Chapter 6 - The Trap Behind the White CoatCarmine chose St. Jude’s.
That told Clara everything she needed to know about him.
He wanted symbolism.
Roman had met Clara there.
Roman had nearly died there.
Hemlock had lost his hands there.
Carmine wanted the hospital to become the place where Roman Moretti lost something else.
Clara.
The problem was that Clara was waiting.
She returned to St. Jude’s wearing navy scrubs and a temporary agency badge arranged through one of Roman’s legitimate healthcare companies.
No weapons.
No wire visible.
No obvious security.
Leo hated the plan.
Roman hated it more.
Clara had stopped caring.
At 11:16 p.m., she walked into the staff parking garage alone.
Her footsteps echoed.
Level B3.
Concrete pillars.
Fluorescent lights.
The same garage where Hemlock’s career had ended.
Clara reached her car.
A voice came from behind her.
“You’re braver than you look.”
She turned.
Carmine stepped from the shadows.
Two men followed him.
Clara kept her expression neutral.
“Are you following me now?”
“Roman dumped you fast.”
“He didn’t dump me.”
Carmine smiled.
“You dumped him?”
“I discovered that being purchased isn’t romantic.”
His smile widened.
Good.
He believed her.
“He’s obsessed with you.”
“That sounds like his problem.”
“It can become your opportunity.”
Carmine approached.
Clara resisted the urge to back away.
“What do you want?”
“Information.”
“I’m a nurse.”
“You lived in his home.”
“For 2 weeks.”
“You heard things.”
“Mostly him complaining about medication.”
Carmine laughed.
Then his expression changed.
“Where does Roman keep the dock ledgers?”
Clara stared at him.
“I have no idea.”
“Think.”
“I changed his bandages, Carmine. I wasn’t doing his taxes.”
One of the men moved behind her.
Clara’s pulse jumped.
Carmine leaned closer.
“He trusts you.”
“He barely trusts himself.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
His hand rose.
Clara’s body stiffened.
But Carmine only touched a strand of hair near her shoulder.
Disgust crawled across her skin.
“You’re very pretty when you’re angry.”
Clara looked him directly in the eyes.
“Roman almost killed you for less.”
Something ugly flashed across Carmine’s face.
“There she is.”
His fingers closed around her jaw.
“You still think he’s coming.”
Clara’s fear became real.
Because that had not been part of the plan.
Carmine’s grip tightened.
“He isn’t.”
Clara’s stomach dropped.
Carmine smiled.
“We sent him somewhere else.”
A phone rang in his pocket.
He answered.
“Yes?”
His expression changed.
“What?”
Clara saw it.
Confusion.
Then rage.
“What do you mean nobody was there?”
Clara smiled.
“You really should stop underestimating nurses.”
Carmine’s head snapped toward her.
The garage exploded with movement.
Leo appeared from behind a concrete pillar.
Four men came with him.
Carmine shoved Clara backward.
She hit the side of the car.
One of Carmine’s men reached beneath his coat.
“Don’t!”
Clara screamed.
Too late.
The first gunshot deafened her.
Concrete chipped.
Leo tackled one man.
Another shot.
Clara dropped behind the Honda.
She covered her ears.
This was not television.
Gunfire was not dramatic.
It was horrifying.
Violent pressure.
Noise.
Fragments of concrete.
Someone screaming.
Then silence.
Clara opened her eyes.
Roman stood 20 feet away.
He had come from the opposite ramp.
His face was white with fury.
A pistol hung at his side.
Carmine was on his knees.
Leo had disarmed him.
Roman walked forward.
Slowly.
Clara knew what was coming.
“Roman.”
He did not hear her.
Or pretended not to.
“Roman.”
Carmine laughed breathlessly.
“There he is.”
Roman raised the gun.
Clara stepped between them.
Every man in the garage froze.
Roman’s face changed instantly.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Clara.”
“No.”
Carmine laughed again.
Roman’s eyes never left Clara.
“He threatened your mother.”
“I know.”
“He put his hands on you.”
“I know.”
“He tried to have me killed.”
“I know.”
“Move.”
Clara shook her head.
“If you kill him now, you prove everything I’m afraid you are.”
Roman went still.
Pain appeared beneath the rage.
Carmine saw it.
“You let a woman make decisions now?”
Roman’s gun moved.
Clara placed her palm against his chest.
“Look at me.”
Roman did.
“Not him.”
His breathing was hard.
“Look at me.”
Gray eyes met brown.
“You told me you wanted me to see the man.”
Her voice shook.
“Show me.”
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then Roman lowered the gun.
Carmine stopped smiling.
Leo immediately restrained him.
Roman stared at Clara.
“You realize he’s going to prison for the rest of his life.”
“That’s fine.”
“You object to murder but approve of prison?”
“I contain multitudes.”
Roman almost laughed.
Instead, he pulled her into his arms.
Clara froze.
Then she felt him shaking.
Roman Moretti was shaking.
Not from anger.
From fear.
His hand pressed against the back of her head.
“I thought he had you.”
Clara slowly wrapped her arms around him.
“He almost did.”
Roman shut his eyes.
“Never again.”
She pulled back.
“No.”
His expression tightened.
“No?”
“You don’t get to solve this by locking me away.”
“Clara—”
“We solve it by changing the world you live in.”
Roman stared at her.
“That may be harder.”
“I’m a trauma nurse.”
She touched his cheek.
“I specialize in impossible cases.”
And for the first time, Roman Moretti kissed her.
Not her forehead.
Not her hand.
Her mouth.
Slowly.
Carefully.
He gave her enough time to refuse.
Clara did not.
Her fingers curled into his coat.
The kiss deepened.
Everything around them disappeared.
The guns.
The concrete.
The blood.
For one impossible moment, Clara felt completely safe inside the arms of the most dangerous man she had ever met.
When they separated, Leo cleared his throat.
“Boss.”
Roman did not look away from Clara.
“What?”
“We should probably deal with the criminal conspiracy occurring 12 feet away.”
Clara laughed.
Roman closed his eyes.
“I’m going to fire him.”
“No, you’re not.”
“No.”
May you like
Roman kissed her forehead.
“I’m really not.”
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