Chapter 180

Ella POV

Alexander gave me the rest of the day to rest, sleep, eat, and build up my strength. By the following morning, I was anxious and ready to jump back into reality. We were in the middle of a serious situation, and I had taken an entire day just to nap.

I felt ridiculous.

Although Alexander insisted it wasn’t a big deal, he did agree to let me join him the next day. He was heading to meet with Dr. McIntyre, and I had pointed out that she wanted to talk to me.

When Alexander seemed hesitant about letting me go, that seemed to be reason enough for him to agree.

He didn’t argue—just told me I could come along, as long as I allowed him to take the lead.

I didn’t have a problem with that. Truthfully, I had no idea what I was doing, and I needed Alexander’s support more than I cared to admit.

It seemed like a beneficial arrangement to me: he would lead the way, but I wouldn’t be left in the dark or completely dependent on him to keep me informed.

We got in the car together and drove to a building near the outskirts of the capital. It was somewhere I had never been before, and from the outside, it looked like an old warehouse.

“This is where Dr. McIntyre is being held?” I asked as we stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance.

“That’s right,” Alexander replied, his voice soft as if he didn’t want anyone overhearing us. I couldn’t imagine who he thought might be listening—there didn’t seem to be anyone around.

The further we had driven into this area of the city, the more I noticed the complete lack of people. It wasn’t a place I was familiar with, and it didn’t seem like the kind of area someone should feel comfortable in.

I felt a little uncomfortable, if I was being honest. Why did Alexander seem so at ease in this unsettling location? And why on earth weren’t we headed to the local prison or even the king’s home?

“Why isn’t she in jail?” I asked, unable to keep the question to myself.

Alexander glanced at me, his expression unreadable. “I’m handling it,” he said. “That’s all you need to know about that.”

I stared at him in disbelief. It was such a blatant non-answer that I wasn’t even sure how to react.

My shock didn’t last long, though. After a moment, I scoffed out loud. “Are you joking?”

Alexander paused, his steps slowing as he turned to look at me. “This isn’t the time or the place for these questions,” he said sternly. “You should have asked me before—”

“There was no ‘before,’” I shot back, frustration creeping into my voice. “It’s not like you gave me a heads-up about this. I thought we were going to visit her in jail. Why isn’t she in jail? Does the king even know she’s been found?” I asked in a rush, the questions tumbling out.

Alexander stared at me steadily, weighing his words carefully. I could tell he was trying to decide how to respond, but I wasn’t about to let this go.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to keep my temper in check. “Aren’t we past this?” I asked, locking my eyes onto his. “All these strange secrets between us? I know this isn’t normal, and none of this has been normal. I just don’t understand how or why you’re doing things this way.”

“I’m handling it,” he repeated. “You don’t need to worry about the how or why.”

“But I do worry,” I responded, taking a step closer to him. “Because I’m involved too. This is all happening because of me, and if you’re doing something dangerous or... something that could have repercussions down the line...” I trailed off, choosing my words carefully. “I feel like I deserve to know how and why.”

“I want you to stay out of it,” Alexander said softly. “As much as possible.”

“I appreciate that you want to protect me,” I said, the tension in my voice evident, “but we’re past that.”

Alexander stared at me, then reached out and took my hand. The contact sent a jolt of electricity through me, and I allowed him to lead me forward. He approached the door of the warehouse, tapping a code into the security panel before opening it and stepping aside to let me inside.

The building was dark, musty, and cold. I could hear our footsteps echoing as Alexander led me through the abandoned workshop and down a side hallway.

“So, you’re just going to ignore my questions?” I asked, irritation lacing my voice, but also a deep concern. It was so unlike Alexander to act this way.

He was supposed to be confident, sure of himself. And yet, he seemed to be second-guessing everything, especially when it came to me.

I felt the unease settle deeper in my stomach. Why was he acting this way? And why was he involving me in something that clearly made him uncomfortable? He had always been the one to keep things under control.

“I’m not ignoring you,” he said softly, his voice almost apologetic. “It’s just safer for us to talk about this inside.”

“Talk about what?” I asked, feeling a sick twist in my stomach. There was something incredibly important happening here, something that Alexander wasn’t telling me. Whatever it was, it was weighing on him, making him uncertain. And that scared me.

But it didn’t scare me enough to stop asking. I needed to know what was going on.

How was it possible that Alexander had captured a well-known wanted criminal, yet she wasn’t in jail? She wasn’t in the king’s hold, either. Instead, she was being kept in some strange warehouse on the outskirts of town.

The whole thing felt off, like something illegal was happening right under my nose.

It made my stomach churn with unease, but I didn’t want to accuse Alexander of anything underhanded. That wasn’t the man I knew, and I didn’t want to accept that there might be another explanation.

But he just wasn’t opening up to me, and it was frustrating beyond measure.

“So talk then,” I said, placing my hands on my hips and fixing him with a steady look.

“I’ll talk to you,” Alexander said, his voice steady but firm. “But now really isn’t the time, Ella. I understand that you have questions, and you’re right—I do owe you an explanation. But right now, we need to focus on the task at hand. Dr. McIntyre is in this building. There’s something she wants to tell you.”

He stepped forward and tapped a pattern into the door in front of us. After a moment, I heard it unlock. Alexander put his hand on the knob, then looked back at me.

“It’s important that we get that information so we can decide what our next move is going to be. We don’t have time to waste. We don’t know where David went after he ran away from you, and we don’t know what he’s planning or what he might do in the meantime. Dr. McIntyre is safest here, where no one besides us can find her. If she were in jail, David and his people could reach her. Even if she were in the King’s hold, there’s a chance David could have contacts that could get to her. The only people I can trust right now are my people. You understand that, don’t you?”

I stared at Alexander, the unease twisting deeper in my gut. But there was so much logic in what he said that I couldn’t argue with it. I nodded reluctantly.

“Okay,” I said, my voice quiet but resolute. “But you’re going to explain it to me later. I’ll hold you to that promise.”

“I know you will,” Alexander said, squeezing my hand. Then he opened the door.