The broken doctor (book 2 of 'Doctor' duology)

Nine

She said it, she finally said our, our daughter, it's amazing how just a simple word makes so fucking happy. She's improving, I can already see, she let my father touch her, and earlier she let me.

It felt so good her skin on mine, I'm completely in love with this woman, I don't care if people say it was fast, if we didn't wrong I don't care about any of that shit.

She's the one for me and I'm the one for her, we've been apart for 14 fucking months, and my feelings for her only increased, I didn't sleep with anyone or even looked at another woman. Not because I didn't have the time, even though I really didn't but I couldn't and I didn't want to.

I wanted her, I want her for the rest of my life.

Our journey has been bumpy, but when we find our daughter everything will get better I know, I feel it will. My baby, I never saw her or hold her but the love I already have for her is infinite.

The first step to finding her is to look for Kassandra, we need everything we can get and I know Andrea is the best person to find her, with his hacker knowledge I know he can do it, and then when we have we will finally find out if Sam is really involved in this or not.

I hope not, but Julianna is certain that he is.

"I promise I will bring her home, but you need to promise that you will eat and rest when you need it. You have to get better." I say to Julianna, I put my hand next to hers in bed, I want to touch her but I know that she needs to be the one initiating.

There was a knock on the door and I saw her body go rigid, Talin opens the door and his head pops in.

"Can I?" He asked, I never heard Talon's voice so low or soft, but I'm thankful I know he cares for her. I look over to Julianna and see her giving him a small nod.

"Did you hurt him?" She asked when he was inside.

"Who?" He asked.

"Vito, I'm not stupid I know I'm weak but I still know how the mafia works." She said and I'll admit her words brought a small smile to my face because this was something she would say 14 months ago, and I'm happy to see that maybe she's returning to be who she once was.

I will love her in any way but her confidence, her strength, the way she held herself and didn't give a shit to what other thing was what made me fall harder for her.

Talon looked at me and I gave him a nod so he could tell her the truth, I won't lie to her, never had before I won't start now, and if I want her to stay in bed to recover I know that she has to know everything and be in the investigation.

"No, no one can touch him, he never denied us an answer, but he's in the basement, I promise you that he has clean sheets and food, he's just not allowed to walk free. For now." He said and we all looked at her waiting for her reaction, she looked down at her hands for a moment and then raised her head and she looked at all of us.

"Do you believe me?" She asked in a whisper, her eyes were filled with tears and my heart hurt seeing them.

"We are investigating-" I started but she talked over me.

"You don't." She said and her tears rolled down.

"It's not that, look so far we don't have proof okay? We will search for everything we brought from the other place, he's not allowed to come near you and he doesn't know what we will do or any plans. We want to believe you, we just need proof, but we are all on your side." I said.

"I believe you." Talon said and we all looked at him.

"Do you know anything?" I asked.

"No, but he's been on edge lately, more nervous than usual. It might be nothing but it's just a gut feeling." He said and I nodded, Talon always was the quiet one, but just because he was quiet doesn't mean he doesn't know things or doesn't see what's happening around him.

On the contrary, he always stays in the corner of the room, he is always studying the people around him., always listening even though he might seem uninterested.

"Did Vito say anything? Where's Andrea?"

"He didn't know much, I think he's innocent, he's just a kid not even 24, and rarely interacted with Marcello. Sam found him when we came up, they are talking."

"Okay, we need to get a better couch for me to sleep in here and a desk. And food" I said.

"You don't need to sleep in here." Julianna said, I put my hand closer to hers, the tips of her fingers were almost touching mine.

"I want to." I said and she gave me a small smile, her hand moved and was now on top of mine.

And with that Talon, mom and dad got out of the room us alone. Mom was probably getting food for us, and dad, I bet he was helping Talon.

"Tell me about her." I said and her face lit up immediately but before she could start talking there was another knock on the door.

"Come in." I said and Andrea walked in, Julianna's hand started shaking it on top of mine, so I turned mine around and interlaced our fingers.

"How are you feeling?" He asked in a smooth voice, I could see how he wanted to run to her and hug her, but he was controlling himself, I know how hard it feels.

"I don't know how to answer that." She said to him.

"Look, Ju, I'm with you no matter what, innocent or guilty, I'm with you, please believe. Maybe this makes me sound like an asshole because he's my boyfriend but I don't care." He said with tears in his eyes. I looked at her and she had them too.

"I'm not lying, I swear I'm not I just want my baby back." She said and started sobbing, that's when Andrea walked to her and slowly put his arms around her, I know they needed this so I was going to pull my hand from hers, but her grip on it tightened, they let go of each other and she started talking.

"She's beautiful, she has my hair, nose, and lips, but her eyes are just like yours." She said and we sat there listening to her talking about our baby girl.