Page 18 of The Bad Man
“Are you sure you’re okay? If you want to write him up?—”
“I don’t,” I say, cutting Olivia off.
“Okay.” Olivia seems relieved, too. “He’s been here so long. You’re probably his first kiss.”
“I think he means well.” That’s a lie. Jamison means to do very bad things to me. All of which I want. “I should get back to work.” I grab a stack of linens, which is what I came in here for to begin with.
It’s not until I’m alone that it hits me. Did Jamison say he loved me?
God knows I sure as hell love him. Now I just have to figure out how we can be together. But something tells me Jamison has a plan. He’s always one step ahead.
Chapter Fourteen
JAMISON
I wait in the hallway for Olivia to exit the linen closet, and that’s when I make my move. “Thank you for not telling on me,” I say, and she jerks around to see me following her.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t see anything.” She’s pretending she didn’t catch us, and I appreciate that. She’s always been one of the nicer nurses.
“You have no idea what it’s like,” I say and that causes her steps to falter. “Being locked in here since I was practically a child.”
“You were a child.” She says it like she’s talking to herself, but I know she’s watched me the last ten years. “Anyway, I can understand that you’ve missed out on things.” She shrugs. “Truly I’m just happy to see you care. It felt like you didn’t for a long time.”
“I know.” I try to use my most solemn voice. “I appreciate what you did for me today. But I was wondering if there was something else you could help me with.”
“Jamison, you know that anything you do with Nurse Mia is?—”
“It’s not about her,” I plead, and she cocks her head to the side.
“Why don’t you tell me what you need help with and then I’ll decide.”
My mother used to tell me my smile could charm a nun out of her robes, so I do my best to turn it on now. “I’d like to make a phone call.”
A little while later, I’m sitting in my room when Alton steps through the door. “Dr. Crane would like to see you.”
“Tell him I’m busy.” I turn the page of the book Mia gave me, and I hear Alton sigh.
“You know how this is going to end.”
“But if I come willingly, he might begin to suspect that I like it.”
Alton comes into the room, and I see the restraints in his hand. I know that I have to go with him, and he’ll use any means necessary.
“Dr. Crane’s henchman until the bitter end, eh?” He narrows his eyes on me, but I close my book and place it on the bed next to me before I stand. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”
Once we’re out in the hallway, I turn to walk by the nurses’ station. Olivia is still here even though her shift ended a while ago. Mia is talking to her in a low voice, and when she sees me, her eyes widen.
“Where are you going?” she asks me, and when I don’t answer, she turns to Alton.
“Dr. Crane is going to do a therapy session with his patient,” Alton says cooly. “I’ve been asked to retrieve him.”
Mia’s eyes narrow, and I know she’s guessed exactly where he’s taking me. “Why don’t I escort the patient to Dr. Crane’s office?” she offers. “I need to ask him a few questions about the new patient.”
“I believe she’s being seen by Dr. Rourk. You’ll be able to find him in his office,” Alton says dismissively.
When Mia opens her mouth to argue, I shake my head ever so slightly, and she stops. Alton grabs my upper arm, and before she can make another protest, he pulls me in the direction of the basement.
When we get to the room of pain, Alton pulls open the door, and I see Dr. Crane rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.