When I ran a background check on Dr. Kenji, it came out clean. No gambling debt. No weird fetishes. Nothing to write home about.
But obviously, nothing can be believed.
Is he working for Finn too?
“You’re lucky to be alive, young lady.” He stares down at me with fatherly concern. “What were you thinking taking on those crazy people alone? The police said that Gina-girl killed an entire family.”
I snap my attention to him. “Even the parents?”
“Her sister told the cops everything. They found the teenager’s body this morning, but the parents haven’t been found yet.”
I wince.
Dr. Kenji puts his stethoscope against my heart. “You would have been next if Finn hadn’t been there.”
I duck sheepishly. “To be fair, I programmed the window-cleaning drones to swoop in and form a cradle, but they didn’t.”
I think I know why.
In fact, I think I knowwhomade sure they didn’t.
“We’re going to run some more tests, but the fact that you’re moving and talking is a great sign, and I’m hopeful there won’t be any adverse effects from the drug.” Dr. Kenji straightens and shakes his head slowly. “But I can’t say the same about the other drugs you’ve been taking.”
I whip around, pinning accusing eyes on Finn. “You told him?”
Finn just stares at me.
The mafia prick.
“Finn didn’t tell me,” Dr. Kenji says, fitting the stethoscope back around his neck. “Not directly anyway.”
“I gave Dr. Kenji one of your pills and asked him to tell me what was in it,” Finn says, folding his arms over his chest.
There’s not even a hint of remorse in his tone.
I fume, digging my fingers into fists to keep from aiming at his head. If I start mouthing off, who knows what he’ll command his mafia army to do to me.
I just survived a life-ending fall.
I want to live a bit longer.
Dr. Kenji’s voice cracks. “J, your echocardiogram revealed significant left ventricular damage consistent with ischemic cardiomyopathy.”
The words hang in the air. For a second, I think I’ve misheard.
So much for living longer...
Silence falls swiftly.
Finn is the first to break it. “Explain that.”
“Parts of her heart muscles are dying.”
Finn steps forward as if he wants to start punching Dr. Kenji.
The older man pulls back, bracing himself even as he continues talking. “The pill Finn gave me containedmuscle stimulants, but it also contained a microdose of a vasoconstrictor…”
I inhale sharply, but the air doesn’t hit my lungs.
