Her Wicked Plan

13. Veronica

“Go write the letter, Veronica. I’ll see you at our next session.” I mock his words with bitterness as he strolls out of the room. “Dick.”

I swear, if he weren’t so damn attractive and needed for my plan, I would have already done something crazy to get him out of this place. Given the number of doctors I’ve been through, it would be easy enough for me to have him thrown out.

Fifteen doctors.

In my two years in this lovely facility, many doctors have come here, hoping to make me a better person. Some have lasted a few days, others weeks, and some were lucky enough to last a month.

At this point, the asylum should install a revolving door. Doctors come and go easily for me. Once I figure out which buttons to push with them, it’s too simple to send them running.

But then there is Leo, who is about to hit his one-month mark.

As I sit in my chair, the clock ticking is the only sound in the room, thanks to Leo. Eliza sits at a table with another patient now, and they have been playing a game of cards instead of playing the piano.

Maybe this girl she is sitting with will be friends with her. Then she will leave me alone.

Expelling a breath of boredom, I remove myself from the chair and wander the halls. Technically, it’s not really wandering around because I know exactly where I want to go.

With my journal tucked at my side, I check the hall to my right and left before departing the common room.

If there is a wing meant for nurses and doctors, where would it be? There is no way it’d be buried deep within the building.

Dr. Bennett would want them to be somewhere they could remain safe, somewhere that if something serious goes down, they would have an easy escape.

An easy escape. Ha! Must be fucking nice.

Finally making a choice, I turn left and head towards the front of the building. I don’t come up this way too often, but some patients like to sit in the lobby, read a book, and relax. I couldn’t sit in there knowing the front door was right there.

The door that separates me from my freedom. It would taunt me. Tease and laugh at me, knowing I’m trapped within these walls. That I can’t type in a damn code or swipe a card to get out.

I’ve thought about it before. Stealing one of the nurse”s badges. It would be simple. I’ve taken things without them knowing before, but if I were to do that, then what?

The door would open for me, and where would I go? I’d run my ass off, that I know, but… what would wait for me beyond the trees? The thought is scary yet exciting at the same time.

After being locked in here for two years, I am sure nothing has changed beyond those trees. It doesn’t mean I remember the way to go. When I was transferred here, it was in a van with no windows—creepy, I know.

It wasn’t one of those white vans lurking on the streets. This one was an official Black Lake Asylum van. I saw the logo decal on the side when they finally let me out.

The vehicle had no windows, so it was on purpose. They didn’t want us to see where we were going; if we were to succeed in escaping, we would have no idea where to go. Part of me believes I could figure it out.

The memories of being shoved into the back of the van flood my mind. I fought one hell of a fight, clawing at one of the guard”s necks and breaking skin. My parents watched in horror as I struggled.

I screamed for them not to let those men take me, that I would change. Although I was lying through my teeth, I spewed out any bullshit they wanted to hear to keep me at home.

It happened after the trial. The options were prison or this place. Even though I pled insanity, which sent me to the asylum, that didn’t mean I was excited to be sent away. Kicking and screaming in the back of the courthouse. That’s how I went out.

My father’s face was blank. No emotion was gleaming from his face, but my mother... I saw a few tears escape. She wasn’t crying for the daughter being taken away from her. She was crying for the daughter I never was. The one that she somehow failed to raise to be perfect.

My mother didn’t fail me. Neither did my father.

This was who I was destined to be.

I’d been walking blindly, but that didn’t matter because I could navigate these halls while wearing a blindfold or with the lights off—maybe even both simultaneously—and still end up where I wanted to be.

I reach the lobby door, peering through the window to take a peek. Edith was sitting behind the desk, working on her computer as usual.

From here, I get a full view of what goes on behind the desk. Shelves are full of boxes, most likely information about the asylum and new patient documentation. There is, however, a safe underneath where the computer is.

What could be so important that they have to keep it locked up?

It’s as if Edith senses my gaze because her head turns. She offers me a warm smile and a silent invitation to hang out in the lobby. The old woman knows I won’t do it, but that doesn’t keep her from trying.

One day, we will see. She’s been kind to me since day one, and if one of these patients lashes out and does anything to harm her, I’ll kill them.

Plastering on a fake smile, my stare rips away from her, and I twist on my heels. In case of an emergency, the wing would be closer to the entrance because the doctors and nurses should be the first out. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out.

Why would they bother saving us when there are guards on duty?

My feet move without a hurry while I stroll down the dim hall. This hallway is empty except for two doors. Art on the walls would be very much appreciated, but Dr. Bennett says no. He worries we will break the glass and use it on ourselves or each other.

