The flight felt like it took forever. He was only still when the flight attendant told him he needed to sit and put his seat belt on. Even then his knee was bouncing, or he was tapping his fingers on the armrest. There was no word on Ellie, and that was driving him completely insane. He was terrified that something had gone wrong.

Finally, the plane touched down and he was allowed to turn his phone on again. There were a few missed calls from Phoebe and Phil. They were probably wondering where he was. He hadn’t bothered to tell anyone he was leaving the restaurant, let alone leaving the country. He wasn’t about to call them and explain himself. He had more pressing matters to deal with.

There was a black SUV waiting on the tarmac outside the jet. It was the same one that had taken his luggage the first time he’d landed in England. The driver came around and opened the door for him. He slid into the back seat and the door closed, shrouding him in darkness. When the driver took his seat behind the wheel and pulled away from the jet, Alex was tempted to ask about Ellie, but refrained.

Every minute that passed felt like an hour instead. He wanted to get to the hospital and find out if she was okay or if she’d even survived the surgery. He needed to know how the hell she managed to get shot.

After what seemed like an age, they finally pulled up at the hospital. He didn’t even wait for the car to come to a complete stop before he was out the door. The anxiety bubbling in his chest only multiplied when he stepped inside the hospital. He had no idea where he was going or how to get where he needed to be. A man appeared out of the group of people, coming toward him.

“Alex King?” he asked, startling him.

“Yes.” Alex glanced at the large, muscular man in front of him.

“This way.”

He didn’t hesitate to follow the man. They walked to the elevators and stepped inside. The man pressed a floor number and the doors slid shut. Again, he was tempted to ask if the man knew anything about Ellie, because he obviously worked for them or with them, but he resisted. He was extremely antsy as the elevator rose to the chosen floor. He wasn’t sure if it was adrenaline or anxiety pumping through his veins anymore. All he knew was he was terrified.

As soon as it stopped, he pushed through the crack of the opening doors. He spotted Luke standing in the hallway, talking on the phone. He didn’t bother to wait for the guy who led him to the floor. Instead, he rushed toward Luke, ignoring the fact that he was on the phone.

“Is she okay?”