Oddly enough, it was Eddie who finally enticed them to break the silence. The Rottweiler made his way over to Genny to lay his massive head in her lap, looking up at her questioningly. Leaning down, the young woman pressed her forehead to his briefly before speaking softly.
“I’m sorry.”
Owen looked over at her immediately. “Sorry for what?”
Genny sighed, turning her apologetic hazel gaze to his. “That I didn’t believe you. You knew something was wrong and I brushed you off. It was wrong of me.”
Running a hand through his dark hair, Owen grunted. “Not your fault. I was beginning to think that I was overreacting too.” He exhaled hotly. “Genny, I want you to be careful. I know you might think I’m an overprotective ogre…but my instincts usually serve me pretty well.”
His lover nodded slowly. “I promise I will.”
“Call me when you get to work every day. And before you leave, so I can know to expect you.” Owen’s voice had taken on the authoritative tone he’d once used when men had followed his orders without question and he had led countless missions into hostile enemy territory.
Genny didn’t question him – and that in and of itself was enough to worry him. Usually, she would argue that he was impeding on her freedom, or that he was being overbearing. But, she was scared. More scared than she was willing to let on. Wordlessly, Owen pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head gently. “It’s going to be alright, Genny. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The psychiatrist clung to him, merely nodding silently against his chest.
The next day, after she went to work, Owen was going to make a trip down to the base to see Captain Ryce. The man needed to know what was going on – and about the very real danger that Genevieve was in.
**
It was Friday of that week before Genny’s anxiousness started to wane. Though she followed Owen’s instructions to call him twice everyday so he could check on her, she still felt uneasy – as if someone were watching her. After all, whoever it was had known to send the flowers to her office at Riperton, and knew that she was living with her boyfriend. She was most decidedly uncomfortable with the idea that whoever had sent her a dead animal knew both where she lived and where she worked.
What kind of monster would kidnap a child and force them to do their dirty work? Just the memory of Peter’s terrified, tear-streaked face was enough to raise her ire. The kid had been scared absolutely out of his mind. He’d probably be scarred for life.
It made her feel a bit better when Detective Miller called her on Tuesday to let her know that the child had been reunited with his parents, but she was still on edge. In response to her nervousness, the young woman threw herself into her work. The authorities assured her that someone would be on duty for suspicious people entering and leaving the building, and they would watch Owen’s house on camera until the threat had been dispersed.
The threat.
Christ, that sounded so melodramatic. Though Genny knew that she had made quite a few enemies on the path to convicting Admiral Trace and Dr. Kant, she hadn’t believed that anyone might actually want to hurt her.
Apparently, she’d been wrong.
This was all so surreal. Just when they thought they’d taken care of their troubles, a new set cropped up. Being under surveillance by the police didn’t speak particularly well to her new position, and she could only imagine what the Riperton Board thought.
She was contemplating taking lunch when a low knock came on her office door. “Come in.”
Stella poked her head in, making Genny smile. “Hey Stella, what’s up?” The redhead, however, looked less thrilled. Stepping into the office, she closed the door quickly behind her before crossing to Genny’s desk.
“Gen, I know you’re busy right now, but I just received this new patient intake form. With all that’s going on, I figured you should see it.” She set a folder before her companion, her mouth pulled downward in a frown.
Genevieve arched a brow, opening the folder at Stella’s behest. When her name fell on the information for the new patient, her eyes immediately widened.
Jonas Kant. The picture next to the name could have been Daniel twenty years earlier, and it didn’t take much more reading for Genny to discover that the twenty-five year old was, indeed, the son of the recently incarcerated doctor. She looked up at Stella in disbelief. “Jonas Kant? I didn’t even know Daniel had a son.”
“Neither did I.” Stella replied gravely. “He never mentioned him.”
The silence hung, thick, between them as they both contemplated what neither of them would say. Could Kant’s son be responsible for all the nastiness Genny had experienced? And was he bent on revenge for what had happened to his father?
But that, of course, wouldn’t make sense. The moment Genny gave it more than a passing thought, she realized the ludicrousness of the idea. If Jonas had sent her a threatening package and knew that the police were onto him, why the hell would he ask to be a patient at Riperton? It would be like playing into the authorities’ hands.
The hospital had security cameras in every corridor and, secretly, in every psychiatrists individual office, just to ensure the doctors’ safety. Genny bit her lip as she contemplated. She supposed there was a chance that this was just a very big coincidence. Two months after his father was put away, Jonas Kant came up as a new intake at the hospital he used to work for.
She groaned inwardly. Genny knew that if Owen caught wind of this, he wouldn’t let it go; and after she’d been wrong about his suspicions the first time, she knew she should be more careful now.
After a moment, she handed the folder back to Stella. “Who’s treating him?”
The redhead exhaled hotly. “I was going to give him to Henry Underhill, if you approved it.”
“Let me take him.” Stella’s shock was evident the moment the words left Genevieve’s lips. The dark-skinned woman had just gotten to the point that she was able to take her own patient’s appointments. Adding someone else to her roster – let alone the son of Daniel Kant – probably seemed like a ludicrous idea to anyone with sense.
