Chapter 2
CHAPTER
TWO
Casey walked through the hospital doors, the fluorescent lights shining down her as she made her way to the locker room.
She tried to shake off the lingering remnants of her nightmare from the night before.
No matter how tightly Max held her and whispered soothing words to her, the fear still clung to her.
As she rounded the corner, she saw her best friend and co-worker, Tracy, standing by the nurses’ station with a beaming smile on her face.
“Casey! You won’t believe who just started working here,” Tracy exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.
“Who?” Casey asked, trying to muster some enthusiasm. She really wanted to focus on something other than the dark thoughts plaguing her mind.
“He is a surgeon. And from the angle I got of him, the man is drop-dead gorgeous,” Tracy gushed, her eyes wide with hearts practically beating out of them. “I swear, he looks like he just walked off a movie set. Tall, dark hair, piercing blue eyes. And that jawline…Casey, you have got to see him.”
Casey tried to concentrate on Tracy’s words, but her mind kept drifting in another direction. She absentmindedly nodded along, hoping her friend wouldn’t notice her distraction.
Tracy continued, oblivious to Casey’s inner turmoil. “Gossip says he’s a very talented surgeon and was highly recommended by some big hospital in New York. And the best part is that he’s single!”
Casey forced a smile. She couldn’t care less how gorgeous the man was or the fact that he was single. She already had her perfect man.
Looking at her friend, she forced a smile. “That’s great, Tracy. He sounds impressive.”
Tracy sealed her lips and raised an eyebrow, noticing Casey’s lack of enthusiasm. “Hey, are you okay? You seem a bit off today.”
Casey sighed, deciding whether to confide in her friend. She knew if she didn’t give her some sort of an explanation, she would never let it go. Shrugging her shoulder as if it wasn’t a big deal, Casey said, “I had another nightmare last night. It was pretty bad.”
Tracy’s expression softened, and she reached out to squeeze Casey’s hand. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. Was it the same one?”
Casey nodded, swallowing hard. “Yeah. The same one.”
Tracy pulled her into a quick hug. “I wish there was something I could do to help.”
Just then, one of the other nurses called out, “Hey, isn’t that the new guy? You know that hot new surgeon?”
Tracy’s face lit up again, and she turned to look. “Yes, that’s him! Casey, you have to look at him,” she said, tugging on Casey’s sleeve.
Casey rolled eyes. “You all kill me. Every time a new hot guy is hired, you all act like those nurses and doctors on that TV show with all the McHotness.”
“Oh, stop it! Not all of us have a hunky Navy SEAL to drool over.”
Casey snorted a laugh. “He’s a former SEAL,” she corrected, and now it was Tracy who rolled her eyes.
“Whatever. He was a SEAL and still looks badass. Plus, he’s working for Rockwell, Inc. It’s considered one of the top security companies in the world. All those guys are badass and good-looking. Hell, even the women who work there are badass and beautiful.”
She wasn’t wrong. Rockwell, Inc., was an elite private security firm. Max was lucky enough to have served with the owner, Tink, back in the day. Max was just getting his ears wet when Tink and the others from the team took him under their wing.
Giving in, she huffed, “Fine. I’ll have a peek so that you’ll stop badgering me.”
Casey reluctantly followed Tracy’s stargazing eyes.
Her blood ran cold when her eyes landed on the man talking to the Assistant Medical Examiner.
A cold shiver ran down her spine, and she felt her stomach twist in knots.
She could never forget that face. He was the son of the monster who haunted her dreams, the son of the man who had caused her so much pain.
Tracy noticed the sudden change in Casey’s demeanor. “Casey? What’s wrong?”
Casey shook her head, trying to compose herself. “I…I can’t, Tracy. I need to go. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Without waiting for a response, Casey turned and hurried down the hallway, her heart pounding in her chest. She could still hear Tracy calling after her, but she didn’t stop. She needed to get away.
She found herself in an empty stairwell and leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath. The memories flooded back, overwhelming her. The terror, the pain, the helplessness. And now, the son of the man who had caused it all was here, in her hospital. How was she supposed to deal with this?
Taking a deep breath, Casey tried to steady herself. She couldn’t let this break her. She had worked too hard to rebuild her life, to move past the nightmares. But as she stood there, she knew that seeing Michael would bring everything back to the surface.
After a few moments, she straightened up and wiped away the tears that had formed. She couldn’t avoid him forever, considering they were both surgeons. She would have to find a way to face this. But for now, she needed to focus on her work and take it one step at a time.
As she walked back to her station, she silently vowed to herself that she wouldn’t let her past define her. She had come too far to let it control her again.
Max was going to flip out when she told him about it.