Page 59 of Consequences
“Spit it out, Cris,” Doc says. “Unlike you, I have actual work to do. Just because you fuckers aren’t bleeding out on my table, doesn’t mean I just sit idle.”
“Doc…” Soren warns, his bright blue eyes narrowing slightly as he looks at the older man.
I watch as my doctor rolls his eyes, but deflates a little, some of his usual caustic behavior being held back just by the warning in his partner’s voice.
Never did I think I'd see the day someone could take the man in hand, but Soren has done that and so much more. Watching the two of them blossom has been everything I always wanted for Doc. Everything he deserved, after what he lived through. Which is why this is so hard.
Picking up the envelope, I toss the invitation across the desk. Doc eyes me before picking it up and reading the invitation.
He doesn’t say anything, but he does look from it to me a few times before throwing the heavy cardstock onto the desk. “No,” he says simply.
“I need you to do this for me.”
“I did my part. I got you Cor. I had to endure an in-person meeting with my mother, to dispel any rumors that might have been spreading about me and Daddy no longer being together, after people saw me with Rose more than once. I put my ass on the line in front of the police to cover up Cor’s kidnapping.”
Leaning forward, I set my tumbler on the desk and meet Doc’s amber eyes, hoping my own hold the right amount of pain at asking him to do this.
“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. Il Padrone believes they may pull more from the elite, since they already snagged Cor. Who do we cover up for? Who do we throw money at so they’ll look the other way? Who has more skeletons in their closets than us? We cannot ignore that they won’t find anything useful amongst high society. They did it once already.”
Doc curses and looks away from me. Soren reaches out and takes his Boy’s hand. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Baby,” he says softly. “He can’t force you.” Soren turns his hard, bright blue eyes to me, as if daring me to challenge him.
We all know I can force this if I need to. They both work for me. Doc and I may have a friendship that goes back over twenty years, but we all know who’s in charge at the end of the day. Iwon’t pull the Boss card unless I absolutely have to, but in this situation, I’ll do it without a second thought.
“Okay,” Doc finally says.
“Baby…”
“No, Daddy. Cristian is right. Whoever is spearheading this, they have a lot of pull. Working for the government or not, there’s no way any of this should have been so easy. Someone with all the right connections is pulling the strings.” Doc smiles, but it’s not a nice expression. “If I can be useful beyond keeping them all alive, then I need to do it. Besides, the Boss might get invited to these things because of the money he donates, but he only ever attends one per year. Deviating from that will create gossip—the kind we don’t want. It’s best to create our own narrative, and we can do that by speaking into the right ears.”
I nod in agreement. “Your name will help open doors that Il Padrone’s and mine won’t. I hate using you like this, Doc, but if it wasn’t so important…”
He gives me a painful grin. “I know. You owe me so much. A bonus, and not only an expanded medical office—I want a whole new clinic. If we’re going to align ourselves more fully with the Martellis, my staff need a bigger space for both sets of men and employees. I need more vetted doctors, preferably contacts at various hospitals we can either persuade or blackmail into working for us on an ad hoc basis.
“What happened with Emilio cannot happen again. I refuse to use hospital resources as much as possible, especially with what we now know about Cor, and our suspicions on other members of the elite being recruited. We cannot afford any mistakes.”
“Done. Whatever you need and want, Doc. I’ll make sure you get it.”
He nods, and for a brief moment, I see the exhaustion on his face, and I hate myself for putting him through this. “Good.Then…” He looks at Soren and smiles a little. “Guess we better get you another tux, Daddy.”
Soren sighs. “Oh yay, more shopping.” Disdain drips from the younger man’s tone and I smile at it, sympathizing with him.
“Il Padrone is sending in Dr. Ranlen,” I tell them. “And I spoke to your uncle, Soren. He is willing to send David in as well. He can’t help you with your objective, but Petrov assured me that his son knew enough key players to be useful.”
Soren nods. “David likes the word games, and being able to get wealthy people to agree to sell their souls to the Bratva. He’ll be good at keeping us in the loop of who’s who.”
“Then between the four of you, I expect results, understand? But please, be careful. We know they have eyes and ears in places they shouldn’t. I don’t want any of you getting hurt for this.”
Doc widens his eyes and tries for an innocent expression. “We’re just there to support a good cause, Cris. We don’t want any trouble.”
Groaning, I pick up my glass and knock back the rest of my drink, praying this isn’t a mistake.
Icarefully make my way to the playroom. At this point, I can only be glad the black room isn’t still around. I know that it’s time to face the music for disobeying Allesandro while he was gone, and while I certainly don’t regret having Tennant…this is the first time I’ve been in major trouble. The only other infraction I had was mild compared to this, and I fucking know it. Ditching guards is nowhere near betrayal…
As soon as the room comes into view, my legs lock up. Il Padrone is outside. Waiting. And that’s never a good sign. I force myself to keep moving as I carefully study him. Lio may have found warmth in him, but fuck if I know how that’s possible. Those penetrating icy blue eyes hide everything when he wants them to, and right now, as I draw closer, it appears the only thing he’s willing to show me is a mixture of hatred and disgust.
I stand in front of him, struggling not to tremble as he stares at me with such contempt. I drop my head in submission, murmuring, “Padrone.”
"So...do you want out of this Family, Benjamin? Or maybe you think you can take my job? That you have the right to make the decision of a Master? You want to show cruelty? I'm surprised, but maybe you learned from Jax. Maybe you prefer his style, his selfishness. If that's what you want, here is your chance."
