“And I still don’t care.”
Joe chuckles, his eyes trained on me. “She’s a first-year resident with close to zero experience, Roman. The only reason she’s still here is because she’s smoking hot.”
Without hesitation, I pull my gun out and aim it squarely at Joe. “Would you to just get the fuck to work? You’re on my last nerve.”
“Okay, okay.” Joe chuckles, not phased in the slightest. “Let’s go, Dante. I think we’ve had enough gunshot wounds for one day.”
“Maybe,” Dante snickers. “But at least now Roman has a naughty nurse to fix us if he ever does actually shoot.”
“Now!” I bellow, raking my fingers through my hair. Dante and Joe are my best friends, closer to me than my own brother, but I’m not in any mood to joke around. The possibility of losing Ty today was too much, and my nerves are absolutely fried.
Ty wrestles in the other room, and I go to him, Dante and Joe following close behind.
“Hey bud.” I smile. The dark leather creaks as I sit next to him. He already looks better after a little rest and some meds.
“How are you feeling, munchkin?” Joe ruffles Ty’s hair.
“Hungry.” Ty beams, loving all the attention. He seems so much better, and maybe I’ll talk to Maddie about taking out the IV when she comes down.Ifshe comes down.
“That’s my guy.” Joe laughs. “I’ll bring Sarah by to see you tomorrow. Think you might be up for that?”
After Talia died, Joe’s wife became my default babysitter. I don’t like to leave him very often, but when I absolutely have to, she’s about the only person I trust. Plus, Ty adores her and they’ve gotten pretty close over the last few months.
“Good deal.” Joe grins and then turns to me. “I’ll be at the office for the next few hours, but call me if you need anything. Do you want me to have Sarah bring something over for dinner?”
“No, we’ll be fine. Thanks, though. Let me know if you hear from Howes.”
“You’ll be my first call.” Joe raises his hand to his forehead in a sarcastic salute, and the two leave.
“How does a hamburger sound?” I asked Ty.
“And fries?” He raises an eyebrow at me. At six, the kid is already a negotiator and I don’t know if I should be proud or scared.
“I think I can manage that. Why don’t you lay back down and I’ll go make us some?”
“Deal.” Ty snuggles back into the couch and I pull the blanket over him.
I don’t have a lot in my cooking arsenal, but burgers are my specialty. The last time I made them though was for Talia’s birthday. Both of our families came over, and despite her and I having a gruesome fight earlier in the day about getting Ty away from the Mafia, we put on brave faces for the party. The memory stings worse tonight than ever before.
I don’t want to think about it anymore today, so I try to distract myself while I cook. The problem is, the only thing that works is thinking about Madison, and that gets me just as riled up, but for an entirely different reason.
What the hell is taking so long? Any normal person would have jumped at the chance I handed her, but she’s made me wait all afternoon. I should go up there and demand an answer from her, but before I get the chance, I hear something behind me.
“Ahem.” She clears her throat, a flicker of apprehension in her eyes.
“Hey.”
“I’ve thought about it, and I’ll take your deal.” Her shoulders slump a bit this evening, and she isn’t glaring at me quite as viciously as she was earlier. The air isn’t friendly, but it isn’t all out combative, so I consider that progress. We’ve got some work to do if we’re going to have a relationship—professional or otherwise.
“Great,” I say all too quickly.
“But I’ve got some conditions.”
I rub my chin, trying to pinpoint when exactly I let her think that this was a negotiation. Compromise isn’t really in my nature, but I want her to take the job.
“Which are?”
“My work at the hospital has to come first. I’ve worked too hard to slack on it now. I knowemergenciesusually come up without warning, but that has to be my priority.”
