Page 15 of Mafia Doctor's Secret Baby

“Katie?”

“What’s going on?” I ask, my eyes widening. “Did something happen to Polly? Is she okay…?”

Guilt tears at my guts—shit, I shouldn’t have left her there alone, I shouldn’t have been so selfish…

“She’s fine,” Cara replies at once. “I just—your apartment building, there was some flooding in the basement, and they had to evacuate everyone. I grabbed as much as I could, but we’re just standing outside right now, and…”

“I’ll be right there,” I promise her as I hang up the phone. But when I lift my gaze to Luca and find him staring back at me—I know he’s not going to let me go that easily.

6

LUCA

“Who was that?”

“Nobody,” she replies as she stuffs her phone back into the pocket of her dress. “Nothing. Nothing for you to worry about?—”

“Was it about Polly?”

I haven’t said my daughter’s name out loud much since I found out about her existence. It’s been easier to think of her in abstract terms, not someone I will get attached to. Seeing the look on Katie’s face, I can tell she’s not entirely taken with it.

“Yes, as a matter of fact,” she replies, her voice sharp. “Not that it’s got anything to do with you. You made that very clear.”

She’s right, of course, but I can’t help but worry. Especially with what Emil said to me about the matter just a few weeks ago. What if someone decides that they can use my daughter to get to me? Just because her mom doesn’t want me to be part of her life doesn’t mean that people will ease up on her, just like that. They might still see her as my problem—and if anything happens to her, then I’m going to take it upon myself to fix it.

I grab Katie’s shoulder again, drawing her back around to face me.

“Tell me,” I insist. And I guess she must see the seriousness in my expression, because finally, she lets out a sigh and shrugs.

“There was an issue at the apartment block I live in,” she replies dismissively. “Flooding. I need to go down there and?—”

“She’s alright, though?”

“She’s fine. I just don’t know where we’re going to be staying tonight. I need to go?—”

“Let me come with you.”

She stares at me for a long moment, as though unable to believe what she’s hearing.

“You really think I’m going to?—”

“I can help get you into a new place,” I offer. “Or drive you down there. Let me help.”

She scans my expression, clearly searching for some kind of explanation as to why I’m suddenly acting so invested. She’s got a right to be confused, but if she could see this from my perspective, she would get it. What if one of the Magliones has flooded out the building to try and drive her out of her home? I doubt they would have made a move so quickly, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility, and I’m not willing to stand by and take the chance.

“Fine,” she mutters, clearly sensing that I’m not going to let this go anytime soon. “You can drive me to my place. But that’s it. Okay?”

“Sure,” I lie, as I grab my keys from my pocket and head for the door. As we head down to my car, I can feel a few eyes on me, and I’m certain that some of the other doctors and nurses here are going to have questions to pepper me with as soon as they get me alone next, but that’s not my issue right now. No, what matters is getting down there and making sure Polly is okay.

I pull open my car door for her, and she slips inside, looking around.

“This is a really nice car,” she remarks as I join her. “Guess being a doctor pays well, huh?”

I nod. Truth is, I got this car when I arrived here with my family money—another detail that we had to cover up to make sure I wouldn’t be easily tracked down to the city. I miss my beautiful red convertible back home, but it’ll still be there waiting for me when I get back.

If I get back.

“Guess so,” I agree, pulling out of the parking lot. “Now, where are we headed…?”

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