration of her work. What do you think, Sasha?”
She started shaking her head when Lazarus cut her off, his British accent sharp as ever. “That’s a wonderful idea, Mum. She should stay with you. There’s plenty of room, and you’ll have someone to go to and from work with.”
Elizabeth kissed his cheek, but Sasha knew better. Lazarus surely had an ulterior motive with being so accommodating. Did the man want her to stay to keep his mother company? Or was it his usual control issues taking over?
“My boy, don’t push her like that. Let her sleep on it. There’ll be plenty of time to talk about it tomorrow. Why don’t you move her luggage to the spare room while I clear up here? I’m sure Sasha is dreaming of a shower and well-deserved sleep.”
Lazarus didn’t wait for her answer and grabbed her suitcases before going down the hallway. Sasha almost had to run to keep up.
A guest room wasn’t an appropriate name for a suite with an en-suite bathroom, but that wasn’t Sasha’s main concern at that moment. Questions were accumulating way too fast to remain unanswered. Through Deva, she’d learned that Sam had brought Jamieson Finch to his knees, almost killing him, but the man had disappeared once more. No wonder Lazarus had been working non-stop to unearth that scum. Sasha had seen firsthand the damage Finch had done, the trail of blood he’d left. Most of all, it was the damage he’d done to his children and their mothers that was abominable. No wonder the eldest of all the brothers would never stop until the man was dead.
Lazarus put her suitcases down by the wall before turning to her. All traces of the civility he’d shown his mother were nowhere to be seen. Up close she noticed extra worry lines around his eyes and maybe more strands of white in his dark mane and beard. But it was the tension and worry emanating from him that defused her annoyance. A little, at least.
The tension between them was so thick it could be sliced with a knife. Sasha braced for the reproach she expected from him. Reprimands over her taking risks to protect her cousin or even his brothers, or maybe at her for leaving without a word the moment he’d recovered from his coma. From the moment they’d met, all she’d ever felt coming from him was annoyance and irritation—and the impression she was another inconvenience he had to deal with alongside all his other obligations. If not for his brothers, who supported him with incredible loyalty, as well as the way Lazarus cared so much about his family, Sasha never would’ve helped him to begin with. She had no doubt there was good in the man in there, even if it was a side she’d never had the privilege to see.
Tired and with no intention of having that type of conversation at that time of night, Sasha was about to give him a piece of her mind to end the unpleasant encounter as soon as possible. After all, wasn’t it what he’d wanted from the start? To get rid of Sasha as fast as possible.
However, her plan was thwarted when Lazarus stepped forward and plastered her against the wall with his big body. Breath fled her as she expected a show of power. Instead, his gaze softened on her face as his breath fanned her mouth. “And yet again, you’re stepping into my plan, in the middle of a dangerous situation. I swear you have a death wish, doctor. Reappearing like this? Only you have the power to flip my world upside down.”
Stunned at his words, not understanding what he was talking about, Sasha opened her mouth, a million questions about to pour out, but Lazarus took her by surprise by taking her lips in an unexpected, soul-consuming kiss, one that fried her brilliant brain but also warned that danger didn’t only come from outside the walls.
THE END
