Part
20
Nick wished he hadn't called Alex a prostitute. He
loved her. He'd been angry she'd run off to spend time with `Tom' and `Aidan'.
She had been paying less attention to him, but she hadn't been throwing herself
at other men like he'd said. It was getting late, and she wasn't at the hotel
yet.
Aidan left Tom's not long after Alex had. He walked
in the same direction as she had. He heard screams coming from an alley. It
sounded like Tom's sister, Alex. He reached into his coat pocket, retrieving
his pepper spray, before continuing down the alley.
Alex was crying. She'd given up fighting the man
long ago. He was stronger than the last man who'd attacked her. Bigger and
meaner, she had no chance. No chance because Nick didn't know where she was.
Nick couldn't come save her like he had the last time. Nick hated her and
thought she was acting like a whore. Even worse, a whore who got paid.
Aidan crept along the alley, stopping when he saw
Alex being attacked by a big, beefy guy.
"Hey!" he called.
For an instant, Alex hoped it was Nick. Her hope
for
Nick disappeared with relief that Aidan was going
to save her.
The man released Alex and turned toward Aidan.
Aidan wavered for a moment before spraying the man in the face with pepper
spray until he fell. Aidan went to Alex. She was hurt badly and needed a
doctor. He picked her up, and carried her to the hospital, three blocks away.
He called Tom, telling him what happened and where he was taking Alex. Aidan
rushed into the emergency room, crying for help. Explaining what happened, a
doctor began to examine her. Aidan waited for Tom to arrive. When he did, he was a nervous wreck.
"How is she? How's my baby sister?" he
asked.
"I don't know. She was hurt pretty badly when
I found her. She has bruises, some cuts, and scrapes. I don't know about
anything else."
"I should call Nick. He'd probably want to be
here."
"Here's her cell phone. I used it to call
you," Aidan said, handing him the small Nokia phone.
He pushed her redial, knowing it would be him.
"Hello?"
"Alex is in the hospital. Get here," he
said and hung up.
Nick couldn't believe it. What could have happened
to Alex? He wasn't there to protect her! She must hate him. He grabbed a jacket
and ran from his hotel room, down the stairs, out the door and down the
sidewalk to the hospital three block down.
When he arrived, a man, a few inches shorter than him walked up to him.
"Alex is fine."
"You must be Tom."
"Yeah. That's Aidan."
"Where's Alex?"
"In a room. I'm not so sure she'll want to see
you," Tom said.
"Excuse me, I need a relative to sign some
forms for Miss Devereaux," a nurse said.
"I will," Nick and Tom said in unison.
"She's my fiancé."
"And my sister."
"She's your sister?!" Nick exclaimed.
"Yeah."
"What about him?"
"He's with me," Tom said, looking at Nick
pointedly.
"Oh. God, what have I done?" he looked at
the ceiling. "What room is she in?"
"She won't want to see you."
"What room?" Nick asked through clenched
teeth.
"103. But if she kicks you out, I told you
so."
"She won't," Nick said, starting off
toward Alex's room.
