Page 14 of Bloom: Part 2

“Yeah, well, we’ll see about that.”

The taller one smirked, gripping my car keys tightly in his hand. He swaggered over to the sleek midnight-black Aston Martin. I watched helplessly as he fumbled with the door and finally swung it open. The shorter one kept his gun trained on me, his eyes never leaving my face, even as he backed away.

They clambered into the car, the tall one taking the driver’s seat. Through the clear glass, I met his gaze one last time. His grin was cocky, full of unearned confidence. The engine roared to life, and they sped out of the parking lot, leaving me alone in the eerie silence.

Without shoes.

I watched them go until the car’s taillights disappeared from sight, swallowed by the darkness. Sighing heavily, I pulled my coat tightly around me.

Fuck.

“Dr. Collier, are you okay?” Sven hurried toward me, his voice high and tight like a bow stretched too tautly. “I saw the whole thing and got it recorded on my phone. We should call the police.”

I loathed the idea of calling the cops, especially after they’d shown how incompetent they were in handling the hostage situation at the hospital. But they’d taken my credit cards, ID, driver’s license—everything.

“They took my phone,” I said.

“We’ll call them on mine.” Sven stopped next to me, his hand on my shoulder as though steadying me. Or was it himself? He was shaking like a leaf during a storm. “Hello? Yes, this is Sven from the Smoky Vale General Hospital, and I’d like to report a crime…”

Sven summed up what had happened for the dispatcher while I studied the cracked asphalt under my socked feet. It could have been worse. My family could have found me. My bank cards would be the last thing to worry about. A dead man had no use for cash or credit.

As Sven continued his frantic conversation with the police dispatcher, a calmness settled over me. The adrenaline had faded, leaving behind a strange, almost surreal sense of tranquility. Moonlight filtered through the high sodium-vapor lamp posts scattered around the lot. Bloom had thought he was bad luck. MaybeIwas the bad luck. All these incidents involved me. Was the universe telling me something? That my time was almost up? To set my affairs in order?

“The police are on their way,” Sven said. “A unit is close by. Do you want to sit in my car and wait?”

“No, waiting here is fine. Thank you, by the way, for calling.”

“Of course. I couldn’t believe they would be so brazen as to rob one of our staff.”

“Except I’m not on staff anymore.”

“Technically, you are until they wrap up their witch hunt.”

I snapped my head back and stared at Sven. “Witch hunt?”

He rolled his eyes. “Of course. Everyone can see that Andrews has it out for you. You’ve gained more popularity at the hospital than he’d ever received in all his time here. Not to mention the way you advocate for better conditions for all. The staff appreciates that.”

“Really? Because I’m quite certain they blame me for what happened.”

“Okay, maybe they do, but that’s because it’s the human way to look for someone they can vent their frustrations on. And it doesn’t help that Andrews is running with that narrative. They all think you tried to save your hide while leaving us all to hang.”

“And you don’t think that as well?”

“Please. I’m not a sheep. Besides, I’ve interacted enough times with your boyfriend to believe you that you had no idea he was going to stop you. He’s a stubborn one.”

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. Sven was more observant than I’d given him credit for. Just how much did he know about my relationship with Bloom? Did he also think I was taking advantage of Bloom’s childlike innocence?

“I have to say, though, he keeps us entertained by his antics. He’s perfect for you.”

My tongue loosened. “How do you figure?”

“You’re like this emotionless pit waiting to be filled, and he has all these big emotions to pour into it. See? A perfect match.”

Well, when he put it like that, it seemed true. Except I didn’t lack emotions. I just wasn’t good at showing them to everyone. Bloom had worked past that defense mechanism and knew well enough how emotional I could be.

“You like him.” I shifted so I could see the nurse’s face better in the dim parking lot. He widened his eyes a fraction, but he quickly composed himself. “Do you have a crush on Bloom?”

5

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