Page 31 of Scarred Queen

Reyes unholstered his gun and though he didn’t point it directly at the other man, the doctor froze and lifted his hands from where he was gently maneuvering Casey’s arm away from where she’d wrapped it tightly around her head. “Explain,” Reyes growled, his eyes filled withdeath.

“I’m not your wife’s regular doctor, I’ve never seen a case file and I’m not sure why she suffers from these debilitating migraines,” the doctor spoke quickly, self-preservation uppermost in his smart little mind. “I can’t administer anything that will render her unconscious. I need to make sure there won’t be swelling in the brain that might cause bleeding, or worst-case scenario a stroke.” He held up the IV and a vial of medication for Reyes to inspect. Reyes snatched the bottle from him and read the label. “I can make her far more comfortable,SeñorReyes, administer something that should take the pain away and reduce any swelling. She’ll be able to restcomfortably.”

Reyes reholstered his gun, pulled his phone out and began researching the medications the doctor was proposing to use on his beloved. He immediately found the one he was looking for and skidded to a halt on the side effects. A vein throbbed in his forehead and the scars on his face became rigid when he read the word ‘death’ and he gave the doctor a look that told the man exactly what he was reading. The man held his hands up again and backed into the side of the bed, likely correctly guessing his only ally was the woman curled on her side crying silent tears ofagony.

“Worst case scenario,” the doctor mumbled hastily, “neverhappens!”

“Must’ve happened some time, somewhere for them to list it as a potential side effect, doc,” Reyes snarled, tossing the vial on the bed and pulling his gunagain.

“For fucks sake, Reyes,” Casey gasped from the bed, surging up on her arms, surprising both men with the sudden movement. “Let the man work before I die just to escape this goddamnconversation!”

She collapsed back onto the bed with a pitiful moan. Reyes dropped his gun onto the side table and crouched over her in an instant, both contrite to have caused her pain and delay in relief while simultaneously still glaring at the doctor over her bent body. The doctor did his best to ignore Reyes while he set up his equipment and went to work on Casey, reaching out to take her limp hand in his and press a needle into theback.

Reyes growled low in his throat as he watched the large steel tip enter the tender skin. She looked too small and delicate in that moment to handle this treatment, but he knew he needed to shut up and just let the doctor work. He tried not to jostle her as he watched over her like a wary lion watching his injured mate. It destroyed him to allow another touch her while she was weak. Everything within him wanted to tear the doctor apart limb from limb. He satisfied the dark urges within by telling himself that if this fire continued to rage in his veins once the doctor completed his treatment, depending on the outcome, Reyes may give in to his baserinstincts.

He bent over Casey and brushed his lips against the edge of her ear as the doctor hooked up a saline bag and two medication vials. Reyes listened without interruption this time when the doctor explained that he was administering a pain medication as well as an anti-nauseate. When he finished hooking her up he explained that she would get another dose in an hour. Reyes nodded and dismissed the doctor, telling him to come back when he wasneeded.

The doctor didn’t even look back, he turned around and left, relief clear in every step that took him closer to the door and away from the psychotic Bolivian cartel boss holding him hostage. Reyes held Casey, stroking her back and neck gently when she permitted his touch and backing off when she reached over to push his hand away as even those soft caresses were occasionallyunbearable.

Gradually she began to relax as the saline bag emptied and the medications dripped into her system. He felt her muscles loosen and agony began to release its grip on her. She sighed and unfurled a little from her tight ball. He stroked a hand experimentally down her thigh and was pleased when she didn’t flinch away fromhim.

“Better?” hemurmured.

“Yeah…” she moaned, relief ringing clear in her voice. “Much.”

The doctor stuck his head around the door and asked hesitantly if he could see the patient. Reyes waved the man in. “She seems to be doing better,” he said quietly, unable to tear his eyes away from her face where colour was beginning to seep back into her cheeks, staining them with a healthier pink glow. “Check on her,” he demanded. “Give her moremedication.”

The doctor nodded. “Of course. I think she can take another dose and then she should sleep. This was a stressful event and her body needs rest. Her blood pressure was extremely high when I checkedit.”

Reyes looked up sharply. “Check itagain.”

“Of course,” the doctor agreed quickly and immediately complied. Casey made a murmur of protest when the doctor wrapped the cuff around her arm, but Reyes held her still. “A little high, but within the normal range,” the doctorconfirmed.

He switched out the saline bag and gave her another dose of each medication. Casey happily drifted off to sleep under their watchful supervision now that her head wasn’t at risk of exploding. Reyes nodded his head sharply toward the door. “Walk withme.”

The doctor glanced at Casey as though she might wake up and save him from whatever horrors Reyes was about to inflict on him. Reyes almost laughed out loud. He’d become so enamored of her that he probably would allow her to have the doctor for a pet if she asked. But she was asleep so the good doctor was on his own. As soon as the door was firmly closed behind them he beganspeaking.

“I’m in touch with one of the best neurologists in South America and he’s going to make time to see Casey and myself in a few weeks,” Reyes said. “I understand that you have no family in La Paz. So, between now and when we fly to her appointment you will remain here and become her personal physician. Make sure she has everything she needs and does not suffer if she has another episode.Understand?”

To his credit, the doctor only gaped for about three seconds before responding in the only way he could. “Of course,señor.”

“Good man,” Reyes said and reached for the door, not wanting to leave Casey alone any longer than he had to. “Go see Alejandro, he’ll get you set up with a room. I want you nearby my wife in case ofemergency.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Despite the rockystart to their relationship, Casey grew progressively closer to her new doctor, Miguel Garrido over the following days. She learned far more about neurology and her condition in just a few conversations than she had in almost a decade of unbearable headaches. At first Reyes had hovered over their meetings, relentlessly watching over Casey, pacing and demanding more answers than Dr. Garrido couldgive.

Finally, Casey turned to her lover with irritation while they were eating breakfast and snapped, “You need to leave us alone, Reyes. He can’t work when he’s under constant threat of death and I’m sick of your never-endingmothering.”

The look Reyes settled on her promised retribution for her emasculating comment, though his dark eyes caressed her features with amusement and he raised a thick eyebrow. He bent over her chair from behind as she chewed on a piece of melon and bit her ear. He held her still with a hand on her neck when she tried to flinch away from his teeth and whispered in her ear, “Can I trust you alone with this man,cariña?”

Shivers ran all down her spine at the way he licked the tiny bite mark he’d inflicted. She kept her eyes on her plate, her cheeks heating from the knowledge that they had an audience. She gave her head a tiny nod ‘yes’ and played with her fork wondering what he would do if she stabbed him with it; just a little. Well, she knew what he would do. Retribution as foreplay before fucking her as punishment. A better question was, how fast could sherun?

Reyes lifted his eyes from Casey to the doctor, giving him one of those dead stares that made the recipients desperately wish they’d never heard his name or agreed to whatever ultimately landed them in his presence. No amount of money was worth earning that glare. “But can I trust him alone with you,nena?” he growled in her ear, his eyes unwavering from hisprey.

“O-of course you can,” Dr. Garrido hastily assured him, spilling a little of his coffee as he put his cup down hard on the table. “I have no designs on yourwife!”

Reyes’ nostrils flared and his body hardened against Casey’s back. He removed his gun from the holster at his side and placed it on the table with his hand casually over the top. She rolled her eyes, careful to keep them averted from his sharp gaze and picked up her own cup of coffee to take a sip as Reyes snarled, “Didn’t ask you the question, now didI?”

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