Kai's POV
"Please," Talia said. She stepped past me. The two men still blocked the door.
"We can pay. Whatever he charges, we'll pay it. Our friend is dying. We just need five minutes of his time."
The bigger one had a shaved head and a scar through his eyebrow. He did not blink.
"Told you already. He's not available."
"Then make him available," I said. My patience cracked.
"I don't care what his schedule says. I don't care what rule you think you're protecting. A boy is dying two hours south of here. Nobody treated him properly. You're standing in a doorway, telling me to wait for four weeks."
The leaner one looked at his partner. Something passed between them. I couldn't read it. Neither moved for a long moment.
Talia kept talking. Her voice cracked. She offered more money. The n
