Page 11 of Diamonds (Aces Underground #2)

ALISSA

I ’m showered and dressed in a plain blue T-shirt and capri jeans. I’ll change into scrubs once I get to the hospital.

Maddox is still wearing one of the T-shirts from my drawer with his tuxedo pants from last night. Poor thing. It must be torture for him to be seen in such gauche attire.

I pull out my phone—thankfully I remembered to charge it for once—and look at my calendar. “I’m pretty busy with work this week, but I’m off Thursday. Maybe we could do something then?”

He nods. “Yeah. Maybe by then we’ll have heard something from Bill.”

My heart cracks a little. I’d almost forgotten the horrors we went through last night. Having breakfast, talking about our childhoods together, all after a night of intense lovemaking, felt almost like we were an everyday couple.

“I meant more like another date.”

He opens his mouth. “Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Of course. I’d love to see you Thursday.”

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his stubbly cheek. “It’s a date then.”

He flashes me a dazzling smile. “I can’t wait, Alissa.”

I check my watch. “I’d better get moving if I want to catch the L on time.”

He holds up a hand. “I’ll drive you to work.”

“But don’t you want to go and get your shop opened? You can at least catch the after-work crowd.”

“If there were ever a reason to take a day off, last night was it.” He grabs his keys out of his pocket and jingles them. “I insist.”

“I mean, if you insist. ”

“I do.” He offers me his arm. “I’ll walk you down.”

We leave the apartment—I double-check the locks on the doors—and descend the stairway. Maddox’s Rolls-Royce is still parked out front, and we get in.

He puts his keys into the ignition and the vehicle roars to life. Classical music comes through the radio.

A warmth fills my cheeks. “You kept the classical station on.”

“Of course.” He shrugs. “I’m dating a classical musician. I have to learn as much as I can about her chosen field.”

I wrinkle my forehead. “My chosen field is nursing.”

“ One of your chosen professions, then. There’s not exactly a nursing station on the radio.”

I fold my arms. “Fair enough.”

The drive into town is smooth with very little traffic. Maddox pulls into the garage where he parks when he’s at Aces and, as always, jumps out of his seat as soon as we’re parked to open the door for me.

We take the elevator down to street level and walk to the front door of St. Charles General.

He wraps his arms around me. “Have a great day, baby. I can’t wait until the next time I see you.”

I squeeze his waist. “Me neither.”

“Maddox! Alissa!”

I break the embrace to see Dr. O’Rourke waving at us through mittened hands.

He looks as gorgeous as ever, a scarf with thick stripes of blue and white around his neck and a dark overcoat over his medical jacket.

I’d be staring at him if he didn’t pale in comparison to the man I’m currently embracing.

Maddox grins. “Harrison. Was wondering if I’d run into you.”

Dr. O’Rourke grins. “I see you two are still an item.”

“You could say that,” Maddox says.

Dr. O’Rourke elbows Maddox in the ribs. “This asshole isn’t giving you too much trouble, is he?”

“Not at all, Doctor.” I look up at Maddox. “I’ve found him quite charming.”

Dr. O’Rourke laughs. “Well, you’ll find out soon enough what a bastard he is.”

“Thanks, Harry ,” Maddox says sharply.

Dr. O’Rourke’s eyes twitch. “I told you never to call me that.”

“I’ll stop calling you that when you stop antagonizing me in front of my girlfriend.”

I drop my jaw. His girlfriend?

My heart nearly explodes.

It’s silly. I’m acting like a schoolgirl. I might as well be doodling “Mrs. Maddox Hathaway” in my journal surrounded by little hearts.

“So you two are official?” Dr. O’Rourke asks.

“I suppose we are.” I squeeze Maddox’s hand and then give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “My shift’s about to begin. Have a wonderful day, Maddox.”

“You too, gorgeous.”

“You opening the shop today?” Dr. O’Rourke asks.

“Taking the day off.”

Dr. O’Rourke’s eyebrows fly upward. “Maddox Hathaway? Taking a day off? Losing twenty-four hours’ worth of profit?” He grins at me. “He must have it bad for you.”

Maddox just shakes his head. “Keep an eye on her, Harrison. Make sure she’s… Just make sure she’s safe.”

Dr. O’Rourke narrows his eyes. “St. Charles is extremely safe. Occasionally we get a patient who’s a little whacked in the head, but I always make sure the nurses are taken care of.”

“Good. Just… Just keep it up, then.” Maddox gives me one last kiss on the lips and then turns toward the parking garage.

I wave as he—my boyfriend—departs.

Dr. O’Rourke offers me his arm.

“Thank you.” He’s got magnificent biceps, and most nurses would kill to be in my position, but I feel absolutely nothing.

We take the elevator up to our floor. The second it opens, Dinah pounces on me.

“Alissa! Have you heard?”

I walk off the elevator. “Have I heard what?”

“It’s Lou!”

Oh, God. Did he have another cardiac issue? He flatlined just a few days ago.

“Is he…?”

“Oh gosh, no.” Dinah covers her mouth. “Sorry. I should have been clearer. We found a match for him. He’s going into surgery right now for the transplant.”

I drop my jaw. “No kidding. So he and Carol are both going to be all right?”

“They are. They could have years together once they’re both fully recovered.”

“And Carol’s recovering okay as well?”

Dinah nods. “Never better. She’s not young, of course, so they’re going to hold onto her for a few more days before they send her to rehab, but they brought her down to see him when they broke the news.” She hugs me. “Sometimes miracles do happen, Liss. Don’t ever forget that.”

I feel a warmth in my heart at her words, but only for a minute.

Because sometimes miracles do happen.

And sometimes the head of an innocent young woman ends up buried in a park.

Lou deserves to live. Carol deserves to live. And May deserved—past tense—to live.

