After a shoot out at a club, Eliza's life is turned upside down. One minute she's working to get her medical degree and the next she's thrown into a completely new world filled with guns, danger, and extremely attractive men.
Mason De Marco is the...
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Once I had been discharged Mason took me down to the basement of the hospital which I thought was just staff parking. His large black SUV was parked down there and I wondered if he worked here too or something... Maybe he was a doctor as well and that's why the other doctor was scared of him? Without thinking too much about it I got into the passenger side of his car and watched as he got into the drivers side.
"Thank you for offering to take me home. I'm sorry, you don't even know me, you could have just let me get a cab back." He shook his head and waved his hand to brush off my thanks, as if he didn't mind but his face showed virtually no emotion still. Since meeting him in that club I'd hardly been able to read him at all. I had no idea who this man was, or what his intentions were but for some reason I felt comfortable around him. As if I'd known him for years.
"I'm taking you home but not to your home Eliza. After the club it's too dangerous for you to go home so you will be staying with me until I know it is safe for you to go home again." My mouth hung open at his words. He didn't look at me once, his gaze remained focused on the road ahead.
"No. Absolutely not. I want to go home." I tried to speak sternly but part of me didn't want to go home at all. Part of me didn't want to go back to an empty flat that I shared with my now dead best friend. But I also didn't want to go and stay with a stranger, intrude on his life, without any of my things. No. I wanted to go home.
"I'm sorry but that is not possible. I have already made arrangements for the guest bedroom to be set up for you and I've had someone get you some clothes. I just want to keep you safe and until I know you won't be harmed if you go home you will be staying with me." I frowned and watched him drive us through New York. He glanced over at me out of the corner of his eye, and I thought for a second I saw a flash of worry... or guilt maybe... but it was very quickly replaced with his stern gaze.
I slumped back in my chair in defeat, for some reason I got the feeling with him that there was no point in arguing. Like, he wasn't used to not getting his own way. No matter how long I argued to go home, I doubt he would take me there. I guess I'd just have to wait until he wasn't around and then I would have to sneak out or something. He doesn't know where I live so it shouldn't be too hard surely.
We pulled up outside a large building in the Hudson Valley. It was huge, made of stone with vines running up the sides of it. Large windows covered the front of the house. I got more of a penthouse bachelor pad from Mason, not and only country house big enough for a family of 15.
"You live here?" I questioned as I admired the house through the window of the car.
"Well, we do now." He mumbled with a smirk before climbing out the drivers side of the car. That smirk was the first sign of proper emotion he'd shown all day. Before I got the chance Mason was at the passenger side door opening it for me. I smiled in thanks and climbed out the car.
Outside the entrance to the house stood a line of 4 men in black suits with dark shades on and ear pieces in. The looked like they'd just walked out the Men in Black films. Mason headed towards the house and I followed behind him. The closer we got to the men the more clearly it was to see that each of them had a gun in a holster around their waist. The sight of the guns set me into a slightly panic. I could feel my heart race beginning to speed up.
Without thinking I turned back around and began to head back to the car. I couldn't be here, not surrounded by guns, not when they've all but destroyed my life. Flinging the door to the car back open I jumped in and slammed it shut. Putting my head between my knees I tried to focus on taking deep breaths and relax. I was a doctor, I knew what was happening but I'd never experienced a panic attack before. I'd learnt about them, but the feeling... life everything around me was crumbling... like I was dying... No amount of reading will prepare you for this feeling. My chest was tight and my breaths were short, I closed my eyes and tried to focus on taking longer deeper breaths but I couldn't calm my breathing down.
"Eliza? What's wrong?" The car door opened and Mason was trying to talk to me, but there was a hint of panic in his voice.
"Why- guns- no-" I gasped out in between wheezes. My whole body was shaking and my fingers were going numb.
"You four! Leave NOW!" Mason yelled causing me to jump slightly in my seat, I let out a whimper at the annoyance in his tone. Was he mad at me? I was probably being a right pain, I'd not only intruded on his life but now I was being a pathetic broken idiot having a panic attack because I saw a stupid gun. "It's okay, they're gone now. There's no guns. Just breath. They're all gone now." Mason's tone was a lot softer than it had been a few seconds earlier. His hand rubbed my back in repetitive circular motions. I tried to use his motions to calm my breathing down, breathing in with one circle and out with the other. Slowly my breathing came to a steady pace and I regained feeling in my fingers. My body was still shaking but not half as much as it was before. Mason continued to rub my back even when I had calmed down. I sat and allowed him to for a few minutes debating my next move.
"I'm sorry, I-"
"Don't say sorry. No more guns. You won't see anymore guns. I'm sorry, I should have thought." Mason interrupted me and removed his hand from my back. I took a deep breath before sitting up in the chair and wiping the tears from my face that I hadn't realized had fallen.
"Thank you." I whispered before Mason took my hand and led me out of the car. The men in suits were no longer there, it was just me and Mason. We were the front door of the house and Mason dropped my hand, before opening the door to let us in. The inside of the house was even more beautiful than the outside. There was a dark oak infrastructure and a large grand staircase in the entrance hallway. A deep green rug ran down both sets of stairs and in the center of the staircase on the ground floor stood a large grandfather clock. I stood for a moment admiring the interior before someone clearing their throat brought me back to reality.
"This is Sarah, she works here, she will show you around and if you need me at all I will be in my office." Mason spoke before offering me a small, but awkward smile as if he wasn't used to smiling much. I nodded my head before he turned and walked deeper into the house. Sarah was a middle aged plump woman with curly ginger hair tied back into a ponytail. She offered me a warm and genuine smile revealing dimples on her rosy cheeks. She wore a black shirt and a black pencil skirt, she held her hands together in front of her body.
"Shall we?" Her voice was soft and melancholy with a thick British accent, she waved her hand motioning for us to begin the tour of this huge house. I nodded my head and motioned for her to lead the way.
