Sempre (Forever Series #1)(74)

The monster lurked today. “Good morning, Dr. DeMarco.”

“Good morning.” His voice was cold and detached. “Grab your coat and meet me downstairs.”

Fear consumed her, but she tried to keep her outward composure. He continued to stare at her, waiting for acknowledgment. She didn’t know why—it wasn’t as if she could say no. If he told her to be somewhere, she’d be there if she wanted to or not.

“Yes, sir.”

She exhaled sharply once he was gone, shaking her head as she grabbed her coat. She stuck her hands into her pockets as she descended the stairs, her palms sweaty. Was this the end of her time here? Was he tired of her? What would he do to her? Would he sell her? What if she never saw Carmine again?

In the middle of her near-breakdown, a hand gripped her shoulder. She recoiled from Dr. DeMarco behind her. “You’re awfully jumpy today.”

“Sorry.”

He glanced at his watch. “Come on. I don’t want to be late.”

Dr. DeMarco opened the front door, and she kept her head down as she stepped outside. He set the alarm and locked up, brushing past her to the car as if she weren’t there.

Haven stared in the side mirror as he drove down the driveway, watching the house disappear behind the rows of dense trees. Sighing, she glanced at Dr. DeMarco, wishing she knew what bothered him. She kept her gaze on him for too long, and he glanced over at her. “It’s rude to stare, child. If you have a question, ask it. Otherwise, mind your manners. I’m not in the mood for insolence today.”

She had no idea what insolence was, but she had no intention of giving it to him. “I was wondering where we were going, sir.”

“The hospital,” he said, the same time Haven spotted the building in the distance. He pulled into a front parking spot and turned off the car. “Just like the football game, I expect you to be on your best behavior.”

She sat still, staring out the windshield at the sign with DR. VINCENT DEMARCO written on it in blue. “I’ll be good, sir.”

Haven followed him into the building, keeping his pace so as not to lag behind. They headed straight for the elevator and despite the fact that it only took thirty seconds, her anxiety tripled during the ride to the third floor. Logically she knew Dr. DeMarco wouldn’t hurt her in public, but it wasn’t easy being rational when confined in a small box with a man capable of harm.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the doors opened, and she followed Dr. DeMarco down a long corridor. Watching her feet, she didn’t notice he’d stopped until she ran into him. Gasping, she took a few steps back and held her hands up to shield herself. Dr. DeMarco stood in place, his hand twitching at his side. He balled it into a fist, fighting to keep his temper in check.

Pulling out a set of keys, he unlocked a door and flicked on a light inside the room. “Sit down. I’ll be back.”

As soon as she stepped into the room, his footsteps receded down the hallway. She stood in one spot, reading his nameplate on the desk, before surveying the rest of the office. It was orderly, books lining a shelf and folders neatly stacked on his desk. There weren’t any personal items, no family pictures or WORLD’S GREATEST DAD coffee mugs. The walls were white and plain, everything wooden except for the black leather chairs.

It looked like the house—sterilized.

She sat in one of the chairs and folded her hands in her lap, picking at her fingernails. Dr. DeMarco returned eventually and sat down behind his desk, putting on his glasses. She risked a peek at him and saw he was reading a file. He sensed her eyes again and sighed dramatically. “Ask.”

“I was wondering why we were here, sir.”

“I needed to get back to work, and you need a shot.” He pulled a book off a shelf and handed it to her. “A nurse will be around in a while, but other than that, you’re going to be sitting here most of the day. May as well entertain yourself, since you apparently know how to read now.”

* * *

Dr. DeMarco’s office was silent, except for the sound of the occasional turning page. Haven fidgeted as the minutes slowly passed. After a while there was a knock at the door, and Dr. DeMarco stood up to answer it. “Good afternoon.”

A young blonde-haired woman walked in, smiling sweetly at Dr. DeMarco. “Happy birthday!”

Haven froze. No one had told her it was his birthday.

“Thanks,” he said, not sounding enthusiastic as he turned to Haven. “I’ll grab some lunch.”

He narrowed his eyes in a silent warning before walking out.

“I’m Jen,” the woman said once he was gone. “It’s nice to meet the girl who whipped Carmine into shape. How did you manage that, anyway?”

Her heart rate spiked as Jen pulled out a needle. “I don’t know . . .”

“It’s unexplainable, huh? That boy used to land himself or someone else in the ER every week with all the fighting he did. It’s been months since it’s happened. Dr. DeMarco has to be happy.” She paused, smiling widely. “Turn around and unbutton your jeans. This has to go in the rear.”

Haven did as she was told, wincing as the needle penetrated her skin.

“It’s hard to believe the worst medical attention Carmine causes anyone these days is for his girlfriend to get birth control.”

Birth control? She pulled her pants back up as the door opened and Dr. DeMarco walked in. He set two food containers on his desk, pushing one toward Haven as she retook her seat. Haven opened her container and poked at the food.