gela,

rs ea

YKA

rs. Right now we all did. Wh

lain. What happened to the others w

the ambush yet? Who wanted to mu

y. A crime this violent couldn't b

rible dream and my own reality would

al opposite of what I pictur

say who caused all of this. Maybe they all thought th

ept se

nything. Or did he

fee and blood. "Shit." I leaned against the cold wall

remote estate with my best friend and his parents.

every freakin' minute. The nagging voice in my head kept saying being stuck

k. Too much stre

with Miles was supposed to be a q

ging out with his fo

Unwind a bit," Mile

irthday with his p

iend-girlfriend and get

e to Miles an

New York to ch

t at all impossible to complet

y down here in this dim basement, I just knew this makeshift operat

ith my best friend. Should've just said no to Miles the first time

ezing my eyes shut until my vision went

okay,

k

the point of a nervous breakdown, then sur

u need

ed. Thanks." I turned my back to the two men

le of this dingy storage room. Old, but not filthy. Still in good condition. The other rooms

ank God! No one within my

eaking ni

the room to walk off the daze. The barrage of negative thoughts just ruined my

s. Duty called. So I had to help. I was not the right person for the job. Yeah.

and all. But I was still years away from being a licensed physician. And so und

cted I could just stitch up the guy and send him home with no qualms. No hiccups. No threats of bad infect

ne co

armed men standi

norina." [S

security staff who helped me stop Mystery Gu

, meeting upstairs. We also need

Mr. Falco probably wanted his security team to regroup. Discus

daged, half-conscious guy somewhat grunting on the bigger steel table. Ital

the cross tattoo on his arm reminded, his Italian

n this estate. "Yeah. Sure," I sighed. "For now.

ase

dark-haired guard slightly bowed h

oser to the table. We watched the patient closely. The fairly ta

for new instr

u okay?"

nod

omething, or someone," I tried to say as calmly as I could. "You s

a slight frown, a look of unce

d. Is he

N

nows about, um, wh

. "His assistant alrea

t's it? The brother wa

lane arrives." With his arms crossed, t

local, but also Italian, ba

," I m

ery Guy's brother

medical team will be here lat

d." But

ou again

plied with a quick smile. "Sor

er

ce to m

zio. Tomassini. Ju

anymore. But like I said, he needs to see a doctor ASAP." I glanced at Mystery

move h

er rest." My hand clenched around the edge of the steel table as we waite

l g

ly

i

sk

rk brow

he smelled

this afternoon. He could be falling asleep, but his deep scowl and the constant fid

ould knock him out. "Can't give hi

r his half-naked boss and m

r. Tomassini. Mostly his. Some used and unused m

e clinical interview. Jot down more specific detai

mained shut. Maybe he wanted to sleep the rest of the

reat back there. Y

ave a tight smile. "Yo

N

e Maximilian

ere a little more than friends on vacation with his family, espec

ng." Berto sighed, his faint accent re

an architecture, give or take 15 bedrooms, a pool, an insanely huge garden with a labyrinth

he VP for Operations of their family business. A

now and then. Monitor his vitals and all." I glanced down at Mr. T

younger than me, but old enough to be working for the Fal

seem to mind that my brain was just too

Mrs. Falco," the guy rep

. Thank God I didn't have to stitch up all of her wounds. The blood transfusi

anything e

we gotta

d wiped the sweat off his for

t monitoring. Proper bedside care." Honestly I might just panic-cry if some internal complications or a scary infe

ead." The man

?" I nodded

t h

I glanced ar

r," Berto muttered

i's phone out here would put him at risk? A

es

geting on the steel table. His voice remained

stepped closer to his head

hick brows, as if he didn't understand the question. Or he fo

ind of chatted half an hour ago while I bandaged him up. "You should call your fami

ly left them for dead in the middle of nowhere. This place was the definition of cou

i strained to say without scrunching up his nose.

e stable now. Please don't touch the ba

ked at me. B

e have to check your blood pressure a

i stared at

t have any allergi

es

." I n

ps, his right hand gripping his bloodstained shoulder. He didn't look dirt

had to disinfect all of his inj

re Enzo bled out in the backseat. Thanks to his alertness and Kevlar, Be

ned out there? Wh

minal? Or an i

nyone want