Heartthrob (The Bennett Brothers 3)

“Claire, glad you finally woke up.” His oily voice slithers through me.

“You kidnapped me, you asshole!”

“Seems the drug didn’t diminish your fire.”

“What the fuck are you thinking?”

“Nor your snark.”

“How long have I been missing?”

“Hours, and I must say your boyfriend didn’t disappoint. At this time, the entire country is aware of your disappearance. Pays to have friends in high places.”

Mathis, oh my God. He has to be going out of his mind.

I make a run for the door to find it locked. “Let me out of here!”

“Afraid I can’t do that. You have a very important job here, Claire. I’d go as far to say a critical care job.”

At the term critical care, I stop shaking the door handle and turn back to him.

“What are you talking about?”

“I knew the first time I met you that you had a special skill set. I heard you were a taken woman but didn’t see that as a problem. Nothing ever stands in my way. Then that fucking cunt Lora had to open her mouth and blab. Mistake on my part. It made my job of getting to know you a lot harder.”

His words are low, controlled, and scary as shit. He comes my way, and I plaster my back to the door, willing it to support me.

“You’re gutsy, feisty, full of sass, and I’ve spent the last few months fucking those women and picturing you. Wasn’t ideal, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.” He shrugs nonchalantly. “But now you’re here.” He reaches to tuck my hair behind my ear, and I recoil, my stomach revolting.

“You brought me here to rape me?”

“Rape you?” His eyes glimmer, and his smile grows evil. “No, Claire, that’s not my style. Although, if you decide you want to fuck, I’m willing.”

My insides quiver, and my fight to survive instincts kick in. I slap him as hard as I can, his face whipping to the side. My palm connects partially with his lip that splits, and a trickle of blood bubbles up. He steps back, reaching in his pocket and producing a handkerchief that’s monogrammed. Wiping his lip, he continues to smile.

“Like I said, feisty. Lucky for you, it turns me on.”

“You’re repulsive. You’d have to kill me before I’d willingly sleep with you.”

His body stills, the smile slipping. “Don’t tempt me, Claire. Killing you won’t bother me. It’d be a waste, but not out of the question.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“The better question is who I’m not. I’m not the brown-nosing kiss ass I’ve pretended to be the last few months. My mission was to find the best Pediatric Oncology nurse in this city and a doctor who could perform miracles. I did that, and now you have a job to do.”

My eyes fly around the room, his words sinking in. The wall on the far side of the room is stocked. Supplies I recognize line the shelves. A refrigerator is tucked in a corner. Rows and rows of drugs fill a cabinet, and realization comes crashing down.

“You stole it all?”

“I didn’t. I pay people to do the grunt work.”

“Why?”

He steps out of my space, yanking my arm and bringing me to the large panoramic window. His finger touches a button on the wall, and the drapes part, exposing a gaunt young boy in a hospital bed. He’s hooked to two IVs dripping what I recognize as a morphine drip and medicine line.

A small cry escapes at the same time my hand flies to my mouth. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He has leukemia the same as Josh. He’s your new patient.”