ALEX | a. hotchner (sequel to BLAKE)

26

"You let him go?" I nearly yelled into my phone when Dave called to tell Jerry Henderson had been sent home.

"They let him go?" Emily exclaimed from the driver's seat beside me.

"Wait.. shh!" I put my hand up between me and Em.

She smacked my hand, "don't you shush me."

I frowned and mouthed 'drive', pointing at the road.

"His lawyer bailed him out a few hours ago, there was nothing we could do," Dave explained.

"Did you tell them he stabbed me? With a knife. He knifed me, David, and if I wasn't so petty I would've died on the spot."

"We are aware of that, Alex," he sighed. "But Aaron also shot him in the shoulder."

"Oh, please! Who hasn't been shot in the shoulder?" I scoffed. "Do you know what it feels like to be stabbed, David? It. does. not. feel. nice!"

"Why do you keep calling me David?"

"Because this is serious, David," I hissed. "Oh, he thinks he's so evil, but he is at best a minor inconvenience," I said through gritted teeth.

"I am never calling you again," he said before hanging up.

"Damn it!"

"Call Hotch," Emily said while pulling into the parking lot.

"Right, right."

It took seven seconds for him to answer, as long as it took us to go from the car to the entrance.

"What happened, Aaron?"

"He's waiting for trial, Alex, there was nothing we could do."

"He knows something, though, he could lead us to Spencer."

Pause.

"I'm sorry."

"Any news about him?"

"He was taken from the garage, so the unsub had access to the building,"

"But Spencer doesn't drive?"

"Which means something, or someone, led him there," he took a deep breath. "Are you at the prison?"

"Uhm, yeah.. We're going in right now."

"Are you nervous?" He was concerned, I could hear it in the seriousness of his voice.

"No." Yes.

"Good, he can't hurt you."

"Obviously he can, with everything that's happened."

He was silent for some time.

"I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry." I'm sorry for not being there.

"I know." I know.

Emily grabbed my free hand, and only then did I realise I was trembling.

"We'll see what we can find out, I have to go." Please don't let me go.

"Call me directly after." You'll be okay.

"I will." I won't.

I could hear him breathing on the other side of the phone, and I knew we both felt it. There was distance between us that had nothing to do with geography.

"I love you, Alex," he said quietly.

"I love you, Aaron."

***