Page 21 of Reckless Seduction
Over my dead body.
I push up from the bed, ready to go after them, but a hand on my shoulder stops me.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The doctor raises her eyebrow at me expectantly. “I’ve got orders to sedate you if I have to, and I really, really, don’t want to have to do that.”
“You know they kidnapped me, right?” I sneer at her. She shrugs nonchalantly, as if this is an everyday occurrence.
“I’m paid to make sure there is nothing wrong with you,” she admits candidly as she pulls a white gown from her bag. “I don’t care much beyond that.” She holds out the gown for me to take. I eye it warily. “We can either do this the easy way and get it over with nice and quickly, or I can call in one of the guards out there and sedate your ass. Mind you, he’ll also have to help maneuver you into all sorts of positions that could expose you and?—”
“Fuck.” I rip the gown from her hand and stomp to the bathroom. “I’ll fucking do it.”
She beams at me. “What a good choice.”
A few moments later, I exit the bathroom in the white gown that opens at the front instead of the back. I draw it tightly overmy chest, uncomfortable with how vulnerable the small piece of fabric makes me.
“Take a seat on the edge of the bed,” the doctor instructs with a smile, her voice gentler than it was before. “We’ll start with the less invasive stuff first.”
Less invasive?What the fuck is she planning on doing to me? She must sense my hesitation, because her look grows serious again as I perch myself on the edge of the mattress.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Bailey,” she assures me as she wraps a blood pressure cuff around my upper arm. Not that her assurance means much. It is said that lions will purr right before they strike their prey. “I’m just making sure that everything is in tip-top shape.”
I snort. “Everything is fine.” I wince uncomfortably as the cuff tightens against my arm. “I don’t need you to tell me that. I have my own doctor.”
“Yes.” The woman smirks. “Julia is such a great doctor. She faxed over all of your records for me. Such a sweet woman.”
Who the hell are these people?
Shit, I am going to need to find a new doctor.
“Sure.” I breathe a sigh of relief when the cuff deflates. “If you like backstabbing doctors who violate privacy laws. Then again, your work for the mob, so…” I let the sentence trail off.
Bitch has the nerve to laugh as if I said something funny.
“Well, I can be quite persuasive when I need to be.” She removes the cuff from my arm. “Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, but that’s normal given the situation.”
The side-eye I shoot her is worthy of an award. “No? You think?” I mock sarcastically. “I’m kind of curious how many blood pressures you’ve taken of women who’ve been kidnapped by two low-life mobsters to just easily brush it away.”
The amused look on her face vanishes, a dark scowl forming.
“I know you’re not in the best predicament right now,” she snaps. “But you should feel lucky to be alive. Anyone else, and you’d be nothing more than a pretty face with a bullet in her forehead, lying in a gutter somewhere. You should be grateful thesemobstersspared you. I’ve never seen Kiernan Kavanaugh have that kind of mercy on anyone.”
Did she say Kavanaugh?
I’m a fucking idiot. A fool. A dead, dead duck.
There is no doubt in my drunk little mind that the twins worked for the Kavanaugh family, but I didn’t think theywerethe Kavanaughs.
“You had no idea.” The doctor chuckles lightly as she places her stethoscope on my chest. “I honestly expected better from someone who received a Pulitzer Prize for her investigative journalism.”
My nose scrunches in distaste. “I was a little preoccupied,” I mumble petulantly. And a little drunk. Shit, I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together. Liam Kavanaugh’s heirs aren’t well known, to be honest. They are hardly ever mentioned in any kind of investigation, and they’ve been photographed less than a handful of times in society pages.
“Can’t blame you, though,” she shrugs as she moves her stethoscope to my back and asks me to take a deep breath. “Most people aren’t aware Liam even has twin heirs. Most of the time, they’re only photographed separately.”
“For a good reason, no doubt.” I can’t help but comment. The doctor hums but confirms nothing as she goes through the rest of her examination.
“Any tenderness when I press on the side of your head?” I wince when her hand palpates a particularly sore spot on the back of my head where Seamus no doubt popped me with the butt of his gun. “I’ll take that as a yes. Any double vision?” I shake my head. “Nausea?” Another shake. “Dizzinessor anything like that?” Nope and nope. “That’s good. Shouldn’t need a CT, but if you develop any of those symptoms, let me know, and I will order one for you.”
“Thanks.” Jesus, what the fuck am I thanking her for?
