Table Of Contents
Other Books by Chris Zett
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
About Chris Zett
Other Books from Ylva Publishing
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Other Books by Chris Zett
Irregular Heartbeat
Acknowledgments
Writing my second book was simultaneously easier and harder than the first. The knowledge that I could do it—that I had already successfully finished, edited, and published a novel—helped immensely. Unfortunately, my self-imposed expectations for perfection grew faster than my abilities, and I struggled in representing the characters on the page as I felt them in my heart. But even though writing might be a solitary experience, editing and publishing is a team effort.
I’m very grateful for everyone who helped me to transform this story from an okayish first draft to this novel I’m proud to share with readers.
My beta-readers—Trish and Bianca—gave me invaluable feedback in an amazingly short time. I promise to manage my deadlines better next time!
My publisher Astrid shuffled around deadlines and publication dates so I could rewrite the whole novel, taking out unnecessary secondary characters and adding new scenes on her advice.
My editors—Alissa, Miranda, and Amber—each improved different aspects of my writing. Special shout-out to Miranda for taking up the extra work last-minute and providing such insightful and detailed comments about my characters.
And an extra-big-thank-you-with-ice-cream-on-top to Sandra, who switched roles from senior editor to writing mentor to friend seamlessly and always encouraged and supported me.
And last but not least: Thank you, readers, for buying this book and maybe even my debut novel too. You help me sharing my stories around the globe.
Dedication
For Bianca—thank you for being courageous
Chapter One
“Riley! What the hell are you doing?”
Dr. Jess Riley wrenched her foot off the fluoro pedal to stop the X-ray and inspected the intruder.
Like a pit bull in green scrubs, Dr. Watts charged into the cath lab. He stopped only inches from her patient.
Her team, decked out in full sterile garb, froze.
Jess gave him an isn’t-it-obvious look and pointed at the patient and the big, illuminated X-ray in use sign that should have stopped him. “Whatever it is, now is not the right time.”
“You stole my patient! Are you so desperate for lab time you troll the surgical floor and poach my patients? You bitch!” Spittle flew from his mouth, as he hadn’t even bothered to don the obligatory face mask.
Jess squared her shoulders and rose to her full five-ten. Not an easy feat, as the protective lead apron that covered her body seemed to weigh a ton after the two-hour intervention. Sweat slid down her shoulder blades and soaked her scrubs. She ignored her fatigue and discomfort and fixed her iciest glare on Watts. “I have no idea where your accusation is coming from. But I won’t discuss this here in front of a patient during an intervention.” She didn’t remind him that as a senior attending in the cardiology department, she didn’t owe him or any other cardiac surgeon an explanation.
He held her gaze, not backing down an inch. After what felt like an eternity, he growled. “Nothing to discuss. Your boss will hear from me. He’ll regret the day he decided to cave in to HR and hire a woman to do a man’s job.” He stabbed the door button repeatedly as if the electronic door would bend to his will and open any faster. As soon as the opening was wide enough, he stomped out.
Was he trapped in the dark ages? Jess clenched her jaw shut beneath the mask. The threat he would talk to the head of the cardiology department didn’t faze her in the least. She trusted her boss to have her back, and she intended to have a word with him about Watts’s unacceptable behavior.
But the insinuation stung. Did more colleagues think she’d been hired because of her gender? She’d thought she left this shit behind years ago.
She shook her head to clear it from the emotional fog before tears started to rise. Recently, her protective barriers had been thin like early spring ice, ready to crack at any second. But she wouldn’t allow her hormones to reign and encourage the idiots who still thought women didn’t belong in medicine. Especially now.
“Are you upset? Do you want me to continue?” Scott’s voice oozed with friendliness.
Of course, the boy-scout image was a façade, and he was as eager as the next cardiology fellow to pounce on her territory as soon as she showed any signs of weakness. Sharks. All of them.
Getting worked up over her young colleague helped her to pull herself together. “No.” He wasn’t so advanced in his training that she trusted him with her high-risk patient.
“Hey, I was just asking.” Scott pouted. Not a cute look on him.
There wasn’t a reason to be this short with him, but she wasn’t in the mood to coddle another male ego.
Jess leaned over the sterile drape to check on her patient. He was still snoring softly from the sedative he’d received earlier. At least something was going according to plan.
She met Kayla’s gaze over the face mask. The dark-brown eyes of the nurse showed support and not judgment. “Let’s finish him up and get a cup of coffee.”
The idea of coffee sounded heavenly. Jess pushed the residual traces of anger, frustration, and annoyance to the back of her mind and continued with the angioplasty. The most difficult part had been over before the interruption, and the rest she could do in her sleep.
Fifteen minutes later, Scott wheeled the patient to the recovery room.
Jess peeled off the sterile paper gown and gloves. The draft from the air conditioning sent a trail of goose bumps over her arms. She opened the lead apron to let even more air in and stretched. She couldn’t wait to get off her feet for a short break.
Kayla sorted the instruments from the table, discarding the sharps in the safety container. “Will
