After the detective and ATF agent left Alex’s hospital room, she raised a brow at her cousin. “I have to work tomorrow, Nina. I can’t take off.”

Nina, standing beside her, popped a fist on her hip. “Your office is destroyed, girlfriend. Payroll was due last week, and you have someone trying to kill you. You will take time off.”

Damn, when she put it like that, it did sound rather bad. “All right. Maybe a couple days. To let my aches and pains work themselves out.”

“I’ll tell Mr. Sholes, but nobody else, where you’re going,” Nina replied. Alex thought that was a good idea. She wondered if he’d discovered anything from the info she gave him last week. Had Robert put a bomb in his office, too?

“Nina,” she asked. “Call and make sure there’s no boxes on Sholes’s desk or office. Robert could’ve done the same to him.”

Nina whipped her phone from her purse and made the call.

Alex sat quietly realizing she could be dead at this second. If not for reaching for the tissues, who knew what would’ve happened. She was getting a tissue because she was crying because...the rest of the morning filled her mind. She laid her head back and let out a sigh.

Nina hung up. “All’s fine at the office. The feds searched everywhere before they left.” Her brows drew down. “What was that sigh for?”

Did she want to go into the situation with Andrew? To her horror, her eyes filled with tears. The story spilled from her trembling lips, and upset and hurt, she realized how much she’d come to care for the man.

Dear God, she loved him. Her heart, uncaring that it was too soon and not heeding her advice, had fallen for him. It had claimed him as its own and was shattered into a million pieces, and she wasn’t sure how to fix it. Wallowing in self-pity, she watched Nina pace around the hospital room.

“You need to talk to him again.”

“No. I can’t do it. I don’t want to hear his excuses.”

“What if there’s no excuse? What if it really wasn’t what it looked like?” Nina pulled a chair bedside and sat, taking Alex’s hands in her own. “I didn’t get the player vibe from him. Think about it. Jen said he broke up with her months ago. It just doesn’t sound like him.”

Appalled with the situation and suddenly exhausted, she wiped at her eyes, trying to get a hold of her misery. “Yeah? Well, good for him. Too bad he didn’t follow his normal action plan this time.”

“Alex, stop. You really need to talk to him.”

“No, and you know what? I’m getting out of here.” She now agreed with the detective. She needed to get out of town, right now.

“You can’t hide from your problems. This isn’t like you. You’re the first person to tell me to face things head on.” Nina shook her head, her face looking bewildered. “But don’t get me wrong. I still want you to go to the cabin.”

“Well, in this case, I’ll take the coward’s way out. My heart is broken, and I have to think. I’m going to the cabin. I need to breathe away from my office.”

The door opened again and an older lady and young man, both wearing white lab coats, walked in. The guy held a clipboard.

“Ah,” the good doctor said, “good to see our patient awake, but not smiling?”

Alex wiped at her eyes. “Sorry, Doctor. Love life problems.”

“Ahh,” the doc said again. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” She winked at a shocked Alex. Love advice was not on her list of stuff to learn today. Maybe it should’ve been.

“I’m Doctor Mead, and this is Doctor Nguyen. He is observing with me today.” Alex nodded to both. “How are you feeling, my dear?” the doctor asked in a grandmotherly way.

Alex took account of her person, deciding she’d be fine to drive the distance to the cabin about two hours north. “Considering what happened, I feel normal.”

The doctor took the clipboard from her shadow. “All tests are negative. No trauma to any part of the brain or internal injuries.” She handed back the board and pressed on Alex’s stomach. “You’re one lucky lady. Tell me if any of this hurts.” The woman poked and pressed. A couple spots were tender, but nothing to keep her from driving.

“Well, Ms. Betre, there is no reason for me to keep you here any longer. You seem as healthy as anyone could be. No injuries that we can find.”

Nina stood from her chair. “I can take her home?”

“You may.” The doctor nodded then patted Alex’s leg as she turned to leave. “Take a couple days off if you can. It’ll help.”

“I plan to,” Alex replied. The door closed. She turned to Nina. “After you tell me what happened at the office. Was anyone else hurt?”

“No. The file cabinets kept it from going through the wall. I was in the audit department down the hall when the floor shook, and we heard a loud explosion. No one knew what had happened until smoke came from under your door.” Nina’s eyes teared. “Oh my god, it was horrible, Alex.”

Alex encouraged her to go on. “What then?”

“I ran to your door but couldn’t open it. You didn’t respond when I called your name. I wasn’t sure you were in there. When the horrible explosion smells hit me, I panicked. One of the guys pushed me out of the way and broke down the door.”

Nina slapped a hand over her mouth. Alex squeezed her hand. “It’s okay, girl. I’m alive and well. Shake it off and tell me the rest.”

Nina nodded then sniffled. “When we made our way in, I didn’t know what to think. It looked like your office was a war zone. We dug you out from under pieces of your desk, Alex. I was so scared.”

“I know. I would be, too. I guess the police were called?”

“Yes, you didn’t look hurt, but you were unconscious, so the ambulance took you anyway just to make sure.”

Alex nodded and flipped back the sheet. “Good enough. Nothing I can do about it. Help me get dressed?”

Nina handed her the bag of clothes sitting on the floor. “You go on in the bathroom and change.” Next, she pulled out her phone from where she stashed it in her pocket. “I got a quick phone call to make.”