ContinueTerrance
1227 Words
Which meant I would never abandon him.
No matter what.
Being my brother's keeper wasn't a responsibility.
It was an obligation.
A promise.
A debt.
The problem was, every day I became more conflicted.
Because, for the first time in years, I had something else worth protecting.
Lexi.
The thought alone made me smile.
Then it immediately frustrated me.
I didn't need complications.
I didn't need distractions.
Especially not one with beautiful eyes, endless confidence, and a smart mouth capable of putting anyone in their place.
Yet every time I talked to her, I found myself wanting more.
More conversations.
More laughs.
More time.
More everything.
The scary part wasn't my feelings.
The scary part was the danger.
Because if I was right...
If Tony had somehow stumbled onto information connected to my brother...
Then Lexi was no longer safe.
And if Lexi wasn't safe...
Neither was Nicole.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
Three quick taps.
A familiar signal.
I opened the door.
My brother's left-hand man stepped inside.
His face was serious.
Immediately my stomach tightened.
"What happened?"
"We got a problem."
Those four words were never good.
"What kind of problem?"
He handed me a folder.
Inside were photographs.
Surveillance photos.
Notes.
Phone records.
Names.
My pulse accelerated.
One name immediately stood out.
Tony.
"What is this?"
His expression darkened.
"Tony wasn't working alone."
The room suddenly felt colder.
"What are you talking about?"
"We found communications."
I flipped through the paperwork.
The deeper I looked, the worse it got.
Tony had been receiving money.
Not much.
But enough.
Regular payments.
Consistent payments.
From someone using burner phones.
Someone careful.
Someone experienced.
"Who?"
"We don't know yet."
I continued reading.
Then another name appeared.
A hospital employee.
My entire body froze.
The same hospital where Terrance's first love disappeared.
The same hospital Nicole was recovering in.
The same hospital connected to destroyed surveillance footage years earlier.
No.
No way.
I looked up.
"You are telling me this is connected?"
"We think so."
A chill ran down my spine.
Suddenly, years of unanswered questions collided together.
The missing girl.
The destroyed footage.
The mysterious SUV.
Tony's payments.
Nicole's shooting.
The feeling that someone was watching.
It couldn't be a coincidence.
Not anymore.
Someone was connecting all the pieces.
Someone was cleaning up loose ends.
Someone powerful.
Someone dangerous.
Then another realization hit me.
A horrifying realization.
If Tony was receiving money...
And Tony was now dead...
Whoever paid him had just lost an asset.
Which meant they would be looking for another way to protect their secrets.
And Lexi had already started asking questions.
I immediately grabbed my keys.
"Where are you going?"
"To see Lexi."
"Why?"
I looked him dead in the eye.
"Because if this is bigger than we thought..."
I paused.
"...she's in danger."
Later that night, Lexi opened her apartment door and found Terrance standing outside.
His expression immediately worried her.
"What happened?"
Terrance stepped inside.
For several moments he simply stared at her.
Studying her.
Making sure she was okay.
Something about his eyes seemed different.
More intense.
More protective.
More personal.
"Terrance?"
He exhaled slowly.
"The deeper I dig, the worse this gets."
A knot formed in Lexi's stomach.
"What did you find?"
"I think Tony was being paid."
The room fell silent.
"Paid for what?"
"I don't know."
"But?"
Terrance looked troubled.
"But I think someone wanted information."
"About who?"
His jaw tightened.
"I think we're about to find out."
Neither of them noticed the small GPS tracker attached underneath Lexi's car.
Neither of them noticed the distant figure watching her apartment through binoculars.
And neither of them knew that somewhere inside the hospital, a woman who had worked there two years ago had suddenly resurfaced after disappearing without a trace.
The same woman who knew exactly what happened to Terrance's first love.
And the same woman who had just decided she was finally ready to talk.
The problem was...
Someone else had already learned she was alive.
Three days later.
For the first time since the shooting, life almost felt normal.
Almost.
I was back at work wearing my navy-blue scrubs and trying to focus on patients instead of everything happening around me.
The clinic and hospital shared the same medical complex, which meant I spent a lot of my day moving between buildings.
Normally, I enjoy my job.
Helping people made me feel useful.
Needed.
Lately though, my mind has been everywhere except work.
Nicole's shooting.
Tony's death.
The black SUV.
Terrance.
The missing woman.
Every thought seemed connected somehow.
I just couldn't figure out how.
Around lunch, I decided to check on Nicole.
Her room was on the fourth floor.
When I entered, she was sitting up in bed scrolling through her phone.
She looked significantly better than she had days ago.
"Look at you," I said.
"You act like I survived something."
I laughed.
"You got shot."
"Details."
I shook my head.
"Are you feeling okay?"
Nicole nodded.
"Physically."
I noticed the hesitation.
"But mentally?"
Her smile faded.
"That's a different story."
I sat beside her.
For several minutes we talked.
About therapy.
About healing.
About rebuilding her confidence.
About learning how to live without constantly looking over her shoulder.
It wasn't easy.
Years of abuse don't disappear overnight.
Neither do years of fear.
Before leaving, I hugged her tightly.
"You know you're stuck with me, right?"
She smiled.
"Unfortunately."
"Rude."
"Love you too."
I left her room laughing.
For the first time in weeks, seeing her smile made me hopeful.
As I walked down the hallway toward the elevators, I passed a small conference room.
The door wasn't completely shut.
Normally I would've kept walking.
But something caught my attention.
A name.
Tony.
My feet immediately stopped.
Inside the room were two people.
A middle-aged doctor and a woman wearing hospital administration credentials.
Their voices were low.
Concerned.
"...the police have already closed the investigation."
"That doesn't matter."
The woman sounded nervous.
"If anyone starts asking questions—"
"They won't."
My pulse quickened.
Questions about what?
I slowly moved closer.
The doctor lowered his voice.
"What happened with Tony was unfortunate."
The woman laughed nervously.
"Unfortunate?"
"He's dead."
Dead silence followed.
Then—
"At least he can't talk."
Every muscle in my body froze.
My heart started pounding.
The woman spoke again.
"What about the girlfriend?"
"She's recovering."
"That's not who I mean."
The doctor sighed heavily.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then he said something that made my blood run cold.
"The missing girl from two years ago isn't our problem anymore."
My breath caught in my throat.
What?
The missing girl.
Terrance's girlfriend.
I nearly stumbled backward.
The conversation continued.
"People are still asking questions."
"No they're not."
"Terrance is."
The moment I heard his name, every alarm inside my body started screaming.
The doctor cursed under his breath.
"That man should've given up years ago."
"He loved her."
"So?"
The woman's voice became shaky.
"He isn't the only one looking."
Silence.
Then—
"Who else?"
"I don't know."
The doctor sounded irritated.
"Then stop worrying."
A chair scraped against the floor.
Panic immediately shot through me.
The meeting was ending.
I quickly walked away before anyone could catch me listening.
By the time I reached the elevator, my heart was racing.
I wasn't imagining things anymore.
The hospital was connected.
- Writer
