The Mafia's Heirs

10. Let's Keep It Between Us

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It had been four days since Dr. Johnson came to check on Mateo and he was getting restless and impatient for reasons Adam termed as "schoolboy crush". He didn't believe he had such immature feelings towards her but he did admit to himself that he wanted to see the surgeon who had saved his life. It was always her intern, that dumb timid Fentell, who made the rounds or sometimes other residents.

They all kept saying she's busy at the ER. He didn't know whether he should believe them or investigate whether that nurse opened her mouth or not.

Mateo turned to look at his cousin, Leonardo typing away on his phone, a cigarette in his mouth.

Motherfucker had to do it front of me. He thought bitterly. First it was his stupid best friend and now his brother. He wondered if he had such shortage of sensible people in his life that he was being tended to by idiots like the pair.

It had been almost a week since he drank, smoke or did drugs. It was taking a toll on him.

He couldn't wait to get out of the hospital and off medications and get back to work and the life he loved. But he had to endure about seven more weeks of it before he could do that. He suddenly felt respect for pregnant women who had to restrain from all of it for forty weeks.

Mateo stared at the puff of smoke his cousin exhaled

One puff won't hurt, will it?

No it won't. He decided

"Give me a smoke." Mateo forwarded his hand in his cousin's direction.

"Nope." Leonardo said, not even looking up.

"Leonardo-"

The door opened and Marsileo entered.

" Doctor Johnson is here, capo." He announced.

He moved aside to reveal the goddess, who looked barely like herself today. Though she did still look like a goddess.

Mateo found himself lost in her.

The motherfuckers weren't lying after all. She looked like she would drop dead any second now.

"Evening Mr. Adesso." She said, more like whispered and turned to Leonardo, frowning at the sight of the cigarette.

"You want a puff? Looks like you could use one." He said, holding it out to her.

Leonardo hadn't had a proper introduction with her though he was there the second time she had visited Mateo. The last few days, Leonardo was back in Chicago so it was mostly Adam or no one who stayed over.

But Leonardo should have figured out how capable and professional Dr. River Johnson was so Mateo was pissed he talked so casually and disrespectfully towards her. Mateo refused to admit that there were other feelings involved which made him irritable towards people who talked to her like that.

Mateo glared at his cousin but to his surprise, River just blew out a deep tired breath and took it. "See those pipes?" She pointed at the oxyline. "Keep fire as far from it as you can."

Leonardo thought she was going to douse it.

"Let's keep it between us." She said before she took a puff. But she started coughing.

Leonardo was ready to take it back from her when she put it back in her mouth, this time exhaling smoke rings as if she had been doing it for ages.

"I see you are a smoker." Leonardo mused.