Page 65 of The Doctor

“This is Nadia Trapani and her son, Michele. And this”—he pulled me closer and almost pushed me their way—“is Clara Vinci.”

Immediately, Michele stepped forward and took my hand. With heavily accented English, he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He lifted my hand while he lowered his head and pressed a kiss to my skin. “Please, call me Mic.”

“Mic.” A giddy feeling took hold of me, and my mind spun. “The pleasure is all mine.”

Nadia shook my hand, smiling wide, before it fractured as she looked at Zee. “Vinci?”

Zee grimaced. “Yes. His son is her father.”

“Whose son is what?” I asked, shifting away from Zee.

He pulled me back to his side, like he suddenly felt the need to keep me close. “Nadia knew your grandfather. He died—”

“Back before I left for Italy,” Nadia said. “He was a good man.”

I stifled the stray giggle I felt bubbling up inside me and gave her a strained smile. I didn’t know anything about my grandfather, but if he was in any way responsible for my father’s behavior toward me, he couldn’t have been that great of a man.

“Shall we get your things?” Zee asked, sliding his fingers down my arm until they tangled with mine. Both Nadia and Mic nodded, and we followed them to baggage claim.

Only when we were out of earshot did Zee lean over and press a kiss near my ear.

“You okay, kid?”

I lifted my gaze and found his deep blue eyes so full of concern. I was concerned too.

“I need something.”

Zee tugged my hand away from my collarbone, where I’d cut my skin with my fingernail. He pulled me into his arms, pressed another kiss to my temple, then whispered in my ear. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

He pulled a small bottle out of his pocket and shook out a pill before handing it over to me. This time, he didn’t make sure that I swallowed it.

With how I was feeling, I needed it more than I needed him.

“The bathroom is right in here”—Zee gestured to the open door as he passed—“and the master is at the end of the hall.”

Nadia’s eyes were wide as she turned her gaze around the furnished bedroom. She and Mic had only brought one suitcase each as they ran away from her late husband’s family to New York. I got the feeling, despite his rank within the family and the wealth that certainly came with it, the plush opulence of the simple safe house was more than what she’d seen in years.

“This is too much, Zeno,” she all but whispered, wrapping her arms around her waist.

“It’s okay, Mamma.” Mic went to her, draping his arm around her shoulder.

“He’s right, Nadia.” Zee ducked his head and gave a quiet smile that had my heart stuttering in my chest. “Nothing’s too much for my first ever patient.” Her bottom lip trembled, but Zee went on. “Besides, either you use it, or it will sit vacant like all our other safe houses until someone else needs it.”

“Are you sure?”

Zee’s eyebrow quirked up and he gave her that look that always made me feel like I was dumb. “Come on, let’s go back to the kitchen and I can show you how things work.”

As Zee and Nadia led the way down the hall, the idea that formed back at the airport became a living, breathing thing inside my head. I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and tucking my hand around Mic’s arm.

“Zee tells me you’re planning on going to college here?”

He smiled, crooking his elbow, and covering my hand with his. “I want to study engineering. It’s my dream to get into MIT, but Columbia is my second choice.”

“Really?” I leaned closer to him. “I go to Columbia.”

“You do? What are you studying?”

“I'm going to be a doctor.” Mic’s face pulled into a grimace. “What’s that look for?”