Page 58 of Ellie 3

I snorted when I glanced over his shoulder and saw four other department heads… Including mine. “We just have to keep it under fifty, yeah? I’m not getting in trouble when my lover owns the damn building.”

“I have a unit here as well,” Dr. James—Sean reminded me.

Right, right.

He had already met Da, but introductions were still made with my uncle and cousin—plus the other department heads.

The police officer who I’d started this all with—a lieutenant—walked in with the others… And gave me a look not to be mad.

“More crashers?” I chuckled.

“It got around and a few captains asked for the address and time,” he mumbled. “Including mine.”

I pointed to Sean. “My department head crashed as well.”

“I’m a rude ass who needed a night off, but I’m a rude ass who brought pulled pork that I made myself,” he told me. “Smoked two butts overnight and it’s my mate’s barbeque sauce. Totally worth me crashing, I promise.”

“I love American barbeque,” Da said and clapped his hands together. “Alright, let’s meet the rest and get food set up so we can play. We snuck in some…” He swallowed down what he was going to say and gave me a worried glance.

The officer who must have been the highest ranking chuckled. “We’re off the clock as long as it’s nothing bad.”

“Just a couple bottles of good scotch and a box of cigars we didn’t claim through customs,” my uncle confessed. “And it’s not even about the damn tax. Last time I claimed anything like that, it was ‘lost’ and I got pennies on the dollar for the value. Such a con.”

“Yes, not everyone is noble,” the officer accepted.

“We’re sure it happens on our end too,” Da said firmly, making it clear that it wasn’t to pick on North America but corruption and hand greasing everywhere.

That eased the tension, and people were thrilled with the spread. A few of the guys from last time hadn’t brought anywhere near as much as the crashers but promised to help clean up after. It wasn’t a big deal, and captains made more than lieutenants and sergeants.

The doctors that had come definitely did. So yeah, all was fair.

Or within reason because of good intentions. One of the cops who didn’t bring much joked about fixing parking tickets or letting someone speed. He seemed to remember he was the lowest on the hierarchy there and looked nervous.

I hurried to jump in before things took a turn since I was the host. I laughed and clapped him on the back. “I cannot imagine what you lads get asked to handle or stupid favors from people you barely know. We get it all of the time.”

Alan took the cue and snorted. “I went for takeout from that place you recommended. The Middle Eastern place?”

“That was so—it’s legit,” I groaned. “We have good Middle Eastern food in London and I was happy to find it here.”

“It’s new and getting mixed reviews because people aren’t used to that type of cuisine,” he said with a sigh but then waved off the thought. “But I was in scrubs because it was after—whatever. I hadn’t changed and was exhausted. Just wanted good food. Had a witch stop me and ask to help her son with his magic.”

“‘You’re a doctor, aren’t you?’” Sean mocked. “Yeah, we get it all of the time and I’m not even picking on magics. I have all species ask me—my brother-in-law is the worst. He’salwayscalling me to diagnose people over the phone or sending me pictures of moles. Even if I was a dermatologist—which I’m not—I’m not giving a diagnosis like that!”

“That’s asking for a lawsuit,” I drawled. “Yeah, try being the youngest child of the Alpha and the one the pack likes to bully the most. They’d have these bullshit medical ‘concerns’ that Iknewthey were making up and bring them up to me at pack gatherings. I’d tell them I wasn’t that type of doctor or they had to come in for a full workup but—”

“Isthatwhy I kept hearing you were a shite doctor and now acting like some big shot elitist?” my cousin asked, frowning. “They were trying to have you diagnose them on runs?”

I nodded, not realizing it had reached his ears. “Oh yeah, and most of it was just hassling me. ‘My stomach hurts after I eatsomething. What do I do?’ Not eat that wasn’t a good enough answer. It wasn’t like they were eating a burger and got sick. They were saying they ate mushrooms in the woods in wolf form. Except they werelyingand knew I wouldn’t call them on it.”

I swallowed what else I might have said when Da looked at me like he’d never seen me before.

“I’m sorry you were treated that way, Hugo,” he said quietly. “I had no idea. I knew too many ran to you with every littlething, but—you’ve even said it that sometimes knowing when it’s serious enough to get checked out is what people struggle with.”

I blinked at him for several moments. “You thought it was only that sort of thing.”

“I did. I’m sorry.”

That healed something inside of me. “I tried to bring it to you once.”

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