“How could she do this?”
“She might not have hacked the system herself, but she knows several people at the Board of Regents and State Education Department. They’re who oversee midwives. We usually don’t have direct oversight but rather are independent practitioners who work for a hospital or private practice. But we still have to have our license, and now I don’t.”
“Does it say what kind of misconduct?”
“It claims ‘failure to report and treat’ as the grounds. It doesn’t give specifics about an event, but it states I didn’t give adequate care to a high-risk pregnancy which resulted in miscarriage at twenty weeks. That’s when a pregnancy is generally deemed viable.”
“Did you search for any alleged malpractice suits?”
“Yes. Nothing came up, but I hoped you could check. I figured you can probably get into shit I can’t since you’re admitted to the bar here.”
I pull up a couple of sites and do some searches. Fortunately, nothing comes up.
“It looks like she settled for this.”
“Fucking cunt. I always disliked her, but I made nice for Drew’s sake. Now that I look back on it, she probably resented me for my bratva connections. She asked about Laura a few times when Drew and I first got together, but he changed the subject each time. She tried when we were alone, but I mentioned it in passing. He got quiet, then she never asked again. Reflecting upon that, I think she hoped to find something to leverage.”
“I’ll have Joaquin sort this out. He’ll get it reinstated by morning.”
She shakes her head as she stares at the computer then looks up at me.
“That’s not enough. She won’t stop. They might have named Drew’s successor already, but she’ll still be eyeballs deep in their shit. She’ll prod whoever’s the new boss until they give in. She controls the books, according to Elle. If that’s the case, she’ll make life financially difficult for anyone who gets in her way. She’s a fucking battleax. I saw how she treated Drew’s dad. Talk about pussy whipped. Drew usually ignored and avoided her, so I didn’t have to spend time with her often. When I did, she fucking nagged Drew’s dad like it was her fucking full-time job.”
“We have things in the works,chiquita. They’ll all know you’re untouchable now.”
“It’s not like I don’t take everything else personally. But this strikes deeper. I gave up my career because it was my choice. I knew I wouldn’t practice under an assumed name. I accepted that. This is about her revenge for her son, for me dating her son, and for me escaping her son. You won’t strike her, but I will.”
“Stay out of it, Maddy.”
She practically bares her teeth at me when she crosses her arms and lifts her chin. She hasn’t been defiant since we reconnected. She’s digging her heels in now.
“I won’t tell you not to be pissed or want revenge, but if you get involved, I will punish you.”
“Fine.”
She’s not backing down. She’s telling me she’ll take whatever I dole out.
I rise and push in the desk chair. I prowl around the desk until I’m standing in front of her. She’s unprepared for how fast I move. I spin her and press her to lean over the desk. She’s wearing a dress she ordered a couple days ago since she packed light when she ran away. My brothers went back up to inspect the estate. The surveillance was down, but there was next to no damage besides losing the garage. They brought back her bag that she left up there. Even with that, she didn’t have a full wardrobe.
I flip the dress up and find her without panties. I crack my hand down, landing it across most of both cheeks. I spank her four more times in rapid succession.
“This is a warning. It’s a hint of what I’ll do if you involve yourself, Maddy. Stay out of it.”
“It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.”
The next swat is far harder than I intended, and I fear I went too far. But her comment infuriates me.
“You sorely underestimate my creativity, little one. I told you my forgiveness is unconditional, and it always will be. But that doesn’t mean I’ll forego punishing you. I’m warning you, Maddy, stay out of this. If you endanger yourself recklessly or purposely, you will find yourself under house arrest. I will lock you in this penthouse until I can trust you again. There is nothing I won’t do to protect you, so don’t push me into something neither of us will enjoy. That might break us, but I’ll do it to keep you safe.”
She freezes at my last comment before looking back at me. “You’d break up with me?”
“That’s not what I said. It’s more likely you’d leave me if I tried to imprison you. But I will if I can’t trust you not to do something that’ll put you at risk.”
“Then help me.”
I run my hand over her pinkened ass before taking her hand to guide her away from the desk. I know I’ll regret asking.
“What do you want to do?”
