Page 158 of Reaper's Claim

I pulled out my phone while walking to the elevator.

Spoke with Sebastian was a drunken pub fight.

I sent the message and pressed the elevator button.

“You look cold.”

I glanced to my right. A young doctor was standing next to me, looking me up and down.

He was right; I was cold because Red hadn’t packed a fucking jumper.

“You don’t,” I responded blankly and entered the lift. To my disappointment, so did he.

“You’re Jed Harrison’s daughter, aren’t you?”

“How did you know that?”

“I’m one of his doctors. We spoke late last night?”

“Sorry.” I felt rude immediately. “I couldn’t take my eyes off Dad last night.”

“I’m due to do my rounds soon, so I’ll be seeing you shortly. Perhaps this time I’ll leave more of an impression.” He smiled at me.

The lift doors sprung open, and he smoothly walked out.

Why did that feel like he was hitting on me? I frowned. Maybe I was just thinking that lately about every male I was near.

God, I needed a good night’s sleep, or at least my brain did.

~

“Abby, look at me. Tell me why you did it.” Dad looked down at me, hands on his hips.

“Because I wanted one.” I looked up at him, close to tears. “Kim dared me.”

“If you want something, you tell me next time, you don’t steal it.” He huffed. “Just because your sister dares you to do something, doesn’t mean you do it. Got it?”

This was all over a lollipop I took from the corner store. Wasn’t like the grumpy old man caught me. No, Dad did, when I was sucking on it in the backseat.

“You’re my little girl, and you want for nothing,” He dropped to his knees, looking me in the eye. “So next time, kiddo, you open your mouth and tell your old man you want a lollipop.”

“Ok, Dad.”

“Now give me a hug.” I wrapped my arms around him tightly, and he easily lifted me off the ground, standing back up. “And stop crying. Harrisons don’t cry; we make others do the crying.”

I wiped my eyes and nodded my head.

For some reason as I walked back to Dad’s room, that memory bounced into my mind. What I would do right now just to have a hug from my dad.

I turned the corner, and immediately I knew something was wrong because Kim was banging on Dad’s door, screaming.

“Kim!” I yelled, breaking into a run. “Kim, what’s wrong?” I attempted to pull her away from the door as she banged on it with closed fists, tears streaming down her face.

“Kim, what the hell happened?” I forced her to look at me.

“I don’t know. One minute he’s fine and then next he started jolting and then the machines started beeping.” She spoke in a rush, sobbing, “Then they pushed me out of the room, and I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on.”

I wrapped my arms around her. “It’s ok. It’s ok. Just, just keep breathing. Breathe through it, Kim.”