Page 50 of Marcel

“What word?”

“Wife.”

“Well,you are, aren’t you?” Nodding to an acquaintance, he ledher to another painting where a couple they knew were standing.

*****

He was falling inlove with her. He was not ready to say it to her, but he knew thatbeing with her made him incredibly happy. He had seen the expressionon her exquisite face when Simone came over, and after a briefconversation with her, he had extricated himself to go to his wife.

He had not wanted tohurt her, and lately, he had been hoping she was carrying his child.The idea of his seed growing inside her was more than he could bear.They had left the auction early and barely entered the bedroom beforehe was on her. A smile touched his lips as he tipped his head down tostare at her.

He had bought her apainting for her office and would have bought her another one, oreven two more if she had not protested.

“It’s fora worthy cause,” he reminded her with a grin.

He had watched herfrom where he had been mingling with the other partners and feltpride swelling inside his chest. She was quickly the most beautifulwoman in the room and was his.

She stirred in hisarms, sleepily throwing a graceful leg over both of his and burrowingcloser to him, her face pressing into his chest. Tipping his headdown, he studied the pert nose, the curve of her cheek, and the lushbottom lip that was making saliva pool inside his mouth.

She was beautiful,and if he had not been so pissed at the comment she had made abouthim when she first started at the firm, he would have noticed her. Hedid notice her, he realized. He had noticed that she was not afraidto speak up in meetings. She had come in as an associate and had notlingered there.

She had come to theattention of his dad months after she had started. She had taken on aclass action suit that the rest of the associates had balked at, andshe had won. That, along with her ability to dig into a case, fightfor the client, and be bold, had made her a junior partner fasterthan anyone at the company.

His father hadcommented that they did not get along because she reminded Marcel ofhimself. He had scoffed at that, but he realized it was true.

Emotions washedthrough him as he recalled their haste to get to each other’sflesh. The bite mark from the other night’s tempestuouslovemaking was like a trophy for him. It was gradually fading, butthere were others. Nail marks on his chest indicate the loss ofcontrol on her part. He had marked her, too.

Bruises on herbreasts and her stomach where he had nibbled hungrily. She broughtout the animal in him and made him feel like a raunchy schoolboy withhis first crush. He fell in love with her; it was so powerful that itscared his life.

Suddenly, it did notmatter that the marriage had been an arrangement - nothing elsemattered but that she was his.

*****

“I am notbacking down from my lawsuit, and I will not be intimidated by thelikes of you.”

The man said with aglower as he stared at Marcel. “You think just because you aresome bigshot lawyers and the son of a multi-billionaire, you can comein here and threaten me? Well, think again.”

“It’s nota threat, Mr. Lowe. Marcel turned to the man’s lawyer. “Eric,would you please advise your client that we are prepared to go beforethe grand jury with what we have discovered?”

“You havenothing!”

Eric placed asoothing hand on the irate man’s arm to prevent him from sayinganything else.

“My client hasbeen a doctor at Mercy for the past twenty years and dedicated hislife to serving that hospital and its patients at the expense of hisown life. He is not prepared to accept that they are getting rid ofhim because of one mistake.”

“One mistake?”Marcel gave him an incredulous look. “He deliberatelyeuthanized a patient. That’s illegal in this state.”

“My patient wassuffering. His quality of life was diminished. He had Parkinson’sand could not take care of himself.

He was a vibrant man,owner of a successful company, and the disease rendered him incapableof making decisions- of simply brushing his teeth. Day after day, hebegged me to let him out of his misery, and I could not take itanymore. My patients are my only concern.”

“You are stillnot seeing the big picture here. You took it upon yourself to playGod. It was not your call. You were part of a team. Mercy Hospitalwas your employer, and by doing what you did, you opened the hospitalup to a lawsuit, which was a very damaging one.”

“I am notgoing away quietly. You think I am the only doctor with skeletons inhis closet?” He looked around the room at the members of theboard. “I know things, and I am prepared to spill my guts.Drugs are being used that the FDA has not sanctioned. Clinical trialsare being shelved because of the awful side effects. I knoweverything-”

“Eric, pleaseadvise your client that if he continues in this manner, we will addadditional charges to the ones he is already facing.”

Leaning back inhis chair, Marcel watched as Eric whispered to his client. A fewminutes had elapsed before the lawyer faced Marcel and the board. “Iwould like a day to confer with my client,” he said.

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