Two of them rolled the dice and won. The other didn’t.

But I shake the thought out of my head. This is something to celebrate.

“Is it too late for me to see him before they take him in?” I ask.

“No, I think they’re still prepping him. He might be a little drugged up at this point, but he’ll at least know that you came by to wish him well.”

“Great.” I turn to Dr. O’Rourke. “I’ll get changed and start working the second I’ve seen him off.”

Dr. O’Rourke nods. “Take your time.”

I quickly cross through the nurses’ station to Lou’s room. He’s been moved to a gurney, and a nurse is administering a few drugs.

“Lou!” I grab his hand. “I just heard the good news. Congrats!”

“Nurse Alissa.” His eyes crinkle with a smile. “Nice of you to see me off.”

“Of course.” I pat his shoulder gently. “How could I not see my favorite patient off?”

“Second-favorite patient. After Carol.”

“I love you both equally.”

He chuckles. “Hell, she’s my favorite patient. She told me she’s recovering well.”

“Yes, and the two of you will be able to live out your golden years together.”

He frowns. “If I make it through the transplant. I just signed a bunch of forms saying I understand the risks, and they’re not trivial.”

“Lou, you can’t think like that.”

He holds up a hand. “I’m just being realistic. When you get to be as old as I am, you learn to take things at face value.” He looks at me intently. “You have a glow about you, do you know that?”

I laugh. “I think your drugs are just kicking in.”

He shakes his head. “No. It’s not the drugs. It’s you. You have the air of a woman in love.”

I cock my head. “What?”

“I said what I said. I’ve seen it before.

” His gaze grows distant, a wistfulness in it.

“A woman is at her most beautiful when she’s in love.

When she’s a little girl and looks up to her doting parents.

When she holds her newborn child in her arms. Or when she meets that special person who completes her.

And I see that kind of beauty in you, Alissa. ”

I wipe a tear off my cheek. “That’s lovely, Lou.”

He chuckles. “I saw the same glow about Carol when we first met. She really has that beauty. The most beautiful woman I’ve met since my late wife.” He smiles. “You’re a solid third.”

I can’t help a laugh. “I’ll take it.”

“You can laugh, but trust me.” He pats his chest. “I know a thing or two about hearts, broken or otherwise.”

“Mr. Chambers, it’s time to go,” the other nurse says.

“Of course.” He winks at me. “I’ll see you on the flipside.”

“Good luck, Lou.” I give his hand another squeeze. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Alissa.”

I utter a silent prayer that his surgery will go off without a hitch. Lou and Carol deserve to live out the rest of their lives in peace and in each other’s arms.

Speaking of which, I should go check up on her. See how she’s handling the news. I’m sure she’s overjoyed, of course, but also concerned for her special friend.

But I should change into my scrubs first. I rush out the door to Lou’s room and?—

Dr. O’Rourke. I bump right into him.

“Sorry, Doctor.”

He brushes off the sleeves of his medical jacket. “It’s all right. Just watch where you’re going.”

“Of course.” I brush past him.

“Alissa.”

I turn around. “Yes, Doctor?”

He narrows his eyes. “Why did Maddox ask me to keep you safe? Is something wrong?”

Nerves skitter up and down my arms.

“No, everything’s fine. He just likes me, I guess. Wants to keep me safe. He can’t keep an eye on me twenty-four seven, so since you’re a trusted friend, he just wants you to do what you can.”

He cocks his head. “That’s it? There’s nothing going on?”

“No. Nothing at all.” I turn. “I really should?—”

“I don’t have to kick Maddox’s ass, do I? Because I will if I have to. He’s my best friend, but?—”

I hold up a hand. “Maddox has been nothing but a perfect gentleman since we met. His only concern is for my safety.”

“But why?” He takes another step toward me. “I can tell something is wrong. It’s in your eyes.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Alissa, please.” He lowers his voice. “Just tell me what’s going on. If I’m going to keep you safe, I need to know what’s happening.”

I swallow. I don’t think he’s going to let this go. Damn it.

I can’t tell him everything. That’s far too much information to put on one person.

But I can give him something to just get him off my case.

I sigh. “It’s nothing, really. As you know, Maddox has been taking me to his club. Aces Underground. We’ve been on three dates there now.”

He nods. “Yeah. Aces. An odd place, filled with odd people. Did any of them threaten you?”

“No. It has to do with…” I look down. “I don’t want to burden you with this information. It’s really between me and Maddox.”

He shakes his head. “You can trust me. Maddox and I have been friends for years. Our fathers were best friends, and we grew up together. If there’s one person that Maddox trusts implicitly, it’s me.

And you’ve worked with me for a while now.

You know I care about the people at this hospital as if they were my own family. ”

I bite my lip.

“Maddox wouldn’t have asked me to protect you over nothing,” he continues.

I wring my hands together. “Fine. It’s just… Maddox and I found something out about the woman who runs the club. And we’re not sure if she knows about what we found out. So we’re a little anxious about…about it affecting Maddox’s membership.”

He raises an eyebrow. “The woman who runs the club… You mean the one who dresses up like a medieval queen and flirts with all the security guards?”

“That’s the one. Rouge Montrose.”

The color drains from Dr. O’Rourke’s face. “Sorry, that’s Rouge Montrose? The woman in that getup?”

“Yes. Do you know her?”

Dr. O’Rourke scratches at the back of his neck. “I’ve never seen her outside the club. I assume she wears normal attire when she’s out and about, and I don’t think Maddox has ever mentioned her name.”

“Then why did you have such an intense reaction to her name? Do you know her from somewhere else?”

Dr. O’Rourke nods. “Yes, I do. Rouge Montrose—or at least someone who goes by that name—sits on the board of this very hospital.”