Lila didn’t believe it for a second. It had never happened in the history of High House.
“I apologize. I suspect you want a different answer.”
Lila put on her coat, grasping the wall when she nearly overbalanced. “Tell no one about my questions, and I might not have a conversation with the ethics board.”
“Of course, Chief Randolph,” the doctor promised, wringing her hands as she watched Lila struggle with her clothes. “It’s likely that you’ll feel a bit of nausea over the next twenty-four hours. You should take care to stay in bed until it passes.”
The doctor retrieved a bulging shopping bag from a cabinet. The hospital’s name stretched across the front in glossy letters. “Supplies for the coming weeks,” she explained.
Lila snatched up the bag as Rubio called for the nurse to escort her to the lobby. It bothered Lila’s pride to accept the help, but the shot still clouded her mind, making her groggy. So did the anesthesia, the wine, and the abbreviated nap. She knew it would better if people saw her escorted by a nurse, rather than passed out and drooling in a hallway.
Once the pair reached the elevator, Lila finally peeked inside the bag. It contained several pregnancy tests, prenatal vitamins, and various pamphlets on pregnancy care.
“She’s insane,” Lila murmured. “My mother is completely, certifiably insane.”
The nurse raised an eyebrow. Her mouth opened and closed as if she were unsure how to answer, or if she should even acknowledge Lila’s statement at all.
Choosing selective amnesia, the nurse thumbed the down button on the elevator, hitting it repeatedly as though she might prevent an apocalypse if only she pressed quickly enough. “The elevator is so slow sometimes,” she muttered before returning to her rabid button pushing.
Lila leaned against the wall and watched the nurse work. Many from the poorer classes had no idea how to act around heirs, for they rarely met one, even an unofficial one. Their behavior usually hovered somewhere between uncomfortable and awkward.
As soon as Lila became prime, it would only get worse.
The elevator dinged, and the pair stepped inside. The nurse stared at her shoes while the car descended. When it reached the ground floor, Lila dismissed the nurse, resolving to escape the woman’s unease as soon as possible and find Sergeant Norwood on her own. The lobby was large, but not so large tha
t he would go unnoticed.
Her palm vibrated.
Tristan had sent her another message. What did she want? Call me.
Lila slipped the device into her pocket. She had no intention of speaking to Tristan while drugged.
She soon spied Sergeant Norwood amid the squealing children and anxious parents. Ignoring the Muzak that pumped through the speakers, she dodged the pacing crowd, mostly men who had not shaved due to stress, fright, or too little time.
Sergeant Norwood helped her to the car, parked at the front of the building. Once Lila was safely ensconced inside, she cracked the window, needing more air to quiet her stomach.
As Sergeant Norwood backed out of the parking spot, the hospital bag fell over into her lap with a crinkled thud.
Lila shoved it as far away as possible.
Chapter 6
By the time Sergeant Norwood drove through the south gate of the Randolph estate, Lila had shaken off her drowsiness, glad for the heavily tinted windows that kept her bleary eyes from the view of the crowds. She collected her things while Sergeant Norwood parked at the front of the great house. He helped her take a wobbly stroll up the steps, recently power-washed by the groundskeepers. Her crimson woolen coat felt damp in the chilly, humid air.
The blackcoat opened the front door, and she parted with him at the entryway. Luckily, the staff had been called away to other tasks, and no one met her as she climbed upstairs to her room. After dropping her pregnancy supplies in her closet and slamming the door, she caught her face in bathroom mirror.
Tired. Irritated. Pale. Slightly green.
Green or not, she had a meeting to attend. On the way home, she had messaged Commander Sutton. They had much to discuss.
She withdrew her star drive and quickly hid it in her desk. Her palm vibrated as she slid the secret compartment closed. For once, it wasn’t Tristan.
“Chief, I just got a strange request that I thought you should know about,” a familiar, musical voice said by way of greeting.
“Always a pleasure, Captain McKinley.” The blackcoat handled network security for the estate and often called when she believed that Commander Sutton might not understand her report. Sometimes, she also called to remind Lila that she existed and enjoyed being promoted. Lila wondered which sort of call it would be this time.
“I assure you, the pleasure is all mine,” McKinley said. “I heard you were on the compound once more. Are you back from vacation?”