Page 101 of Bet On Me, Daddy

“Sorry.” Embarrassment heated Ruby’s cheeks and she wished she could just crawl under the exam table and die. “I didn’t mean to actually say that.”

“No apologies necessary.” With a saucy wink, she looked down at the tablet in her hand and pressed a few buttons. “I’m Dr. Winters and I’ll be your physician today. Let’s see. Mr. Stone says you’re congested, fatigued, and you’ve got yourself a pretty nasty cough. Is that right?”

“Yes,” Beckett answered, cutting Ruby off before she could even open her mouth. “She was wheezing all night and she’s been coughing constantly.”

“Would you like to give her a rundown of when my last period was, too?”

Ruby’s sarcastic response earned her a glare from Beckett, but an approving smile from Dr. Winters. “You tell him, Ruby.”

“Need I remind you who pays your salary, Dr. Winters?”

To Ruby’s surprise and utter delight, the doctor simply met his stony gaze with a cool, level stare of her own. “I spent Christmas Eve setting a broken leg for a mafia enforcer for one of the city’s most dangerous families. Do you really think you scare me, Mr. Stone?”

Silence fell, filling up the room until Ruby wondered how anyone could breathe.

But then again, maybe that was just because her nose felt like it had been stuffed with cotton.

“Sorry.” Beckett flashed a smile that managed to be both sheepish and charming. “I’m being an asshole because I’m worried about my girl.”

“Apology accepted. Now, let’s see what we can do about getting Miss Ruby fixed up so she can continue giving you hell.”

After a brief exam where Dr. Winters checked her throat and listened to her lungs, the doctor stepped back and met Ruby’s gaze with another of those bright smiles. “Well, it sounds like you’ve got yourself a case of the flu, Miss Ruby. Plenty of rest and fluids should do the trick. Do you need a doctor’s note for work?”

“Oh god!” Panic had her sitting up straighter, patting her pockets for her phone. “I totally forgot to call out! They’re going to fire me!”

“It’s been taken care of, Ruby Red. They called this morning and I let them know you’d probably be out for a few days.”

“Oh, thank god.” Placing a hand on her chest, she flashed him a grateful smile. “I cannot afford to lose this job.”

Something flickered across Beckett’s face, but it was gone again too quickly for her to really pin it down. “Don’t worry about that right now. Worry about resting and getting better. Dr.Winters will get you that note and I’ll let Braden know you’re out of commission for at least a week.”

“Aweek? I can’t miss a week of work! I have bills to pay!”

Dr. Winters cleared her throat. “If you can swing it somehow, I would highly recommend the full week. This is one of the worst cold and flu seasons I’ve seen in a while, and I’d hate to see you back here with walking pneumonia, Miss Ruby.”

“We’ll figure it out, baby.” Brushing the hair back from her face, Beckett leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. “Daddy’s got you,” he murmured, dropping his voice low for only her to hear.

It was meant to be reassuring. And to anyone else, it probably would have been.

But to Ruby, all she could hear were the sounds of another cage closing around her.

CHAPTER 34

BECKETT

Ruby was silent the entire drive back to her apartment, and if he didn’t know any better he would say she was pouting. Which, when he thought about it, she probably was since she hadn’t gotten her way about taking the week off work.

Not only had Braden given her strict orders “not to show her face in the club until her Daddy gave her the all-clear”, her manager at the coffee shop had also told her very firmly to take as much time as she needed.

It was good to know some people actually cared about their employees.

“How’s your throat feeling, baby?”

“Fine.” Arms crossed, she slouched down in the passenger seat of his car.

“Oh, that’s a shame.” He deliberately kept his tone light and breezy. “I was thinking if it was still bothering you, I could see about having some ice cream delivered to the house.”

“Ice cream?” That seemed to perk her up a bit and she sat up straighter. “I could go for ice cream…”

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