Page 62 of Tasting Sin

“I’m okay.” I shrugged, tucking my feet closer to my chest when he put his hand on my thigh. You’re so clearly in love with the man responsible for your brother’s death. I couldn’t believe it. I knew what had happened. I knew Dickie committed suicide.

He didn’t look like he believed me. “Sugar, you went through a lot.” I nodded. “It’s perfectly fine if you’re not okay. I’m not either.”

“You’re not?” I scanned his body, taking in every detail I could and searching every available inch of him for any sign of injury. I didn’t find one.

“Of course, I’m not.” He leaned toward me, cradling my face in his palm. “For a moment today, I thought I might lose you. I’ve never felt a pain like that, and I can’t imagine feeling it ever again. Nellie, I am so sorry. I never wanted you to get hurt.”

“I know,” I whispered, resting my cheek against his hand.

He just stared at me like he was going to forget my face before he stood. “I brought a doctor,” he said, and I gaped at him.

“We’re not going to a hospital?” I wasn’t sure how long I’d been asleep. It couldn’t have been that long. Ronan shook his head.

“No. This is a family doctor. She’s right outside.” He nodded to the door behind him, and I wondered what she was like. Was she a real doctor? I chewed at the inside of my lip, suddenly nervous, but I nodded. I should trust him. Right?

The door opened, and an older woman with dark brown hair wrapped in a tight bun on the back of her head walked into the room. “Nellie, this is Dr. Woods. She has been with our family for years.”

“Are you a real doctor?” I asked sheepishly, hoping I didn’t offend her. When she and Ronan both laughed, I felt lighter. She nodded.

“I’m absolutely a real doctor. I have my own practice. I just do house calls for the Morettis.” She nudged Ronan as if she could move him, and he looked down at her with a look of adoration, like one would give an aunt or grandmother. “I was even there when this pain the ass was born.”

I chuckled, feeling more comfortable when Ronan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her. “Take care of my girl, Doc. Please?”

“I’ll make sure she’s okay,” Dr. Woods chuckled, patting him on the chest and winking at me. “She’s in good hands. Now, shoo.” She gave him a small shove, encouraging him to leave.

“Are you okay?” he asked me again when he got to the door. Spice settled in on the bed next to me, curling himself into a ball against my leg. I nodded. “Okay, then I’m going to go make a couple calls. I’ll be back in a bit to check on you. Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will,” I said when Dr. Woods put a blood pressure cuff around my arm. It started to get tighter while she listened to my pulse, and besides the slight hiss of the cuff and Spice’s quiet snoring, the room was silent.

“He’s a good guy, you know,” Dr. Woods said as she took the cuff off my arm and pressed a thermometer to my head. “Ronan. The whole Moretti family, really. You’re going to need to take your shirt off,” she continued when I looked at her confused.

I grabbed the hem of my T-shirt and tugged it over my head, setting it on the bed next to me. “So it’s real, isn’t it? They’re the mafia?”

Dr. Woods laughed, pressing her fingers into my side and pausing when I hissed. “I’ve known that family for several decades. As long as you’re on their good side, they’re incredible people.” She paused, checking my reflexes and making a note on her clipboard. “I’d hate to cross them, though.”

“What happens if you do?” I asked, my mouth suddenly dry.

She shook her head. “I don’t know, and I never asked. I don’t want to know.” My stomach slowly filled with sand, sinking further with each moment.

“Oh.” I gulped, putting my shirt on when she silently waved at it. I’d hate to cross them.

“Look, sweetie.” She put her hand on my thigh. “I know a lot of things about that family, and I've seen some things I wish I hadn’t, but today? I saw the way that man looked at you, and I’ve never seen him do that before.”

“Thank you,” I whispered when she put her things back in her bag.

“You look fine. You’re a little beaten up, but nothing looks like it will be serious. If you get any sharp pains or if anything starts to concern you, tell Ronan. He knows how to reach me.” She patted my leg and stood up. Her look was almost giddy, like she was happy to be standing there. “It was nice to meet you. I never thought that man would find love. Either of them.”

Then, as fast as she had come in, Dr. Woods was gone. I listened for footsteps that indicated Ronan was coming back down the hall, but when I didn’t hear him, I slipped out of bed. My bladder was screaming at me, and it was to the point that I thought it might burst. I stretched my legs slightly as I walked, trying to stop limping before I made it to the cold linoleum.

“Doc is with her now.” The bathroom walls were thin, and I could hear Ronan’s mostly muffled voice through the wall. Some of what he said was unintelligible, but some of it came through clearly. “Take care of it. They’ll never touch her again.” Then, I heard his steps moving from the kitchen, and I flushed the toilet. Water splashed onto the counter when I washed my hands, not bothering to let the extra drops drip back into the sink before I flung them towards the hand towel.

His steps were closer. I gasped, rushing out of the bathroom and slipping back into the bed as quickly as I could. The blanket hadn’t been pulled over me yet when the door opened, and Ronan lifted his brow. “I had to pee,” I explained, glad when he relaxed.

“Doc says you’re okay,” he said, closing the distance between us. Even with my nerves, the musty scent of vetiver was comforting when it washed over me. He reached for the blanket when I nodded.

“Just a few bruises,” I confirmed, letting him pull the blanket up and over my body. Ronan leaned down, pressing his lips to my forehead, and I was surprised by the comfort I still felt. I sighed. “Is it true what they said?” I asked, unable to stop myself.

Ronan sat on the edge of the bed so we were eye level. “Is what true?”

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