Page 65 of Bad Medicine

With that, she stormed off, her orthopedic shoes squeaking on the linoleum as she did.

“Fuckin’ hell,” I muttered, and headed out the door.

The sun was going down. With it being nearly Christmas, the daylight hours were few and far between, but I still pulled on my sunglasses, mostly out of habit. I looked around, the parking lot relatively empty compared to the emergency entrance on the other side of the building, but I didn’t see her anywhere. I was just about to give up when movement on the far side of the lot caught my attention.

There she was, wrapped in a hoodie against the December chill, clutching her bag as she sat at a bus stop.

“Mia!” I called, cringing when she jumped at the sound of my voice, turning her frightened face toward me. When she saw that it was only me, she relaxed, her whole body going slack as she slumped down on the bus bench.

“What are you doing, Rocco?” she asked as I stepped in front of her.

“What the hell do you mean, what am I doin’? I’m checkin’ on you.” Her eyebrows went up at that, like she didn’t believe me, and that pissed me off just a bit more.

“Why?” she asked plainly.

“Because,” was my brilliant reply.

“Because, why, Rock?”

I knew what she wanted: she wanted to know whynow, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what to tell her.

“I’m checkin’ on you because you were clearly afraid of that fucker. I’m checkin’ because some shit just went down in there, and I need to know what it means.”

“Of course,” she said, her tone caustic. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing you need to be concerned about. I’m fine, Rocco. I’ve been fine for a lotta years now, and I’ll be fine for a lot more.”

I opened my mouth to ask her what she meant, but the sound of the bus approaching had me pausing, confused, as Mia got up to get on.

“Wait, you’re taking the bus?” I asked like a goddamn idiot.

“Very astute.”

“What the hell are you taking the bus for?”

“What do you think I’m taking the bus for, Rocco? We can’t all go around stealing fancy cars like the rules in life don’t apply to us.”

“I told you my car isn’t stolen,” I insisted, like that was the most important part about her statement. Ignoring me, she pushed past me when the doors opened. “Wait a minute, Mia,” I said, grabbing her arm gently.

“I have to go, Rock,” she said, and I could hear the desperation in her voice. “I have to go home.”

“Why?” I asked, waving the driver off. He grumbled something about assholes and closed the door, driving away. “What is it about that Russian prick that has you running scared?”

Mia clamped her lips shut tight, shaking her head, but her eyes were wild. She was absolutely terrified about whatever it was to do with Gregor, and I hated to see her like this.

“I can’t help you if you don't tell me, Mia.”

For a moment, I didn’t think she was gonna answer. In fact, I was almost positive that she was going to tell me to go fuck myself, which, in all fairness, I totally deserved.

I’d fucked her, then split. I knew I was a prick, but this was bigger than that.

“Who is Gregor Belikov to you, Mia?”

I would have anticipated a lot of possibilities, but nothing could have prepared me for what Mia revealed.

“He’s Jasper’s father.”

Chapter twenty-nine

Rocco