Page 134 of For Wrath and Redemption
My final mistake. I should have kept my mouth shut and continued walking.
Conrad’s eyes narrow.
“Do you think fucking my son will get you what you want, you little slut?”
“Motherfucker.”
Jonah rushes Conrad. He shoves him, causing him to stumble backward, before I’m able to wrap my arms around Jonah’s waist.
“Stop! Stop, Jonah.”
“You think she’s fucking you because she wants you?” Conrad straightens to his full height and sneers. “I warned you about her, but you never fucking listen.”
“Conrad, you need to leave.” He flicks angry eyes toward me. I’m still holding on to Jonah’s waist, but I don’t take my glare off Conrad. “Leave, before I have José call security.”
Conrad ignores me. “She just wants your money, Son. She’ll get knocked up, take you for all you’re worth, and disgrace the family name.”
His comment makes me flinch, but I don’t have time to dwell on it. Jonah’s body vibrates, his muscles so tense that they feel like rocks between my arms, and I know I need to put an end to this before all hell breaks loose.
“Conrad. I’m serious. You need to leave.”
He never takes his eyes off Jonah.
“You were a mistake. Worthless. Couldn’t even do what you were intended for.”
Conrad takes another step toward Jonah, and my blood boils with every word that comes out of his mouth.
“A waste of money. A waste of resources. A waste of time. You’re defective, and I’ll be damned if I let you fuck up the family name like you fucked up my chance at an heir.”
My brows furrow at his last statement. It makes no sense until Jonah speaks.
“It’s not my fault Theo died.”
Jonah’s words are gritted through clenched teeth, and I can tell it’s not the first time he’s had to say them. Why? Theo had a brain tumor. It doesn’t make sense that Jonah would have to defend himself in this way.
I flinch when Conrad laughs. “If you weren’t defective, he’d be alive, and so would your mother.”
The already tight leash I have on my temper frays, and I have to dig my toes into the floor to keep from launching at him.
“You can’t put that on him, Conrad. Jonah had nothing to do with their deaths.”
His lip curls in disgust, still not looking away from Jonah. “Your mother never recovered when Theodore died. She’d still be alive if you’d just done what you were intended for.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.” Jonah’s voice is strained, no doubt trying to keep from shouting. “Even Theo knew it was bullshit.”
“Theo would tell you whatever you wanted to hear. You killed him anyway.”
“Stop it!” I step in front of Jonah, pressing my back to his front, and square up against Conrad. “That is disgusting. Your son had a brain tumor. How could you possibly blame Jonah?”
“Because he couldn’t use me to save him.”
“What?” I turn to look up at Jonah. “What does that mean?”
His nostrils flare and his eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Do you know what a savior sibling is, Claire?”
My mouth falls open, and my eyes go wide.
“It’s fascinating, really. Controversial, but fascinating.” He drops his eyes to me. “Essentially, you have a fatally ill child, so you create a new one in hopes that they can save the sick one. In our case, Theo was the fatally ill child—he was born with a rare blood disorder that caused bone marrow failure—and I was the genetically modified body intended for harvest.”
