Unwanted Blood (Harper) novel Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Harper’s POV

The eye contact lasted about three seconds.

I came to my senses first. I let go of his arm, stepped back, dropped my gaze, and muttered “sorry”.

Adrian drew his hand away. The back of it was already red, the edges turning faintly white where the skin had taken the worst of the heat. He glanced down at it and slipped his arm behind his back.

“It’s fine,” he said. His voice was quieter than usual.

“You should run it under cold water,” I said. “Or it’ll blister.”

He held his hand out toward me. “Can you help me with it?” he asked. “My left hand isn’t great right now.”

His right hand was gripping the edge of the table. When he’d caught the bowl, he’d taken all the weight on his left-and it was trembling, just slightly, the fingers shaking from the heat.

I looked at the red skin, and finally nodded.

“Sit down. I’ll get the first-aid kit.”

I found the burn ointment and gauze in the bathroom cabinet and brought them back to the living room. Adrian was sitting on the sofa, his injured hand resting on his knee. His right hand hung at his side, loose, as if it genuinely couldn’t take any weight.

I knelt beside him on the floor, uncapped the ointment, and started applying it carefully.

He drew in a sharp breath.

I looked up. “Hurts that much?”

“Yeah.” One word. But his voice was softer than I’d ever heard it.

“It feels like you’ve been getting hurt ever since we met,” I said as I applied the ointment.

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Chapter 84

“I guess so” He gave me a wry smile.

285 Vouchers

When the ointment was on, I tore open a roll of gauze and started wrapping. I wrapped the bandage once. Then again. Smooth. Tight. By the final turn, I leaned in without thinking, tugging it snug against his skin.

I didn’t notice how close I’d gotten.

My forehead was nearly against his chest. I didn’t register it until the gauze was secured and I sat back.

I looked up while Adrian was looking down at me, smiling that made my breath catch. Before I could move, Our lips accidentally brushed against each other.

It was barely a touch. An accident of proximity and bad timing. But it was there.

I pulled back so fast I nearly fell off my knees. Half a step backward, my ears burning, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“It’s done,” I said. My voice came out too quick, too bright.

Adrian looked down at the neatly wrapped gauze on his hand. The corner of his mouth tilted- just barely. “Thank you,” he said.

Ryder’s POV

Evening had settled by the time I got back to the safe house.

I pushed the door open and the first thing I saw was this. Harper kneeling beside the coffee table, gathering used gauze and the ointment tube back into the medical kit. Adrian on the sofa, his left hand freshly bandaged, his gaze resting on the side of Harper’s face. Quiet. Focused. Unmoving.

My steps paused for a fraction of a second.

The sound of the door closing made them both look up. The flush on Harper’s cheeks hadn’t faded. She stood, composed herself, and asked. “How did it go?”

I pulled my eyes off Adrian. My expression hardened before I could stop it.

“He’s willing to take it,” I said. “But the terms are harsh. The evidence chain has to be re-verified by an independent third party. And he wants nothing made public before the case is formally filed.”

I stopped. Let that sit.

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Chapter 84

“There’s more He said the pressure from the West Coast is heavier than he expected Someone inside their own organisation passed the word-told him not to touch this case He’ll still take it. but he wants a clear protection plan from us before he commits.”

The room went quiet.

Harper frowned. “Does he know who passed the word?”

I shook my head. But my eyes shifted to Adrian. “Do you?”

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