Bullets & Bandages

7

Being near Giovanni was harder than I thought it would be. I wasn't sure if it was all the hormones or if I legitimately missed him, but my chest felt like it was caving in by the time we arrived to the impressive hilltop mansion.

I thought it was odd that Giovanni brought me there since my past experiences had only been in dingy shacks with crude medical supplies.

"When's the next doctor appointment?" Giovanni asked as we got out of the car.

"Wednesday," I said carefully.

"What time?"

"Two. Why?"

"Send me the address."

"You're going?" I asked incredulously.

His dark eyes fell on me for a moment before returning to the mansion. "I'm not letting you squeeze me out of his life."

"His? How do you even know it's a he?"

He thought about his choice of words for a moment. "I guess I have a fifty-fifty shot of being right."

"You don't have to go."

"I'm going," he said firmly as he led the way up the stamped concrete drive.

"Seriously-"

"Let me guess. You haven't told anyone you're pregnant," he said over his shoulder.

I followed him up to the door. I stayed silent because I didn't want to admit that he was right. I hadn't told anyone, but Giovanni being involved changed things. I had to come to terms with the fact that I was keeping the baby. I was going to have to admit to my parents that I was doing life out of order. That I was knocked up by Giovanni of all people. I didn't know if I could stomach the disappointment.

Giovanni opened the front door for me. I stepped inside the sweeping mansion. The wide Italian marble floors made the place seem even bigger and brighter. Huge windows replaced a back wall and looked out to the stunning backyard retreat.

We passed the wall of windows and went down a hallway. Giovanni knocked on the thick wood door before entering. Behind a giant redwood desk sat Lorenzo.

I froze in my tracks when my brother offered me a sheepish smile. I fucking knew something was up.

"Hey, Ria," Richard said.

He certainly didn't look clean. He looked like he had been on a week long bender. Fury ran through my body. Part of the deal was that no one would sell him drugs. They would help keep him clean.

Then again, Richard was an addict through and through.

As a doctor, I had learned about addiction. It was taught like it was a disease. To me, it wasn't a disease. A cancer patient didn't usually bring their cancer upon themselves. Addicts chose to be addicts. They might have gotten to the point that detox needed medical intervention, but they usually actively made the decision to start using drugs.

Richard was a prime example of my viewpoint.

"What's going on?" I asked carefully.

"Why don't we let Richard explain," Lorenzo suggested.

My eyes fell on my fidgeting brother. I knew the signs of withdrawal and apparently it hit him pretty damn hard.

"I, uh, I skipped town," Richard admitted.

"And got high?" I demanded.

"I'm not high!" He insisted.

"I'm a fucking doctor!" I exploded. "You're sweating profusely, shaky, pale, pupils smaller than the goddamn needle you stuck in your arm!"

"No, no. I swear!"

I scoffed. "Right. Okay. Whatever you say, Richard. Why am I here? What did you get me into this time?"

Richard looked over at Lorenzo who motioned towards me as if waiting for Richard to ask for something. When Richard didn't speak, Lorenzo leaned forward.

"Richard robbed one of our suppliers who was under strict orders not to sell to him."

"Fucking junkie," I muttered under my breath. "So what do you need from me?"

"Ten grand. He says you have the cash."

I ground my teeth together. It wasn't that I didn't have the money. Ten thousand was a drop in my trust fund bucket, but that wasn't the point.

"Fine," I bit out.

I knew Richard had burned through his trust fund and inheritance from our grandparents. He spent millions on some bachelor pad penthouse right out of high school and then couldn't afford the taxes or home owner association dues and lost it. While my salary was well over three hundred thousand dollars annually, I liked to live below my means. I hadn't touched my inheritance and I moved my trust fund money to a better savings account.

"When do you need it?" I asked.

Lorenzo laughed. "Word of advice. Don't show your hand so early."

As much as I wanted to roll my eyes and tell him to fuck off, I knew I couldn't. Giovanni would have thrown a fit if I disrespected Lorenzo again.

"If you want cash I'm going to have to go to a bank. I have my checkbook out in the car."

"You will work it off."

"Are you joking?"

The lift of his eyebrows told me he was serious. I glanced over at Giovanni who held his eyes on Lorenzo.

"She can't," Giovanni finally said.

He never said anything to Lorenzo in regards to my services. At least not while I was around.

"Can't or won't?" Lorenzo asked.

"She's pregnant. I don't want her working more than she has to."

Surprise colored Lorenzo's thick face. "Yours?"

Giovanni nodded and Lorenzo's expression lit up as if he heard he was going to be a grandfather.

I didn't want Richard knowing though. He was going to run straight to my parents and rat me out. I knew I had to tell them eventually, but I wanted to be the one to tell them. I didn't want Richard trying to weasel his way back into my parents' home and using my pregnancy as his in.

"Well this changes everything!" Lorenzo said gleefully as he came from around his desk.

He slapped Giovanni on the back in congratulations.

"See, Richard, you have reason to stay clean," Lorenzo said.

I couldn't stop the roll of my eyes. Richard didn't give a flying fuck if he was going to be an uncle. He only looked out for number one.

"I'll pay off his debt and can we be done with this?" I asked.

"Be done with your family?" Lorenzo asked with a smile on his face. "You're with us for the long haul, Doctor."

My stomach sank. For a split second I wondered if Giovanni got me pregnant on purpose so I would forever be linked to him and the mafia, but quickly dismissed the idea. Giovanni was a lot of things, but he wouldn't do something like that.

Unless Lorenzo told him to.

My suspicions raised when I saw how uncomfortable he was next to Lorenzo.

I knew better than to bring it up in front of Lorenzo, but I was definitely going to find out if Giovanni planned this. If he did, I didn't know what I would do.