Early breast cancer is still very treatable, but if you are like me, with no money, no family, and no medical insurance or support, the options for treatment are pretty nonexistent. That coupled with the fact that I saw what the drugs did to my Mom, and I never want to have them in my body. Ever. So, fainting is just something I have to deal with in the interim.

I stand up slowly and rub my hip, which is sore. As I look in the mirror, I pull up the shirt and see a big blue bruise starting to appear. I already know that it is not going to look good in a few hours. Likewise, it looks like my head took the brunt of the fall as well because my temple and eye are going purple and a headache is thumping through my forehead. I sigh in frustration.

I hate feeling weak. I feel pitiful.

Taking a cloth, I run it under cold water and apply the compress to my head and neck for a few minutes before I open the bathroom door and step into the bedroom. As I make my way out, I notice there’s a variety of freshly pressed and folded clothes on the bed, all in my size. The breakfast tray has been cleared and replaced with a lunch tray, and the bed is fully made. It is just like a hotel, only better.

I gingerly walk to the bed and sit down, still not confident on my legs. My eyes find the clock, seeing that it is now nearly midday, so I was out for hours. That has only happened once before. I need to make sure I eat more and have cooler showers if I want any chance of enjoying the time I have left. After putting on the fresh underwear that is on the bed for me, I place a pillow under my feet and lie back.

As I stare at the ceiling, I think about the man whose bed I am in. Who is he? He is heavily armed, has a large team of men, and appears to be the boss of them all. Obviously, he is a criminal of some kind, but not being a native New Yorker, I have no idea.

He is extremely handsome and strong, all man, and he seems somewhat protective and gentle in an unexpected way—all attractive qualities in my book. Not to mention that I saw him half naked yesterday in the bathroom, and I didn’t miss his chiseled chest or patchwork of tattoos, which any woman would be a fool not to find sexy.