Chapter 17
Yawning, I finish inputting the last of my notes into the computer before hitting save. I’m so fucking ready for bed. Today’s been a shitshow and I can’t wait to get the therapists lined up. These fuckers need the help urgently. Hell, I’m beginning to wonder if I need more therapists.
Just as I’m shutting down the computer, my door bursts open, and I instinctively grab my knife, but keep it in my pocket. Marcus stumbles into my office, pale and shaking. I jump up and stride around my desk. I breathe a sigh of relief when Doc walks into the office, hot on Marcus’s heels.
I grab Marcus’s forearm to steady him, before guiding him to one of the guest chairs. I don’t go back around my desk, choosing instead to kneel in front of Marcus. My eyes widen at the tear tracks and raw grief on his face. For a moment, all I can think is that Cole must be dead.
“What’s going on, Marcus?” I ask urgently.
He swallows and opens his mouth before closing it.
He takes a deep breath and tries again. Eventually, he manages to get out, “I…I need help. Please, Javi. I can’t do this.
Cole is home. Fuck. I’m relieved, but the guilt…
Losing my daughter, and then almost losing Cole.
.. I feel like I’m drowning. Like I can’t breathe.
The darkness…it’s there and it won’t leave. ”
He takes gulps of air, his eyes widening as he struggles against imaginary demons, and it’s only my training that keeps me calm. I glance over at Doc, who immediately draws out a needle. Fucker must keep sedatives on him at all times now. Shit. Doesn’t that say enough about what’s going on here?
I gently grab Marcus’s hand, being careful not to move too fast. “Thank you for coming here. And for your honesty. You’re amazing, and you’re doing exactly what you should. This will be hard, but we’ll be with you the entire time. I promise.”
Marcus closes his eyes and shudders. The pain almost doubling him over, and my mind quickly tosses out idea after idea.
The first thing we need to do is get him sedated and resting.
That’ll give us time to put a plan in place.
But fuck, I definitely need more therapists now.
It’s going to be too hard for them to separate all these relationships, and I don’t need them to get burned out either.
Fuck knows the energy of these subjects can wear a person down.
“Alright, the first thing we’re going to do is get you a room of your own. Doc here is going to give you something to help you sleep—something that’ll stop the nightmares for tonight. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go over the options. How does that sound?”
Marcus opens his eyes, and the way he looks at me… Fuck. No wonder Keegan walks around with the confidence he does. A submissive putting that much faith in you? It’s a heady as fuck feeling, and the gratitude leaking off Marcus right now is powerful.
Standing, I offer him a hand and guide him down the hall.
Thankfully, Doc had already gone ahead, and was just stepping out of one of the medical rooms when we drew closer.
I lead him in there, with Doc shadowing our moves silently.
I gently help him into bed, and he holds out his arm.
Doc doesn’t hesitate, sticking the needle in and depressing the plunger.
I sit down next to Marcus and watch as his breaths begin to slow, to calm, and his eyes blink with exhaustion. A small smile spreads across his lips. He gives a deep yawn before whispering, “Maybe I’ll see Amy in my dreams…alive this time. Maybe my angel will be waiting…”
I raise my head and stare at Doc. The hardness there mixes with pity, and I know he’s thinking the same thing I am. Fuck. We should have caught this before it got this far. We’re lucky that Marcus has the self-awareness to come in. It could have been so much worse.
I wait until I’m completely sure he’s out before I nod toward Doc, following him out of the room. I don’t close the door all the way, but we step away from the opening, so we can talk in hushed tones.
“We fucked this one up,” I say grimly. Doc doesn’t reply verbally, but he gives a sharp nod. “I want more therapists. I know, it’s going to be hard, but fuck. I didn’t realize how much trauma Marcus was carrying. And if he is…”
“Then so are Carter and Keegan. Fuck, I know you’re right.
” Doc finishes my sentence, but I can’t take pleasure from it.
With a sigh, he scrunches his face up. “I’ll help make a list with you in the morning.
There’s nothing we can do tonight. I’ll assign someone to sit in there.
Lio likely can come off suicide watch soon.
He seems better on the medications. I don’t want him moved quite yet though.
Not only that, there’s Roman to consider… ”
“Agreed. I want a therapist here first. We can watch that situation, but…”
“Yeah, I know. Fuck. Hollis is not going to like having an entire empire of therapists on hand…”
My eyes harden and my hands curl into fists. “Too fucking bad. I’m not taking any more chances with these fuckers’ lives.”
Doc raises an eyebrow, likely at the venom in my voice.
I force myself to settle. There’s something about seeing a father like this though.
It speaks to a part of me I long thought was dead.
Hell, it's a part I had hoped I’d buried with my old man.
Shaking the thoughts off, I let it go. I can’t afford to get emotionally invested with my subjects. I know better.
And yet…something is drawing me to them. Hunting is bumped up on my to-do list, but I have a sinking feeling from the smug expression Ely had when I left that she knew this would happen. Nobody likes a damn know-it-all…
“Good luck with Hollis.” Doc shrugs and I blink, almost having lost my train of thought, which is always dangerous to do. But thankfully, it was only around Doc.
Then again, do I really want him to see me as weak?
A thought for another time, I suppose. For now, work continues.
As always. Because I will get these fuckers taken care of, whether they want to or not.
But thank fuck some of them know they need help.
I give the doorway to Marcus’s room one last look before waving bye to Doc and heading for my office.
Bed is going to have to wait. I’m too keyed up to sleep. Fuck it. I may as well start searching for more therapists now. An empire indeed…