Page 16 of Rage

“It’s fine, really,” I assure him, squeezing his hand.“Let’s not let him ruin our breakfast.”

Mason nods, but his eyes flick over my shoulder again, tracking Dr.Peterson’s movements.I can practically see the gears turning in his head.

Cindy arrives with our food, momentarily breaking the tension.The smell of syrup and bacon fills the air, and my stomach rumbles appreciatively.

As we eat, the conversation flows easily, ranging from childhood memories to our favorite movies.Mason’s hand never strays far from mine, whether it’s a brush of fingers as we reach for the syrup or his palm resting on my knee under the table.

I’m laughing at one of Mason’s stories when I feel eyes on me again.Glancing up, I notice Dr.Peterson staring openly, a smirk on his face.My laughter dies in my throat.

Mason’s eyes harden, muscles tensing beneath his leather jacket.Without a word, he stands.

“Mason, don’t—” I start, but he’s already moving.My heart pounds, watching him stalk toward Dr.Peterson’s table.

Mason leans down, voice low and menacing.I can’t hear the words, but I see Dr.Peterson’s face drain of color.His smirk vanishes, replaced by wide-eyed fear.

Mason straightens, clapping a hand on the doctor’s shoulder.It looks friendly, but Dr.Peterson flinches.

When Mason returns, his smile is back.But there’s a hint of danger in his eyes, a predatory gleam that sends a shiver down my spine.

“Ready to go, darlin’?”he asks, tossing bills on the table.

I nod, throat dry.As we leave, I can’t help but glance back.Dr.Peterson stares at his plate, hands shaking.But there’s something else, a flash of anger in his eyes that makes my stomach clench.

Outside, the cool air hits my face.Mason helps me onto the bike, his touch gentle despite the tension radiating from him.

“What did you say to him?”I ask, unable to contain my curiosity.

Mason’s jaw clenches.“Just made sure he understood some boundaries.”

I wrap my arms around his waist as he starts the engine.The bike roars to life, vibrating beneath us.As we pull away, I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t over.Dr.Peterson’s angry glare lingers in my mind, a warning of storms to come.

three

Mason

The doctor is long forgotten by her, we’re at the clubhouse where she’s sitting at a table with some of our club princesses.

I love seeing her here; this club is my life.

I spot Konrad coming in through the door and I nod at him to follow me toward his office.

He shuts the door behind him.“You feeling sick?”he asks me and sets down his bag that makes a loud thump from all of the papers.

“No, but I wanted to ask you about a doctor named Peterson.”

Konrad’s brow furrows as he considers my question.“Dr.Peterson… Yeah, I know him.Works in OB, I believe.Bit of an asshole, if you ask me.”He leans back in his chair, eyeing me curiously.“Why do you ask?”

I clench my jaw, the image of that creep staring at Meadow flashing through my mind.“He’s been giving Meadow trouble at the hospital.Nothing concrete yet, but I don’t like the way he looks at her.”

Konrad’s expression darkens.“That doesn’t surprise me.There have been… rumors about him.Nothing that could stick, but enough to raise eyebrows.”

“What kind of rumors?”I demand, my hands curling into fists at my sides.

Konrad sighs, rubbing a hand over his face.“Inappropriate behavior with female staff and patients.A couple of nurses have complained about him making them uncomfortable, but without hard evidence, the hospital hasn’t done much.”

Rage builds in my chest.The thought of that bastard harassing Meadow, or any woman, makes my blood boil.“We need to do something about this,” I say, my voice low and dangerous.

Konrad holds up a hand.“Easy, Mason.We can’t just go in guns blazing.We need to be smart about this.”

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