Page 42 of Carved in Ice (Made of Steel 3)

“That’s something an alcoholic would say. You do realize that, right?”

V didn’t respond.

I stood up without the help of his offered hand. “Seriously, V, just let me go. I’ll wear…sunglasses.”

“It’s 7 o’clock at night. That would be incredibly suspicious.”

I followed him into the kitchen. My wrath was gone. I was just exhausted and depressed.

V slid a glass of wine down the kitchen island.

“You could lose your license for this, you know.” I caught the glass before it teetered off the edge.

“What?” He took a sip of wine from his own glass.

“Isn’t that what it’s called? For you to practice medicine or something like that?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

I took a huge, ungraceful gulp of wine. “I know who you are, V. You don’t have to play dumb anymore.”

He just stared at me as I downed the rest of the glass. Numbing my pain didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

I cleared my throat. “Dr. Miller,” I said with a wink.

“What about him?”

“He’s you.”

V laughed.

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“I told him all about you being a superhero and all that and he already knew all of it. Because he’s…you.” I walked over to him, grabbed the bottle off the counter, and took a sip straight from it.

“I’m not Dr. Miller.”

“Right.” I winked at him again.

“Why the fuck do you think I’m Dr. Miller?”

“Language, good doctor. They’re going to strip you of your license if you go around talking to patients like that.”

He just stared at me.

I took a swig from the wine bottle. “Of course…we both know you’re not too worried about your license. You slept with a patient after all.” I pointed at him with the wine bottle.

“I’d say you were drunk, but you literally only started drinking a few minutes ago. So clearly you’re just insane.”

“Take off your mask.”

“No.”

“But I paid attention. I did just what Dr. Miller said and actually listened. To all the clues. To all the signs. So now you can show me the light in you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Dr. Miller said that this side of you,” I waved the bottle at him, “is the dark side. Which is obvious. You ooze venom. And then he said that you didn’t think I was ready to see the light side. But I am. So just take off the stupid mask.”

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