Page 18 of Doc

I snort. “The hell you get that term from?”

“What about one of the triplets? I think Petrov and Novikov go well together, make some cute babies.”

“It’s Knightly, remember? We’re trying to keep my affiliation with Uncle Ivan on the downlow.”

“Good luck with that, Zaychik. You were and will always be a Petrov, no matter what your name is. Why do you think I never married your father?”

Ignoring her, even though I know she’s right, and my connection with the Bratva is a not-so-hidden secret, I say, “And we’re just friends, the four of us. I don’t want to have babies with any of my friends.”Mostly because all three of them are batshit crazy.

“Well, there should be someone. Don’t waste your time on just your career, or looking over your shoulder, Synok. That’s no way to live. Take it from someone who’s spent far too long doing that very thing because of the choices they made.”

“I know, Ma,” I reply quietly. “It’s just not that easy for me, for many reasons.” None of which I’m comfortable getting into with mymother.

“When you meet the right person, none of that will matter.”

“Yeah…”

Once more my thoughts turn to Doc.Is he the right person? Hell no, but for the first time in my life, I want to be a little reckless…

“Is this what you do on a weekly basis?” I ask Rose as I help her stock the medical room at the Amato main house.

She shrugs. “We do different things, it depends on what’s going on. Right now it’s quiet, but sometimes we’re busy because the Family can’t keep their hands to themselves. You’ve met Hollis Maddigan, right?”

“Yeah, last week, Doc checked his throat. Looked like a pretty nasty injury.”

Rose laughs. “That’s the least of what you’ll see here. When Hollis and Tennant ‘play’…things can get out of hand.”

I act ignorant. “What do you mean?”

She rolls her eyes. “You saw Hollis’s throat. He let that fucking savage tear into him like a feral animal. I don’t know how anyone could be okay with that, let alone get off on it.”

You’d be surprised.I don’t say that, of course, not wanting to alienate her so soon after being hired. Aside from Doc, Rose is the only one I really have to talk to, especially when we’re here at the main house.

The other staff at the clinic seem…standoffish. I don’t know if it’s because I’m new, or if being handpicked to work for Doc makes me a pariah.

“If you’re going to be judgmental, Rose,” Doc says from behind us, “I will happily put you somewhere else.”

We both turn to Doc, where he’s leaning against the doorframe. I meet his eyes and he grins before turning his attention back to Rose.

“I–I’m sorry, sir,” she stammers.

“You know better,” Doc reprimands. “What the Family does in their free time does not concern us. We are here to bandage their wounds and make sure the idiots don’t die from their injuries, not condemn them because they like rough sex. You’re getting off easy this time, but if I catch you being a judgmental bitch again, I’ll take you straight to the Boss, understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Rose bows her head, shoulders hunched.

This side of Doc is different from the one I’ve been getting to know over the past week. His expression is stern rather than teasing, and there’s a hardness to his voice that I didn’t expect. Gone is the sarcastic doctor who seems to thrive on his own chaos, and in his place is a man who was made to be the Head Doctor to a mafia Boss.

My cock aches at the sudden switch. Already attracted to the man, this new side of him is just as intriguing. I want to put both—all—parts of him on his knees…

Doc speaks again, bringing my thoughts back to the matter at hand. “Since you seem to have forgotten your place,” he tells Rose, “you can go help out at the clinic while Soren comes to Enzo’s appointment with me.”

Rose raises her head, and I think she’s going to protest, but manages to hold her tongue. I admire that because in her place I wouldn’t be able to.

Doc meets my eyes again, and the sharp look in them tells me he can guess at what I’m thinking, so I hold back my words.

Rose and I finish stocking up the medical supplies, and Doc gives it a once over before we all gather our things.

“Iamsorry, Doc,” Rose says as we walk to the front door.

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