But in Genny’s analytical mind, it seemed like the safest option. She was sure that Owen wouldn’t approve, but the fact of the matter was that the police were keeping a close eye on her. The moment they got wind of her taking Jonas as her patient, he would be under a microscope. His every movement would be monitored, from his sessions at the hospital to everything he did once he left the grounds.
If he so much as sneezed, the cops would be all over him.
It was the safest route to take. Rather that, than risk him endangering another doctor. “Genny, excuse my being frank, but this is not a good idea.” Stella’s tone was low and worried. “Don’t get me wrong: He could just be a disturbed kid. But if he’s not...if he’s the one behind all this, this could be extremely dangerous for you.”
“Stella, I’ll be safer than you can imagine.” She quickly explained her justification to her friend, hoping that Stella would understand the way she thought. When she finished, the redhead merely sighed, chewing on her own lip in apprehension.
“Gen, if you want to do this, I’m on board. But you know Owen is going to be pissed. And you’re going to have to face Jonas after what happened between you and his father.”
Genevieve certainly didn’t need reminding of that. Just the thought was enough to make her stomach turn. As a psychiatrist, she was supposed to remain emotionally detached from her patients, but that was going to be close to impossible in this instance. She was going to have to be on her guard with Jonas Kant.
And she was going to have to find some way to explain her decision to Owen.
“You what?”
She had, perhaps, underestimated how badly her lover would take her announcement. It had taken Genny a full week to work up the courage to tell him, which left her divulging her course of action the day before Kant was scheduled to be in her office.
The
y were on the Air Force base shooting range late in the evening, and luckily, it was almost deserted, as all of the soldiers were out doing night drills. The moment the words left her lips, Owen straightened from where he’d been aiming at a target and stared down at her like she’d lost her mind.
Genny swallowed thickly. Though she knew Owen would never hurt her, the man was ridiculously intimidating when he was upset. “Owen, please, hear me out. It’s the only course of action I could take.”
“Like hell it is.” The man released the cylinder from the revolver he held, smacking the remaining bullets on the table as he visibly tried to reign in his anger. “Genny, what are you doing? This is the opposite of being careful.”
The young woman set her own pistol on the table beside his, drawing on long collected reserves of courage. “Owen, please, you have to understand. There’s no way he can touch me at the hospital. Hundreds of eyes will be on him all day, every day. And since the police already know, they’ll be doubly wary. I’ll be perfectly safe.”
When Owen rounded on her, his gaze was conflicted, fear and anger combined to paint sheer helplessness across his features. “And if he decides to wrap his hands around your throat and choke the life out of you in your office? How long would it take someone to get there and help you?”
Genny exhaled a shuddering breath. He was scared for her. Heaven knew she was pretty nervous herself.
“Owen, you’re going to have to trust me. I believe in my staff and I believe in the authorities. If I get in trouble, I’ll get help.” She touched the man’s shoulder lightly, her gaze fairly pleading for him to calm down. “And I’ll get it quickly. If anyone else treats him…the cops might get there too late.”
Owen’s shoulders quaked slightly beneath her grip a moment before his arms encircled her, crushing her against him. “Goddamn it, Genny.” He murmured against her neck, his grip desperately tight. “You’d better know what you’re doing.”
The young woman wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips warmly to his cheeks. “It’ll be OK, Owen. Everyone in the office is on my side.”
Her lover growled low in his throat, making her shiver as the sound reverberated through her. “I’m not worried about who’s on your side. I’m worried about who isn’t.”
Chapter Five: The Broken Son
Genny couldn’t ever recall being so apprehensive about a new patient. As she sat at her desk, waiting for two o’clock to arrive, she found herself speculating on what kind of person Jonas Kant might be. His father was a heartless, money grabbing monster. Was it really possible that Jonas was unaffected by all of that?
She told herself that she had no right to judge the son based on the sins of the father, but it was still all just a little bit too convenient. She put Daniel away, and then Jonas just happened to show up? Even she was suspicious of those circumstances.
She gazed at her degrees proudly displayed on the wall where Kant’s had once hung. She had done her best to erase any and all influence he might have had on the space, even going so far as to bring in a crew to re-paint the walls. They’d gone from a brooding, deep gray color to a soft, mint green hue. Green was her favorite color, and this particular mint went a long way towards calming her when she thought she might be losing her mind.
Glancing down at the surface of her desk, Genny’s eyes fell on a framed picture of her, Owen and Eddie from the party the day they’d won their case. She was seated on her lover’s lap upon the couch in her old apartment, her arms wrapped around Eddie, who was lounging besides them. Just two months ago, they’d been so happy.
Now, they had to face the real word – the repercussions they should have known were coming.
At two on the dot, a firm knock came on her door and Genny straightened in her chair, her chest tightening. Taking a deep breath, she invited the visitor to enter. Stella opened the door, poking her face in with a carefully neutral expression. “Doctor Thomas, your two o’clock is here.”
When Genny nodded, the redhead let the door swing open to reveal the tall, thin form of Jonas Kant.
