Chapter 34

I opened my eyes to plain white ceilings and soreness all over my body, feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. When I took off the oxygen mask covering my face and glanced beside me, it all came rushing back. I was lucky to be alive.

“Did you catch him?” My voice came out hoarse, startling and exciting him at the same time. He dropped the book he was reading and rushed to sit next to me.

“Are you okay?” He took my hand and sandwiched it between his. “Let me call the doctor to check up on you.”

“You haven’t answered my question, Lionel.” My lips felt heavy and puffy, my face was no exception.

He huffed out and eased back on the hospital bed. “He managed to escape but from the amount of blood we saw, I doubt he will make it.”

I shut my eyes tight. It was all in vain. All this pain and trauma was for nothing. How could I have deceived ve myself that I could put an end to him? If he was dead, it automatically labeled me a killer. I wouldn’t be charged but how could I move past it?

“Don’t stress about it. The feds have CCTV footage from the trap house. They saw everything that happened before and during the raid. We have solid evidence against him now. He’s a fugitive and anyone harboring him will be held responsible. They put a bounty on his head and it’s only a matter of time before they can arrest him.” His attempt to cheer me up did little or nothing to help. They were underestimating him. He had connections and there was no catching him after this.

My heart dropped when I thought of my family. I hoped they didn't watch the footage of Matthew mauling me mercilessly.

“Where is my family?” I asked. Their safety was more at risk now that Matthew was at large. I couldn’t do anything to safeguard them but for some reason, I felt they were safer with me than away.

“I asked them to go eat something and offered to look after you. They were so worried, barely eating anything for hours.”

I nodded, my mind wandering back to the events that took place. We had everything figured out except his escape route. How no one thought of that was beyond me. It was apparent that people like him would have secret tunnels or manholes to escape from.

“What happens now?” I Couldn’t help but ask. It was clear we had to go into hiding because Matthew was not about to let us go just like that. We wrecked his business and for him, it was a personal affair.

His shoulders dropped. “Sadly, the only option is witness protection.”

“For how long?” It was no shocker for me, I knew this day would come sooner or later.

“That is unclear as of now. The only way to know is if we begin to get info on his possible whereabouts.”

I sighed. Just when I thought I had everything worked out, life had to throw this at me. I needed a break so bad but it was obvious there wasn’t going to be one anytime soon.

I tried to sit up but Lionel was quick to stop me. “You’ve been out for about twelve hours, you need to rest.”

I squinted my eyebrows. He had to be kidding me. “What do you mean twelve hours? That’s insane.”

“You were in so much pain they had to put you under sedatives,” he explained. “Do you feel any pain?”

“I do but it’s not as intense as before.” I gently placed my hand on his, the contact giving me shivers. “I don’t know what I can do to show my gratitude because even though our plans didn’t hold to the end, we got good things out of it. We have the evidence we needed to have a solid case against him. Thank you, honestly.”

His lips curled into a smile, his eyes boring into mine. “It’s alright. I’m just glad you’re okay now. I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if anything were to happen to you.” Putting on a serious face, he said, “Your father and I were talking about flying you to another state. It’s the only way we can assure your safety and that of your family. Kay offered to come with you and since I’m taking a break from work, I can come along as well. We could go on trips to take your mind off things.”

Having my family and friends willing to risk it all for me brought me to the verge of tears. It would seem like a simple thing but it meant so much. It was through them I got the courage to try and weather this storm.

“I would love that. It will be like a breath of fresh air.”

When he opened the door to fetch my parents, the two men outside it didn’t go unnoticed. It was hard to get accustomed to what my life had become. It was almost unbelievable, but I could only hope it would go back to normal as brisk as it came.

Ashlie wafted into the room first, gently throwing her hands around me as my parents made their way in, joining in the hug. I felt whole; like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

“You look much better. How are you feeling?” Mom asked when we pulled apart. Both hers and Ashlie's eyes were ruddy and swollen. They must have been devastated.

“I’m as good as new,” I joked. They laughed, it was refreshing. Despite seeing them just a few hours prior to the scene, I felt like I’d missed them a lot.

“We didn’t catch him but it’s going to be okay. We’re going to make sure he doesn’t get away,” Dad assured me, tucking the loose strands of my hair behind my ear like he’d always done since I was a toddler. It always gave me some sort of comfort.

“I know you’ve done and will still do your best. Thank you, Dad.” He nodded, squeezing my hand and smiling at me.

“I was telling her about the vacay we were discussing earlier,” Lionel said, his eyes trained on my dad. They had become quick friends, something my father had never done with any male around me.

“Do you want to go?” he asked.

“What kind of question is that. Of course, I’m dying to go.” I loved vacations. I could only hope Matthew wouldn’t have the strength to come find us.