The door to my left is the same one I came through. To my right, there is another door. My eyes scan down the metal, seeing no keypad on it. Why does it feel like this door appeared out of nowhere?

My hand reaches out, the tips of my fingers tracing over the cold handle. What if it is permanently locked? A wing sealed off for some mysterious reason? I guess there is only one way to find out.

Wrapping my fingers around the handle, I push down, and it lets me in. Opening the door, I step softly into a short hall. Two more doors in this area are further apart. I head straight to the one on the left.

Through the glass, I can see a longer hallway lined with doors. It looks familiar, which means it’s not what I’m looking for. With my hands behind my back, I make my way over to the next door.

It is the same as the others—metal with a window in the center. The hallway beyond the door differs from what I’ve seen before, lined with potted plants and furniture. It is homey. This is definitely where the doctors and nurses sleep.

Testing my luck, even though there is a lock on this one, I try the door handle. It doesn’t budge. Why the hell did I even think it would work? I could snag someone’s badge to get me past this door.

Maybe show up to Leo’s room one night. Seduce him. The corner of my lip tugs upward at the thought of that. Fuck, he would enjoy it.

“Veronica?” The female voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

Turning my head toward the person who spoke to me, I am surprised to see her standing there. “Scarlet.”

“What are you doing over here?” Her voice is full of sweetness mixed with confusion. I could ask her the same damn thing. If the hall in front of me houses all the doctors and nurses, she could easily stay there. Or does each ward have its own spaces for doctors and nurses?

Fire burns in my chest at the thought of her being so close to Leo. With how they flirt and everything. He could sneak into her room at night with ease. My jaw tightens at the idea.

“Did you have a session with Dr. Madden?” she questions, still staring at me with unease hidden behind her eyes. “If so, you are at the wrong door. You’ll have to get to his office through that one.”

I scan my eyes to where she is gesturing. That’s why it looks so familiar. That door leads to the offices. I’ve only seen it from the side I enter through. It makes sense for them to have another way to get to their rooms.

“I don’t have a session with him until tomorrow.” My eyes find hers again.

“Okay.” She nods hesitantly. “Then may I ask why you are in this hall?”

“I’m exploring the building. I’ve been here for two years, and there are places I still haven’t seen.” I scan my eyes over her body before looking down the hall I desperately want to be in. “I hear you are the facility”s unofficial tour guide.”

Scarlet clears her throat, her kind demeanor slipping a bit. “I’m only a nurse. I don’t think I’d have the time to show you around.”

“But you’d have the time to show Dr. Madden around.” My head twists to face her. “Playing favorites?”

“I was being nice and welcoming.” Her back straightens up, and her tone sports that professionalism she fakes so well. Nurse Scarlet is trying to assert dominance over me. How cute. “He is a new employee. I thought it would be good for someone to show him around, so I offered to be that person.”

“Did you also offer to spread your legs for him?”

The nurse”s eyes widen, her lips parting. “That is enough, Veronica.”

She storms over to the exit, shoves the door open, and my eyes dance from her to the open space. There is no point in me staying here since I can’t get to Leo’s room. I stride towards Scarlet, pausing when she is at my side.

“Does he know how many other doctors and guards you’ve spread your legs for? Or patients, for that matter?” I tilt my head to the side as her chest begins to rise and fall. “I’ve spent my time in your ward. Remember? Patients listen. Patients talk.” I inch closer to her, getting in her face. “We have nothing better to do with our time, Scarlet. Unlike you, who should focus on helping your patients and not being bent over a desk.”

She swallows hard. Fire blazing in those emerald eyes.

“And that one doctor left. Now you’re going to move in on Leo?” I tsk. “What will he think when he finds out who you really are?”

Her eyes narrow. “You think he will believe you? A psycho patient with a shit ton of mental issues?”

Ah, there she is!

Her diss would hurt most people”s feelings. Not mine, though. I’ve learned to embrace who I am, but she doesn’t know how okay I am with my issues. My nose almost touches hers, and my hands stay at my sides.

“You know, Scarlet. You should never call a patient psycho.” I narrow my gaze to match hers. While she was trying to intimidate me and failed, what she saw in mine scared her. “You know what I’m capable of. Call me a psycho again. See what happens.”

Her eyes dance between mine. “Get out.”

A satisfied smile spreads across my face. “Good choice. See you around, Nurse Quinn.”

I woke up this morning in a good mood after threatening Scarlet. She deserves it. I’m surprised Dr. Bennett hasn’t heard about her... activities. Maybe he has looked past them because she is good at caring for the patients. I’ll give her that.

