JESSA
“Who are you?” I rasp.
The man standing over me is old and balding, which helps my nerves. But not by much. Especially since he’s got something pressed against my stomach.
It’s cold. Which is what woke me up in the first place.
“What’s your name?” he asks instead of answering my question.
“Excuse me?”
“Your name, dear,” he asks again, softening his tone. “Can you remember it?”
“Of course I can,” I snap. “It’s Jessa Gilmore.”
“And do you remember what happened just before you fainted?”
I open my mouth to respond, but then realize… I actually can’t remember what happened. My mind is fuzzy, the memories just out of reach.
The man must read the confusion on my face, because he starts to say, “It’s okay. This is all perfectly normal after—”
“Where’s Anton?” I ask, trying to wriggle away from the man’s grasp.
My body feels heavy, sluggish. But I don’t feel any pain. Well, not pain, exactly. Just discomfort from the cold instrument that I can still feel at my side.
“What is that thing?” I demand. “What are you checking for?”
“When was your last period?” the man asks with a grim professionalism.
I frown and cross my arms. “That is a very personal question.”
“I’m a doctor.”
“I don’t care. You’re not my doctor,” I snap. “Where the hell is Anton?”
“Right here,” Anton says, striding through the door. His eyes meet mine and I feel an immediate sense of calm engulf me. “Dr. Spegal, can you give us a minute?”
“Of course, sir.”
The balding man leaves and Anton sits down on the edge of my bed. His hand is inches from mine. The instinct to reach out and touch him is something I have to physically suppress.
“How are you?”
“Not sure,” I admit. “I woke up in your room with no recollection of how I got here.”
“You fainted.”
I frown. “Oh.”
“Do you remember why?”
“The old guy asked me the same question,” I say. “Who is he?”
“A Bratva doctor. He’s been working with my family for two generations.”
“Oh. Okay.” I look up at him. He’s watching me carefully, like he’s concerned. But there’s something else there that I can’t quite put my finger on.
“Are you gonna tell me what happened?” I ask.