Page 75 of The Healer

He opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head, needing to share her thoughts.

“You know as well as I do, confidence is key. The patients, their family, need to believe I will do my utmost. But even if I sacrifice my soul, I’ll have no impact on the outcome.”

He released a long sigh. “It’s what we have to learn to live with, Ilona. The illusion of control. You might find the cancer early, you might throw the best medicine we have at it, but still, the patient dies.” After placing his cup beside hers, he grasped her hands. His were warm and soft, so unlike Rhys’s. “I’ll let your position go to the next candidate, but you’re making a mistake to give up on this, on you.” With a squeeze, he leaped to his feet and circled his desk to rummage in his top drawer.

He held out an orange business card.

She took it with trembling fingers and read the white cartoon lettering.

Dr. Sarah Olson

Pediatrician

Heartstone Pediatrics

“Olson?” Ilona arched a brow.

“Ex-wife.” He smiled. “Still damn good at what she does. I’ll send her your file, my interview notes, so expect a call.”

“But Heartstone’s in Inner City.” Ilona gaped, torn between the flood of relief softening the tension in her back and warming her heart against the stubborn determination not to succumb to Rhys’s offer.

He did have a laboratory, and if she shared her plans to research shifter blood, she might have access to an endless supply. How he reacted might be the deciding factor on their compatibility. If her boyfriend was researching human blood, would she react negatively? She hoped, with her medical background, she would be more open-minded. But Rhys wasn’t in a medical field.

“It’s close to Coedwig.”

She knew just how damn close it was. Shit, she wanted to see Rhys’s face when she told him about moving to Inner City and her research.

“I’ll call her tonight, and text you the details. Get your affairs in order, Ilona. The interview could be within the next three days.”

“Three days?” Could she have the house packed by then?

“Sarah’s impulsive, relies too much on her instincts. If she decides to see you, then you better be ready.”

Ilona released a held breath with a whoosh and rose, running her palms down her denim-encased thighs. “Okay, Dr. Olson. Thank you.”

“Don’t give up on your dream, on what the medical profession meant to your parents, Ilona. That’s all I ask.” He circled his desk and cupped her elbow for a squeeze.

“I’ll try. Might just follow my grandfather’s footsteps and open a clinic.” She shrugged. Coedwig had been quiet and undemanding except for the crazy scientists and hopeful suitors.

Dr. Olson grinned. “Or that.”

In a daze, she sat in the parking staring at Dr. Sarah Olson’s business card. Before she started the engine, a text message came through. True to his word, he had reached out to Sarah, and Ilona was to meet with her as soon as she could.

Shit. Now all she had to do was pack two homes and relocate. No biggie.

Chapter Twenty-Five

ENOUGH

“Idon’tgiveashit how you feel about this, Callie.” Rhys narrowed his gaze on her. “Your presence disrupts the teams.”

Jo-jo’s head snapped up, and her eyes widened. Gabe pushed off the wall, his shoulders squaring as a scowl skewed his face. Dimitri sniggered where he sat in front of the unlit fireplace in the de Winter hold, sipping cognac.

Callie opened her mouth to speak, but Rhys postured, throwing out his alpha vibes.

“Just because you’re a vampire doesn’t give you the right to do as you please.” He sucked in a calming breath when his bear clawed the walls of his confinement, roaring for release. “You’re law enforcement first; everything else is just gravy.”

She opened and closed her mouth on a snap. Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink. Gabe chuckled, thumped Rhys on the back before kissing Callie’s temple and striding out.

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