Also, Dr. Bennett probably doesn’t even care that the doctors and nurses hook up, but goddamn, from what I heard, Scarlet gets around. Leo is her next victim. I won’t allow that to happen.

He is mine.

Only one of us gets him.

Normally, I don’t eat breakfast. I chug down a coffee, get twitchy for a couple of hours, and then calm down when the food served at lunch enters my stomach. Today, however, is different. I scarfed down one of the breakfast sandwiches, which was decent, though mildly cold.

The coffee here is my favorite, even though it is iced. They obviously don’t trust us with hot coffee. Not after a patient threw it in another”s face and caused serious burns.

Why they even thought it was a good idea for us to have hot coffee in the first place is beyond me.

I drink the coffee with ease while ambling through the halls. Man, there is something about a good threat that really puts a pep in your step. I love it when people view me the way Scarlet did last night. The way Eliza sees me.

With fear.

I’m capable of many things and won’t hesitate to use the skills I taught myself, either.

Scarlet has been warned.

As I stroll towards the main entrance of the offices, the thought pops into my mind that she may have gotten to Leo before my session. Scarlet could have told him I threatened her and might have played the weak little victim to get me in trouble.

Maybe she’d tell him about the time I spent in her ward. It was brief; a couple of weeks after I was first admitted, I was irate. I wouldn’t listen to anyone. I”d attack them if someone got in my personal space, so they sent me to Ward R.

It was a hell of a time. The patients there are almost worse than me.

Almost.

They are a huge danger to themselves or others. I am not a danger to myself; even though I could be a danger to other patients, I have control over myself. Sometimes. It”s not until someone crosses that line that all hell breaks loose.

The reason I hold back is that I actually like this ward. No one really tries to bother me anymore here. I have more freedom, and most patients are saner than those in Ward R. I’m still unsure why Dr. Bennett chose one of the safer wards. Why not send me to a few wards below R?

“Ms. Rollins.” Speak of the old man.

“Hey, Henry.” I sip my coffee while I reach the door to the offices.

“Do you have a session today?” He asks as he approaches me, and I nod in response. “Here, let me open this for you. I can walk you to Dr. Madden’s office.”

“No need.” I pat his shoulder as a thanks. “Dr. Madden said I can escort myself to his office. It’s sort of like an exercise. To see how trusted I can be.”

Dr. Bennett”s eyebrow pops up. “I see.”

“Gotta go, I don’t want to be late.” A tight smile forms as I leave him.

The hall goes silent after the door shuts. From behind, I still see Dr. Bennett”s eyes on me, ensuring I get to Leo’s office without wandering into another.Earning trust. It’s a hard thing to do.

Hopefully, it won’t be too hard with Leo. With how fond he has become of Scarlet, I will need to make a move soon before he falls head-over-heels for the wrong girl.

As I approach his office, the door is wide open, and he is talking to someone. There isn’t a response, which means he is on the phone.

“I’m not talking about her anymore with you.” He chuckles to whoever is on the other line.

I stop outside his door, off to the side where he can’t see me yet.

“Yeah, I’m not talking about her either.” He states a bit more serious. “Because she’s my patient.” He whispers the last word. Interesting. “Dammit, Myles. I know... yeah, she is very pretty, but...”

My head snaps towards the sound of his voice. He thinks I’m pretty. Does he talk about me to his friends all the time? Oh, this is too good.

Smiling wickedly, I round the corner and knock on the door”s frame.

Leo’s eyes shoot to mine like a deer caught in headlights.

“I gotta go.” He hangs up the phone before the person on the other end can speak. He clears his throat. “Veronica, come in.”

I won’t let him know what I heard. Not just yet. Shutting the door, I head to the leather chair.

“Sorry, I’m a bit early.” I apologize and take a seat. “I would have grabbed you a coffee, but I notice you drink it hot.”

“That’s alright. I was up early. I already had my caffeine fix.”

“Then I don’t feel bad.” I shrug and sit back in my chair. The cup rests on my stomach, the drops of water from the side of the plastic cup dripping onto my white tank top.

“Do you have a letter to give me?” he asks, uncapping his pen.

“I’m still working on it.” I haven’t even started it. “I didn’t realize there was a deadline.”

“There isn’t. I was just wondering.”

“I’m trying to find the right words to say. You know, in case I want to send it.”

“I’m glad you are taking your time with this.” He smiles at me.

My lips meet the lid of my cup, hiding my smirk. “What are we talking about today?”

Leo inhales a deep breath. “I’d like to know what happened with your previous doctors.”

My eyes stay trained on him while I take a sip, contemplating whether this is a good topic of conversation. He will tell me to deal with it if I throw a tantrum and state that I don’t want to talk about it.

