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Watery eyes stared back at her, the blue darker and more wounded than ever.

Shaking her head, Alex answered with a stuttering breath, “I don’t know. I just need to get out of here.”

“Then we’ll get out of here,” Morgan said resolutely. “I’ve got your back.”

Alex smiled at that. It was sweet. “I know you have.”

“Can I make a suggestion?”

Alex nodded.

“We go back to the hotel, cancel the rest of the tour and disappear somewhere.”

The solution seemed so simple, and Alex actually chuckled. “We can’t.”

“We can, we can do anything we want to,” Morgan insisted.

“Let’s start with getting back to the hotel.” Alex rubbed her cheek and smiled. “I just want to curl up with you and feel safe again.”

A knock on the door was quickly followed by a policeman’s head poking around. “They said you’re a doctor?”

“Yes,” Morgan answered.

“Aye, we’ve got a few people injured. Wondered if you could take a quick look before the ambulances get here.”

Morgan turned to Alex, grabbing her bag in the process. “You’ll be alright?”

“Yes, go. Help those people.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Arriving back at the cabin, Alex was angry now. Their private space had needed to be searched. The hotel grounds were on lockdown, and despite Connor's assurance that everything was fine, she hated the fact that everyone was being inconvenienced because of this, because some idiot thought it was funny to try and scare her. And she was angrier still to admit that it had worked.

“The police are going to stand guard overnight, then we can organise some personal security in the morning and head back home first thing,” Francine was saying while Morgan built a fire. The room felt chilly, and she needed something to do that got her out of the line of fire she could see coming.

“I’m not going home,” Alex responded. “We’re expected in Durham tomorrow. We’re going to Durham.”

Francine’s face twisted into a grimace. “Someone just shot at you.”

“That’s an exaggeration. I wasn’t shot at, at least not by anyone who could bloody well aim.” Alex stared at her defiantly.

“Has there been any word on what it was that made that noise?” Morgan asked, on her knees, scrunching up balls of newspaper to shove in between the kindling.

Francine exhaled, pressing her lips together as she held back what she wanted to say. Instead, she turned to Morgan and answered, “I expect we’ll be told when they find out. I’ve saidyou’re not to be disturbed any further tonight, but they will want to speak to everyone in the morning, so I’m not sure we will even be allowed to move on. And for what it’s worth, I think you’re a fool if you do. This is serious, Alex.”

“Do you not think I understand that, Fran? Morgan just spent an hour patching people up who were injured because of it.”

Francine huffed out a breath again, this time more petulantly, and paced the room. “I’m just saying, and you know me, I’m all about the dollar and the legacy, but some things are more precious.”

Alex flopped down onto the couch. “Let’s just try and keep some perspective, get some sleep, and in the morning when we have more information, we can make a more informed decision.”

“I’ve already got every newspaper and TV news bombarding me for information. I think sleep might have to take a back seat,” Francine responded, before flopping down on the couch beside Alex, her head falling to the side to land against her friend’s shoulder.

“Turn the bloody thing off,” Alex said when Francine looked at her phone. “There’s nothing you can tell them yet anyway.”

“You do know me, right?” Francine said with a hint of seriousness despite the smile.

“Yes, do I need to have Morgan give you a sedative?” Alex chuckled.