“Ma’am,” he said, “the spiritualist said that all those years you spent near the graves… the dark energy clinging to you is making Miss Brewer even sicker.”
“So, Mr. Stanley wants you to go to the church and pray for her recovery. The car’s already waiting out front.”
I still held onto hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d show me some shred of concern. But clearly, I was just fooling myself.
I tried to sit up, but Maggie stepped in front of me.
“Ma’am, please—you can’t just get up like this. The doctor said you need rest. You’re still healing.”
I shook my head.
“I’ll be fine. Let’s go.”
Once Alexis made up his mind, there was no point arguing. Fighting back only left me more bruised.
Outside the hospital, two cars waited. I walked automatically toward Alexis’s.
But as I reached for the door, the window rolled down, and his cold, expressionless face looked back at me.
“Halle, take the other car.”
Then Janice peeked out from his arms, her voice trembling. “Alexis… please, tell Miss Halle to stay away. Just being near her makes my heart hurt. I can barely breathe…”
Quickly, he turned to me sharply. “Didn’t you hear her? Leave! Now!”