“With the last one? Nothing.”

“That, I know. I’m talking about before Dr. Davis,” he states, turning on the recorder.

“You don’t know about them?”

“I know they didn’t work out, but I was never given the details.”

That makes me laugh. “Dr. Bennett probably didn’t tell you because he didn’t want you to be scared and not take the job.” He nods in agreement. “The first doctor I had was a stiff. Her voice was monotone all the damn time. It made me want to shove pencils in my ears so I couldn’t hear her speak any more.”

“She was boring?” He writes something down. “Not exciting enough for you. Got it. What did you do?”

I smirk. “Those pencils I wanted to pierce my ears with? I stabbed her in the neck.”

Leo pauses his pen and looks at the object in his hand before they lift to mine.

“I spent a week in solitary for that.” I take another sip. “Then the doctor, after that, made a pass at me. He was a fucking creep of an old man. I’m not sure he even took this job to help patients out. I found out he tried it with another patient, too, which set me off.”

“Him trying with you wasn’t what set you off?”

“I know how to handle myself, Leo. Some patients here are weak. They aren’t able to stand up to themselves.”

“Does that mean you care about certain patients in here?” he questions.

“Fuck, no! I don’t care for a sleazy man who can’t keep his hands to himself.” He stares at me, wondering what I did to the man. “The next time he tried, I swiped his scissors off his desk and stabbed him in the hand. He was stuck to the desk. The little bitch was afraid to pull it out himself.”

“Jesus Christ,” Leo mutters under his breath.

“Don’t worry, Dr. Madden. If you want to get handsy with me, I won’t do that to you.” I bat my eyes at him before running my tongue across my bottom lip.

His eyes drop to my mouth, his own parting as his breathing becomes heavy. “You don’t think you could take me?”

It was meant as a joke that I couldn’t physically injure Leo as I did that man, but that doesn’t stop me from allowing my eyes to fall on his lap that’s hiding behind his desk. “Oh, I think I could take all of you.”

When my eyes lift, his cheeks are pink. My words made him squirm in his seat. “What about the lady before Dr. Davis?”

I hate it when he changes the subject. Rolling my eyes at the thought of her, I lean forward and set my cup on the desk.

“She was a raging bitch. Our sessions consisted of her degrading me. Now, I’m a sucker for being degraded... in the right situation.” His cheeks blush a shade darker. “But for someone who should have been trying to help me get better, she sure sucked at it. It makes me wonder where Dr. Bennett finds all these people. I punched her in the nose.”

“No stabbing this time?”

“Nah. Although, it is my favorite thing to do.” I sigh before diving into all the other doctors I’ve had.

“I’m sure these doctors looked better on paper. That is why Dr. Bennett hired them. He wasn’t aware of how they would be once they started working with patients.” Leo informs me after listening to all the ways I’ve made my doctors run.

“You look good on paper and in person. He did a good job choosing you.” My hands press down on the cushion I’m sitting on, my head tilting to the side while I flash innocent eyes.

“What about Dr. Davis? She seemed to work well with you.” Avoiding the flirtatious remark again.

I’m not giving up.

“She surprised me. Dr. Davis seemed to care about my well-being. Never once said she was going to fix me. When I was stubborn, she didn’t put up with it. It was in a way that I didn’t mind. She fought fire with fire. I admired that about her.”

“You don’t seem to have an issue with me putting you in your place.”

He makes this too easy, and he doesn’t even realize it. I stand up, rounding the desk until I’m next to him. Hopping onto the surface, my eyes dance across his face before I say, “I like it when you put me in my place.”

“Veronica,” he warns.

“Don’t you dare change the subject again.” I warn back. “If I have to talk about things I don’t want to, then so do you.”

Sliding over on the desk, I maneuver myself over his chair. Now, he sits between my legs, slouching back in his seat, afraid to get too close.

“You think I’m pretty.”

“What? No... I don’t.” He stutters his words.

“Way to hurt a girl”s feelings.” I pout, pretending to be sad. “I heard you on the phone with whom I’m assuming was your friend.”

“This isn’t a topic we are discussing, Veronica.” He begins to stand up, but I’m faster.

My foot meets his chest, shoving him back into his seat. The wheels on the bottom cause him to roll backward until it hits the bookshelf. With him further away, my feet hit the floor, and I approach him.

“You don’t want to admit it, why? Because I’m your patient?”

His jaw tightens. “Yes. It’s wrong for me to think that.”

“It’s not wrong to find someone attractive,” I reassure him, bending my body to stare straight into his eyes. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you react to my words. When I offered to help you relieve your stress the other day, did you think about it? About all the ways I could help you.”

