Cherish Me (The Protected Love Series) (11 page)

“The paramedics are on their way up
, Jace.” Ryan called out to him as he ran down towards the hallway elevators to accompany the emergency crew back to the apartment.

Jace
moved away from Alexis and watched as they checked her vitals, trying to open her bruised and swollen eyes to check the dilation of them. After a brief description of what had happened to the police that had accompanied the paramedics, the emergency team back boarded Alexis and rushed her lifeless body towards the hospital. Just as fast as she had gotten there, Alexis was gone. An eerie silence descended throughout the apartment. Jace looked over at Mason and Ryan who were trying to comfort the girls.

“It was him. I know it was and I swear if it’s the last
fucking thing I do I am going to make that bastard pay… with his life.” Mason made his way over to Jace, a fury of emotions swirling in his eyes.

“Yeah I know. If I can promise you one thing it will be that he is going to pay.” Jace could feel the heat flaring across his face from the anger.
He didn’t understand how any man could place his hands on a woman. No matter what the situation.

He
knew just as they all did that it was Trent that had hurt Alexis. All the puzzle pieces were beginning to fall together. They had a clear reason to believe that Alexis had been doing Trent’s bidding, and from the look of her wounds it had been against her will. Now that he didn’t have her there to do his dirty work, Trent was going to be desperate. One thing you can count on is that when a man gets desperate he gets sloppy.

“Jace.” Judy came up to him, “I need to go be with her. She doesn’t need to be in
the hospital alone.”

“We will go right now.” He tried to give her a reassuring smile but he honestly didn’t know what was going to happen.

The extent of Alexis’ wounds kept him from bei
ng able to promise Judy that she would make it; he didn’t know if she would pull through. However he had seen what Abbi and Judy had gone through the night of the shooting at Mist, and though he’d prayed every moment the night he was by Judy’s side, he hadn’t been sure then either.

Abbi had insisted that she and Ryan come with them but after the events of the day Judy had convinced her that it was best
that she go home and rest both for her sake and the baby’s. As they made their way toward the emergency room entrance of Cedars-Sinai flashbacks from the night of the shooting came flooding through Jace’s mind, images of him running frantically into the hospital with Ryan in search of the girls. It was only because of the woman next to him now that he was able to walk back through these doors tonight. Had she not made it, his world would have ended. He had to stay strong for both her and for Mason.

Jace had
been in many warzones before. He had seen his friends and fellow soldiers lose their life. He had held the hands of his brothers in arms as they took their last breath. You almost get used to seeing the tragedy in a combat zone but not here. Not in your home or around your loved ones.

As they walked through t
he doors there was a burst of cold air. Jace went towards the information desk to find out where Alexis was. Following the attendants directions they made their way to a waiting room across from the operating wing. They sat for what felt like hours. With anxiety running through his veins, Jace paced back and forth across the room listening to the faint whispers of Judy’s prayers.

“Lord please just let her be ok.” She whispered. “Pleas
e. Take me. Take me instead.” Judy choked on the sob escaping her throat.

Jace took the chair next to her
taking her into his arms. It hurt him to see Judy so upset. This was a pain that he couldn’t take away. He couldn’t make it better. “Baby, God has plans for you here. I remember praying that same request as I sat next to your hospital bed the night of the shooting. I asked him to take me and let you live. But he was gracious and brought you back to me. I know he has plans for me and he knew that I wouldn’t make it if I didn’t have you here by my side.” He ran his fingers through her hair as she gently sobbed in his arms.

As they sat helpless in the waiting room the silence was suddenly interrupted by a tall man coming in through the door in a set of light blue scrubs. He stepped into the room and scanned the empty seats before looking over at Jace. “Alexis Reynolds?”

“Yes. Yes we are here for her. Is she okay?” Judy ran towards the doctor, her eyes pleading him for good news.

His eyes were uncertain as he looked down at her. Jace’s heart stopped as the look turned from uncertain to apologetic.

*****

Judy’s stomach twisted
as she took in the doctor’s face. He was a young man probably in his thirties with an unnatural weathered look, someone who had given unpleasant news to many families before. She silently prayed that he would tell her that Alexis was ok but her heart knew what he was about to say.

“Ma’am, I am sorry.” The doctor looked down into her eyes filling with tears. “We tried everything we could but the trauma from the wounds
was too extensive.”

“No! She is fine. I know she’s fine. She has a son! I don’t know if she ever got to meet him.” Judy collapsed onto the floor. Her heart felt as though it were splintering into a thousand tiny pieces shooting out into every
muscle and fiber of her body. There were no words to describe the pain that resounded throughout her body. “She has to be ok. I never got to say I was sorry.” She whispered out between sobs.

“I am sorry ma’am, we tried everything we could.” The doctor knelt down trying to console her. “We are moving her into a room now. You will be able to go in and see her in just a moment if you’d like to.”

Mason came to Judy’s side wrapping her up into his arms. She could feel the vibrations of his pain coming from his chest as he held her. She wasn’t sure how long they sat there on the floor of that waiting room. Alexis had been a huge part of his life also when they were younger. To know that she had been caught up in something that could have been so easily fixed. If only she had reached out, Judy wasn’t sure why Alexis hadn’t felt like she could ask for help. Instead it had taken her life from her.

Even though she hadn’t seen Alexis in a long time she had always meant the world to her. When you go through as much t
urmoil and heartache as the two had gone through, you form a connection that never goes away. Judy thought back to that day at the bakery when she had been so hateful towards Alexis. There had been no reason for it; she should have given Alexis the chance to explain. Instead her hot headed temper had caused her to say the one thing she would regret for the rest of her life.