The young man really was the spitting image of his father. He had Daniel’s watery gray eyes, his weak nose and his sharp jaw. Unlike his father, however, Jonas didn’t carry himself with any sort of self-assurance whatsoever. He slumped to hide his height, his dark hair was unkempt, and the clothes he wore had several stains on them.
He didn’t look like a man hell bent on strangling the life out of her. In fact, he looked almost as nervous as she was.
“Thank you, Stella.” Genevieve dismissed her friend with a nod of her head before gesturing to the armchair before her desk. “Please, Mr. Kant, have a seat.” When Stella closed the door behind them with a hollow sort of finality, Jonas stared at the chair as though it might lurch forward and bite him.
Genny could have sworn he was trembling. “Mr. Kant?” She inquired again, carefully. “Please, sit down.”
“I know what you think.” Jonas’ voice was high and nervous, startling her somewhat when he spoke. He stared down at the carpet, twisting his fingers together anxiously. “You think I’m just like my father. I know you do.”
His words were like a punch in the gut. Genevieve swallowed thickly, trying to force herself to breathe. She knew his statement should have sounded like an accusation, but instead, it came out like the frightened whine of a child.
“Mr. Kant,” She began slowly, drawing on her reserves of knowledge to try and calm him down, “I don’t-”
“It’s Jonas!” He shot back almost immediately, suddenly raising his head to meet her gaze. When he did, the terror there took Genny’s breath away. She had completely misread how scared he was. Jonas was about ten times as frightened as she was, if his body language was any indicator. “My name is Jonas!”
And he certainly didn’t seem to like being referred to by his surname. “Alright. Jonas.” She re-addressed him in his preferred method. “Please, calm down. We haven’t properly met, so how can I make any assumptions about you?”
“You think I’m like him.” The young man was very clearly disturbed. It looked like he would rather be anywhere at that particular moment than in her office. “Everyone thinks I’m like him, but I’m not.” Leaning against the closed door, Jonas slid down slowly until he was huddled in a fetal position, face hidden against his knees. “I’m not.”
For a moment, Genny just looked at him, unsure of what to do. Technically, this could all be some elaborate plot to get her closer to him. The man’s paperwork didn’t indicate a history of mental illness, but that was probably because he’d never been treated before. In her professional opinion, Jonas was quite clearly suffering from anxiety, paranoia, and depression. If he was faking it, he was certainly quite the actor.
For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock on the wall. Then, a soft, hitching sob came from the figure huddled on the floor and, despite herself, Genny felt her heart going out to him.
Jonas Kant, while in appearance nearly identical to his father, appeared to be absolutely nothing like him. Slowly, hesitantly, the young woman stood, rounding her desk to cross the room to Jonas’ side. Tentatively, she reached down to put a hand on his shoulder.
The man only flinched, and he didn’t stop his crying. If anything, his sobs only increased in volume.
Clearing her throat, Genny spoke to him in a low tone. “Jonas. Jonas, it’s alright. I don’t think you’re like your father.” When he didn’t respond, Genevieve took a chance and knelt next to him to speak directly next to his ear. “Jonas, it’s OK, really. You’re here to get help. All I want to do is help you.”
Completely unexpectedly the man turned to her, throwing his arms about her shoulders as he crushed her against him. She was immediately enveloped by the scent of tears, body odor and despair, and terrified, Genny froze. She expected Jonas’ grip to become tighter and tighter until she couldn’t breathe – expected him to suddenly drop the act and tell her how much he hated her.
To call her a lying, scheming whore.
But none of those things happened. Instead, Jonas just clung to her as if she were his only life line, sobbing as though his heart was broken. “Help me.” He pleaded, pitifully, “Please help me.”
Slowly, tentatively, Genny wrapped her arms around him, patting his back comfortingly. Two things were dreadfully apparent in that moment. One: that this man needed desperately to be treated and two: that there was less of Daniel Kant in his son than there was in she herself.
For the next few days, Genevieve receded deep into thought any time she had a spare moment. The entirety of her first hour-long session with Jonas had consisted of her trying to get him to calm down. Something had very clearly happened to him that rendered him scared beyond all rational belief.
And the more Genny thought about it, the more it made sense.
Kant had never even mentioned that he had a son. What if he’d intended to keep his secret? What if, heaven forbid, he’d forced the young man to do unmentionable things against his will?
It wasn’t so far-fetched. After all, this man had foisted medication on patients that had led to them entering comatose states of depression, if not worse.
Maybe they were being a bit paranoid. Of course, she’d been wrong about the flowers, and she’d been fully willing to admit that. However, how did they even know that Jonas being taken on by the hospital and the foreboding package she received even had anything to do with one another? In the darkest parts of her mind, it would be all too easy to believe Kant and the Admiral were conspiring from behind bars to cause her harm. But was that fear going to keep her from treating a man who might very well need her help?
Genevieve didn’t believe she could neglect her duty to that extent. She was a psychiatrist first and foremost, and this man had served in the army for two years and needed therapy.
Saving the Seal 2: A BWWM Navy Seal Interracial Romance Page 6