ed it with the blood money she'd earned as 'The Ghost Surgeon,' channeling her anonymous, exorbitant fees into a place that offered answers to the city's most desperate, fre

lked in, handing her a file. "New patient. Referred through the Zur

. "I'm not in the mood for a hy

child," Sara

itting on the examination table, swinging her legs. She had wild curls an

chirped. "

us sharpening. The tension in her shoulders eased

y uncle says I need a 'super doct

'm the super doctor. Let's st

intermittent, complex-a classic diagnostic puzzle. Sh

Ayla said, making notes on her tab

" Penny said, hopping off t

oor o

er late,

. It clattered on the p

earing a casual grey sweater and jeans, looking devastatingly dom

hug his legs. "This is the doctor! She's

g over her lab coat, the stethoscope around her neck. His

, his voice a low d

outh agape. "You...

ded a coffee to Penny. "Go wait with Sarah. I ne

n trouble?"

ian order

lian closed the d

er legs hit the exam t

stician in the country," he said, walking toward her. He placed his coffee on a

ly. "If he finds out I have this place

opped inches from her. "But I'm going to be

n, you

tasting of coffee and danger. He lifted her o

red against her l

int bruise on Ayla's jaw that makeup b

it h

smile," she

pocket. "Dr. Xavier Thorne. He's at Lenox H

e a do

e works for me. He'll document everything. Every brui

the card.

e said, stepping ba

r. "Same time next

Ayla wh

ked an

n who took photos of her old injuries and the new ones. He prescribed he

he clinic, he

a concussion. Go home. Rest.

t. A black sedan was parked

s wat

being watched didn't feel like