Unwanted Blood (Harper) novel Chapter 46

Chapter 46

The SUV descended into an underground garage. A security gate lifted automatically as we approached

Two men were waiting at the elevator. They opened the rear door without a word and escorted me

out.

The elevator rose in silence. When the doors opened, I stepped into a hallway lined with dark wood paneling and framed oil paintings. The air smelled like old leather and beeswax.

They led me through the hallway to a set of double doors. One of the men opened them and stepped aside.

The room beyond was a study. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. A fireplace that wasn’t lit but looked like it had been used recently. A heavy oak desk with a green leather blotter. A Persian rug that probably cost more than my entire apartment. Soft light from a brass lamp. Warm.

The door clicked shut behind me. I was alone.

I stood in the center of the room, my hands in my jacket pockets, my back straight, and I waited.

Three minutes later, the door opened again.

I had expected it to be someone older, but the man who walked in was younger. Mid-twenties, maybe twenty-five. Dark suit, perfectly fitted. Sharp features-high cheekbones, a strong jaw, dark hair styled.

“Harper Wilson.” He stopped three feet away and extended his hand. “Adrian Westbrook. I apologize for the unconventional invitation. But I had a feeling you wouldn’t accept a dinner request.”

I didn’t take his hand.

He held it there for a moment, then lowered it without any sign of irritation.

“You’re sharper than your mother,” he said, almost conversationally. “She was terrified the first time she walked into a room like this. You’re just… calculating.”

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