Save Me, page 22
She glanced over at TJ. He hadn’t said much since they’d left Dr. Bullock’s office, and Alexis was beginning to wonder if he regretted agreeing to help her. So far, they’d run into nothing but flashing signs declaring Mark’s guilt.
TJ had made a reservation at a boutique hotel on the outskirts of Alexandria. It was a two-story structure, on the older side, but recently renovated. The rooms each had a window next to the door that looked out onto a shared courtyard and an outdoor pool. TJ had reserved a corner room on the second floor, a roomy one-bedroom, one-bath suite.
“This is a sofa bed,” TJ said, tossing his duffel bag onto the wide sofa in the living area of the suite. “I’ll sleep here and you can take the bedroom.”
That didn’t seem fair at all. She wasn’t a delicate flower who couldn’t handle a night on a sofa bed. “That doesn’t sound comfortable. I’m happy to alternate. One night on the sofa, the next in the bed for each of us, for as long as we’re in town.”
TJ shook his head. “The last thing I want is to get too comfortable. That’s how mistakes are made. Plus, I’d rather be out here where I can keep an eye on things.”
She shuddered as the memory from the night of the break-in rolled through her mind. She’d pushed the terror from that night into the recesses of her mind, trying to focus on clearing Mark’s name, but it came thundering back at the worst times, reminding her that this wasn’t just about Mark. She was in danger as well.
She and TJ settled into the suite and spent the rest of the afternoon working on the case. TJ called into West headquarters and, together with Tansy Carlson, West Investigations’ computer whiz, was able to find a phone number and address for Lenora Kenda, along with a bunch of background information on the woman. Lenora didn’t answer the phone when they called, so they had to leave a message. Alexis reached out to Detective Chellel with no success. She was sure the detective was avoiding her calls on purpose. The detective had made no secret of the fact that she believed Alexis was a grieving sister unwilling to accept that her brother had committed a crime and taken his own life to avoid the consequences of that act as the law closed in.
TJ sent the copy of Mark’s autopsy report that Dr. Bullock gave them to Shawn West, who had more experience with such reports, hoping he’d see something the doctor missed. She and TJ sat on the pullout sofa on a video call going over the autopsy report with Shawn. Unfortunately, he only confirmed what Dr. Bullock had told them. They’d have to wait for the toxicology report to come in before any definitive conclusions could be made.
“We’ve left a message for the detective in charge of the case asking to meet with her but haven’t heard back yet.” TJ said. “I know Mark was a heavy drinker, but his using Valium was new information to me and Alexis.”
“With everything he had going on in his life, it’s not too surprising,” Shawn responded. “Valium is an anti-anxiety and stress medication.”
“Are you saying you think the police and the medical examiner could be right? That Mark could have taken his own life?” Alexis said, anger vibrating in her tone.
Shawn frowned. “I’m just thinking through the information you’ve gotten so far. It’s too soon to draw any conclusions.”
There was that line again. It was too soon to draw conclusions. But Mark was dead, so it seemed to her like they were far, far too late.
She rose and walked to the window. She knew she didn’t have a right to be angry at Shawn West. He was only restating the facts. But her attempt to prove Mark’s innocence seemed to be doing just the opposite.
Frown lines appeared above Shawn’s brow. “I can’t say what the cops will find suspicious, but it’s definitely a question worth asking when you do get a hold of the detective in charge of the case.”
“Thanks, Shawn. I appreciate your help with this,” TJ said, signaling an end to their conversation.
“Why don’t you go take a nap?” TJ inclined his head toward the suite’s bedroom door. “It’s already been a long day.”
She glanced at her watch. It was just after four, but to her body, it felt like it could have easily been well after midnight. “If I sleep now, I won’t be able to sleep later tonight.”
“And if you run yourself ragged, you won’t be any help to me, Mark, or yourself. Take a quick nap. I’ll wake you in an hour.”
A second uncontrollable yawn wiped away all of her remaining hesitation. “Okay. Wake me up in one hour.”
TJ held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
She fell asleep quickly, but her rest was fitful. She awoke ten minutes before the hour was up. The suite’s bathroom was a Jack-and-Jill style that had a door opening into the bedroom and a second entrance from the living area.
She could hear TJ moving behind the closed bathroom door.
Her stomach grumbled, and she padded barefoot from the bedroom to the small kitchenette area that housed a coffee maker and, she hoped, something she could snack on while she waited for TJ to emerge from the bathroom so they could discuss dinner plans. She grabbed the bag of peanuts, cringing at the $4.50 price tag before ripping the bag open. She made her way to the sofa, popped a handful of peanuts in her mouth, and froze.
TJ had left the door cracked slightly open. His back was to her and from where she stood, she knew he couldn’t see her. But she could see him. Nearly all of him. He was shaving, wearing nothing but a white bath towel around his waist. The dark brown skin of his back was corded in muscles that flexed as he drew his razor along his jaw.
