Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 17: I’m kind of invested in you. Dante’s grandmother was watching from the partially exposed kitchen, and it wasn’t as if Dante was asking such an impossible thing.So, offering a small smile, Gianna put her hand in Dante’s, let their fingers brush coolly, and stated, “I never pictured you with a grandmother.”Proudly, Dante was quick to say, “She raised me. I was six when I became her responsibility, but she never hesitated. Not even for a second. She and my grandfather mean more to me than anything else in this world.”Taking some initiative, Gianna let her grip tighten on Dante’s hand and she confessed quietly, “I lost my mother and sister at a young age. But I’m glad you had someone so loving and caring to raise you. You’re lucky.”“But you didn’t,” Dante said, certain in his words.“I had my dad,” Gianna corrected. “He wasn’t very loving or caring, but he was there, and that’s something. He could have dumped Giovanni and I with relatives overs
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 18: she can’t afford the luxury of falling in love . “Well,” Gianna said, trying not to think about how easily Namjoon could have been hurt. He could have died. “Could you possibly refrain from insulting the love life of dangerous criminals? I would prefer you whole and healthy, and not bleeding in my clinic.”“Careful,” Dante warned, drinking the last of his water. “You keep saying these things that lead me to think that you really care about me. I’ll get the wrong idea if you don’t stop.”“I’m kind of invested in you,” Gianna said, her heart starting to thunder again, though it felt natural and normal for once.Dante tried, “Because medical supplies are expensive?”“No,” Gianna said with a grin. “Obviously because my time is precious.”Dante blinked a bit blankly for a second before stating, “I like you too, Gia.”Gianna’s grin grew. “No taking back it back if you say it and mean it.”Dante crossed his arms and demanded, “Did some asshole say tha
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 19: but I don’t do dates . The moment Gianna was across the threshold and into the main reception area, she already felt better.“Doctor Gia!” An older woman waiting in the receptionist area called to her, waving happily when she finally spotted her.She called back, “You’re looking gorgeous as usual, Mrs.” The woman was one of Yara’s regulars. “Gianna!,” the secretary at the front desk, Yara, said with arms crossed when she was nearer, “can you please not flirt with the patients?”“I can’t help it,” Gianna said, turning to wink at the elderly woman. “If the pretty ones keep coming in, I can’t be held accountable for my behavior.”In the waiting area, the older woman blew her a greasy kiss.“Anything happen while I was out at lunch?” Gianna asked before she cut back to the employee only area, moving to her side of the work space.She slipped Gia a written note on pastel pink paper that she used as if all other kinds offended her. Color coordinat
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 20: you have my word .“So it’s agreed, our working times have extended unfortunately” Gianna said, then she was distracted by the vibrating in her pocket.Yara wandered off as Gianna stared down at the number illuminated up at her. It was a private number, or one blocked, and she had no idea who it could be. She couldn’t even see the numbers of the person calling her. Dread filled her stomach that it could be someone from Infinite.But then the phone stopped ringing, and instead a text message came through.It was a simple command, with no pretense, ordering her to open the backdoor to the clinic quickly. There was no name attached, so it seemed like a bad idea.But then a second text message arrived, and with one single word:Emergency.The doctor in Gianna was overriding any kind of common sense she might have felt in that moment, and she moved directly to the back of the clinic. There was no one around, thankfully. It was nearing the noon hour
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 21: the dislike is showing .“I need your word.”Racheal startled a little, then said quickly, “You don’t have to ask that of me. I would never … I …” She cleared her throat and held the vials of blood more securely. “You have my word.”She lifted her hands from hers. “Thank you, Racheal. I can’t explain right now, but I will be able to one day. I promise you that explanation then.”“You don’t have to,” she said simply, and that was why she’d picked her and trusted her. That right there.“I’ll run these out immediately,” she said.“Before that,” Gianna cut in, “I need you to bring me penicillin G. I’m going to set up an IV. Also bring Penicillin V. He’ll need to take some home with him, and hopefully by then he’ll be awake enough to not need the IV form of it.” And then she was going to cross her fingers that Jovani hadn’t picked up anything tricky. If the fever was being caused by anything more than a simple bacterial infection, things would certa
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 22: My name … my real name. It’s Ezekiel.. There was the oddest expression on Rio’s face when Gianna gave him one last look. It was unlike anything Gianna had seen from him before. She didn’t know what the look meant, or why she was getting it. But then there was the barest hint of a smile, and it was even more unsettling than the look before.Upon consideration, it wasn’t as if Gianna could deny that Rio didn’t have a very handsome smile when he let himself. The evidence was there, even if Rio seemed like he didn’t smile a lot. And Gianna thought Rio would be a lot more agreeable if he just smiled more.Eventually, Rio said, “Let me know when you’re ready to go and I’ll take you back to the clinic.”Gianna felt herself go pale. “On your motorcycle?”Now Rio just looked amused. “How else?”Assuredly, Gianna said, “I’ll just wait for Dante.”Rio bristled a little. “You’re too good to accept a ride from me?”“Maybe I’d be more interested in the idea
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 23: You’re special to me, Gia.“Ezekiel.”Gianna stopped. “Huh?”On the bed, Zeke finally detached himself from a sleeping Jovani and sat up slowly. “My name … my real name. It’s Ezekiel.”It meant something. It meant something utterly profound and important that Zeke was telling her what his actual name was. Because more and more Gianna was starting to understand why Mariposa went by the ridiculous, almost laughable names. Dante did it to protect his family. Ezekiel obviously did it to put a barrier between anyone who might hurt his friends and himself. Names were shields with Mariposa, and only the most trusted were let into the fold.Formally, Gianna bowed towards him. “It’s nice to properly meet you, Ezekiel.”“That’s Nurse Ezekiel.”“Of course,” Gianna said with a chuckle. “Take care of Jovani, okay? And call me for any reason if need be.”When Gianna was back out in the living room she was surprised to see that almost everyone was present,
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 24: you are like an empty can .Dante looked pained. “You’re special to me, Gia. If anything happened to you …”“Danger will always be there,” Gianna said knowingly. “And that’s just a part of the life we lead. But I can’t have you standing over me. I can’t have you so scared of that danger that you treat me like a child.”“And what should I do instead?” Dante asked, sounding desperate. “Wait until either of us slips up in the slightest? Wait until someone in Infinite gets a little too nosey and spots something out of the ordinary? I’m supposed to just trust that you won’t get snatched off the street and disappear?”“Dante--”“No,” the other man said quickly, “that is a very real possibility to us associating, and you want me to pretend like it isn’t there. You want me to think that nothing will happen if anyone draws a connection between us, and that’s not the truth. But if Rio is there, or Sal, and Infinite tries to make a move against you, they c