Gentleman Sinner

That’s when I hear the commotion, and I flinch as the sound of Theo’s voice thunders through the hospital, echoing off every wall. ‘You can’t suspend her for something she didn’t do,’ he yells. ‘I won’t have it!’

‘Sir, please. You can’t come in here throwing your weight around.’ Susan’s high-pitched shrill hits my ears, and I drop my head into my hands in dread. ‘Please leave, or I’ll call security.’

‘Fucking call them,’ Theo bellows. ‘What kind of imbecile does she work for? You know Izzy. Her kindness and her passion for her job. You’re going to let a depraved arsehole put her integrity and her reputation into doubt?’

I follow the sound of his voice to Susan’s office, seeing the door open and Susan backed into the corner, despite Theo being on the other side of her desk, albeit with his fists planted on the wooden surface, leaning over. Callum is hovering behind, silent and still.

‘I have to follow protocol,’ Susan stammers, her gaze flicking to me at the door. I hope she can see the sincerity in my eyes, the alarm and remorse for Theo’s threatening behaviour. If she was concerned about my involvement with him before, then Theo has just confirmed why she should be. His presence is ominous. Intimidating.

‘Theo,’ I say, approaching his heaving back. ‘Please, let’s just go.’

‘No, Izzy. Not until someone around here starts acting on common sense rather than fucking protocol. It’s a fucking joke.’ He lifts, straightening to his full height. ‘You know as well as I do that she would never confront someone, let alone a grieving person. Bollocks to protocol. Why the fuck aren’t you fighting in her corner?’

‘I know Izzy,’ Susan retorts. ‘I have no idea who you are, and you’re most certainly not welcome here. It’s time for you to leave.’

‘I didn’t inflict those injuries,’ Theo growls, his stubbled jaw ticking. ‘I wanted to, believe me, and if Izzy hadn’t stopped me, I promise you, he wouldn’t have wound up in Casualty, he would have wound up in the fucking morgue.’

I close my eyes and fold on the inside, silently begging him to stop. I love his protective instinct, have grown to crave it, but I’m slowly grasping the consequences. I’m so utterly torn.

A hive of activity breaks out behind me, and I swing around to find two hospital security guards. Oh, shit, no. Callum moves fast, ever alert, grabbing one who launches himself towards Theo. He restrains the startled security guard quickly, thrusting him front-forward against the wall, his arm up his back. The man squeals in pain, and time seems to slow to a crawl, my attention whirling to Theo and then to the remaining security guard, the one who’s lacking one big fucker holding him back.

I watch as the distance between him and Theo shrinks, the free security man’s body seeming to fly through the air towards my boyfriend. I don’t know what happens. Instinct? It must be. ‘No!’ I jump in his path to stop him from reaching Theo, knowing the reprisals will be ugly.

‘Izzy!’ Theo yells, though the sound is muffled, because the large arm of the security guard just connected with the side of my head, and I cry out in shock as I’m sent flying across Susan’s office, my body crashing into a nearby filing cabinet with a loud bang. I grunt, pain searing through me as I drop to the ground, stars dancing in my vision. Pain rips through my shoulder, and I grab it and squeeze as a blurry Theo appears in my sight, his hard face filled with concern. ‘Izzy, sweetheart.’ His hands find my cheeks and pull my head up, his eyes searching mine.

I blink, trying to clear my vision, trying to focus on Theo. But something beyond his wide shoulders distracts me from the worry in his eyes, and I look past him to find a pair of hands closing in. But I can’t speak. My tongue is thick, refusing to engage and deliver the words of warning to Theo. The guard’s hands meet Theo’s shoulders, but before he gets a chance to yank him back, Theo’s moving of his own accord. And he’s moving fast. I only briefly catch the lethal look in his darkening eyes before he shoots to his feet and turns on the security guard. The startled man is on his back in a nanosecond, Theo’s deadly grip wrapped around his throat. I have nothing – no energy, no fight, no will – to try to stop him. I’m useless, yet I appreciate in this moment that my career has just disappeared before my very eyes, disappeared in a haze of rage and violence.

‘Theo, for fuck’s sake.’ Callum once again puts his own life on the line to save another’s, seizing Theo and wrenching him away before quickly getting out of reach. ‘Calm the fuck down.’