Page 42 of Shades of Loyalty
And I‘m guessing it‘s all thanks to Daniel. I could never relax in this situation if it wasn‘t for him. For the way he treats me, the way he speaks to me— the way he speaks to my daughter.
The thought of escaping no longer lingers in my mind. Instead, it’s the realization that… I nevertrulyconsidered escaping his world in the first place. It was alwayswe‘ll see.I‘ll try to talk to him later. I‘ll see how Mary gets along with Daniel‘s nephew. All of that. But neverI want to leave.
And I don’t know who or what to blame. My sexual needs that have gone unmet for years? The weight lifted off my shoulders, knowing I no longer have to raise my daughter alone and work endless hours just to survive?
Or is it him?
Daniel Caruso. The man who looks too good for his own good, with a softness for me and Mary that’s been there since day one.
I‘ve had the answer to my question all along. It was him. I couldn‘t blame him for what happened that morning, even if I‘d try to. Because I know none of this is his fault.
He was just trying to protect his family, just like I tried to protect mine.
Chapter Nineteen
Jennifer
Although I know exactly how Daniel would react to this situation, I force a polite smile at the man who’s given me an inexplicable sense of dread since the moment I met him. Julian. I don‘t know him, I truly don‘t. And yet, he only has to look at me for a second and I feel a wave of anxiety wash over me
It‘s so different from the feeling I get when I look at Daniel. Julian strolls into the room, his suit sharp but his smile sharper, as if he owns the place. Everyone here knows who truly does. His swagger reeks of arrogance, and his eyes gleam with a calculating amusement that makes my stomach churn. Not in a good way, I‘d like to add.
“Nurse, I need some help here,” he says casually, sitting down on the narrow hospital bed, despite my comment to not sit down yet, as it‘s not sanitized yet.
This asshole won‘t even let me do my job right. Thank God Daniel wouldn‘t fire me. If this would‘ve happened at the hospital and my boss would‘ve noticed, I‘d get fired before I could say the word but. No excuses, even if it was a shitty person who simply didn‘t listen to basic instructions.Wait a secondsuddenly turns intogo ahead. For Julian, at least.
I‘m so glad the rest of the guys who came to see me were chill, or else I might lose my shit. “Sure,” I reply, keeping my tone professional despite the unease creeping up my spine. “What happened? How can I help you?”
I’ve only met Julian twice—once when he introduced himself on my first day here, and another time when we briefly crossed paths in the hallway. But something about him sets me on edge. His presence feels like a warning sign, flashing red in my mind. Maybe it‘s because I know how Daniel feels about him. It‘s probably making me dislike him as well.
“Well,” he starts, leaning back like he has all the time in the world, “Daniel dumped another one of his shitty tasks on me, and, unfortunately, I got hurt. The guy I was meeting to hand off the drugs? Totally stoned out of his mind.” I nod, my polite mask slipping slightly as he continues.
Daniel, or actually, no one here ever tells me these kinds of details—why is Julian so eager to share them? “What exactly happened? How did the guy hurt you?” I ask, focusing on staying calm and professional. Julian chuckles, the sound grating on my nerves. “Tried to stab me. You don’t know anything, do you?” he laughs at me. Or, is he laughingaboutme?
“What do you mean?” I question, unsure of how to continue. Why can‘t he just get to the point already? “The doctor who worked here before at least knew what to do in this case. But you? Jesus. I told Daniel putting a woman in this position was a mistake, but he wouldn’t listen.” I bristle but keep my voice even. “What do you expect me to do? Did he seriously injure you? Did he stab you with a needle? Inject something in your body?”
Julian wears that typical villain smirk you’d see in a movie. “Nah, not really. Just scared the shit out of me.”
I groan, not hiding my resentment anymore. “Then why are you even here? I‘m not the one to go to if you‘re mentally unwell. You got somebody else for that, don’t you?” I ask, my patience fraying despite my best efforts. I‘m really not a rude person. But my hatred for him gets worse every second.
His stupid grin widens as if he can sense my irritation. “Maybe I just wanted some company. That a crime, sweetheart?” It really is not, but maybe in his case, it should be considered one.
Before I can respond, the door opens, and my savior walks in. Daniel. Oh, thankGod. His presence fills the room, commanding and unyielding. “Jennifer, I was—” His soft gaze hardens the instant he spots Julian. His jaw tightens, and his voice drops
“What are you doing here?” He‘s scary when he‘s mad. But in this moment, he makes me feel the safest I‘ve ever felt around him. He makes me feel protected, and that‘s all I need right now. Protection. Safety. Care.
Julian smirks at him, clearly enjoying the tension. “Getting some help. Your nurse here is very attentive.” I glance between them, unsure of how to diffuse the situation. “I was just—”
“Jennifer.” Daniel looks at me. I sigh, frustrated of everything going on. “I’ll get to you as soon as I’ve taken care of Julian, I promise.” The annoying man on my right laughs. “Yeah, Daniel. She needs to take care of me first, you know.”
Finally, I don’t bother trying to hide my true feelings towards him and scoff. He might be my patient right now, but later, I’m not even going tolookinto the direction of this asshole.
“Get out,” Daniel growls, cutting me off before I can say something I’d regret later. His tone leaves no room for argument. And besides that, I don’t think I want to make Julian my enemy. He’s scary enough as it is. Though I’d usually never let anyone disrespect me, the last thing I’dwant now is a man like him who I could count as my enemy. Absolutely not.
Julian stands, still smirking as he shakes his head, and looks down at me before leaving. “I’ll be back when I actually need something,” he says, his voice dripping with mockery. It annoys me, but I choose to stay quiet until he finally gets out of my sight. Once he is gone, the room feels smaller, the air charged with unspoken words.
“What was that?” Daniel asks, his voice low but filled with restrained anger. “What do you mean?” I counter, meeting his intense gaze. “The way you looked at him. Like you wanted to hop on his dick right in front of me.” I scoff, crossing my arms.
“Are you serious? I was doing my job, Daniel.” His eyes darken, and he steps closer, his presence overwhelming. “Your job is to treat him if he’s hurt—not flirt with him.”
