Page 76 of Bad Medicine

“Rocco,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “Rocco, did you...buy me a car?”

“A minivan, actually. But, yes.”

I held my breath, watching as a host of emotions played across Mia’s face. First shock, then disbelief, then something that looked suspiciously like joy, and finally, determination.

I fuckin’ knew it.

“Thank you, Rocco, but I can’t accept this.”

“Like hell you can’t,” I barked, annoyed, even though I’d anticipated this response. “You need a car, I got you one. What’s the problem?”

“Rocco, I can’t...you can’t... this is—” She stood there, blustering on the sidewalk, trying to find a single good excuse for why she shouldn’t take what I was offering, and I couldn’t help but grin at her.

Pulling the keys out of my pocket, I beeped the locks open, pressing the little button on the key fob that opened the sliding doors automatically. Mia gasped when she spied the little car seat the guys had installed in the back, situated right where Jasper could see the video screen and everything.

“Come on, Doc. Give me one good reason why you can’t accept this van.”

“Because,” she hedged, a frown creasing the space between her eyebrows. “Because I can’t possibly pay you back,” she said finally. “At least, not right away.”

Now it was my turn to frown.

“Mia,” I said softly, reaching for her and pulling her close. “There is no need to pay me back. This is not a loan. It’s not a bribe or any other thing you’re cooking up in your head.” Pressing the button again, we watched as the doors on the van slid closed, something Lexi had assured me was needed for “the busy mother on the go.”

Like she knew shit about that, but whatever.

“I got this for you because I knew you needed it, and I wanted you to have it.” Taking her hand again, I led Mia back into the house, hanging the new keys on the hook by the door. “And because there’s no way my woman is gonna be taking the fuckin’ bus home every night.” The anger I felt about that was starting to build again. Not because there was anything wrong with using public transportation; I had taken the bus more in my life than most people.

But because it was Mia, and I just couldn’t handle the thought of her, alone in the dark, exposed to the dregs of the city with no one to help her and no way to escape.

“Your woman?” Mia asked, a little breathless, and I smirked.

“You’re goddamn right, my woman.” Walking toward her, I placed my hands on her hips, digging my fingers into her luscious curves as I drew her flush against me, my body showing her just how much I liked the idea of her as my woman. “Now,” I growled, pressing my mouth to the soft skin of her throat where her pulse fluttered beneath my lips. “Tell me I’m your man.”

She did. And then she thanked me.

Twice.

Chapter thirty-four

Rocco

PuttingmyChevelleinpark, I turned off the ignition and reached for the door handle, cutting my eyes around to make sure there wasn’t anyone lurking in the shadows.

The alley behind Anton’s brothel was dank and dingy, but it was also empty.

Suspiciously empty, in fact.

Before I could get out of the car and take a better look around, my phone rang, the screen showing it was Masi calling. He and Trick were working a tandem job today, following the guys Gregor had met with last night, seeing if they led us anywhere good.

I was hoping this call would tell me they had.

“What’s up,” I answered, leaning back against the leather seat and glancing in the rearview mirror to ensure no one snuck up on me back here. Even though it was late afternoon, the winter sun hung low in the sky, casting long, thick shadows into the spaces between the buildings, making the whole alley feel even more claustrophobic than it normally would.

“We got ‘em,” Masi said, and I allowed myself a small fist pump. “We got those fuckers right where we want ‘em.”

“Tell me,” I said, eager to hear the details even though I had a scheduled meeting with Anton in less than fifteen minutes. The old shit didn’t like to be kept waiting, but I didn’t give a single fuck about what he wanted. “What did you find.”

“We found the fuckin’ motherload, Rocco. More than you could possibly imagine.”