Page 143 of Better Late Than Never

I touched the uninjured side of his face. “You being safe is the most important thing.”

“Connor.” Alex shook his head. “We’ll both bedoneif we get caught. Our careers will beover. Mine more than yours.”

“I know. And I… I don’t know how to get around that. But he can’t get away with laying a hand on you.”

Alex swallowed.

“We don’t have to tell anyone we’re dating,” I said, keeping my voice down in case someone was outside. “You were assaulted, you came to medical, and you requested me specifically because you trusted me professionally.” I paused. “We can’t just let this go, Alex. Not after he’s put his hands on you.”

“We can’t just—” Alex swore, his features crumpling. “Oh my God. You’re a mandated reporter. I forgot. I—I’m sorry. I… I didn’t even think about that. I didn’t want to put you in that position and?—”

“Alex.” I touched his shoulders. “Look at me.”

He did, his eyes full of pain, regret, fear, and shame.

“Listen,” I whispered. “I’m not required to report it. You’re an adult. If you don’t want me to say anything, I won’t.” I hesitated, then softly added, “But I think we should. Because he can’t keep getting away with this. Abusing you or anyone else.”

He winced, and the shame intensified.

“This isn’t on you,” I went on. “None of it is on you. It’s onhim. And you knew he was a terrible person, enough that you warned me about him even though I know that conversation was awkward as hell for you. You didn’t want him to be a danger to me, and I don’t want him to be a danger to you.” I touched his uninjured cheek. “You better believe I’m going to the CO because I love you and I won’t stand for someone abusing you. But that doesn’t mean the CO has to know that. All she has to know is that a patient came to me after being assaulted, I brought in the police, and we’re making an official report of it.”

Alex swallowed. “But she’s going to put the pieces together. Tobias already put the bug in her ear that we’re screwing.”

“And that’s just going to show a pattern of harassment from him,” I said. “Especially since as far as the CO knows, I was only having you over to help me with my Spanish.”

“But then when I”—Alex pointed at his face—“I refused to talk to anyone but you. Isn’t that going to look suspicious?”

Shaking my head, I wrapped my arms around him again. “It’s going to look like someone who was rattled and vulnerable reaching out to someone they could trust. The fraternization rules just mean we can’t be friends or date. It doesn’t mean we can’t trust each other to do the right thing in a crisis.”

He slowly released a breath.

“Let me call the cops,” I pleaded. “We’ll be fine. No one has to know about us. But we can’t let Tobias get away with assaulting you.”

Alex swallowed hard and lowered his gaze. For a long moment, he stared at his hands. At the bloody tissue he was still holding. I had no idea what was going through his mind in that moment. I just hoped he was coming around to my suggestion. Yeah, I was nervous about the CO catching the scent that we really were fraternizing, but that was a risk I was more than willing to take if it meant Tobias got duly hemmed up.

I needed Alex to be onboard before I said anything, though. And even if my responsibility as a mandated reporter did require me to report this, IwantedAlex to be onboard. Tobias had already tap-danced all over his boundaries and consent; thishadto be on Alex’s terms.

Finally, he let his shoulders drop as he lifted his gaze to meet mine. His eyes were full of fatigue and resignation.

“Okay,” he whispered. “Call the MAs.”

CHAPTER44

ALEX

It took about twenty minutes for the MAs to show up. Not surprising; the hospital was like three blocks away from the security building, and the cops weren’t usually that busy on this base.

And once they walked into the exam room—holy shit. Everything moved fast. A pair of cops took me into an empty office to take my statement. Then they left to take Connor’s. I’d texted Chief Wallace to let him know what was going on, and he texted me back to say he’d just watched the MAs escort Tobias out of the building in handcuffs.

A JAG officer took me to her office in the admin building, and the afternoon was a flurry of questions, forms, phone calls, and texts. My cheekbone and nose throbbed as I spoke with the attorney, my boss, Connor’s supervisor, the security officer, and even the base CO. Everyone but the hospital CO so far, but I was sure I’d end up in front of her before too long.

“Is this standard protocol?” I asked Commander Whalen, the JAG officer. “Or is everyone on this base just bored?”

She laughed. “A little of both. The bigwigs are getting involved because they’re making sure it’s not an international incident.” She blew out a breath. “I’ve already taken two calls from the Spanish admiral about it, so…”

“Wow.” I paused. “It, um… There could be others.”

Whalen cocked a brow.

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