She tried to make herself walk away, head back into the bedroom before he found her staring at him like a museum exhibit, but she couldn’t make her feet move.
TJ turned on the faucet and bent forward, washing the remaining shaving cream from his face, and her mouth went dry while her pulse raced.
Whatever thought of moving along she’d had fled, and she stared openly now.
TJ reached for the hand towel on the counter, his eyes catching hers in the mirror, finally breaking her out of the lust-filled stupor she seemed to have fallen into.
Heat flushed her face, while embarrassment at being caught ogling him climbed in her chest.
“Sorry, I woke up. Hungry. Peanuts.” She held the bag up as embarrassment continued to heat her cheeks.
The corners of TJ’s mouth turned up, only heightening her embarrassment.
“I’m just going to...” She turned and rushed to the bedroom, shutting the door, then leaning against it.
It had been a long time since she’d felt such a strong burst of desire for a man. Well, technically she couldn’t recall ever having felt that strong a desire, not even when she’d been in the two relationships she would have defined as serious over the years. But TJ Roman was not a man she should be desiring. He wasn’t a man who stuck, even with a faulty relationship meter. She knew that.
“Pull yourself together,” she whispered to herself. She couldn’t stay in the bedroom all night. Her stomach was already grumbling that the peanuts weren’t nearly enough.
“He’s just a man.” An incredibly handsome, smart, sexy man.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before opening the door again.
TJ was fully dressed now and sitting at the small table adjacent to the kitchenette. The small smile was still on his lips, and the glint in his eyes sent another wave of heat to her cheeks.
“Sorry about that.” She walked toward the sofa in the living room.
“No problem. I didn’t realize the door had opened. The lock appears to be a little hinky, so watch out for that.”
“Yeah, I will. I’m starving. Do you have something in mind for dinner?”
TJ cocked his head to one side. “I saw a Mexican place on the drive here. It’s only a couple of blocks away. We can walk.”
It was a short walk, but she was nearly ravenous by the time they got to the restaurant. Mexican music played softly while they waited for the hostess to ready their table. Alexis noted that the interior design of the space was somewhat more romantic than the outside would lead patrons to believe. Short candles and a single red rose formed centerpieces on each of the tables, and most were set for two.
The hostess sat them at a table in the center of the restaurant and the waitress wasted no time coming to take their orders.
Alexis munched on the tortilla chips the waitress left while she and TJ waited for their food to be brought out. “Mexican is my favorite.”
“I remember,” TJ said.
Mark and TJ had done everything they could to discourage her from tagging along with them when they were younger, so she was surprised that TJ would remember something as mundane as her favorite type of food.
“I remember that Christmas that Mark saved up and bought you that churro maker and your mother was afraid you’d burn down the apartment building.”
Alexis laughed. “I’d forgotten about that.”
“Mark started saving in June to have enough money to get you something you’d love for Christmas.”
Her heart clenched, grief mingling with the memory of the happiness she’d felt when she’d opened that long-ago gift. She’d never share another Christmas with her brother.
“Hey.” TJ reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“It’s not your fault. Sometimes it hits me out of nowhere that I’m all alone now. I have no one.”
He squeezed her hand. “You have me. You can always count on me for anything.”
The spark of desire she’d felt earlier as she’d watched him shave returned, even stronger than it had been. She had the urge to lean forward and press her lips against his mouth, to see what he tasted like.
Before she could do anything foolish that she’d certainly regret, the waitress returned with their meals.
They settled in to eat, making small talk and catching up on what had happened in their lives since they’d last seen each other. By the time the waitress cleared their plates, Alexis found that she’d relaxed completely and was enjoying TJ’s company.
“You up for sharing a couple of churros? I still have a weakness for them.” Alexis reached for the dessert menu the waitress had left at the corner of their table.
“No, I think we should head back to the hotel. Now,” TJ answered, his expression serious. His attention trained over her shoulder.
Alexis turned and followed the line of TJ’s gaze.
Two men sat at a table on the opposite side of the restaurant. One was slender and balding, the other huskier with a dark mustache. Nothing in particular stood out about them to Alexis, but it was clear that something had for TJ.
The husky man glanced at their table, looking away quickly when his eyes met Alexis’s.
“Let’s go,” TJ said, dropping enough money on the table to more than cover the check.
Alexis stood, letting TJ grasp her elbow gently and lead her to the restaurant doors.
As they hurried along the sidewalk back to the hotel, TJ looking over his shoulder every few steps, apprehension grew in Alexis’s gut.
“Do you really think those guys were watching us?”
“I don’t know.” TJ turned to look behind them again while continuing to move along the sidewalk. It wasn’t late, but there weren’t very many people out and about.
Alexis glanced over her shoulder but didn’t see either of the men.
“Maybe you’re overreacting,” she said with a note of hopefulness.
