TJ sat next to Alexis’s hospital bed and watched her sleep, committing every inch of her face to memory. The doctors had given them both a thorough checkup, and despite nasty bumps on the head, neither had a concussion. Alexis’s hands had been bound by zip ties, which had cut into the skin around her wrists and that had required some tending to. She’d gotten lucky and hadn’t aggravated any of her prior injuries. The nurse tasked with gathering Alexis’s discharge papers had gotten pulled into an emergency. Alexis had fallen asleep waiting for her to return.
TJ was dreading the nurse’s return. It meant he would have no more excuses for not doing what he knew he had to do. Walk away for good.
The case was over. Annie and Lenora Kenda had been checked out at the hospital. Annie was rattled but unhurt. He and Alexis had given their statements to Detective Chellel at the scene before being transported to the hospital. It certainly wouldn’t be the last time they talked to the cops, but it was all a formality now. Nelson Bacon had been caught speeding down the highway in an attempt to get away from the scene. He wasn’t talking, but Chavez was singing like a canary.
An experienced criminal with a rap sheet as long as a book, Chavez knew how it worked. The first to talk got the best deal. Chavez didn’t have the smarts or know-how to pull off the theft of the Nimbus program on his own. Bacon was the mastermind behind the plan to steal Nimbus, according to Chavez, which had initially amounted to stealing the program, selling it to the highest bidder and setting up Mark as the fall guy. Bacon didn’t have the stomach for the violence, but Brock Chavez had already done time for manslaughter and he had no problem with it. Surprisingly, it appeared that Arnold Forrick hadn’t known anything about what Bacon and Chavez were up to.
Chavez copped to kidnapping Annie Kenda, killing Jessica, firebombing Mark’s apartment and breaking into Alexis’s house in a bid to stop her from investigating Mark’s death. He’d also admitted to driving TJ and Alexis off the road and to getting a couple of friends to attack them at the hotel in Alexandria. He’d also administered the overdose of fentanyl to Mark. Detective Chellel cautioned that there was a lot of work still to be done, but it was clear that Mark was nothing more than an innocent victim.
Alexis’s eyes fluttered open. She smiled when she caught sight of TJ sitting next to her bed. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, how are you feeling?”
“Better now that I’ve had a little sleep,” she said, sliding into a sitting position on the bed. She reached out a hand, but he avoided taking it.
Alexis frowned. “What’s wrong?”
A sharp pain pierced TJ’s chest at the thought of what he was about to do. He pushed to his feet. “I should go see what’s keeping the nurse with the discharge papers.”
Alexis sat up straighter and frowned. “No, you should tell me what’s wrong. TJ?”
“Bacon and his lackey are in jail. We’ve proved that Mark didn’t kill himself and wasn’t a thief. You’re safe now. The case is over. And I think it’s best if we both went back to our real lives.”
“You think it’s best, huh?” Alexis pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and TJ’s heart gave a jolt at the sight of the white bandages coiled around her wrists.
“I’m not the type of man who can go the distance,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Guilt and shame engulfed him, but he knew what he was saying was true. He wasn’t the man Alexis needed. The kind she deserved.
Alexis glared at him with a mixture of hurt, anger and disappointment. “So that’s it? I don’t even get a say?”
“I don’t think there’s anything to say. We both know this can’t be anything more than what it was.”
“No, we both don’t,” she responded fiercely. “I’m sorry that you lost Lyssa, but you’re just scared now. I’m asking you to take a risk. With me. Together.”
TJ felt as if his chest were being pried open. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m just not the right man for you.”
Alexis stared at him for a moment longer before turning away. “If that’s what you believe, then go.”
TJ hesitated for a moment, his feet feeling as if they were rooted to the spot. He knew this was one of those moments. A defining moment. One that would change the trajectory of his life.
The door to the room suddenly opened, and Alexis’s missing nurse hustled into the room.
“So sorry for the delay,” the nurse said breathlessly. She thrust a tablet at Alexis and proceeded to explain how the doctor wanted her to take care of her injuries and where Alexis needed to sign before she could leave.
TJ turned and headed for the door.
“TJ.”
The sound of Alexis’s voice stopped him before he stepped through the door. He turned back to face her.
Alexis sat up straight, her eyes trained just beyond his shoulders. “Thank you for everything.”
His eyes stung. “If you ever need anything, anything at all, call. I’ll be there.”
Her gaze finally met his. “Goodbye, TJ.”
“Goodbye, Alexis.”