Page 15 of Free Fall (The Quantico Files 3)

“Yes, I’m very embarrassed,” she said, laughing. “Now, sit down. What do you want to drink?”

“There’s tea in the refrigerator. I’ll take that.”

Alex had assumed he’d argue with her, tell her he’d take care of the food. That’s how he usually was. But when he gingerly lowered himself onto the couch without argument, she began to really worry.

She walked back into the living area. “Are you sure we shouldn’t go to the emergency room? Or at least an urgent care clinic?”

He shook his head. “No. Like I said, the MRI is tomorrow. I’d rather let them do their thing.” He looked up at her. “Could you get my pills, though? The bottle is on the nightstand next to my bed. The bedrooms are upstairs.”

“Sure.” She hurried up the stairs and found two bedrooms. One looked like a guest room. Very basic and rather bare. She opened the door to the other room and discovered a pleasant room with dusty blue walls and a king-sized bed with a cream-colored comforter. In the corner on the other side of the room sat an overstuffed chair.

A mahogany bookcase was next to the chair, and Alex stepped closer so she could see what books it contained. She smiled when she realized Logan’s reading choices were similar to hers. One shelf held nonfiction books about profiling and case studies of serial killers. The other two shelves were devoted to novels. Suspense and mystery. Alex had read almost every single one of them.

She picked up a framed photo sitting on top of the bookcase and saw several people smiling for the camera. Had to be Logan’s family. He stood behind two older people who resembled him. His parents? A young man stood on one side of the group and a younger girl on the other side. Brother and sister?

As she set the photo down, a wave of shame washed over her. Logan had spent so much time trying to help her through her problems, yet they’d never talked much about his life.

She suddenly realized he was waiting for his pain medication and here she was dawdling, going through his belongings. She hurried over to the nightstand next to the bed, where she found both a bottle of over-the-counter pain reliever and another bottle of prescription medicine. She picked up the latter and read the label. Hydrocodone? A high dose. He must really be hurting. He wasn’t the kind to take something like this unless he had to.

Once downstairs, she put the bottle on the coffee table in front of him. Then she poured a glass of iced tea and took that to him too.

“Soup will be ready soon,” she said. “You just relax. I’m not leaving until I know you’re okay.”

Logan nodded and opened the medicine bottle. She was alarmed to see him shake not one but two pills into his hand and then toss them both into his mouth. Hadn’t he taken pain pills back at the office? It hadn’t been that long ago. He picked up his glass and took a drink before she could say anything.

“Logan, just how much pain are you in?”

“A lot. I hope I didn’t break anything in my back or neck. I really don’t want to be out of work for an extended period of time.”

“Look, forget work. Just concentrate on getting better.”

He didn’t argue with her, just kicked off his shoes and swung his legs up on the couch. Alex positioned the couch pillows behind him to support his back and head. Then she grabbed the afghan on the arm of the couch and covered him with it.

“My grandmother made this for me,” Logan whispered. “She was incredible. I miss her so much.”

“Just see this as her hugging you even though she’s in heaven now.”

Logan smiled. “I will. Thank you.”

In the kitchen Alex found bowls for the soup and small plates for the bread. After locating butter in the refrigerator, she carried everything into the living room on a tray. But Logan was already sound asleep, so she took his food back to the kitchen and put it in the refrigerator. She’d heat the soup for him later. But for now, she leaned against the counter, closed her eyes, and began to pray.

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