Page 57 of The Doctor's Promise
Zani squeezed his eyes shut. “When you told me they’d stabbed Noemi…”
“Noemi is fine. The twins are fine. They won’t be if you jump.”
“He’s right, Zani.”
Rafa turned to see Noemi, being pushed in a wheelchair by Lazlo Merchant out onto the roof —clearly the only way Lazlo would let her leave her hospital bed. She took Rafa’s hand, but kept her gaze on Zani, whose face softened when he saw her.
“Noe… I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. And Rafa’s right, I’m fine; it was barely a scratch. Just looked worse than it was. But you will hurt me, hurt Rafa, hurt your wonderful parents if you jump. Please, Zani. No one wants this. No one. It will be such a waste, and for no reason. Don’t let those scumbags win.”
“I’m the scumbag, Noemi.”
“No. You fucked up, yes, but God, Zani, who hasn’t? I know I have, over and over and over, and you know what? I’ll fuck up again. That’s life. We can get through this—together. We are a family now. And now I’m going to use the best excuse for you to stay alive, and yes, it’s totally manipulative. Don’t let Bepi or the twins grow up without their uncle. They need you.”
A faint smile crossed his face. “You’re right, that is manipulative.”
Noemi fixed him with a stare. “I don’t care. Please, Zani… for them. Come away from the edge, and we’ll face whatever we have to together.”
It seemed like an age had passed, but finally, Zani stepped away from the edge. Rafa felt weak with relief and eternally grateful to the woman he loved. Noemi held her free hand out to Zani and he took it. Noemi struggled to her feet and hugged Zani. Zani buried his face in her hair, and Rafa heard him sob, saw his shoulders shaking. Noemi held his brother tightly, whispering comforting words into his ear until Zani was able to calm himself.
Downstairs,they sat in Zani’s room. “Call Mom and Dad, please, Rafa,” he said, looking exhausted. “It’s time I faced up to what I’ve done.”
“Fine. The FBI want to talk to you again, and I think we ought to crank up all of our security.” Rafa stroked Noemi’s hair. “Do you mind if I step out for a few minutes?”
“Not at all, babe.”
Left alone with Zani, Noemi suddenly felt shy. “Zani, we don’t know each other that well, but can we start again? I’d like to help you.”
“I don’t deserve that, Noe, but thank you. I’ll take all the help I can get.” He nodded at her. “How are you feeling? Really?”
“Honestly, it’s nothing. The worse thing was not knowing what was happening.”
“How did it happen?”
Noemi told him about the locked lab door and the dark hallway. “Huh.” Zane looked confused.
“What?”
“No, it’s just… if it was my enemies, they wouldn’t have hidden in the shadows. They would want you to know who it was who was attacking you. And I hate to say it, but I doubt you would have gotten away so lightly.”
Noemi paled. “God.”
“I’m sorry, Noe. It could have been a drug addict.”
Noemi remembered the break-in at her apartment. Whore. Could it be that her enemy was separate from the Genova’s? Jesus. Somehow, she hoped not because she had no idea who would want to harm her otherwise.
She rubbed her face, sighing. “I’m at a loss, Zani. These past few months… Hell, these past two years have been crazy. Both ends of the spectrum, crazy good and crazy bad.”
Zani smiled at her. “I know the feeling.”
Noemi refusedto stay overnight in hospital. “No, it’s just a small wound and I’m fine.”
Lazlo and Dr Hallsback weren’t happy, but they couldn’t insist she stay.
Rafa took her home. Rafa’s parents had taken Bepi for the night, and Rafa made Noemi take a long bath while he made her some food.
She padded out into the kitchen, wrapped in a robe and he put his arms around her. “Feel better?”
