memories of the night before shifted through his mind, he turned his head to the other side of the bed to see if the inconsiderate sunlight had woken her. But the bed was empty.
“Devon?” he called out, even though somehow he knew she was no longer in the room. Where could she have gone? Maybe down for coffee? But again, somehow he knew that wasn’t the case. Dammit ! She was going to kill herself.
As he scooted to the side of the bed, he saw the note she’d left for him. A deep coldness spread throughout as he read the words she’d penned.
Alex, I appreciate your offer to help me find my mother, but after thinking about it long and hard, I find I don’t want your help. I know you don’t believe my mother is possibly alive and I don’t believe you will give your all to this cause, but will instead attempt to delay or dissuade me. While I’m sure you won’t understand this, I find I can’t get over the fact you were married before but failed to ever mention it to me. I feel somewhat betrayed by that fact. I’ve been waiting on you to commit for a long time, but always figured you had a problem with commitment. Now, I’ve come to realize, your problem isn’t with commitment itself, only with committing to me. Please do not contact me. I want this to end now. Devon.
An intense pounding on the door dragged him from the note. With a muttered curse, he snagged his pajama bottoms and slid them on as the pounding continued on his door. Distantly, from the other side, he heard Cash’s voice. “Alex, open the damned door!”
Snatching the door open. “What?”
“Is she here?” Cash asked without preamble.
“She was earlier, but left at some point.”
“ Where’d she go?” Cash asked as he slumped against the doorframe?
“I don’t know. She slipped out while I was asleep.”
“I just left the hospital and she’s not there either. I’ve been calling her cellphone but she didn’t answer. Where do you think she went?” Cash asked as he fidgeted in the doorway, anxiety rolling off him in waves, the sign of a well-connected partner.
“Her house maybe? You’re her partner, you’d know better than me,” Al ex replied somewhat defensively, as he turned to head back into the room.
Cash stared after him for a long moment. “She’s gone after Miguel, hasn’t she?”
Alex’s lips thinned as his stomach burned with fury. “ That’d be my guess.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
Alex threw up his hands. “She is a grown woman. I’ve tried repeatedly to stop this insanity. But she can’t let it go. I’m done, Cash, just… done!”
Cash blinked at him as he strove to process the situation. “Just like that?”
Slapping his palm against his side of the doorframe, Alex bellowed, “No, dammit! Not just like that! I told her… just last night, that I’d help her if she’d wait – just one damned week! But was that good enough for her? No! Now, she’s off doing God’s knows what… off on her own… barely able to stand. So now…” he exhaled deeply and lowered his tone, “Now, I’m done.”
Cash contemplated him steadily for several long moments. “You’re a fool, Masters,” he finally said quietly.
“So be it,” Alex murmured.
“I’ll call you when I find her, okay?” he said tersely.
“Whatever.”
With a sneer, Cash replied harshly, “Whatever, you rself, you asshole. I’ll call for Devon’s sake, not for yours. You don’t deserve her!”
Alex simply shrugged, refusing to allow Cash to see his inner turmoil. Without another word, Cash spun on his heel and began to stalk down the hall, before stopping abruptly and scrubbing a hand across his face. Turning, he walked back to where Alex stood in the doorway.
“Alex, remember, she’s a trained agent, not some fly-by-the-seat young girl. She knows how to handle herself. She was taught by the best,” Cash boasted, with a grin.
“You say that, however, she just broke protocol by running off
“Devon?” he called out, even though somehow he knew she was no longer in the room. Where could she have gone? Maybe down for coffee? But again, somehow he knew that wasn’t the case. Dammit ! She was going to kill herself.
As he scooted to the side of the bed, he saw the note she’d left for him. A deep coldness spread throughout as he read the words she’d penned.
Alex, I appreciate your offer to help me find my mother, but after thinking about it long and hard, I find I don’t want your help. I know you don’t believe my mother is possibly alive and I don’t believe you will give your all to this cause, but will instead attempt to delay or dissuade me. While I’m sure you won’t understand this, I find I can’t get over the fact you were married before but failed to ever mention it to me. I feel somewhat betrayed by that fact. I’ve been waiting on you to commit for a long time, but always figured you had a problem with commitment. Now, I’ve come to realize, your problem isn’t with commitment itself, only with committing to me. Please do not contact me. I want this to end now. Devon.
An intense pounding on the door dragged him from the note. With a muttered curse, he snagged his pajama bottoms and slid them on as the pounding continued on his door. Distantly, from the other side, he heard Cash’s voice. “Alex, open the damned door!”
Snatching the door open. “What?”
“Is she here?” Cash asked without preamble.
“She was earlier, but left at some point.”
“ Where’d she go?” Cash asked as he slumped against the doorframe?
“I don’t know. She slipped out while I was asleep.”
“I just left the hospital and she’s not there either. I’ve been calling her cellphone but she didn’t answer. Where do you think she went?” Cash asked as he fidgeted in the doorway, anxiety rolling off him in waves, the sign of a well-connected partner.
“Her house maybe? You’re her partner, you’d know better than me,” Al ex replied somewhat defensively, as he turned to head back into the room.
Cash stared after him for a long moment. “She’s gone after Miguel, hasn’t she?”
Alex’s lips thinned as his stomach burned with fury. “ That’d be my guess.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
Alex threw up his hands. “She is a grown woman. I’ve tried repeatedly to stop this insanity. But she can’t let it go. I’m done, Cash, just… done!”
Cash blinked at him as he strove to process the situation. “Just like that?”
Slapping his palm against his side of the doorframe, Alex bellowed, “No, dammit! Not just like that! I told her… just last night, that I’d help her if she’d wait – just one damned week! But was that good enough for her? No! Now, she’s off doing God’s knows what… off on her own… barely able to stand. So now…” he exhaled deeply and lowered his tone, “Now, I’m done.”
Cash contemplated him steadily for several long moments. “You’re a fool, Masters,” he finally said quietly.
“So be it,” Alex murmured.
“I’ll call you when I find her, okay?” he said tersely.
“Whatever.”
With a sneer, Cash replied harshly, “Whatever, you rself, you asshole. I’ll call for Devon’s sake, not for yours. You don’t deserve her!”
Alex simply shrugged, refusing to allow Cash to see his inner turmoil. Without another word, Cash spun on his heel and began to stalk down the hall, before stopping abruptly and scrubbing a hand across his face. Turning, he walked back to where Alex stood in the doorway.
“Alex, remember, she’s a trained agent, not some fly-by-the-seat young girl. She knows how to handle herself. She was taught by the best,” Cash boasted, with a grin.
“You say that, however, she just broke protocol by running off
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