I wouldn’t change this for the world though. Mom’s been gone two years now. Without Izzy, I would have never made it. She was the last family I had, until Sofia came into our lives. Now with Lo, I feel like I’m finally myself again. Well, as much of myself as I can be. I still haven’t told any of them about my past.
After dinner and dessert, Bash stands and tells us we’re going to the meeting room. Here it is, whatever he wants me here for. I look over to Lo, but he looks like he’s in the dark too, or at least I think he does. He still has his dumb mask in place, but the tension in his jaw tells me he’s on edge. If I hadn’t spent so much time staring at him, I wouldn’t have noticed the slight change, but I’m in tune with him. I might not always be able to read his emotions, but I do notice some of his tells.
Once we’re all inside, he shuts the door. “Do you need me to sweep?” Lo asks as he holds out a chair for me, then Dr. Fields.
“No, it’s not that serious. Sit, Lo. Honestly, you weren’t meant to be here for this, but it’s not a secret.”
Lo takes a seat next to me. As Bash brings his gaze to mine, I reach out and grab Lo’s thigh. He brings his hand down and grabs mine, but he doesn’t move it off his leg. I don’t know why I reached for him, but Bash is making me nervous. I guess I need his strength.
“Mia, we have a unique opportunity for you. Dr. Fields here wants out of the game. We can’t allow it without having a suitable replacement. She suggested you. I told her she would need to convince you, as I will not force this upon you. Dr. Fields, the floor is yours.”
I look to Dr. Fields as she gives Bash a wary look before she meets my gaze. I don’t know how she got mixed up with the mafia, but she always did give the impression that she wasn’t here by choice.
“Mia, you have shown true potential. I saw the light in your eyes over dinner. You love the medical world. I want to train you to take over for me. I think it would be beneficial to you and give you a purpose.”
I bristle at her words. “What do you know about my purpose? You just assume I want to take on whatever debt you owe Bash?”
She looks guilty as she glances over at Bash. “That’s not what I meant.”
I cut her off before she can continue. “Why don’t you tell me what you meant then. If I’m going to do this, which I’m not saying I am, but if I do, I want all the information up front. How did you get caught up with Bash?”
I can’t deny my excitement, but I’m also suspicious. Once you’re in this world, you can’t leave.
I watch as Dr. Fields looks to Bash.
“Go on. Tell her. She deserves to know.”
She sighs then and turns back to me. “When my son was fourteen, he got mixed up with the wrong people.”
“Watch it, Dr. Fields,” Lo warns besides me as I feel his hand clench in mine.
Dr. Fields nods. “Let me rephrase. He was leading a life I didn’t want for him. By the time I realized what he had done, it had been too late for him to back out on his own. I appealed to Don Tommaso, and he had been willing to release my son Trey from his responsibilities, but only if I did him a favor. I didn’t know what the favor would be, but I accepted nonetheless. Then he called one night to come help one of his men who had been hurt. Once I finished, I thought that was it, but he said my debt had not been paid yet. He said he lost a good soldier. Ever since then, I have been the family doctor. I never wanted this life, Mia.”
Her eyes tear up as she tells her story. I glare at Bash. He might not have been able to do anything before, but he can now.
“Why don’t you release her? Hasn’t she paid her debt?”
Lo hisses in my ear. “Watch your mouth, Mia.”
Bash gives me a smile, but it isn’t filled with humor. It’s filled with malice. “I think you have the wrong idea about me, Mia. I’m not this generous man you seem to think I am. I will admit, I’m not the cold man I used to be, but I still have a family to run. While it is unfortunate for Dr. Fields, her son was an idiot who got involved with the mafia against her wishes. She hasn’t told you the whole story. After we refused her son, he went on to join another family. Her sacrifice had been in vain, and by the time she realized it, she was already invaluable to us. We need a family doctor, Mia. That’s all there is too it. I don’t care what I have to do to obtain one. Dr. Fields is paid generously for her services, so don’t let her act all innocent in this.”
She looks down, ashamed now.
“What happened to your son?”
She starts to sob. “Killed. I couldn’t save him. Too arrogant for his own good.” She lays her head on the table as she lets the tears consume her.
Could I resolve myself to her fate? Could I take this burden from her? Do I want to?
“I’m not a doctor. I have no schooling. What makes you think I could do this?”
She looks up, and I notice the tears still falling on her face.
“You’re more talented than any student I have had work under me. You have a real knack for it. I don’t know where you learned what you already know, and frankly I probably don’t want to know, but I can teach you more. I can show you everything I know and teach you where to look for the things you don’t. I want to retire, Mia. Not just from the family, but from my practice. I want to move and never look back. This place holds too many bad memories for me.”
The haunted look in her eyes, along with the excitement of practicing medicine again, decides it for me. I look to Bash.
“What’s the catch? I need to know everything before I walk into this.”
