CHAPTER FOUR
Before Alex could read any of the messages, his phone vibrated in his hand with an upcoming call. He saw Emily's ID photo—the two of them beaming at the camera, way back when—and his hand tightened on a half-empty bottle of water as he answered.
"Hey, what's up?"
There was only one guy with him in the room, seemingly focused on his tablet, but Alex still kept his voice low. He'd learned a long time ago to be careful within earshot of anyone aside from a trusted few.
And even that short list had had to be revised a few times.
"It's happening!" The urgency in Emily's voice made Alex sit up. "I don't know why, it's too early, shit, it can't— It can't be now! I'm not ready."
Alex's heart started thundering in his chest. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
"What if there's something wrong?" Emily's voice broke a little at the end there, but before Alex spoke up, he heard another muffled voice on the other side of the line, then Emily took a shaky breath. "Okay, Mom. You're right. I'm going."
"I'll be on the first plane I can find," Alex told her, already on his feet. "I'm coming, I just need to get there."
"Please, hurry," she whispered, and Alex's heart ached. What a bunch of stupid kids they had been—and maybe still were. "I need you here."
"I'm on my way, I promise."
The moment he disconnected the call, he caught the gaze of the other man, who was now looking right at him.
"I've already notified the boss. Everyone's busy, but I can drive you to the airport. We won't leave you stranded."
Alex shoved his hair under his hat in a practiced move and pretended his hands weren't shaking.
"Thank you. I really appreciate it."
"In hindsight, we probably should have insisted on additional security for you, too, so it's on us."
Security.
Shit.
A breath caught in his chest. What wouldn't he give to have Ian here with him, now. Ian would know what to do. Ian would calm him down. He would—
—be pissed.
Shaking his head, Alex grabbed his coat and hid the cane inside it in the dedicated holster.
He couldn't think of Ian right now. He had a plane to catch.
Thankfully, he managed to leave the arena without any problems and by the time he settled in the back of the car, he already had a plane ticket for two hours from now, which made him breathe a little easier.
He had a plan.
He was on his way, and he was going to be there, and Emily had her mom with her, which was undoubtedly better than whatever he could offer.
Still, he had to go.
Swallowing hard, he glanced at his phone. He couldn't call Ian, right? And not only because the man was working right now. Alex wouldn't know what to say, couldn't say most of the things he did know, and definitely couldn't handle hearing Ian's anger, or disappointment, or…
He had to tell him something, though. They'd already made plans and Alex needed to cancel them before Ian would go to his hotel, expecting Alex to be there and discovering he wasn't.
With his stomach turning, Alex opened their text chain and started typing.