Page 49 of Mafia Doctor's Secret Baby

“I think…I think about as well as I could be expected to,” I reply, managing to lighten my tone to reassure her slightly. “It was…it was really scary. But it’s behind me now, and at least it means that those other women who were trapped were able to get a chance at a new life.”

She nods, her lips pressed together with concern. I told her about everything I saw when I was taken—spilling the details about the compound where I and the rest of the women were held—the words spilling out of me because I knew I needed to get them off my chest. She did her best to make me feel better about everything, but truth be told, I didn’t really start to relax until I heard that they were all set free.

As the Maglione kingdom has fallen, plenty of those women needed to be set free—Luca has been overseeing it in the city, while his father is handling it back in his hometown. I don’t know how he’s found the time to keep on top of all of that, when I know he’s juggling his shifts at the hospital with spending time with Polly and me, but I get the feeling it’s best not to ask too much about it.

Luca has heard some stories about what they went through, I’m sure of it—a few times, he’s made reference to them, as though he’s all too aware that it could have been me on the wrong end of those narratives. I don’t enquire any further. I can barely make sense of what has happened to me, let alone what was waiting for me if things hadn’t gone the way they did…

“You helped with that, didn’t you?” she prompts me, and I wave my hand.

“Not really,” I reply. “Just…gave them some information about what I remembered. Nothing they couldn’t have figured out themselves, most likely.”

“But it still helped,” she reminds me, giving my hand a tight squeeze. “You did more than a lot of people would have been able to. They would have wanted to leave all of this behind, but you didn’t do that, not until they were out. That’s something to be proud of.”

I look up at her with a smile. Sometimes, I’m reminded of just how lucky I am to have her as a friend.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “That means a lot.”

“Anytime.”

For a moment, she lets me gather myself, before I turn to the main topic of conversation—the reason I invited her here in the first place. Because, in the weeks I’ve been spending with Luca, a question has been hanging over my head, a question that I know needs an answer. And just yesterday, he came to me and told me that he wanted me to return to the city with him.

I need advice—I need someone to help me put this in perspective. Because I know, with all the emotions running through my veins right now, there isn’t a chance in hell that I’m going to be able to make a smart choice when it comes to him.

“I actually…uh, there was actually something I wanted to talk to you about,” I begin, haltingly.

She tips her head to the side, raising her eyebrows. “Oh, yeah?”

“About…about something Luca said to me.”

Her eyes flicker with concern. I know she’s still far from convinced by Luca’s presence in my life—especially after what happened. I don’t blame her, but I need her to understand how much he means to me—how much I want him to stay a part of my life, even if it means traveling a path I never thought I would.

“What has he been saying to you?” she asks. I almost laugh at her tone of voice.

“Hey, he hasn’t threatened me or anything,” I assure her, raising my eyebrows at her.

She shakes her head. “Sorry, I just—I’m just a little protective of you right now. You can’t blame me, with everything that’s happened…”

“I don’t,” I assure her. “But he asked me—he told me that he’s going back to his home city soon enough. And he wants Polly and me to come with him.”

Her face starts—I can tell it’s not what she was expecting. She swallows hard, her eyes darting back and forth, before she finally replies.

“And are you thinking of going with him?”

I let out a long breath. Now, there’s the question I can’t seem to wrap my head around.

Am I going to leave with him? I don’t know.

“I think so,” I confess, finally. “I mean, I guess I didn’t shut him down the moment he said it, so there must be at least a part of me that likes the idea…”

“Jesus,” she murmurs, tearing her gaze away from me. “This is…a lot, Katie. A whole hell of a lot.”

“I know,” I reply, apologetic. “I didn’t mean to dump it all on you. I just…I need to know if this is as crazy an idea as it sounds to me.”

“Leaving to live with the heir to some mafia empire?” she exclaims. “Yeah, I think it’s fair to say that sounds pretty crazy…”

She lifts a hand, steadying herself, and shakes her head.

“No,” she says, more to herself than to me. “No, I know you’re not stupid. And if this man has you feeling as though this is what you want, then there must be a reason for that. There has to be.”

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