Mobster's Gamble: Chicago Mob Series Book 1 by Amy Rachiele, Christine Leporte

getting the wheels to maneuver.
    They come to a full stop.
    “Can I get up now?” I ask.
    Julius moves the tray to a dining table off to the left. He comes back and the doctor motions for him to get on the other side of me.
    “Take it easy. The medication may make you dizzy.”
    I nod, understanding. I feel tons better. Whatever the doctor gave me is a lot stronger than the aspirin that Kylie had stolen.
    “May I use the bathroom?”
    “Of course.”
    The three of us walk slowly toward an open door. The carpet under my bare feet is glorious. I don’t need the help but it seems impolite to say so. From a distance, it looks like a bathroom. Julius and the doctor step back, and I close the door on a palatial, golden-tiled mansion of a bathroom. The tub is up high, appearing to be stacked on tile bricks for steps. I tilt over, balancing my knee on it.  Circular jets are laid out sporadically across the white porcelain. I reach out, touching the surface; it is cool under my fingers.
    I hear voices on the other side of the door. I remove myself from the beautiful tub and pad over to the door frame, leaning my cheek on the wood.
    “Why me, Doc?” Julius asks.
    “You need to talk to her and convince her to stay at least till she’s healed. Another beating like that she might never wake up.”
    “Shit. That is fucking harsh.”
    “She is closer to your age. She looks at me as an authority figure. The lifestyle she’s led makes her compliant. I want you to be on her level so that she understands how important it is for her body to heal. It’s important.”
    “Carlo should be doing this… or Alex… they know how to make people do shit.”
    “That’s exactly what I don’t want. We need to tread lightly.”
    There’s a long pause but I wait, listening. The doctor really wants me to stay.
    “I’m not a shrink, Doc,” Julius announces.
    “I don’t need you to be a psychiatrist. I need you to be a friend.”
    I pull myself away from the door and do my business. The soft sweatshirt material is a luxury. I push the sleeves up, wash my hands, and the water is warm immediately when I twist the faucet. The sink basin is oval and sits on top of the cabinet like it’s a regular glass bowl. I crouched down to look at it from the bottom up. It is so cool; I’ve never seen anything like it. When I stand back up the mirror above me catches my reflection, and I lean into it to get a good view of my face. I knew it was bad because it’s hard to open my eyes. They get caught short from opening all the way, the puffiness blocking them. My green eyes are barely visible through the slits.
    I exit the bathroom and Julius is standing before me.
    “How are you doing? Any dizziness?”
    I shake my head. “No, I’m feeling pretty good.”
    “Come on over here and eat lunch.” On the table next to my tray are two white square bags. Julius catches me staring at them. “These are for over your eyes.  Doc Howie left them.”  He picks one up between his fingers. “When you’re done eating, it’s time to go to bed.”
    Julius blushes. “That didn’t come out right.” He moves to sit down in a chair across the table. “I meant it’s time for you to take a nap. We could watch some TV until you fall sleep.”  He lifts the metal dome off my lunch. Stacked in a diamond formation are a selection of sandwiches cut in half.
    I push the plate toward him. “This has to be for you too. I can’t eat all this.”
    “My lunch break is at one. This is all for you.”  He gives me a genuine smile.
    “Please take some of it, it’s a sin for it to go to waste.”
    “I’ll take a sandwich. But whatever you don’t eat we can also put in the refrigerator behind me. You can have it later.”
    “Can I ask you something?”
    Julia snatches a half sandwich from the top. “Sure.”
    “Why are you all doing this?” I gesture to the room, the food.  “I know you were ordered to stay with me. I’m not trying to be ungrateful but I