Читать книгу All Fall Down - Erica Spindler, Erica Spindler - Страница 19

Boyd watched Melanie walk away, his lips curved into a small, amused smile. He thanked the security guard, apologized for his sister-in-law’s behavior, then excused himself—the very image of calm, control and self-confidence.

Save for the telltale twitch above his right eye.

He cursed the twitch and breathed deeply through his nose. Damn his sister-in-law. Sanctimonious, nosy bitch. How dare she confront him? How dare she come to his hospital and challenge him? Here, he was God. He called the shots—others bent to his will, deferred to his opinion.

She knew nothing about him. Nothing.

On his way past the information desk, he glanced over and found the receptionist studying him, her gaze speculative. The twitch became a spasm. That was how it started. A speculative gaze. A murmured question. A whisper, a rumor, an accusation.

He sent the woman a curt smile, and she ducked her head, obviously embarrassed at having been caught staring at one of the most important people at Queen’s City Medical Center. She should be, he thought. He could have her fired. Today. One call and she would be out.

For a moment, he considered doing just that, then discarded the notion. That would have the opposite effect he desired—singling out the woman in any way would draw attention to him and set tongues wagging. No, his smartest move would be to pretend the woman didn’t exist and today’s episode had never happened.

He made his way to his office, nodding to colleagues he passed, enjoying the way they looked at him. The way they looked up to him.

He intended to keep it that way.

Boyd unlocked his office door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. Melanie had accused him of striking his wife. Big deal. Nobody ever went to jail for that. If Melanie May even suspected the truth about him, he wouldn’t be standing here now, let alone be the chief of thoracic surgery at one of the most respected medical centers in the Southeast.

No, Boyd decided. She was just blowing hot air, up in arms over his and Mia’s disintegrating marriage.

Leave it to Mia to run crying to her sister. Spoiled, sniveling little twit.

He shook his head. When he’d married Mia, he thought her the perfect choice. As a nurse, she had been familiar with hospital politics and had possessed the social skills necessary to further his position within the hospital hierarchy. She’d looked good on his arm and most importantly, been docile, easily intimidated and absolutely enamored with him and the life-style that marriage to him would afford her.

He hadn’t factored into his decision that her hellcat twin sister was a cop.

A cop. A sensation akin to panic settled in the pit of his gut. He had been so careful—about the women he chose, where he found them.

Not about all the women he chose. He had made mistakes.

He crossed to his desk and sank into his chair, only then allowing his guard to slip. Cops had a way of sniffing things out. What if his sister-in-law started snooping around asking questions of his previous colleagues and employer? Charleston was a lot smaller than Charlotte, people talked. What might she be able to dig up? Who might she be able to dig up?

Boyd fought the panic off. Melanie May was a two-bit cop from a municipality the size of the average shopping mall. How much harm could she do?

He snorted with disgust. None. Melanie May was no more dangerous to him than a mall cop.