“Whatever. So tell me about your doctor. I feel like I’ve missed a lot,” he changed the subject.
I smiled. “Dr. Mead is my doctor, but we’ll be seeing the PA, Joanie Dooley, today. I have to see them all just in case my doctor is out of town or at a birth or something when I go into labor.”
Michael nodded, but his eyes had clouded like he did when he was concentrating on something.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head, and when the elevators dinged, signaling we’d arrived at the floor I needed for the doctor’s office, he froze.
I’d already walked out and turned the corner before I realized he wasn’t following me.
“Michael?” I called, turning around and looking for him.
I found him still inside the elevator, his hands on the doors to hold the door’s open.
“What doctor’s office do you use?” He hissed.
I reeled back at the vehemence in his tone.
Blinking, I said, “Women’s Center. Why?”
Michael yanked me to him, then further pulled me to the stairwell.
“What, Michael? What is it?” I asked in alarm.
He didn’t stop until we were three floors up, and I was breathing hard from exertion.
He yanked the door open to the sixth floor, and pulled me right along with him.
Once he saw that the coast was clear, he visibly relaxed.
He let me go almost immediately, then pulled out his phone and placed a call.
“Yeah, my woman’s been going to the Women’s Center for months now!” He hissed quietly into the phone, looking around him as he inspected the empty hallway. “Why didn’t one of you fucking catch that?”
I blinked in surprise.
“Yes, she’s fine. And no, you told me you had the place under surveillance. You should’ve known!” He half yelled.
I refrained from saying, ‘You should’ve known.’
Instead, I kept my mouth shut and pulled out my phone, taking a seat at a small chair that was next to a potted plant.
I immediately saw that I’d be late if he didn’t hurry up, but I figured whatever it was was important if he had reacted the way he had at realizing I was going to a certain center.
Then realization dawned.
He’d only care about where I was going if the place was dangerous.
And there’d only been one case he’d been working on lately that would’ve made sense to warrant this reaction from him.
And I had a feeling I knew exactly what it was.
And I was nauseous again.
Mother fucker!
A cold sweat started to pepper my skin, and I visibly started to shiver as I jumped to conclusions.
Michael continued his seething conversation with the person on the other end of the line, and I started to let my mind wander.
Had I let some killer get close to my baby?
What would happen to us now?
Would the baby and I be in danger?
Could I switch doctors?
I’d have to drive out of town to go.
The Women’s Center dominated the entire Ark-La-Tex. There was only one company in the area that worked with my insurance, and I had a feeling I’d be finding out what panic felt like very soon.
Then sorrow started to fill me.
Had all those women come here, given their trust to one of the doctors or nurses, then had their faith ripped away when they’d shot those poor women and their husbands?
“This is it. We do this today, and tomorrow she finds another doctor. Do you hear me? I’m being one hundred percent serious. If anything happens to her, there’s not one thing on this goddamn earth that’ll save you from me. And no, I don’t fucking care that I’m threatening an FBI agent,” Michael growled.
Then slammed his phone shut.
When he turned to me, his eyes immediately went soft.
“I’m so sorry, Nik. Had I known, I would’ve never let you come. I swear on my life I’ll protect you,” he promised, dropping down to his knees beside me and wrapping his arms around my midsection.
I moved my head, resting it on the top of his.