Drew didn’t speak. He found that, for once, he couldn’t.
“Sirens were screaming. Help was coming, but it wasn’t going to get there fast enough. I knew I’d die. Just like my mom. I didn’t want to die.”
Every muscle in his body had locked.
“I had been trying to stop the blood from flowing out of my dad. My hand was just inches from his holster—from the gun that he had never grabbed.” A tear slipped from her eye. He carefully wiped it away. “I lifted it and I fired, right before the shooter did. I killed him.”
“You saved yourself.” Eighteen. He’d never imagined that her life had been so dark. No, he hadn’t wanted it to be dark. He’d always liked to think that only good things happened to the doc. She’s my good thing.
But it seemed danger had stalked her for far longer than he’d realized.
“What happened to your dad?” he forced himself to ask.
“He died right after the police stormed inside.”
Hell.
“Mercer was there.”
So this was how Mercer fit into the puzzle of her life.
“He and my dad...they were friends. He was at the funeral. He stayed with me, made sure that I was set for college. Med school.”
Med school. He understood. “You wanted to be able to save lives.”
“I did but...I still couldn’t save that man at Lightning. No matter what, you can’t save everyone.”
She pulled away from him; headed for the connecting door. The room immediately seemed colder without her near.
Tina paused and glanced back at him. “I didn’t tell you that story so that you’d feel sorry for me.”
“Sorry isn’t what I feel.” She was even stronger than he’d thought.
And I always thought she was damn tough.
“You can’t save everyone,” she said again as she gazed back at him. “You should have realized that by now.”
He had. He wasn’t interested in saving everyone.
Just her.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen next. You don’t know if you can save me. Whether I agree to the plan or not, Devast is hunting me.”
You don’t know if you can save me.
She was right. He didn’t know. He had no idea how this case would end.
Tina slipped into her room then quietly shut the door.
He stood there, far too aware of the silence around him.
After a few moments Drew found himself staring down at his own hands. Tina had killed one man. He didn’t want to remember all of the lives he’d taken.
She’s my one good thing.
His head lifted. He looked toward that connecting door. Then Drew took a breath and a step. He kept walking until he was in front of that door.
He didn’t knock. Didn’t hesitate. He just swung that door right open.