Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
“Grace’s niece is mean,” Taggart was saying.
“She has to be, baby.” Charlotte patted his back as they walked away. “It’s the only way to survive you.”
Sadie sighed. “It actually is my fault we ran out of coffee. I was supposed to pick it up this morning, but I got caught in traffic, so I’ll make a quick run. You want anything?”
Remy Guidry put a hand on his chest. “Ms. Jennings, I would be forever in your debt if you would grab these guys some coffees. We need to get changed and then we can have an actual meeting with Dr. Gibson. Unfortunately, Charlotte likes to catch us working out. Most of the time we meet with clients in actual clothing. We try to be civilized.”
“Except for Burke,” Landon argued. “Nothing civilized about that asshole. He punched me in the face for asking about his back tattoo. What guy puts frilly angel wings on his back?”
“The type who punches hard,” Blade replied. “Made the same mistake. Damn near broke my nose. I’m hitting the showers and then we can all sit down with the doc and figure out how and where we’re going to protect her.”
“And I will juggle a whole lot of coffee,” Sadie said, her eyes grim with determination.
Remy nodded her way. “We’ll meet you in fifteen, Doc.”
They filed into the back of the gym through the door that led to the locker room.
“I’ll come down with you.” It wasn’t like she had anything better to do. She could go up and watch Nate sleep, but she didn’t want to disturb the nursery. Besides, she’d only been told to not leave the building. And she’d been wondering if Li wasn’t right. She had panicked. She’d been afraid for her baby and she’d let Alfi feed into that.
It didn’t make logical sense that a man would travel halfway around the world to enact vengeance on a woman he’d barely met, a woman who’d tried her hardest to help him. It was more likely that Liam was correct. The “boss” had panicked and tried to threaten her in order to make her work harder to save the man he’d probably shot himself.
Sadie gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks. They all want those super tall cups and when I have two trays, it’s hard to hit the elevator buttons. The last time I tried it myself I got caught in the insurance firm on three’s rush. They get out at a quarter to five, and let me tell you, I’ve never once seen an office empty that fast. They sprint out of here.”
Maybe it would be okay to stay at Li and Avery’s. She followed Sadie to the elevator, enjoying the easy chatter. She liked the people she’d met. Sadie talked about growing up in Waco and all the friends she had there. She’d gone to college and still kept up with her hometown people.
Steph hadn’t talked to anyone from her quiet, upstate New York town in years and years. Not because they hadn’t tried to reach out, but because it hurt too much. It hurt to watch them move on with their lives when she was stuck. Not career wise. Avery had taken care of that, but emotionally she hadn’t truly moved on.
“A lot of my friends have moved into the military,” Sadie was saying as they approached the small coffee cart. The smell of fresh ground coffee permeated the air even this late in the day. “Some of them are at Fort Hood. I’m kind of surrounded by military men, which is how I know I can’t show Uncle Ian any fear. You have to be firm with the man and not put up with his shenanigans. Although it really does help if you have something tart to shove in his face.”
Would she be around long enough to use that bit of information? “I’ll keep that in mind.”
She heard Sadie ordering from the barista, but her mind was on the talk with Avery the night before. Was it time to put down roots? Time to try to build something stable? Her clinic moved often. She went where she was needed, and sometimes she got kicked out by various officials who didn’t like her helping the poor. It happened far too often. In the seven years she’d had her clinic, she’d moved six times. What kind of existence was that for Nate?
He would probably be an only child. If she moved here, he would have a group of kids to belong to. They might not be blood, but that didn’t seem to matter to these people.
She could start a practice here. The poor didn’t only exist in Third World countries. There was plenty of need right here in the States, especially in big cities with large pockets of uninsured and homeless people.