Chapter 3: Sanctuary and Interrogation
The heavy steel security doors of the underground garage closed behind us with a muffled, industrial thud that cut off the sound of the rain entirely. The air down here smelled of polished concrete, high-end motor oil, and absolute wealth. Before the vehicle had even come to a complete stop, Dominic’s armed guards were opening the doors, moving with practiced, military-grade efficiency to secure the perimeter.
"Bring him up to the private medical suite on the forty-second floor," Dominic ordered, his voice echoing off the concrete pillars. He turned his attention back to me as I packed my stethoscope back into my canvas bag. "You're coming with us."
"That wasn't part of an employment contract," I retorted, stepping out of the SUV onto the dry, gleaming floor. My blue scrubs were soaked through and clinging uncomfortably to my skin, and the reality of my unemployment was starting to settle back over my shoulders like lead weights.
Dominic stopped, turning slowly to face me. Up close, under the harsh white lights of the garage, he looked even more formidable. Water droplets still clung to the dark strands of his beard and the lapels of his charcoal suit, but his gaze was razor-sharp. "You saved my brother's life in an alleyway while my own security detail hesitated. That makes you involved, whether you signed a contract or not. Besides, you don't have a job to go back to anymore, do you?"
The words hit me like a physical blow. The humiliation of the hospital office—the clipboard pushed across the desk, the polite, corporate smile of the HR manager firing me for "budgetary restructuring" right after I reported unsafe staffing ratios—flashed vividly in my mind. My jaw tightened. "You had me investigated before we even left the alley?"
"I know who walks past my perimeter," Dominic said flatly, neither apologizing nor backing down. "Maya Lin. Fired twenty minutes ago for flagging contaminated IV supplies that the hospital board wanted swept under the rug. Am I wrong?"
I stared at him, my breath catching in my throat. The sheer reach of this man was staggering. He didn't just watch his enemies; he mapped the entire board. "You play dirty," I whispered.
"I play to survive," Dominic corrected, stepping closer until the sheer presence of him forced me to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. "And right now, Julian needs a nurse who isn't afraid to break rules. Stay. I'll pay off your debts, cover your credentials, and give you resources this city's medical board wouldn't dream of allocating. Refuse, and my men will drop you at the nearest subway station with whatever is left in your pockets."
May you like
It wasn't an invitation; it was a gilded ultimatum. But as I looked back toward the elevator where his guards were already wheeling Julian's stretcher upward, I realized the choice had been made the moment I pulled my stethoscope from my bag. The hospital had thrown me away; Dominic Vale was offering a war, and I had a score of my own to settle with the medical establishment that protected corruption over human lives.
"Forty-second floor," I said coldly, brushing past him toward the elevator. "And get me a dry set of scrubs before I start treating your brother properly."
