Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 14: She was not some damsel in distress. She did not, for one second, think she was better than anyone else. She understood that not everyone could afford to be so charitable, and some people were simply selfish for various reasons. She knew that instinctively most people wanted to do good, and that was enough. But she didn’t stick her nose in the air, she didn’t think that her running a clinic was any more important than whatever anyone else was doing, and the accusation was absolutely hurtful.Gianna had put everything into her clinic. She had given everything for it, and to keep it going, and she hadn’t done it to be able to brag or show it off or use it as fodder. She had done it because he wanted to help people, and it was as simple as that.Behind her, Gianna heard the rumble of Rio’s motorbike, and sure enough seconds later he was cutting back into Gianna’s path.“Gun or no gun,” Gianna threatened, “if you don’t leave me the hell alone, I
-Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 15: You brought me a chocopie. Gianna signed off on her last chart of the day and glanced towards the clock. At nine pm she was officially done with her workday. There were a couple of medical journals she wanted to review, and dinner sounded great, but she didn’t have any more patients to see that night.At least that was what she thought until one of her employees slipped her head through the door with a short knock and gave her an apologetic look.“What?” She asked with a grimace.“I know,” she eased out, “that you’re supposed to be done now … but …”“A last-minute walk-in?”For the most part, word had gotten around that they stopped taking walk-ins around eight. It was the only way they could manage the cutoff at the end of the day and not ruin someone’s night. But a last second walk-in either meant it was someone who hadn’t been the clinic before, or someone who was in desperate need of help.“What’s the condition?” Gianna asked, moving to
Helping Mr. Gang Leader .Chapter 16: in other words, I like you . “Your brother said you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but he also said you might not be so angry with me if I got that for you. I think I was successful?”. Gianna pocketed the treat. “Free pass.”Dante nearly preened.“For now,” Gianna added, but she was smiling, and when Dante grinned back, Gianna realized how difficult it would be to get and remain mad at someone like Dante.Then, a little more serious, Dante reached out to touch Gianna’s bruised wrist gently. “I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m sorry that someone thought they could hurt you like this and get away with it … and that it’ll be a while before I can do something about this.”“I don’t want you to do anything about it,” Gianna countered immediately. “I don’t want you to start things back up, not when they’re beginning to calm down. This? This is nothing. It’ll fade over time. But I won’t be able to forgive you if you try to retaliate in some way a
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