Page 30 of Lethal Game

He could see her demeanor stiffen with every question.

"Please," she said, putting up a hand. "I'm so tired and confused. Can we do this later?"

"Maybe we should do this later," Alisa said, giving him a worried look.

"Just think for a minute," he told Pamela. "I'm sorry to press you, but I want to protect you and Alisa, and I don't know how much time we have."

"Okay. You're right," Pamela said. "Let's see. Dan got worried when I became ill. I heard him on the phone with Henry once, and he seemed upset about something. I didn't know if he was just worried about me or if there was another matter. Iremember hearing him raise his voice, and he rarely did that. He's normally very soft-spoken."

"Did you ask Henry about it?"

"No. But Henry asked me where Dan was last night, and he seemed concerned, too, that he was out of touch." Pamela paused, her gaze troubled. "I feel like he said something else, but I can't remember what it was. Anyway, I told Henry the same thing I told you, that Dan was confident he'd be back soon, and everything would be fine."

"If only we could tell him we were in trouble, so he'd come back now," Alisa said, with a hint of anger in her voice.

"I'm sure he would come if he knew," Pamela said. "How are you going to be safe tonight, Alisa? Maybe you should stay here with me."

"We'll put Alisa in a safe house," he said. "She'll be more comfortable there, and I'll make sure she's protected."

"Will you make sure? Didn't you promise me you'd make her eat today? Has that happened?" her mother asked with a tart note in her voice.

"Mom, he's not responsible for me eating. I can take care of myself," Alisa said.

"But I will make sure she eats tonight," he assured Pamela, needing to get this woman to trust him.

"You better take care of my girl," Pamela said. "I'd do it myself if I could."

"I believe you would."

"I'll think about your questions," Pamela added. "Maybe I'll remember more after I take a nap. I'd like to rest before the nurse comes back to stab me with more needles. And you need to get something to eat, Alisa."

"All right. I'll check in with you later," Alisa said, leaning over to kiss her mom on the cheek. "I love you, and I'm going to make sure you get better."

"I love you, too. Please be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you, Alisa."

"Don't worry about me. Just rest. We'll talk again later."

"It's all going to work out, Alisa. Your dad will return, and everything will go back to normal. You'll see."

Alisa didn't look like she believed her mother any more than he did, but she just nodded and followed him out of the room and into the hallway.

As they stood outside her mother’s door, Jason clenched his fists, resisting the urge to pull Alisa into his arms. She looked exhausted, fragile—everything in him screamed to comfort her, but he knew he couldn’t cross that line. He could, however, keep his promise to her mother.

"Let's get you something to eat," he said.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Alisa doubted food would help her feel better, but as she went through the cafeteria line, her stomach growled, and she ended up filling her tray with spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. Jason picked up the same items as she did, throwing in a couple of giant chocolate chip cookies at the end. She used her hospital keycard to get them a discount, and then they sat down at a table in the atrium, surrounded by lush plants and calming water features—a tranquil setting that Alisa desperately needed.

It was only five, but the yogurt and banana she'd grabbed before coming to the hospital this morning seemed like a very long time ago. So much had happened in one day. She could barely process it all, and she'd lived through it. She could certainly understand why her mother had trouble comprehending the magnitude of their problems.

"One of these cookies is for you," Jason told her. "Save room."

"I should say no, but they look good. And I didn't have lunch."

"You also survived a very traumatic car crash. If that doesn't deserve a little sugar, I don't know what does."

"Good point," she said as she twirled her spaghetti aroundher fork and popped the bite into her mouth. It tasted delicious, and Jason was happily digging into his plate of pasta as well.

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