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Lillian dug her nails into her palms. “Yeah, angry feelings. He’s sharp…he knows I’m not telling the truth.”
“It’s more than that, Lillian. I felt it when I first woke up, and he was here. And when I held his hand a moment ago, I knew. He cares for you. Feels protective. I believe he’d understand if you told him the truth.”
Lillian pushed her chair out and stumbled to the window. “You know I can’t ever do that.”
“Why not?” Hannah’s voice followed her. “He’s a billionaire. I think he would spend quite a bit to ensure your safety. And he’s drawn to you—he won’t let go easily.”
“He doesn’t need to be saddled with this. No one does. Being with me is dangerous. What if they kill him? Because that’s what they’ll do if they find me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do. Mom told us in her letter. Kinetica will stop at nothing to get what they want. Don’t you remember?” She held up a finger as she ticked off the facts.
“They want healers like me, and there’s not that many of us. Only twenty-five women were part of the original study before the government shut it down, and they’re all dead. Only about a quarter of their female offspring inherited the gene, and only a few of us have the special DNA which allows us to heal others. They need me and the others to conduct their experiments. As long as they believe I’m dead, we’re safe. But if they discover I’m alive, they’ll find me. And when they do, they’ll kill you, Dad, and anyone else who gets in their way.”
She paced from the window to the bed. “I shouldn’t even be staying with Tristan now. If this hadn’t been an emergency, I’d never have involved him.”
Hannah sniffed. “He’s not keeping secrets. I’d know it if he was.”
“He asked me a few questions,” her dad said.
“What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “When you were sleeping earlier, he wanted to know where you lived in Denver. I told him I didn’t know, you moved around so much. Then he wanted to know what I thought of your nursing skills.”
Lillian stopped pacing. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him you were well-trained…”
“And…?”
Her father passed a hand through his hair and smiled. “Your nursing skills are better than your cooking skills.”
She laughed, and suddenly they were all laughing. She felt almost normal, being with her family again. By the time Dr. Beyton walked through the doorway and approached Hannah, Lillian had almost forgotten the danger of her situation.Almost.Worry always hovered nearby, waiting to squelch her joy.
“I see having your loved ones around is doing you some good,” the doctor said to Hannah. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better.”
The doctor looked over her chart. “Your recovery is incredible. Your vitals are greatly improved. The nurses tell me your appetite has returned.”
“Does this mean I can go home?”
He placed a stethoscope on Hannah’s chest and listened closely before dropping it and offering another wide smile. “Your lungs sound much better, but there’s still a bit of congestion on the latest chest X-ray. We’ll see about releasing you tomorrow, but I’d like to keep you here for a little while longer, just to be safe. If you continue with this remarkable recovery, though, it seems likely. In the meantime, enjoy your visit. I’m off to see another patient.”
The doctor waved a hand at the three of them and left the room as one of the nurses entered, carrying a large vase with an assortment of brightly colored pink, purple, and white flowers. She placed the vase on the table next to Hannah. “These are for you.”
Hannah smiled. “They’re gorgeous. Read the card, Lillian.”
Lillian reached for the card and read the printed black handwriting.“Celebration flowers — Tristan.”
“How thoughtful of him.”
“Yes.” Lillian tucked the card back among the flowers, a familiar tingle racing down her spine.
“Speak of the devil,” Hannah mumbled.
Lillian’s blood heated in her veins, and she tried not to look at the attractive picture Tristan made where he stood in the doorway. He carried a gift bag, which he presented to Hannah with a flourish.
