Unwanted Blood (Harper) novel Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Harper’s POV

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers resting lightly on the armrests.

“What do you want to see?”

I didn’t hesitate. “Your father. Is he still alive? And where is he?”

His muscle at the corner of his mouth twitched. “Some things, the sooner you know them, the faster you die.”

“Then you shouldn’t have brought me here,” I said. My voice was steady. “Because I’m going to find out eventually. It’s only a matter of time.”

He stood up slowly. He walked to the window, his back to me, and stared out at the garden where the shadows were already lengthening in the evening light.

“You’re right,” he said after a long silence. “That’s why I’m gambling.”

“On what?”

He turned. “That when you know the whole truth, you’ll stand on my side.”

So he wasn’t holding me hostage to destroy me. He was holding me hostage to recruit me.

That changed everything.

I could use that.

“Ok, I’ll help you with what my brothers have,” I said. “But not now. Not until you give me something first. I need a gesture of good faith.”

His eyebrows rose slightly. “What kind of gesture?”

“The night my mother went into the delivery room-the last person she saw before she went in. Who was it?”

“How do you know she saw someone?” he asked.

I didn’t. It was a guess. A shot in the dark, based on one line in my mother’s letter-“The nurse

0.00%

11:35

Chapter 51

288 Vouchers

who brought the wrong medication. The doctor who hesitated.” She’d mentioned staff But she hadn’t mentioned a visitor.

Now I knew there was one.

“I can’t tell you that,” I said.

He studied me for a long moment. Then he exhaled-slow, controlled, like he was making a decision he’d been avoiding.

“My uncle,” he said. “The family lawyer. He visited her the morning of the delivery. She requested him. I don’t know what they discussed. No one does. The records from that day were… lost.”

Lost. Of course they were.

I nodded. “Okay. I’ll consider your cooperation offer.

His shoulders relaxed a little.”Goodnight, Harper.”

“Goodnight, Adrian.”

The next afternoon, Adrian gave me my daily call. He sat across the room while I dialed, his eyes on the wall, pretending not to listen.

I put the phone to my ear. “Hey, Lily.”

“Harper! Are you-”

“I’m fine.” I said, cutting her off before she could ask anything Adrian would flag. My voice was light, conversational. “The weather’s been nice here. They have a garden. The roses just came in.

“Deep red ones. The most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”

Deep red-Temporarily safe. There’s been some progress. Be patient.

We’d never planned this code. It was something Lily and I had built over months of small conversations-throwaway comments about flowers and colours that meant nothing to anyone else but carried weight between us. She’d understand.

“How are things at the center?” I asked, keeping the tone breezy.

“Busy. We had a new group of kids today. One of them drew a picture of you. It’s on the fridge.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify