Page 40 of Relentless Oath
Sometimes it felt like we were playing a game of cat and mouse. Our dynamic was toxic. He was keeping me here and isolating me on purpose.
I had been attracted to him from the start, but his family’s crimes against mine and the wall he put up around himself meant there would never be anything between us. At least, that’s what I told myself when I found myself missing his touch and those unguarded moments where he actually made me feel seen.
I went to walk away when suddenly the room felt like it was spinning. I clutched at the desk, missing the edge with my shaky fingers, and my heart beat hard as I almost went crashing to the floor before Dario caught me.
“Mya? Are you all right?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know what came over me. I just felt dizzy all of a sudden.”
I pushed away from his hands and tried to take another step, but the vertigo hit me again, this time more intensely.
He reached out and caught me again. This time he picked me up. I tried to protest, but I couldn’t trust my own voice, let alone my own feet at that moment.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you,” he said.
And for that moment, I had no other choice but to let him take care of me. He carried me over to the couch and set me down gently. He sat next to me and stretched my legs across his lap as he reached for his phone.
“Who are you calling?”
He ignored me but I heard the conversation. A doctor. He was calling a doctor. Panic overwhelmed me.
“I’m fine, there’s no need to call a doctor.” I prayed that the doctor he called didn’t make house calls.
My prayer went unanswered. With a stubborn tilt of his chin, he said, “You’re not feeling well. He’s on his way.”
“No!”
“Now isn’t the time to be willful, Mya. Clearly, something is wrong. And Dr. Kali has been our family doctor for eons. You have nothing to worry about. I trust him completely. He’ll take care of you. He’s the best doctor in the city.”
That’s exactly what I was worried about. I couldn’t have him take one look at me and discover my secret.
I was pretty sure that a doctor associated with the Mafia wasn’t exactly the type to obey HIPAA.
I wanted to run away from my situation but I couldn’t. It was too late now.
Despondent, I watched as the doctor was welcomed into the house. He was a silver-haired older gentleman. He was wearing wire-rimmed glasses and dressed impeccably in a three-piece suit.
I was surprised that he smiled so easily and there was an unspoken ease and camaraderie between him and Dario.
Some of his mannerisms reminded me of Dario’s. Not to mention, they both had flawless style and eyes that were so hard to read. This was being done against my wishes, but I did not bother to protest because I knew it would be useless.
I made my way to Dario’s office so that the doctor could look me over. As he examined me, he scribbled notes in a leather-bound journal.
I stayed silent, only answering his questions in a yes or no format.
“So, how’s married life treating you?” he asked as he listened to my heart.
“Fine. Perfect,” I replied. My first answer that wasn’t a yes or a no.
He pulled the stethoscope from his ears and folded his hands in front of him. His eyes looked deeply into mine.
“Dario’s family has been under my care for the past forty years.”
“So, you must have seen a lot.”
I didn’t know what else to say. I was already feeling defeated.
Tonight, Dario would find out my secret. What would that mean for me and for my child? I held back tears as every possibility I thought of ended badly.