His tongue pokes the inside of his cheek, a breath of air escaping him through his nose.

My fingertips dig into the leather, and our eyes hold intense contact. Which one of us will break first? I won’t dare let it be me. He needs to prove that he wants this.

Almost like he reads my mind, Leo leans forward in his seat. Our noses touch, his mouth an inch from mine. I can feel the hot breath hitting my lips.

I keep my eyes on him as he drops to find my lips. The tension in the air could be sliced with a knife, and that’s what he does. He slices away the build-up by pressing his lips to mine.

His touch is soft and hesitant as he settles into the feeling. Pulling back a little, his eyes drift to mine, and there is something in his stare that I haven’t seen from him before.

Need. Desire. Hunger.

His eyes have darkened to a shade that would scare most people. One that portrays a predator hunting its prey, but to me, it makes a heat pool between my thighs.

Fucking finally.

Leo’s mouth meets mine again, but this time, he pours all that hunger raging behind his eyes into it. He groans deep in his throat, and the chair is out from under him in an instant. He towers over me with him on his feet now, so I have to crane my neck to deepen the kiss.

A moan escapes me, and the sound leaving my mouth pushes him over the edge even more. Leo quickly scoops me up, setting me on his desk and stepping between my legs.

With his hands still gripping my hips, he pulls me closer to him to feel how hard he is. His cock pressing against my core makes my hands fly up and wrap around the nape of his neck. I need him closer if that’s even possible.

“Fuck.” He mutters against my lips, moving his hips to press into me more.

Our hands are tangled in each other”s hair, and we are fighting over dominance in this situation, but neither will give up the battle.

“Leo, please.” I’m not sure what I’m even begging for. More kissing? For him to take this further?

All I know is kissing him causes my chest to burn. I’ve never felt like this before when making out with someone. It’s foreign, and I hate how good it makes me feel.This might be an issue.

You can’t let it be, Veronica. Keep focused on the plan.

Leo pulls me out of my mind when his hand goes between us. He cups my pussy hard, dominating the sensitive area, causing me to detach from his lips and roll my eyes into the back of my head.

It’s been forever since I’ve had a man touch me. My head is spinning at his touch alone.

“Look at you, Vee.” His mouth meets my neck as his hand applies more pressure. “Practically squirming underneath me, and I’m only touching you through your pants.”

“Oh, fuck!” I moan out too loudly, and Leo is quick to slap a hand over my mouth.

My eyes widen, hot air puffing out of my nose at his fast movement. His other hand starts slowly moving, but it’s not enough.

Grinding my hips against his hand, he grins at how needy I am for him. He is enjoying this very much. It’s exactly what I wanted. What I needed.

But suddenly, his movement falters, and Leo’s eyes snap to the door as if he heard something while I’m in my head chasing an orgasm that has been put on pause.

A sound muffles against his hand as I grunt in protest, but he presses his hand tighter against my face.

“Shh.” It is all but a whisper as his eyes stay trained on the door behind me.

Laughter. That’s what he heard.

Two women walk down the hall laughing mid-conversation. The voices of other people outside this room, not in this little bubble we created, yank him out of whatever trance he was in.

Leo removes his touch from my body and steps a couple of feet back, away from where I am still sitting on his desk, trying to find my breath.

His hand covers his mouth, rubbing against his face as his eyes drop to the space between my legs. I’m so wet that I am soaking through the gray sweats.

I swear I almost hear a noise of regret crawl up his throat, but it’s silenced by his hand. It doesn’t seem to be a sound of regret from what we did. No, it’s almost like regret he couldn’t keep going. That he left me on a high.

“You need to go.” Those were the words he finally spoke.

Anger flares through my eyes, and he flinches when I snap. “Seriously?”

“What happened right then… dammit!” He curses, a hand running through his perfect hair that I messed up. “Veronica, that can’t... we can’t do that again.”

“But you wanted it.” I point out, hopping off the desk.

“It was a moment of weakness.” Leo shakes his head. “I need you to go. Now.”

Slowly nodding, I lick my lips and huff out a laugh of disbelief. Turning sharply on my heel, I head for the closed door. I’m not angry that he is kicking me out, although I’m acting like it.

His mind is going through it right now; emotions are running around, confusion throughout his entire body, and he doesn’t know what to do with what happened between us.

I’ll give him time to come to terms with it.

“Veronica.” The sound of my name stops me in my tracks, my hand hovering over the door handle. Not giving him my full attention, I move my head to the side to see him out of the corner of my eye. “You can’t tell anyone.”

The panic in his voice is pure fear. Poor guy.

“It’ll stay our little secret,” I reassure him, then leave.