You know what;
stay the hell away from me Alexi
s.

She wou
ld never get a chance to take that back, she would never get a chance to make it right. Judy could only hope that deep down inside Alexis had known that she didn’t really mean it. The thought of Alexis spending her last few moments thinking that she’d hated her crushed the remaining pieces of her heart. She should have known better than to say what she had, life is so short and so precious. No one ever knows when their moment would come. It could all be over before you even have a chance to live it out. Judy knew firsthand how easily it was for life to be over. She only wished that Alexis could have been spared like she had been.

They followed the doctor to Alexis’ room together, Jace had his arm
wrapped around her waist as she clutched onto Mason’s hand. Through blurry eyes she made her way up to the door that Alexis lay behind. An overwhelming feeling came over her as she placed her hand onto the door knob. She knew that once she opened the door that it would all be real. She grasped onto the moment she was in, the moment in which she could imagine that Alexis was still here with them. That she would be sitting up in bed smiling as they came into the room.

As she made her way into the room the silence overtook her. No laughing. No smiling. This was the moment of truth
, when reality would take over. Judy looked over at Alexis’ body lying still under the white sheet. Making her way over to the bed Judy ran her hand along Alexis’ hair. Trying to take in everything she could, every line of Alexis’ face that she hadn’t noticed before, even the softness of her hair. The bruises that littered her face and upper body formed large black spots against her caramel skin.  Taking her hand Judy sat in the chair just next to the bed.

“Lexi.” Judy forced the words from her mouth as the rest of her body refused to move. “Lexi, I am so sorry for what I said. I am so sorry that I didn’t give you a chance to explain; that I didn’t believe you.” She no longer
held back the tears as they streamed freely down her face. “Lexi I promise you that we will find him. We will find him and make him pay for what he did to you. What he did to your beautiful body. I am so sorry that I wasn’t there for you like I should have been.”

“Sis, she knew how much you loved her. I promise.” Mason said as he placed a consoling hand onto Judy’s shoulder.

“How can I be sure Mase? How do I know that she wasn’t scared or that she didn’t feel alone in the end?”

“Because you have to believe. You have to trust that she knew. God called back one of his angels tonight, and I promise you she is looking down on you now.” Mason choked back a sob as he continued, “I promise you will have a chance to tell her again one
day. She came to the house tonight because she knew that she could rely on you. She knew you loved her so much that you would help her. It was just too late.”

Judy sat for a few moments
remembering all of the best times she’d had with her friend. She thought back to all of the nights they had driven down the old dirt roads of her hometown. Parking down by the river and laying on the hood of Alexis’ old truck and staring up at the stars. They were both so young, wanting so badly to get out of that little town and experience the world. It hurt to think that Alexis wouldn’t be able to experience all of the things that she’d wanted to.

After saying their goodbyes the
three made their way out of the hospital. Jace had left their information with the attending doctor and would begin contacting Alexis’ family in the morning. As they made their way through the parking garage Judy noticed a dark figure standing next to Jace’s car. Before she could react Jace threw her behind his large frame shielding her from any harm. She felt Mason’s large hands grab her and rush her back into the hallway by the elevators.

“I suggest you come out where I can see you mother fucker!” Jace’s deep voice resounded off of the walls of the parking garage.

Judy strained to hear what the stranger was saying but Mason wouldn’t let her move. She struggled to make eye contact with Jace to make sure he was ok. Was it Trent? Had he come here to see Alexis? She strained her neck as hard as she could so she could catch a glimpse of the familiar dark skin and hair from Alexis’ apartment complex.

“Mase let me go!” She struggled.

“You have got to be out of your mind. I am not letting you walk out there!” He grasped her tighter.

“I know him Mason! Let me go!” She felt a tinge of regret
before slamming her elbow into Mason’s stomach. His large arms went slack around her long enough for her to maneuver out from them.

“Wait! Jace!” She ran out from the hallway towards Jace. Stopping a few steps short as she took in the pistol he was aiming directly at the strangers head.

“Judy, get back now!” Jace never lost eye contact with his target.

“Jace I know him!” Judy took another step towards Jace as she felt Mason come up to her side. “Please, put down the gun for just a moment.”

“I am not doing shit until this asshole tells me why the fuck he is here and what he wants.”

“I guess this is your boyfriend eh, Little Mami.” The Hispanic man smirked.

“What do you want Antonio?” Judy asked over hoping that his sarcastic attitude wouldn’t fuel Jace’s trigger finger.

“You know this fucker by name?” Jace spouted out.

“He was at the apartment complex when I went to get the box of Lexi’s things.” She explained before turning back to Antonio. “Please. What do you want?”

“We know where Trent is. Know what he did to your friend too.” Antonio leaned back against the car next to Jace’s.

“Where is he?” Jace asked.

“I am not telling you shit until you
get that Glock out of my face, Ese.”

Jace studied the man for a moment trying to decide if it was all a trap. He looked around the mainly empty level of the parking garage before dropping the gun back down to his side. “Alright, you got your wish. Now tell me where the hell Trent is at.”

“I have an address. He was spotted going in this afternoon.” Antonio smiled over at him proudly. “We have been keeping an eye out and he slipped up.”

“So what? You want us to go in and do your dirty work?” Jace asked.

“No. We can handle our own shit. I figured you’d like to go in and rough him up a bit before you handed him over to us.”

“Ok. So what’s the address?” Jace stuck his pistol back into the back of his pants as he made his way over towards Antonio.

“Not yet. Don’t want you and your boys going in and scaring him off. We want to get eyes on him for a while. See what he’s up to. I got your old ladies number. I will call when it’s time.”