Page 124 of When She Falls (The Fallen)
“Please wait over there.” He tips his head in the direction of the waiting area.
“We’re not waiting.”
The receptionist looks up. When he registers the murderous look on my face, he swallows. “All of the doctors are busy.”
“I just saw a patient walk out of room six.”
“That doctor is about to go on his lunch break.”
I lean over the counter and snatch him by the neck of his shirt. His pupils widen with fear as he appears to finally realize I’m not someone he wants to argue with.
“Listen to me carefully,” I bite out. “Take that fucking chart, get your ass out of that chair, and tell the doctor to get the examination room ready.My girl needs help. She’s going to get it.Right fucking now. If the doctor as much as utters a protest, ask him what he prefers—to take his lunch a little late or eat it with a few missing teeth.” I twist the shirt for good measure and then let go, dropping him back into his seat.
He grabs the form Gemma filled out and jumps out of the chair, putting a few meters between us. “Okay,” he squeezes out, rubbing his neck. “I’m going.”
“We’ll be there in one minute.”
Gemma’s eyes are closed when I get back to her. The mark on her cheek is brighter now, looking painful and slightly swollen.
I should have trusted my gut when it told me Garzolo was hitting Gemma, then maybe I could have prevented all of this. I failed her.
I reach for her hand, and she blinks her eyes open, focusing her gaze on me. “Ras, you can’t go back home with me. Papà will kill you.”
“Don’t worry about that now. We need to make sure you’re okay first.”
She adjusts her position and winces a bit. “My ribs are sore, but I think they’d hurt a lot more if he broke one. You should leave. Papà might come here any minute with his men.”
“He won’t. Not unless he wants his relationship with Dem to go up in flames. Garzolo will have to get approval from him before he does anything to me.”
“You’re assuming he’s thinking rationally at the moment.”
“Your father’s been in the game for a long time. He’s not going to risk everything just to get payback.”
Gemma looks skeptical, but our discussion ends when the doctor appears. “Gemma Garzolo?”
“Right here.”
I help her up and lead her toward the man. He gives us an uneasy look, noting the split lip. I know what this looks like, especially after I just threatened the receptionist.
“Would you like to come in alone?” the doctor asks.
Gemma glances at me. “Um.”
“Go ahead,” I tell her, nudging her forward. The last thing we need is the doctor calling the cops because he thinks I was the one who hurt Gemma. “I need to make some calls anyway.” I move my attention to the doctor. “Doc, check everything there is to check. Then check it again.”
He nods and walks Gemma into the examination room.
I run my fingers through my hair. Fuck, I have to call Damiano and bring him up to speed.
When my phone buzzes, my first thought is that it’s him. Maybe Garzolo already called Dem and gave his version of what happened.
But it’s Orrin’s name on the screen.
I pick up.
“What?”
“You won’t believe what just happened,” he says, sounding out of breath.
