The Naughty One

by Michelle Love

  Only at work could she focus on what she was doing. She and Blue were even more in tune in the operating theater, and even their recent marriage hadn’t affected her relationship with her colleagues—much to her relief.

  Mac was the only other resident who knew everything. Romy found she was leaning on him more and more, someone outside their family, a friend, a sounding post. She had told him —then told him to forget it.

  “Everything I talk about now seems to be about Dacre,” she said, with a sad smile. “Promise me that when we talk, we’ll bust each other’s chops or just talk about work, or our love lives—rather, your love life.”

  Mac smiled, his smile splitting his handsome face and lighting it up. “You got it, gorgeous.”

  And he kept his word, joking with her, relieving some of that stress. Romy had never been so grateful to someone as she was to Mac.

  Magda, back from her honeymoon, was stressed out and hyper when Romy went over to her house to visit. After Magda had hugged her for way too long, Romy escaped her mother’s arms and rolled her eyes. “Mom, I’m fine. It’s Arti and Dan you should be worried about.”

  “Oh, I am,” Magda said, grim-faced, “but Dacre’s not trying to kill them, is he?” She sighed and covered her face and, to her distress, Romy saw her mother was crying. She went to her.

  “Mom, I have protection coming out of my ears. Look at the two hulking guys I had to bring with me to come visit. Dacre’s not going to get to me unless I let him.”

  Magda dropped her hands and glared at her daughter. “What does that mean? Unless you let him?”

  Romy silently cursed herself for the slip. “Just a figure of speech, Mom, chill out.”

  Magda sighed, her usually youthful face seeming older.

  “When you were in the hospital last year,” Magda said, “I sat with you, and in my head, I was making up ways I could kill Dacre Mortimer. Some pretty hardcore things.”

  Romy half-smiled. “You and me both, Mom.”

  Magda nodded, hesitated, then fixed Romy with a steady look. “Could you? Could you do it? Kill him?”

  Romy, grim-faced nodded. “I wouldn’t even hesitate.”

  Magda nodded. “Good. God, Romy, I hate that I couldn’t protect you then and can’t protect you now.”

  “What are you talking about? You gave me and Arti and Junebug the best childhood ever. Ever, Mom. The love in this house, that was all down to you. That we’ve all followed out dreams, that’s all because of you. You are my superhero, Mom.”

  Magda was openly crying now and Romy wrapped her arms around her mother. “Mom, we will get through this.”

  Magda nodded. She looked at Romy. “Darling, there’s something I have to tell you.”

  Romy, trying to lighten the mood, smiled at her. “Did Stuart knock you up?” She regretted the joke immediately when she saw her mother wince. “God, Mom, what is it?”

  “Darling, come sit down. This isn’t going to be easy.”

  Later that night, Blue came home to find Romy sitting in the dark. He knew at once that something had happened and he sat down beside her. “What is it?”

  Romy looked at him and the sorrow in her eyes was bottomless and searing. “Octavia was my sister. The police told Artemis and Dad that she matched Mom’s DNA. Mom told me that twenty years ago she donated her eggs after she’d had Juno. She knew she was done, so she and Dad had eggs fertilized and donated. That’s why Tavia looked just like me. We were sisters.”

  “God, no.” Blue felt the shock reverberating through his body. Romy looked at him, eerily calm.

  “This ends now, Blue. No more. If it kills me, Dacre Mortimer is going down.”

  Blue looked at his wife unhappily. “This won’t end well, Romy.”

  “I know, baby, but we will prevail. We will be ready.”

  Romy had no idea how soon she would have to put her theory into practice.

  Chapter 23

  Beau wasn’t happy, but eventually he agreed to Romy’s request that her protection at the hospital be removed. “At least the visible protection,” Blue amended, with a glance at his wife. “Romy’s determined to draw him out.”

  “He knows I’m in Seattle; he knows I work here.” Romy looked at Blue. “Blue’s arranged for a journalist to interview me about the murders. I’m going to goad him in the press so that he has no option but to come after me.”

  Beau exchanged a look with Blue and Romy sighed. “Fellas, it’s up to me. I’m the one he wants, and I won’t let anyone dictate my life.”

