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Chapter One: The Good Doctor

The woman had been driving me insane. Dr. Gia Ribisi.

Drop dead gorgeous, dark luminous eyes, jet black hair, creamy skin, kissable lips, Italian and…

Mouthy as all hell. She seemed to hate me upon sight.

When we picked her up in the copter from the hospital, she ignored everyone except for her patient.

I get that, it was her job, but then I noticed she remained elusive and evasive, even after she settled the patient into the large room we arranged for Deacon.

Deacon Walker, the man my father had been so determined to find.

The one who dared to attack us, the very same man our father had to release a month ago.

Well, he wasn't dangerous anymore. He wasn’t even awake.

The man was in a dead coma. I called it that in front of Dr. Ribisi and she whipped her head over to pin me with her lightning hot gaze.

Giving me a dark glare, she said, “The man is not dead.”

I raised my hands up and backed away.

Luca, the one I’d said it to, smirked at me.

In return, I gave him a dirty look and he chuckled.

So far, that had been all I’d gotten from the good doctor.

Angry glares and one answer snaps. I figured this hatred for poor Deo…

me, was no big deal as I wouldn't have to see her much. Then despite all of this bad treatment, the live-wire woman made my palms itch to touch her and she haunted my nights. I’d better not even think about touching her in reality however, because I would most likely pull my hand back and have a few fingers missing.

Yes, she was that scathing and nasty mean.

Like a shark in a tank. A barracuda in a rolling river, a rattle snake in…

You get my meaning here. I had no idea why she disliked me in general, but I did not have to take such treatment.

Or so I thought.

My father informed me that my new post would not be for on the copter, working at Descalia corp offices, or piloting the private jet, but it would be in this room, watching this patient.

A guard, trading off shifts with Rocky and Tito.

I asked my father how long this post would last. His answer didn’t make me happy as he said for however long it took… For Deacon to die or to wake up.

The hell?

So since I was stuck here, I had hoped I could do better around Dr. Ribisi.

Maybe I could do something to be more helpful.

But no…I was on a surefire track to getting nowhere.

I ran into her at the door two days back and she had acted like I’d done it on purpose.

She had sniffed rudely and marched away.

After this, if our gazes met at the dining table or elsewhere, she would give me a hateful glare.

Like did I run her dog over? Piss in her cheerios? Ruin her lunch? The hell was happening?

So now on day eight of Amadeo’s losing streak, here I sat in a hardback chair in the room where Deacon Walker lay in a hospital bed with full hookups.

He had oxygen up his nose and IV’s in both arms. Electrodes on his skull along with EKG wiring on his chest. He looked plenty dead to me.

But I knew better than to say so around the good doctor .

I had to agree that she cared about her duty though.

Deacon was her patient and she wanted to keep him alive.

There was one problem with that… our dad wanted him dead.

I think he only wanted him well, so Deacon could face Italian Justice.

Can you imagine? He had the best doctor in this town on duty to help this man get healed, only so he could kill him.

Deacon had earned it if what I had been told was true and I imagine it was.

The Walker family had more than proven this to us.

I did see a few of the files and a couple of videos outlining the Walker family feud.

At least that was what it sounded like. Olivia Walker had made it her purpose in life to stalk, torment and punish the other Walkers.

She had been known as O, a notorious Crime Mistress as female mobsters were called.

She had been a RICO dream come true. One of my favorite words.

RICO… Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal law passed in 1970 to combat organized crime.

It provided for criminal penalties and civil lawsuits against individuals involved in ongoing criminal enterprises.

And this woman met all of the requirements.

Drugs, weapons, human smuggling and illegal …

well, you name the pie and she had a finger in it.

Even the Southern Mafia here wanted nada to do with her and they made no deals with the woman when she had been alive.

Then her son had been FBI of all things which explained her always getting away with whatever law she chose to break.

His agent status had stopped our father from making Deacon unalive in the past by order of the Council.

Now, he wasn’t protected by a badge anymore.

Then the other problem…Valencia or Valen as Tito called her.

That woman cared about Deacon deeply as he was her brother.

She had come every day for the last week.

Often, she came when it was Tito’s turn on watch.

So, I wasn’t sure how this would work. I felt pretty sure she would step in front of a bullet if it had been aimed at Deacon.

Poor Tito, he had some issues to face over this.

I felt bad for the man, he had always been steadfastly loyal to my father.

This however, wouldn’t go down well. Not for anyone.

I was already bored out of my skull and I’d just gotten here maybe a half hour ago…And no, Deacon hadn’t moved or done anything new. He looked dead, like I’d said before.

I glanced down at my watch. The one dad insisted I wear after he gifted it to me.

I felt like it needed to be in a glass case up on my mantle, considering it cost 10,000 dollars.

I had freaked out when I discovered the cost later on after my birthday.

Yes, I knew who we were, I had said that same thing to Luca.

I know we’re the Descalias but 10k for a watch?

Man, it made me feel uneasy. Like if I were out on the street, even a nice street, I would be target number one for any cutthroat mugger.

I also never cared for: flaunt it if ya got it .

But I never earned it to get it, I’d been born into it.

So, yes I had it , but it was passed down by lineage.

