Page 75 of The Masquerade: Room 2

That’s exactly what I’ll be doing the next time we’re in my playroom. Any disagreements in our personal lives will stay that—outside of this hospital. But if she challenges me, resident to attending, that’s where I have a problem.

I can’t believe she could even think for a second that I would be so shallow and callous with another human being’s life. It bothers me. I might not be a man worthy of her love, but I deserve her respect.

The rest of my day gets worse. The worst it can get. One of my patients didn’t make it through surgery, and even though her chance of survival was heavily tipped toward a bad outcome, I really wanted to beat the reaper on this one. I always do. But this hit me harder. Gloria was a single mom, doing her best to raise her son alone. Now, he’ll be raised by grieving grandparents, and my heart aches for all of them.

Surgeons are seen as cold and detached for the most part, and the job is easier when you don’t let personal feelings get involved. But I’m not a heartless asshole. Sometimes, I find myself too invested in the patients I operate on, and I know what it is to lose a mother at a young age. It plagues me to this day.

Telling her parents that their daughter is gone and their grandson is now their responsibility was devastating. No one should know what it is to bury a child.

By the end of the day, I need a stiff drink, and I head straight for Venom.

“Hey, brother. Haven’t seen you in a while. Where have you been?” Dalton nurses a whiskey sour at the bar.

I slump onto the stool beside him, giving the bartender the nod. Eli knows what I want and promptly sets a glass in front of me.

“In my private room for the most part. Work and play.”

“I heard you and your new sub put on quite the show last week.”

“Yeah,” I say with a wry smile. “She’s fucking amazing.”

“I don’t know how you do it.”

“What?”

“Let another man watch what’s yours.”

It makes me chuckle and heave a large sigh. “It’s different for you. Nad is your wife. I’m just a Master. Freya isn’t really mine, so who am I to deny what she wants to explore?”

“Are you asking or telling? You don’t seem too chipper.” He eyes me warily.

“Work was brutal today, and I’m sure you’ve heard about my new trainee.”

“One of your residents.”

“Gossip spreads like wildfire in here. Thank God everyone signs an NDA for outside these walls.”

“Is it an issue? Naddie could have been disbarred for being with me.”

“No. It’s fine. I’ve just never navigated waters like this before. In so many ways.”

He signals Eli. “Another round of drinks. I think Pierce needs a steady stream tonight.”

“Coming up.”

“Talk to me, Pierce. What’s eating at you?”

“I lost a patient that I was too fond of. I threw Freya off the case this morning because she questioned my ethics as a doctor. You know I fucking pride myself on my work.”

“What did she say?”

“The day I told her who I was, we were in surgery. Her first solo.”

“Why would you tell her on a day like that?” he says as he sips his drink.

“She was choking in surgery when the patient’s heart stopped. It just came out. I told her to breathe, and I called her little one. Was it the smartest move? Probably not. Would I do it again? Yes. She needed to center herself, and as a submissive, she responds to dominance.”

“So, what did she say that got you riled up?”

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