The room was very quiet. The only sound was the beep... beep... beep... of the heart monitor.
Dante Moretti opened his eyes. Everything was blurry and white. His chest felt like it had been hit by a truck. The pain was sharp and hot where the bullets had gone in.
He looked to his left. A man was sitting there in the dark. He wasn't one of Dante's bodyguards. He didn't look scared.
It was the doctor. The one with the cold, blue eyes.
"You're awake," the doctor said. He didn't even look up from his papers. "Do you want some water?"
Dante tried to speak, but his throat was dry and sore. He made a low, rough sound. "Where... are my men?"
"Outside," the doctor replied. He finally looked at Dante. His face was calm. "I told them to stay out. In this hospital, I am the boss, not the Moretti family."
Dante stared at him. No one spoke to him like that. He was thirty years old and the most powerful man in the city. Yet this doctor—who looked about thirty-five—was treating him like a normal patient.
"You... saved me," Dante rasped. He reached out a shaking hand toward the doctor's arm.
"It's my job," the doctor said. He stood up to check the medicine bag hanging by the bed. "Nothing more."
Suddenly, Dante's hand shot out. Even though he was hurt, he was still fast. He grabbed the doctor's wrist tightly. The doctor's skin was cool, and Dante's hand was burning hot.
Dante looked up at him. His dark eyes were filled with a dangerous light.
"The Moretti family does not take favors for free," Dante whispered. His voice was getting stronger. "I owe you my life now. That means you belong to me. I will protect you... or I will ruin you."
The doctor did not pull his hand away. He did not look scared. He leaned down until his face was very close to Dante's.
"My name is Elias," the doctor said. His voice was like ice. "And I don't belong to anyone. Now, lie back and be quiet before you ruin my hard work."
For the first time ever, Dante didn't feel angry. He felt interested. He watched Elias walk away.
Dante didn't just want to pay the doctor back. He wanted to see what it would take to make this man bow to him.