Lover Unleashed (Black Dagger Brotherhood 9)

Still, there were two things that saved the guy: The bastard had put on the fresh scrubs Butch had given him—so no more ladies’ night. And, as they’d sat down in front of the Dell in the exam room, the guy seemed honestly concerned about Payne and her welfare.

Not that they were getting anywhere on that front. The pair of them were staring at the computer screen like two dogs watching Animal Planet: very focused, but incapable of turning up the volume or changing the channel.

Ordinarily? Butch would phone or text Vishous. But that was not going to happen, given the showdown that was going on up at the Pit.

God, he hoped V and Jane got their act back together.

“So now what,” the surgeon asked.

Butch shook himself back into focus and put his palm on the mouse. “We pray I pull the security files out of my ass. That’s what.”

“And you were bitching about my towel.”

Butch cracked a smile. “Smart-ass.”

As if on cue, the two of them leaned in closer to the screen—like that was somehow going to magically help the mouse find the stuff they were looking for.

“I suck at this shit,” the surgeon muttered with disgust. “I’m better with my hands.”

“Me, too.”

“Go to the start menu.”

“I’m going, going. . . .”

“Shit,” they said together as they got a load of all the files or programs or whatever it was.

Naturally, there was nothing named “Security,” “Cameras,” or “Click here, dummy, to find what you two losers are looking for.”

“Wait, would it be under ‘videos’?” the surgeon said.

“Good idea.”

They both inched even closer, until the tips of their noses were all but polishing the damn monitor.

“Can I help you guys?”

Butch snapped his head around. “Thank God, Jane. Listen, we need to find the security camera’s digital files—” He stopped himself. “Are you okay?”

“Fine, fine.”

Uh-huh, right. Standing in the doorway, she wasn’t fine. Not even close to fine. To the point where he knew not to ask where V was—or expect the brother to show up anytime soon.

“Hey, Doc,” Butch said, as he casually got to his feet, “can I talk to you a sec?”

“Ah—”

He cut off the protest she was about to put up. “Thanks. Just outside in the corridor. Manello, you try and find your way around the comp.”

“I’ll get right on that,” the guy said drily.

When he and Jane were outside the room, Butch dropped his voice. “What’s going on? And yes, it’s none of my business. But I want to know anyway.”

After a moment, Jane crossed her arms over her white coat and just stared ahead. But not to shut him out, it seemed. More like she was replaying something in her mind.

“Talk to me,” he murmured.

“You know why he went for Manny, right?”