  Later, she was working in the resident’s lounge when Warren, the friendly orderly, knocked on the door. “Hey, Dr. Sasse, can I run something past you?”

  Romy smiled at him. “Go for it.”

  Warren came in and sat down. “Staff’s been talking. About what’s going on with you and this jerk ex of yours.”

  Romy felt a little awkward. “People are talking.”

  “Yeah … sorry if that’s inappropriate, but we look after our own around here.”

  Romy smiled at him. “That’s sweet, but I think we got it handled.”

  “I’m just saying … I’m around. You ever feel threatened, I got your back.”

  Romy was moved. “Warren, you’re the best, but I think I got this. I can be pretty badass.”

  Warren laughed. “I have no doubt. Well, I said what I wanted to, so …”

  “Thanks, Warren. I do appreciate it.”

  After the orderly had gone, Romy felt strange, like somehow her friends and colleagues were looking at her as if she were a victim. God, that was the last thing she needed. Her stomach roiled and she pushed away from the table and got up, determined to stop feeling sorry for herself.

  The hospital was quiet now as the day ended and Romy checked the surgical schedule, seeing that Blue was still operating on an elderly woman with appendicitis. She checked on all of their post-surgical patients and set out about updating the medical records.

  She’d just glanced at the clock and seen it was nearly two a.m., when she heard the first shot. Freezing, for a moment she wondered if it was a car backfiring in the lot, then when she heard the screams starting Romy began to run towards the sound of the shooting, joined quickly by other staff and the hospital’s security team.

  More gunfire and security stopped the medical staff. “Shooting’s coming from the OR floor.”

  Romy’s heart nearly failed and she darted forward only to be stopped by one of the security guards. “Sorry, Doc, we can’t let you go down there.”

  “But Blue is there,” Rom said, her voice rising as the panic set in.

  Mac grabbed her upper arm. “Romy, come on. We need to take care of our patients. Let the security team do their job.”

  “Hospital is on lockdown,” the security chief was telling them all, “go back to where you were and secure your patients as best you can.”

  Mac dragged Romy back to the post-surgical patients. Some of them were awake now, wondering what was going on. Romy tried to reassure them but when the gunfire came closer, there was a palpable sense of panic.

  “Let’s get the patients who can’t walk and can’t hide into secure rooms,” Mac said and Romy nodded, her stomach roiling with panic. She grabbed her cell phone and texted Blue.

  Are you safe?

  There was no answer. When she saw the head of security again, she grabbed him. “What’s going on?”

  “Shooter.” He looked at her as if she was stupid and Romy rolled her eyes.

  “I know that … where is he or she? Is anyone hurt?”

  “I don’t know, Doc. It’s a developing situation.”

  He moved away before she had a chance to ask any more questions and she hissed in frustration. She tried to call Blue, but knowing he switched off his cell phone when he was in surgery, prayed that was the reason he wasn’t answering.

  Please, please, be okay.

  God, how much more horror would they have to put up with? Romy did her job, helped patients, made sure t
he floor was secure, but she couldn’t help wondering how the hell a man with a gun got into the hospital. Was it because Beau had reduced the security at her request?

  Don’t be stupid—this has nothing to do with you.

  But her instincts were telling her otherwise. Romy felt her composure slip, and she darted into an empty room and dragged some deep breaths into her lungs. He’s fine, he’s okay.

  There was a soft knock on the door. “Yes?”

  Warren opened the door and gave her a hesitant smile. “You okay, Doc?”

  She shook her head. “No. There’s a shooter down on the OR floor and Blue is there. No, I’m not okay, Warren. They won’t let me go to him.”

  He stared at her for a long moment, then said, “I can get you down there.”

  Romy’s eyes widened. “You can?”

  Warren nodded, his eyes watchful as he gazed at her. “I can. Come with me.”

  Romy didn’t even think twice, such was her need to get to Blue. She followed Warren into the far end of the floor, raising her eyebrows as he opened the fire escape.

  “No alarm.”

  “No, they shut the power down on the doors to contain the shooter, which knocked out the alarms. But this door has always been tricky.”

