Page 37 of Carved in Ice (Made of Steel 3)

“No thank you.”

“I heard your friend got shot in a mugging,” Dr. Miller said.

“Is that what our mutual friend told you?”

“He did.”

“Did he tell you that it’s his fault that Eli got shot? That he could have stopped it?”

“No. Actually he said that you pulled Eli into a position that made him vulnerable and that you were blaming yourself for hi

s injury.”

“Injury? I don’t even know if he’s alive.” My voice sounded as weak and small as I felt.

“How about you come out here and talk about that? Unless you’d rather me come in?”

“Or you could go away.”

“You’ve been holed up in there for a day and a half. This behavior is unacceptable. You haven’t been eating. Come on. I brought food.” He lifted up a takeout bag that I hadn’t noticed before.

My stomach growled, betraying me. “Are we alone?” I asked.

“I believe so. I’ll be waiting in the kitchen for you.” He retreated out of the room, leaving the door ajar.

If V wasn’t here and Dr. Miller had been able to get in, the apartment was no longer in lockdown. I pushed the comforter off of me, jumped out bed, and ran out of the room. No one was stopping me from seeing Eli. I grabbed my winter jacket off the hook and shoved my feet into my boots.

I wrapped my hand around the doorknob and it immediately shocked me. Ow! I glared at the camera that was pointed directly at me. I grabbed the handle again and it shocked me even harder. “Screw you Athena and V,” I said under my breath. Apparently I was on lockdown, not the apartment.

The smell of greasy goodness floated into the hall. I hung my coat back up and kicked off my boots. I didn’t bother to change. I was wearing one of Eli’s t-shirts, but it was big on me, coming down to mid-thigh. If Athena hadn’t locked me in, I’d be walking the city streets in it. So Dr. Miller could deal.

I sat down across from him at the kitchen table.

He pushed one of the bags at me. “So why aren’t you at the hospital visiting him?”

I ignored him and unwrapped a juicy burger. It was almost angering how he knew exactly what I was in the mood for. I took a big bite and tried to swallow down the resentment.

“Alison? Why aren’t you with him?”

I cleared my throat. I’m a wanted criminal. I’m not allowed to leave the apartment. “It’s family only.”

“I see. You could sit in the waiting room.”

V won’t let me. “I can’t. I’m a mess.” I gestured to myself. Hopefully that would do the trick.

He didn’t say anything.

“Look, thank you for bringing food, but I’m really not in the mood to talk.”

“I’m sorry, I just think it’s odd that you have such a fear of abandonment, but you’d be so willingly able to abandon a friend in need.”

I set the burger down. “He’s not just a friend. I love him.”

“Even more of a reason to go to him.”

“You don’t think I want to be there?” I shook my head. “But it doesn’t even matter. I saw him die. He’s gone.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

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