Lawful: Gia ~ Hunter ~ Julian ~ Jarrod

When he walks into the house, I spot my father watching from the window.

Chris disturbs my thoughts when he climbs into the car and turns the engine over. “You ready, Gia?”

“Yes.” I force a smile.

All the way to the hospital I can’t shake the sudden feeling of doom that has fallen over my day since leaving the house.

Loosing track of time, we have parked up in the hospital lot and Chris is opening the door for me. I smile and climb out before heading inside and up to the children’s ward.

Chris refuses to come on the ward with me, but he’s standing guard at the doors. I’ve tried to pull him into conversation a few times, but he’s a man of few words so I’ve given up trying. The man I want to talk to me has been ignoring me until I’d turned the tables by ignoring him. All I wanted to do though is to get through the day without worrying over the conversation we’d have tonight.

“Gia, are you alright?” Ella questions, startling me.

“I’m fine. I’m in a world of my own. How’s Summer?”

“She’s holding her own.” Ella takes hold of my elbow. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve seemed sad lately and I don’t think it’s to do with your work here. How’s that guy you brought? Hunter was his name? He couldn’t keep his eyes off you.”

“You don’t miss anything, do you?”

Ella grins. “Not a thing.”

Rolling my eyes, I say, “He’s older than me. He’s actually closer to my father’s age than mine, which I guess doesn’t sit well with him. But he’s also here with work and will be heading back home soon.”

“Then make him want to stay,” Ella chuckles. “I’m sure you can use your imagination on that. And on that note, I’ll leave you to change.” She leaves with a wick in my direction.

Can I do what Ella suggested by making him want to stay? Did I have the courage? I’m tired of thinking about my life so I decide to concentrate on the children on the ward. A few of them won’t be around in six months time, which makes me sad, but I know that my interaction with them on a daily basis helps them—even if only for a short while.

With a heavy sigh, I push my way into the room, and open my locker. As I reach up to grab a new pack of scrubs, I freeze when cold metal touches my neck.

“One word and I’ll end it all right now. You understand?”

I slowly manage to nod my head, my heart thumping erratically.

My eyes are frantically searching my locker for something to use as a weapon, but scrubs and croc shoes won’t do much damage.

“C’mon.” He grabs my arm causing me to moan in pain as his fingers hold tight. “Keep your mouth shut and you might just get out of this in one piece. The boss isn’t really after you—you’re leverage for his upcoming trial.”

What the hell is he on about?

“Upcoming? As in not happened yet?”

Jerking me back against him, he snarls. “I told you to keep your mouth shut.”

He drags me back to the shower rooms, and to the door at the back. This is an emergency exit with the fire escape on the other side.

My self-preservation starts to kick in and I drag my feet, causing us both to stumble. I know once he gets me outside, I might not see anyone ever again. Tears start to leak from my eyes. Hunter. He’d never know how I’ve started to feel about him in the short time we’ve known each other.

But outside in the open, wouldn’t there be people around? Surely someone would help me.

Pushing through the door, I’m blinded by the sun as he half drags and half carries me down the fire escape. As we near the bottom, two doctors in green scrubs who I know from the OR come out of the door beneath us. “Not a word,” he hisses. The gun in his right hand digs into my stomach. “I’ve never missed, and I don’t intend to this time. Killing them would be on you.”

The bastard. I want nothing more than to scream for help, but I don’t want anyone else getting hurt because of me. If he gets away with me, I know Hunter won’t stop until he’s found me. He may act indifferen

t during the day, but something between us has kept him coming back to my bed at night, even if it’s just to hold me—at least that’s what I’ve convinced myself of.

The door bangs shut underneath us again and I look down to see the doctors have gone.

“Let’s go.”