“Maybe.”
But she could tell by his tone that he didn’t think so.
They made it back to the hotel and to their suite.
TJ led her inside, then turned back for the door. “I’m going to circle the perimeter, make sure they didn’t follow us or aren’t waiting for us to fall asleep. You stay here. Do not open the door to anyone. I’ll be back in less than ten minutes. If anything goes wrong, call Shawn, understand?”
She nodded, not trusting the words to work around the fear lodged in her throat.
TJ disappeared out the door and she remained rooted in place. But not for long.
Moments after TJ stepped out of the room, footsteps pounded on the exterior stairs. She heard TJ’s deep voice order, “Stop right there.”
She crossed the suite to the window overlooking the courtyard and pulled back the heavy curtain.
Two men with masks pulled low over their faces stood at the top of the step, facing TJ. They had the same build as the men from the restaurant, but there was no way to know for sure if it was them.
Alexis’s heart raced as the husky guy lunged for TJ.
She raced for the door, pulling it open despite TJ’s admonition not to open it until he returned.
TJ grabbed the man’s arm, wrenching it behind his back as he brought his knee up to meet the man’s chin. The husky man flew backward into the door of one of the other hotel rooms with a grunt. He slid down the door, one hand pressed to his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
The taller, slender man came at TJ, his punch landing on TJ’s jaw and sending him stumbling. The slender man didn’t waste any time raining more punches down.
Alexis glanced around for something to use to help, but before she found a weapon, a door opened farther along the corridor.
A woman with large blonde curls stepped out, and seeing the melee, screamed for help.
The slender man froze, his gaze pulled toward the screaming woman.
TJ lurched to his feet, headbutting the slender man and sending him crashing into the railing that stopped him from falling onto the pavers below. TJ threw a punch to the man’s jaw, followed by a kick to his gut that took the man down to his knees.
More doors opened along the corridor.
An elderly man peeked his head out of his room, then yelled that he was calling the police.
The huskier man finally made it to his feet. “Let’s go,” he huffed.
The slender man was still on his knees. He looked up at TJ, hostility shooting from his eyes like laser beams.
“Come on!” The husky man had already started down the staircase.
The slender man held TJ’s gaze for a moment longer before getting to his feet and following his friend.
Alexis ran to TJ’s side. “You’re just going to let them leave?”
TJ’s gaze didn’t waver from the men. They jumped into a dark sedan and peeled away from the hotel parking lot.
“Yes,” he said. “I can’t leave you to chase after them. They might just be a distraction.”
Icy fear snaked through her. The distraction. That meant that there could be someone else out there coming for them.
TJ threw his arm around her and hustled her back to the room.
“Hey, wait a minute. You need to report those guys to the cops,” one of the other hotel guests called out to their backs.
TJ ignored the man, hustling her into their suite and securing the door.
“We need to get out of here. You should go pack up.”
Alexis grabbed a napkin from beside the coffee maker and pressed it to TJ’s bleeding lip. “We aren’t going to report this to the police?”
“I think we will probably have to since I had an audience, but I’m going to tell them that I think those guys were just trying to mug me.”
“But you don’t think that, really?” Alexis pulled the napkin from TJ’s lip, eliciting a grimace of pain. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” He waved off her attempt to press the napkin against his split lip again. “No, I don’t. I’m pretty sure those were the same guys watching us at the restaurant, and since I know they didn’t follow us as we walked back to the hotel, that means they know where we’re staying.”
“How is that possible?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
Chapter Eleven
The police were at the hotel for more than an hour, taking his and Alexis’s statement, as well as the statements of the neighboring hotel guests who’d witnessed the fight. He’d avoided lying when he recounted the details of the attack, but he hadn’t told the officers about the break-in at Alexis’s or why they were in Virginia. The officers pretty clearly believed they’d been victims of a crime of convenience, an attempted robbery gone wrong, and his instincts told him it was best to let them believe that for now. It appeared as if the statements of the other hotel guests supported that belief. The officer who’d taken his statement handed TJ his card and informed him that he could request a copy of the incident report in seventy-two hours. He held out little hope that anything would come of the police investigation. No one had been seriously injured and the would-be muggers had gotten away with nothing.
He closed the suite door behind the last officer and turned to Alexis. She looked exhausted. He’d have loved to give her a few hours to get some rest. Hell, he’d have loved to get a few hours of sleep himself, but it was too risky. Those guys could come back with reinforcements. They needed to move now.
“You were amazing fighting off those guys,” Alexis said with a small smile, despite the fatigue that shone in her eyes.
“Thanks. And I’m sorry to do this to you, but we have to get moving. We can’t stay here.”
“I know. Those guys might have just been a distraction,” she said, repeating what he said earlier. She shivered.
“Hey.” He reached out and pulled her to him before he realized he was doing it. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let anyone get to you.”
