Page 71 of The Midnight Club

Nikos had agreed, but now every month they were on tenterhooks. She picked up her phone now and dialed his number.

“Hey, babe.”

“Hey, you. Well … red sky in the morning.”

“Oh,” she heard Nikos sigh, “Well. Damn.”

“I’m sorry, babe.”

“Not your fault, sugar, just had a feeling this was the month.”

She smiled down the phone. “It will happen, Nikkynoo.”

“Don’t call me that. At least not in public,” he chuckled. “Did you go see your sexy Italian perp?”

“I did, and I did check. He’s still sexy,” she teased, knowing Nikos would see the funny side of it. He did.

“How come all I get is dyspeptic old men with toe fungus, and you get sexy billionaires?” Nikos grumbled, and Kate laughed.

“Because you chose medicine instead of criminal law, sucker.”

She was still giggling when she hung up the phone, but when her boss shuffled down the hallway to see her, she immediately switched into her professional mode.

Gerard Greg nodded at her as he listened. “Okay, well, I can’t suggest a better way, so just keep on what you’re doing. I assume they’ve shown you how to bill hours?”

Kate hid a grin. “About two years ago, Gerry.”

Gerry waved his hand. “Forgive me, Kate. I lose track of time.”

When he’d left her office, Kate reflected again on how far she’d come at such a young age. Of course, her work ethic had driven her there … could she really halt everything for a child? She was only 29.The answer is that I simply don’t know,she thought.I don’t know if I want a new life.

For some reason, her mind flitted back to Lisander Duarte, and she wondered idly what his children would look like, before imagining him naked and fucking her, his machismo a total turn on. Kate wriggled in her chair.Stop that, right now.She sighed and got back to work.

Orianthi Roy had already packedher things by the time Alex turned up at the hospital. She greeted him with a hug, and he laughed as he watched her shoving her clothes into a hold-all.

“Have the doctors actually said you can go?”

“Yes,” she said firmly, then grinned. “No, but they will. The doctor is due here any minute.”

“How’s your wound?”

“Hardly feel it,” she said brightly, “Really, I think people were making a big fuss over nothing.”

“A stab wound isn’t nothing,” Alex said softly, noticing her wince at the word stab.' Ori fixed him with her cool hazel eyes.

“Alex … I want to go see Maceo the minute we get out of here.”

Alex shook his head. “Not going to happen, sweetheart. Maceo does not want you near that prison.”

“Tough noogies,” she said shortly, “I’m going.”

Alex sighed. “Ori, look … Maceo and I talked, and we think the safest thing for you is for me to take you out of state until Maceo is bailed.”

Ori gritted her teeth. “Alex, do I get a say in this?”

“Not really, angel. It’s for your own safety.”

Ori was silent, and Alex could see the conflict in her eyes. Finally, she turned to him. “I will go with you on one condition.”