In fact, this whole ‘everything should be expensive or it had no value’ ideal, was a sore subject for me.

In school, we had been bullied at times, just for having nice clothes, backpacks and shoes.

Jealous haters as Luca called them. We would have to beat ass to make them respect us and it was almost a Descalia family requirement.

While growing up, we all had to fight once, twice or ten times to prove we weren't silver spoon boys.

I suggested to my siblings that we should wear less trendy high end clothes, but most of them objected as they did like looking good.

Me? I never gave a fuck. I loved sports and baseball in particular.

So I would often be wearing a jersey, not a Henley.

My dripping with gold watch told me the same thing a Timex could…

It was time for the nurse to come by. Now she was nice and polite.

Blonde and pretty. Named Josie, Joclyn or something.

But I felt nothing whenever I looked at her or spoke to her.

Like I did with most women. The entire female workforce at Descalia Corp had done nothing to or for my libido.

Not that I would date any of them. They would have to quit working there first. Luca, all our brothers and I had that same rule.

No workplace romances. Technically, Romeo broke that rule but really, Julianna didn’t work at our corporation, she was on retainer as an attorney.

But it didn't matter anyway because those two were forever.

Romeo had found his Juliet.

I teased him at lunch today about that. Then Julianna told me they had found that her real name was actually Juliet.

I think she got a little miffed when I laughed a bit too loud upon hearing this.

Story of my life. I pissed another female off.

Zia always told me that I was the cutest of all the Descalia boys.

I liked to think she was right but I knew she was biased because she raised me from a very young age.

I sure hadn’t scored too many points for being cute recently. This also never bothered me much.

Until Dr. Ribisi.

The door opened and in came the very person I had just been thinking about. The good doctor. Or should I say, the smoking hot doctor? I smirked then instantly hid it as she went by. Not that I needed to worry, she once again ignored me.

Next, the nurse rushed in and shut the door. She smiled at me then hurried over to where the doctor stood.

I covertly watched them both while pretending to be scrolling on my cell phone.

They did the usual, taking vitals and checking the machines. I let out a bored sigh and actually did look at my phone as I listened to their very brief conversation.

“Same stats,” the nurse said.

“Agreed,” Dr. Ribisi replied.

The nurse went about changing the tubes and the bedding.

The doctor filled out her report on an Ipad.

Upon her distraction, I found myself raising my gaze and taking in all that was Dr. Ribisi.

Low heels on her gorgeous feet as she stood at about 5 foot 8 and did not need to stand any higher for my tastes.

Tall and curvy. A lush looking bottom in black slacks.

Perfect for a good grip with both of my hands.

A busty, full on great pair under a white dress shirt.

Again, perfect for each hand. I licked my lips wondering how her nipples would taste.

And damn, I tried to get rid of the perfume that mercilessly tickled my nose ever since she’d entered the room.

The woman was an assault on my senses. Therefore, I should stay ten feet from her at all times.

I did my best to look at this week’s forecast as I fought the unholy thoughts coming in at an alarming rate.

Sunny and hot. Yeah, hot…I smirked. Temperature’s rising.

I kept on this line of humor. Melting with a chance of hard…

I halted. I was doing it again. What in the fuck?

With a swivel of my legs, I then moved on from the weather page to see what was happening in the playoffs.

Baseball. Yes, that was the diversion I needed.

“Mr. Descalia.”

And that voice. Sultry as fuck…Was sultry a real word? I only raised my head a small bit as I asked, “Yes, ma’am?” I believed that ma’am couldn’t be pounced on as rude, as my points with this woman had hit minus zero already.

She paused and motioned to the bed Deacon resided in. “We need help moving the bed out from the wall.”

I hoped my dress pants wouldn’t show where my thoughts had been as I gave her a nod. I waited for her to turn before I stood and headed across the room.

Smiling at me, Nurse Joclyn stepped out of the way.

Stepping over to the head of the bed, I grasped the roll bar it had and tugged it over. It was on wheels but it felt a bit heavy. Looking up at the nurse, I asked, “Is that where you wanted it?”

“Yes.”

I heard this from the doctor, but again, I avoided looking at her.

Two could play this game. Well, I wasn’t really playing, I was saving myself some humiliation while avoiding a certain condition involving my zipper being far too tight.

I swiftly moved away and gave the nurse a nod.

“I’ll be over at the door.” I then walked as smoothly as I could, back over to my chair.

Picking my phone up, I sat back down. There, my condition had gotten better. I could still smell her scent though. I knew she was moving around close by, but at least I—

“Mr. Descalia?”

Damn, she stood in front of me again.

I slowly raised my head just a bit and as I did I could see her ankles, then calves, up along a pair of lovely thighs, curvy hips then further to the white dress shirt.

Damn, my hungry gaze wanted to linger at the buttons there which seemed barely able to contain her perfect…

my instincts told me I might get slapped for gawking in this area.

Finally, my hesitant gaze landed on her beautiful face.

Then I saw something that made my heart stop.

A slow spreading smile breaking out on her tasty looking lips.

What the hell?

Before she could speak, a scream rent the air.

We both looked over at Nurse Joclyn.

What we saw told us that ‘dead’ Deacon was very much alive.

NOT QUITE THE END…