Page 19 of Dr. Bell

“Bodyguard? Is that necessary?” I questioned. The sinking feeling that this man was just…different resurfaced.

Adir and Russ glanced at each other, which in turn caused me to bounce my eyes from man to man until Adir reached for my hand.

“Let’s take a walk,” he said.

I’d already walked but fell in step beside him. His stride was longer than mine, but he walked slowly enough so that Ididn’t feel like he was dragging me. We started down the long driveway, with neither of us saying a word. Once we exited the tall wrought iron gate and hit the street, Adir exhaled a deep breath.

“You’re more than a doctor, aren’t you?” I asked anything to keep my mind from wandering into the trenches. His hand holding mine felt too right and too familiar.

Adir smirked. “My family is one fourth of the most powerful families in the South.”

Shit.

“It’s been that way since my great-grandfather settled here. In his teens, he worked as a cement layer. By the time he was twenty, he’d saved enough money to buy some land and build his first home.”

Adir pointed to a house in the distance.

“Allistair and three of his closest friends built that house. One Bell Place is what we call it. It’s still fully functional.”

“Does anyone live there?”

He shook his head. “We use it for family gatherings.”

“So… Outside of Bell Estates, there’sstillmore of you?”

He chuckled. “Yep.”

Laughing, I couldn’t believe it. “So, are you the head family physician?”

“Among other things.”

“What does that mean?”

Briefly, he met my eyes. Those eyes that stared at me in Smooth Brew were still as dangerous as ever.

“I’m the head of my family.”

This was even worse than I thought. “That’s why everyone moves when you say move.”

He laughed. “You make me sound like a drill sergeant.”

I simply shrugged. We walked a little way before he spoke again.

“Dr. Bell & Associates caters to the streets. Meaning, we see it all. We treat any and everything a normal emergency medical facility does. We just do it without involving the laws.”

I stopped to look at him. “How do you even get away with something like that? Aren’t you afraid of losing your license? Hell, what about the police? They have to know what you’re doing.”

Adir pinched my chin and said, “Relax, sweetheart.”

I didn’t realize my hand had tightened on his and my forehead was all scrunched up in concern.

“What if I told you there’s many like me?”

“I wouldn’t believe you.”

Chuckling, he tugged me along as he started walking. We were coming upon his parents’ mansion. It was just as grand as his.

“Well, whether you believe it or not, it’s the truth. Many of us choose to walk this path because it’s the cloth we’re cut from.”

---