Chapter 38

thirty-eight

DYLAN

The next morning, I walked toward Alex’s room, expecting to see Jeremy outside, making sure no one except hospital staff came in. But he wasn’t there. My heart skipped a beat, and I pulled back the curtain to find an empty bed.

I dropped the backpack I’d brought and rushed to the nurses’ station, my mind racing. Jeremy would have called if Alex had discharged himself. With his arm in bad shape, he could easily undo the work the surgeon had done yesterday.

“Are you looking for me?”

I turned and breathed a sigh of relief. Alex looked like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, and Jeremy was right beside him.

“You’ve had a shower,” I said, arching an eyebrow, trying to mask my worry.

“More like a wash, but it felt good. I thought I’d better get cleaned up before the nurses evict me. Besides, I wanted to smell nice for when you arrived. ”

A blush hit my face. “I bet you say that to all the single men you meet.”

Alex’s smile was instant. “Only the special ones.”

Ignoring the mischievous gleam in his eyes, I turned to Jeremy. “Did Alex behave himself last night?”

“He did, but he thinks he’s going home today.”

I sighed. The chance of that happening was about as likely as a mid-winter heatwave hitting Colorado.

Jeremy cleared his throat. “I’ll get some breakfast from the cafeteria. Do you want anything?”

“I’m okay. I had breakfast before I left the hotel.” Once Jeremy left, I moved closer to Alex. “Do you need a wheelchair?”

“All I need is you,” he said, his eyes darkening.

I spent most of the night thinking about Alex, but it didn’t change what I had to do. For now, protecting him was my first priority. “That’s what everyone says when they’re full of painkillers. Come on, I’ll help you to your room.” I held onto his uninjured arm, waiting for him to move.

“I mean it, Dylan. I thought about what you said. Spending more time with you is important to me.”

My heart pounded. “I thought about you, too. But I can’t be part of your life. Not yet.”

The light disappeared from Alex’s eyes. “We’ve fixed the program. There’s no reason we can’t go out together. Unless you don’t want to.”

“It’s not that. Let’s go back to your room. There’s something I need to tell you.”

Alex’s jaw clenched. “You don’t need to explain anything.”

“Yes, I do.” As we walked in silence, I rehearsed the words I needed to say. Nothing would make him feel better about the decision my boss made.

Once he was sitting on his bed, resting his arm on the pillows, Alex asked, “What did you want to tell me?”

“My boss called this morning. He wants me to keep working with you.”

“But we’ve fixed the code.”

“That isn’t why I’m staying. He wants Connor, Jeremy, and me to provide you with personal protection.”

Alex pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t need bodyguards.”

“It’s not a request. The Department of Defense has hired Bryant Security to protect you from the terrorists. They want around-the-clock personal protection and daily updates on what’s happening.”

“I don’t want anyone looking after me. Once the terrorists discover I don’t have the program, they won’t keep looking for me.”

“That’s not what your boss said. I didn’t get a choice about whether to accept this job or not, and neither do you.” I braced myself for the next part. “We can’t go back to your house. It’s too dangerous.”

“You’re coming to Washington, D.C. with me?”

“No, we’re not going to Washington, D.C. Ryan wants you to stay in Sunrise Bay. Your home in the woods is too far away from civilization.” When Alex started to speak, I held up my hand. “Let me finish. Your boss is sending the EMP program to the team managing the next set of tests. If they need help, they’ll call you. The FBI wants you to stay in Sunrise Bay, too. If the terrorist cell is located quickly, you may be able to go to Washington, D.C. rightaway. But that also depends on what the doctor says. If the shooter doesn’t tell the FBI anything, I don’t know when you’ll be able to go home.”

Alex looked through the window beside his bed. “I want a normal life. For the last eight months, I’ve had to be careful about who I speak to and what I do. I’ve had enough.”

“I know it’s not easy, but you have to let us protect you.”

“What about the person who’s supposed to be my brother? Do the FBI think the terrorists will hurt him?”

“They think he could be in danger. Liam Nelson, the special agent who helped us, is with him. He’s having a DNA test tomorrow.”

“How long will it take to get the results?”

“Even with fast-tracking the sample, it could take at least three weeks.”

“Do you know his name or anything about him?”

“I don’t know his name, but he lives in Milwaukee.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t want you to get your hopes up. We don’t know how he was located so quickly, especially when you had no idea he existed. There are so many things about this assignment that don’t make sense. I’m beginning to second-guess everything. Once we have the DNA results, everyone will be able to make more informed decisions.”

“You don’t think he’s my brother, do you?”

I took a deep breath. Alex wanted a sibling may than anyone else I knew, but wanting something didn’t make it real. “I don’t know whether he is or not. But at least the FBI is making sure nothing happens to him. How would you feel if he’s your brother?”

“It’d be incredible. But he must be as unsure about everything as I am. Especially if the FBI has been talking to him. ”

“There’ll be a whole lot more going on than you realize. Dealing with the FBI can be intimidating if you’re not used to how they work. For now, we have to concentrate on you. The doctor wants you to stay in the hospital for a few more days. While you’re here, I’ll find somewhere in Sunrise Bay for you to live.”

“If you have trouble finding somewhere, I might be able to help. My friend Jonathon has just moved into the apartment above his candy store. He’s looking for someone to rent his home.”

A weight lifted off my shoulders. “Does this mean you’re happy to live in town?”

“There are worse places I could be going. I’ll be close to Eric and Riley, and I can buy Jonathon’s fudge every day of the week if I want to.” Alex studied my face. “Do you think we’ll ever go on a first date?”

Last night, I asked myself the same question. “Not for a while, but that’s probably a good thing. You have a lot happening in your life.”

“So have you.”

Dealing with my brother wasn’t nearly as hard as being wanted by a terrorist cell. Luke would learn to deal with the decision he’d made, and Mom would resign herself to not having a son-in-law anytime soon.

It wouldn’t be so easy for Alex—especially if the man from Milwaukee was his brother.