Crave For You

Gabriel

I need a new family doctor—the long avoided thought returns as I stand by the door of the small room, hands in my pockets, watching the med student hovering over the imposter's unconscious body. He has been that way for the last forty-eight hours, sleeping like the dead.

The girl is young, her long blonde hair tied up in a bun with messy strands escaping. Helene offered her a change of clothes, a shower, and warm food but she was too scared to accept anything. I wanted to whack Anton's head against a door when I saw her. The moron kidnapped the poor girl while she was going back to her dorm. Her friends were left a note saying she would be out for a few days, so someone has yet to inquire about her.

I am hit with a pang of guilt as I observe how calmly she is taking care of my resurrected ex-underboss. Her skills have come in handy for us. Luckily for Anton, he got his hands on the brightest final-year student. The problem, however, will be to convince her to keep her mouth shut once we let her go. We have to pay her a fortune to buy her silence.

A fortune and perhaps I will let her slap the shit out of Anton. That would satisfy her.

I clear my throat with my lips pressed against my fist. The girl jerks at the sound of my voice, spinning to face me. Her shoulders relax when she sees me.

I don't seem to scare her. She is only scared of Anton—an issue which I have to resolve quickly.

"How long will he take to wake up?" I ask the girl, crossing my arms to reduce the space my large frame occupies. Anything to show her that I don't mean her harm.

The girl exhales a sigh, touching a palm to her forehead as she glances at the imposter on the bed. "He had been left starved with barely enough to just keep him breathing. He's stable now. He should be awake soon." She sweeps her tongue across her chapped bottom lip, looking nervous. "Is there anything else you need from me, Mr. De Luca?"

"No."

She lifts her face, a shine in her eyes. "Can I leave then?"

She stares at me with so much hope that a knot forms in my stomach. What was Anton thinking kidnapping a kid? It was a dumb move.

I uncross my arms, pulling them behind me as I walk towards her. I stop at a distance and to her credit, she doesn't move backward.

"Miss Lawrence," I say, keeping my voice level. "I apologize for any tactics my men might have applied to bring you here. You must see how indispensable your services have been. We'd give you any amount you'd like for your kindness."

The girl blinks once before a smile splits her lips. She lets out a dry chuckle. "Honestly, I'm still processing that I'm not at home right now." Her chest heaves as she meets my gaze with her bright blue eyes. "The big guy... What was his name?"

"Anton Agosti."

Her jaw tightens as I give her the name. She curls her fingers tightly. "Mr. Agosti threatened to blow my head off if I didn't come."

I force an uncomfortable smile on my lips, not knowing how to defend my Underboss' actions.

"He comes off as strong," I manage to say after much thought. "He wouldn't harm you."

"How can I be sure?"

"Because I'm his boss." I puff my chest like I was a knight making a vow to a damsel in distress. "I promise you'll reach home safely. Anton won't touch a hair on your head."

The girl doesn't seem convinced but she doesn't argue either. "Thank you."

I step out of her way, letting her walk out. From here, my men will guide her straight back to her dorm rooms safely. Anton, for Miss Lawrence's sake, will not be a part of the journey. Just as the girl is about to step out, the dreaded man appears in the doorway, their bodies almost colliding before he notices her just in time and sidetracks.