  She followed him down two flights of stairs then as he passed the OR floor, she faltered. “Warren?”

  He turned and grabbed her hand, pulling her after him. “We have to go down to go up, Rome.”

  It took a second to process what he’d called her and a wave of utter horror swept over her. “What did you call me?”

  Warren’s hand tightened on her wrist as he turned back towards her. “Miss me, Rome?”

  It couldn’t be … Romy stared at the big man in horror, and began to see it. Dacre had completely changed his body type; his hair was gone; the thick beard; the piercings … but yes, it was her ex-husband.

  “How did I not see it?” she said out loud and as Dacre pulled her into his grip, he laughed.

  “Because you didn’t want to. You’ve only had eyes for the Italian, haven’t you, whore? His hands all over you?”

  He was dragging her down the stairs, her petite body no match for his strength. “They’ll find your body in the basement, Rome, gutted, bled out. Of course, by that time I’ll be long gone. They’ll still be looking for whoever is shooting up the hospital.”

  “Motherfucker, that was you? Killing more innocent people?”

  “Dumb bitch, there is no shooter. The dumb security team is going through the hospital trying to find someone who isn’t there. I set it up so someone would fire blanks nearby and panic everybody.”

  Confused by his certainty, Romy was trying desperately to put her hand in her pocket. She had a hypodermic needle in there—if she could just reach it, she could use it as a weapon … her fingers closed around it and with all her might, she gripped it in her fist and plunged it backwards, aiming for Dacre’s face. She felt resistance then, as Dacre howled and released her, she knew she’d hit her mark. Dacre jerked back, the needle piercing his left eye. “Fucking bitch!”

  Romy didn’t wait around. He was blocking the way upwards, so she went down, practically flying down the staircase. In her pocket, her cell phone began to buzz. Blue.

  “Baby, where are you? The freakiest thing, there’s some kind of …”

  “Blue! It’s Dacre … he’s here, he’s after me… I’m in staircase C and I don’t know where I can get away from him.”

  “God, baby, go down as far as you can, to the basement, you can get to the foyer. From there I …”

  There was a scuffling noise and she heard Blue cry out in anger and pain and Romy screamed. “Blue!”

  “Romy ...” And then the phone went dead. What the hell was going on? Behind her, she heard Dacre crashing down the stairs after her. What the hell had happened to Blue?

  She pushed her way into the basement of the hospital, a vast labyrinth of pipes and dank corridors. Romy ran as fast as she could, towards what she thought was the front of the hospital. Dacre was almost on her as she flung the door open and ran out into the foyer of the hospital.

  Dacre grabbed her and they both tumbled to the floor, Romy struggling with his vast weight on top of her. Even a glimpse at the blade of the knife he pulled out made her mad rather than scared and she kicked and bit and clawed at him as he tried to subdue her.

  “No,” she screamed at him, “You don’t get to win this time, Dacre. Never again.”

  He laughed at her, cuffing her viciously around the face. “Give it up, bitch; it was always going to end this way.”

  He was winning, his sheer physical size overpowering her. He bounced Romy’s head off the cold hard floor and as she reeled, he pinned her. His mouth ground down on hers, his tongue penetrating her mouth. Romy bit down on it as hard as she could, tasting blood, and Dacre roared in pain and anger.

  He drew back his arm, ready to stab her, but then everything stopped. Dacre’s eyes widened suddenly as blood began to pour from his chest. Romy whimpered as he fell forward onto her, then kicked him off of her, her eyes whirling wildly around the room.

  Behind them, Gaius Eames lowered the gun he was holding. Romy hadn’t even heard the shot.

  “Gaius!”

  He came to her immediately, helping her to her feet, his expression incredulous. “Are you all right? Are you hurt? Who the fuck was that?”

  Romy leaned against him, relieved to find a friendly face even if it was Gaius. “My ex-husband. And no, I’m not hurt.”

  “Good.” He pressed his lips to her temple, wrapping his arm around her, and Romy felt comforted.

  “Blue. I have to get to Blue.”

  Gaius nodded and tucked his gun in his pants. Romy blinked. “Gaius, why do you have a gun?”

