PunishingPhoebe by Kit Tunstall Page A

Phoebe.
    Static buzzed, preventing communication for
a moment. When the line cleared, she said, “My phone is dying, but I wanted to
know if you’re the one who gave Phoebe the money for the clinical trial?”
    The implication hit Luca like a fist in the
gut. Of course insurance wouldn’t cover an experimental treatment. It must have
been a costly program and she would have had myriad expenses related to the
treatment. It must have been like a godsend when Salvatore made his offer. He
groaned.
    “Mr. Androtti? Was it you? I’m afraid she
did something awful to get the money. If she went to a loan shark, she could be
in danger.”
    She had gotten the money from a shark, all
right. “She’s fine. I gave her the money.”
    Anya breathed a sigh of relief into the
phone. “That’s a relief. I just hope we can find her quickly.”
    “We will.” Luca shared a goodbye with the
girl, but kept hold of the handset. He arranged for his jet with another call,
before returning the phone to the cradle. Within the hour, he’d be on his way
to Boston. There was only one more stop he had to make first.

Chapter Six
     
    Luck must have favored her, because Phoebe
had been able to catch a flight to Boston within thirty minutes of her arrival
at the airport. The streak of luck held when the plane landed on time and she
had no trouble finding a taxi. She gave the driver the clinic as her
destination, having decided to start there. Once settled, she opened her purse
and removed the phone to turn it on. Relief swept through her when she saw
she’d missed a call from Anya.
    Without bothering to listen to voice mail,
she dialed her sister’s number. Anya answered on the first ring. “What are you
doing? You scared me half to death.”
    “Hello, Phoebe,” said Anya in a mild tone.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
    She sighed. “Are you okay? The doctor told
me you weren’t a candidate. We’ll find another—”
    “No.”
    “What do you mean ‘no’?” She shook her
head. “There has to be a program or a cure somewhere.”
    “No.” Anya sounded resolute. “I’m done
living for that. I’m just going to live. If a treatment ever becomes available,
I’ll take it. In the meantime, why spend half my life chasing after something
to fix me?”
    “Because you can’t see.” Frustration made
her voice sharper than she’d intended. Softening, she said, “You can’t just
accept defeat.”
    “I’m not. I’m being realistic and I need
you to support my choice.”
    With a groan, she said, “Let’s talk about
this later. Tell me where you are.”
    It was Anya’s turn to sound frustrated, apparently.
“Not until you agree to stop pursuing treatments for my RP.”
    She closed her eyes, struggling to comply
with her sister’s wishes. It was against her nature to just accept her sister’s
blindness and not try to fix it. Did Anya have any idea how difficult it would
be for her to let go and step back while she walked away from trying to see
again? As perceptive as she was, her sister must know what she was asking would
be a challenge. Phoebe knew she was an adult, and it was time to let Anya make
her own choices. With a sigh, she said, “Okay. I promise to support your
decision.”
    Anya sounded happier when she said, “Thank
you. I’m at Honeywell House.”
    She sagged with relief. “Thank goodness
you’re in the city. Did you get the room with the double beds?” A short silence
greeted her. “Anya?”
    “About that… No, I didn’t.”
    Her lucky streak couldn’t hold all day. “I
hope Mrs. Honeywell has another room free, since that one is taken. You have a
room. Do you remember how many suites she has?”
    “I think five.” Anya paused again before
saying, “Look, sis, I need to tell you something else.”
    It took every ounce of willpower to stifle
her instinctive groan. How could there possibly be anything else to tell her
that made her sister sound so apprehensive? “What?” Her voice emerged calm and
in control,