Chapter 146
“Go ahead p>
The man hesitated, falling silent for a moment before speaking. His voice sounded rough, like gravel scraping against steel. “You could consider paying me back with your- ”
“ Babe, I’m home p>
elevator doors slid open with a chime, and Tanya Foster stepped out, urse in one hand and a takeout bag of spicy food in the other.
She barely got the words out before her voice cut off, like a duck being grabbed by the neck.
Elissa startled, snapping upright as she looked at Rowan. “What did you just say p>
“Nothing p>
Rowan’s tone was neutral. He glanced at Tanya, then took a step back and called the dog to follow him inside.
Tanya clapped a hand over her mouth, shooting Elissa a look: What on
earth was that?
“What do you mean, what was that p>
Elissa grabbed Tanya’s hand, dragging her inside.
Tanya replayed Rowan’s look in her mind and shook her head. “There’s no way that was ‘nothing.‘ The way he looked at me just now–he looked like he wanted to kill me p>
“What did he say to you?” she pressed.
“He never finished. You walked in before he got the chance p>
Elissa took the takeout bag from her and began unpacking dinner on the table.
Rowan’s voice had been so low she hadn’t really caught any of it, but
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whatever it was, she doubted it was anything good.
The next day was Saturday–no shifts at the clinic, and the lab was empty. Elissa decided to pull an all–nighter, retracing her research from scratch to look for a breakthrough. The more she thought, the more awake she became. By the time the sun was high, she finally dragged herself off her chair, dizzy and lightheaded, and collapsed into bed.
Somewhere between sleep and waking, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She groped for it, barely able to pry her eyes open, not even checking the caller ID. “Hello p>
“When are you replacing my suit p>
The man’s voice on the other end was cold and curt, like a debt collector.
Elissa roused a bit, but exhaustion dragged her back under. “Tonight, okay? I’m going back to sleep p>
She didn’t say another word.
Rowan was about to hang up when he heard her breathing–soft, even, fading into sleep.
His finger hovered over the hang–up button, then paused. He lowered his hand, his long lashes veiling whatever shadows flickered in his eyes.
He moved quietly to the living room, slipped on a pair of headphones, and returned to his study to work.
He lost track of time. At some point, the doorbell rang.
Almost reflexively, Rowan muted the call on his phone before getting up to answer the door. He frowned when he saw who it was. “What are you doing here p>
Rex brushed past him. “Your line’s been busy all morning. I had no choice
but to come over p>
“What do you want p>
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Rowan flopped onto the couch, legs crossed, looking every bit the disgruntled host.
Rex eyed him but didn’t get to the point. “What’s up? Hiding a girlfriend already p>
“Yeah, right. Hiding your own sister, more like p>
“Funny, but you really do want to hide your sister p>
Rex leaned on the doorframe, peering into the wide–open, obviously empty bedroom, and shook his head. “Too bad–your sister doesn’t want to be hidden p>
Rowan shot him a withering look. “With gossip like that, you’d make a great tabloid reporter p>
Rex grinned. “My old man would break my legs if I tried a stunt like that p>
The Wilkinsons were legendary for their strict family values. His grandfather was a big name in the military, his uncles all in government. Even letting him go into medicine was a stretch–no way he’d survive any wild career moves.
Through his headphones, Rowan could hear the faint sound of a girl shifting in her sleep.
His face softened slightly. “ So, what did you actually come for p>
“Housewarming p>
Without waiting for an invitation, Rex picked out some coffee beans and started the espresso machine. “Bradley and the rest heard you moved in. They’re insisting on coming over tonight p>
“Not happening,” Rowan replied without missing a beat.
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