The way he says my almost costs him his life, and were it not for Mariah, I would’ve shot the prick. Her hand grabs mine, entwining our fingers, and the harsh squeeze she gives them settles me—calms me down enough to not open fire inside the public building.
“Come on,” she sighs, rolling her eyes and I’m tempted to bite the brat. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Fine.”
“Good.” Pains walks toward the two doors with the keycard access needed and waves the plastic square in front of the reader. They open and we walk through, following the prick to an empty room near the back of a long hall where he points to the bed. “Sit and breathe. You know the drill.”
I cut my eyes to him; eyes narrowed. “Say it politely or I’ll—”
“Ms. Asher, can you please sit down and extend your palm facing up over the tabletop?”
“Thank you, Sam.” Now she calls him Sam, too. This woman is pushing my buttons. All of them. “Anything else you need me to do?”
“Muñeca,” I warn, this is past the realm of what I can take. “Quit it.”
“Quit what?” She bats her lashes and looks at me with that wide and innocent look that stirs something within. The kind that makes me want to drop to my knees and worship at her altar. “You brought me here. Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“I’m—”
“Close your eyes and breathe,” the doctor interrupts and Mariah’s bottom lip trembles. She does as he asks, but the sudden jitters make me feel like shit all over again.
I’m going from jealousy to anger to guilt all within the span of a few minutes; she’s going to drive me insane. Certifiable.
A lone tear falls and that’s it. That’s my limit.
“Touch her and I shoot.” Fuck it, I use her line. “We’re out, babe. Grab your things.”
“But, Javi—”
“No but, Mariah. I will not sit here and let you be miserable.” Cupping her face with one hand, I wipe her tear with my thumb. “This is unacceptable.”
“It is.” Another tear falls from her eye and my chest constricts. God, what is she doing to me? “But you know what’s even more messed up?”
“No,” I whisper, afraid to further upset her.
“It’s messing with my desk, you jerk. Don’t. Touch. My. Stuff.”
“What did you just say?” The doctor is laughing beside us while her eyes are alight with mischievous amusement. “Muñeca, I’m—”
“What my cousin is trying to say,” Samuel interrupts me once again and I’m close to snapping his neck. I’m trying to compute, but coming up short past the tears and threat over her desk and—”
“Your desk.”
“Si.”
“This is over your desk?”
“Once again…si.”
“And he’s your cousin?”
Mariah tries to smirk, but it comes out as a squishy grin when I squeeze her jaw. Not hard, but enough to create a kind-of-cute ducky face. “He is.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“No.” Turning her face with my hand still holding her jaw, she waves at Samuel. “Meet Dr. Samuel Pains. He’s my mother’s late sister’s son.”
“I’m going to kill you.”
“Not really.”
I turn her attention back to me and laugh. The chuckle is a bit dark. A little sinister, and when she raises a brow in challenge, I let go and step back. “Run.”
“What?” A shiver rushes through her. My threat excites her.
“Run, Muñeca. Because I plan to do more than bite.”
The End.