Seeing the raw agony in his eyes, hearing the quiet, broken way he speaks of her—I believe him.
Completely. Unshakably. Like a truth so absolute, it settles in my bones.
Seamus’s chest rises and falls, his breathing uneven, and for a long moment, none of us say a word. Because what could possibly be said in the face of grief so deep?
A few moments later, Sarah clears her throat. “Which is exactly why you need to protect yourself. You know the truth and if you don’t speak up, Caldwell is going to let you take the hit.”
“So, what? You want me to, what, testify against him?” Seamus exhales harshly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
I rest my chin on my hand. “It’s not about testifying against him. It’s about telling the truth and allowing me to get the best settlement for Miranda’s family.”
“You say this like it’s so easy.” He shakes his head.
“Well, it is easy,” I counter. “It’s not comfortable. I get it. You looked up to Caldwell. You wanted to believe he was the kind of man who would own his mistakes.”
Seamus lets out a bitter laugh. “Yeah. Well, so much for blind loyalty. Even though I always planned on telling my own truth, he made it clear—well before you contacted me—I needed to back him up.”
I go still. “What do you mean well before I contacted you?”
“Caldwell pulled me aside for lunch at the hospital. He wanted to make sure we were ‘aligned’ before you deposed me.” Seamus rubs his hand over his chin.
My stomach drops. Of course he did. “Did he threaten your job?”
“Not in so many words.” Seamus hesitates, then shakes his head. “I know how this game is played. If I didn’t back him up or if I made things difficult, my future in neurosurgery would be fucked. Utterly and totally fucked.”
How incredibly infuriating. “I’m not going to sugar coat it. If this goes to trial, the hospital and Caldwell will not protect you. They’ll do everything in their power to make sure you carry as much of the blame as possible.”
Sarah nods. “They’ll argue you were competent enough to know the risks and complicit in the decision-making process.”
“Jesus.” Seamus exhales.
“I’m offering you a settlement and release agreement,” I continue. “It will protect you from liability—completely. Once you sign, you’ll be out of this case. No financial risk. No career-ending consequences.”
Seamus leans back, staring up at the ceiling, the weight of the moment pressing down on him.
“You don’t have to decide right now,” Sarah adds gently. “However, I think this is your best option.”
Seamus shakes his head slowly. “Then what? I walk away?”
“No,” I say firmly. “Then you work with me.”
His brows pull together. “What?”
“Once you’re out of the case, you help me build the one against Caldwell.” I sit up straighter. “You make sure I have everything I need to go after him instead of allowing him—or the hospital—to turn it on you.”
His gaze sharpens. “Wait, you want me to work withyou?”
“Yes.”
The word leaves my lips with more force than I intend, and my heart races—a deep, pounding awareness settling low in my stomach at the thought of spending more time with him. Of sitting across from him, watching his sharp mind at work, feeling the weight of his presence pressing into the space between us.
No!
I force myself to exhale slowly, to tamp down the ridiculous heat curling through my veins. I’m in a position of power here. I can’t—won’t—let this…
Not when I’ve already woken up to dreams of him too many times, my body flushed and aching. Dreams of his hands on me. His mouth wrecking me. His voice—a deep, knowing whisper—telling me exactly how he’s going to make me fall apart for him.
Good God, my panties are instantly soaked. This is so inappropriate it’s not even funny.
