Giada has no such issues, chatting away with Nathan. He is courteous but reserved, and I’d be disappointed in him otherwise. He also keeps eyeing his mirror, and there’s that hint of hardness beneath his surface I’d seen the day in the store. He’s The Undergound’s doctor, and something tells me he’s as lethal as he is a healer.
Once we’re at the doctor’s office, Giada and I are taken into exam rooms at the same time, and my
checkup is pretty painless. The result is a birth control injection I’ll have to repeat every three months. When I’m done I join Nathan back in the lobby, sitting next to him.
“You want to tell me about yesterday?” he asks.
“Amnesia is hell. When I remember things that are painful, it’s like I’m experiencing them all over again. Instead of having years of healing behind me, the process starts all over again.”
“Are you sleeping?”
“I am, but I wake up to some pretty crappy memories sometimes.”
“I can give you something to knock you out.”
“As much as I appreciate that, there are far more reasons to remember than to forget, and drugs are only going to delay the process. And right now it seems the memories are starting to really flow.”
“That’s a good thing.”
We’re silent for a little while, and I finally broach a subject I’ve been worrying about. “How often are you needed by The Underground?”
He gives me a direct look. “That’s not your real question. What do you really want to know?”
“How often do they get hurt?”
“You’re worried about Kayden.”
“How can I not be? You told me he takes the dangerous jobs.”
“You need to have this conversation with Kayden.”
“You can’t give me an answer I like, so you aren’t going to give me one at all.”
“Talk to Kayden.”
His phone beeps with a text and he pulls it from his pocket, glancing at the screen with a frown. “How about checking on Giada? Kayden wants me in the meeting he’s holding after all, and I have a patient who was just admitted into the hospital. Not a good combination.”
I want to ask for details, but he’s already standing and stepping into the hallway, probably to make a call.
Fortunately, Giada comes into the lobby just then, looking irritated. “We need to hurry back. Adriel’s in a pissy mood for me to get back and run the store.”
So Kayden wants Adriel in the meeting, too. I don’t say that to Giada, who believes he’s retired from hunting. Whatever the case, I’m officially worried.
I try to call Kayden but he doesn’t answer, and the minute the car halts in front of the castle, I’m out of the door and darting for the steps. I’m just keying in the code when the door opens and Kayden appears. “What’s going on?” I ask.
“Walk with me upstairs and we’ll talk.”
“You’re scaring me,” I say as we hurry through the open door to our tower and up the stairs.
“Enzo’s being held captive,” he explains. “I have to free him.”
“Who has him?” I ask as we reach the main level.
“The cartel he tried to steal from.”
“Oh God,” I murmur, following him down the hallway to our room. “Tell me no.”
He opens the bedroom door. “I wish I could.” He heads inside and makes a beeline for the security room.