The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 206

“I didn’t know that,” Claire said.

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“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, kiddo,” Mack said to her. To us, he sobered. “You are right to be suspicious. The Harpers‘ brake line was cut. Clean slice, no accident. We had a lot of suspects at first, but more and more it became clear that Adelaide was the one we wanted to look at.”

“What drew you to suspect her?” I asked.

“Little things she would say, here and there. She was sadder about her brother–in–law’s death than her own sister’s. Totally broken up over him. It just seemed weird. Her sister died too. But then we found the diary.”

I blinked. “What diary?”

“Adelaide’s,” Mack said. “She basically laid out the whole crime. She’d been in love with Mr. Harper, wanted her sister out of the way. Beg pardon for my crassness, ma’am. I know this is your family. It must be difficult.”

“It’s fine,” I said, waving away his worry. I couldn’t tell him the truth, that I wasn’t actually a Harper. He narrowed his eyes with suspicion anyway though, and my gut clenched. Fortunately, he didn’t press.

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“I’d been just about to arrest Adelaide myself,” Mack said. “We thought our case was ready. But then I got the call. Orders had come down from the top, well above my paygrade. We were backing off. I was furious, went back to the main building. That’s when I discovered the reports had been altered, some of the evidence missing.”

“That’s what we have now,” I said, exhaling. “I’m glad to know that she almost found justice.”

“She will again,” Jason said. “We just need to find that missing evidence.”

“It was probably destroyed,” I said.

“Not all of it,” Mack said, reclaiming our full attention.

“What do you mean?” Jason asked, taking the words right out of my mouth.

“When I saw things were going missing, I took the diary myself.”

“You have it?” I gasped.

“I hid it.”

“Uncle Mack!”

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“Don’t look at me like that, Claire. They were going to destroy it, and I couldn’t allow that. I’ve been holding onto it all this time, hoping a chance like this would come around where we could take Adelaide down once and for all. I’m assuming that’s what you all want, too.”

“It is,” I said.

“Agreed,” Jason said.

“She’s the worst,” Claire said.

“Worse than the worst,” Mack said. “She’s a stone cold killer. Which is why you are going to stay out of this from now on, Claire. You keep your head down at work. Do whatever she tells you to, to stay off her radar.”

“But – ”

“No buts,” Mack said.

“He’s right,” I said. “I don’t want you involved with this, Claire. You’ve helped way more than you needed to already, and I’m deeply grateful. But I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to you.”

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Claire slumped into her seat. “Fine.”

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“Good,” Mack said, then looked at Jason and me. “I’in warning you too. This isn’t going to be easy. Adelaide comes from old money, and power that runs deeper than even some of the Alpha lines. People like that aren’t used to facing consequences. She’s going to pull favors from the same network she had back then.”

“Vanessa doesn’t have to worry, I will protect her,” Jason said.

Mack hummed, nodding, but then he said, “Don’t you have a daughter, Vanessa?”

I blinked, startled. “…Yes?”

Mack’s already steely face hardened further. “Who is watching her?”

Twenty minutes later, Jason and I burst through the hospital doors and ran all the way up to Ava’s room. When we rushed inside, Ava glanced up from the coloring book she had on the bed.

“Mommy? Alpha Jason…?”

Ava was totally fine.

“You okay?” Ava asked. “What’s wrong?”

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“Nothing’s wrong,” I said, relief filling up inside of me. “Everything’s fine.”

Or it would be, I hoped. I looked back at Jason, and his face was stone. We’d both been afraid – terrified.

The sooner Adelaide was behind bars, the sooner we didn’t have to worry anymore.

We needed that diary. Then we needed a plan.

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