  “I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon,” he said, shrugging. He nodded at Dacre’s body. “Thankfully.”

  “Amen to that, but you might want to be careful. He set it up so it sounded like someone was shooting up the place, and if security sees you with a weapon …”

  Gaius nodded. “Yeah, let’s get out of here. Find Blue and get out.”

  They made their way carefully to the OR floor. It was dark, silent, and Romy felt a coldness settle over her. She could smell cordite in the air. OR3. That was where Blue had been operating. She led Gaius towards it, the smell of gunsmoke stronger.

  Romy pushed her way into the scrub room and looked through the window. The OR was a mess, blood, instruments, drapes everywhere. She pushed into the room—and saw him.

  He was covered in blood and Romy screamed, dropping to her knees by his side. “Blue?”

  He opened his eyes, the bright green stark against the blood on his face. He smiled. “You’re here.”

  “Are you shot?” Romy was running her hands over his body, trying to find wounds. Blue shook his head.

  “No, he only hit me. God, Romy, I never knew. I never knew he hated me that much.”

  Ice flooded through her veins. “Dacre didn’t even know you, Blue; he just wanted you out of the way.”

  Blue looked confused. “No, not Dacre, Romy …” He trailed off as he looked behind her and his face went pale. “Romy …”

  Romy whirled around to find Gaius, smiling at them both, and aiming the gun at Blue. “No, Romy, Dacre didn’t know much about Blue. He wanted to kill you, beautiful, and I offered to help—as long as Blue was made to witness your murder. Then, well, Dacre became a loose end. After we killed your … what was she … sister? Octavia, anyhow, and her friends, I knew I wanted to do you myself, but Dacre wouldn’t hear of it. So he had to go.”

  Romy was staring at him aghast, then with a scream, she threw herself at Gaius. He had anticipated it and easily threw her off, but not before Blue had a chance to scramble to his feet and go after his half-brother.

  “You bastard! Figlia di puttana!”

  Gaius was a big man but nothing to Blue’s strength. The two men crashed to the floor and Romy cast around
desperately for something to help Blue. She grabbed a scalpel and leapt at Gaius, slashing at him. She caught his arm and he yelled as Blue landed a punch so hard that Gaius fell backward. As he scrambled away from them, he pulled out his gun.

  Blue stopped as Gaius aimed it at him. “Gaius, don’t be stupid. Killing me won’t help you. This place is crawling with cops. They’ll cut you down in an instant.”

  Gaius stared at him as Blue and Romy, holding their breaths, stood still. Then Gaius’s mouth hitched up in a smile. “You’re right.” And he swung his arm and shot Romy.

  The bullet smashed into her belly and she dropped as Blue, half-crazed with grief, went for Gaius. Gaius was too quick for him, putting the gun to his own temple. “You fucked my mom,” he said, sounding like a child.

  Blue shook his head. “She raped me, Gaius.”

  “No.”

  Blue, seeing the half-crazed expression in Gaius’ eyes, but desperate to get to Romy, crouched next to his half-brother. “Don’t do it, Gaius. Your mom is a bad person, but she loves you.”

  Gaius half-smiled. “She’s nothing anymore. I strangled her to death the day after I found out she fucked you. They’ve probably found her body by now.”

  Blue was horrified. “Jesus, Gaius.”

  Gaius was staring at Romy now, who was clutching at her bleeding stomach, but calmly, deeply breathing, watching the scene play. “She’s lovely, Blue. So lovely. I’m glad I got to kill her before I died.” And he put the gun in his own mouth and pulled the trigger.

  Blue didn’t hesitate. He went to Romy and gathered her into his arms. Romy stared up at him, still unnaturally calm. “Blue,” she said in a steady voice, “Blue … save our baby. Please, save our little one. I love you so much.” Her eyes closed and she passed out.

  Shell-shocked, Blue swept her out of the room and into an unused OR. Keeping his hand pressed to the bullet wound, he grabbed his phone. “Beau, the shooter is dead. But Romy’s been shot. I need a team in OR2 right now. Please, help me save my girl … and our child. Please …” His voice shook, but he knew that to lose control now was to sentence Romy to death. “Please, Beau … I need you right now …”