Page 183 of The One
But when I step back and really take her in, my stomach tightens.
She’s paler than I remember, dark circles smudged beneath her eyes. One of the two men with her stands unnervingly close, his posture tense, as if he’s ready to catch her if she stumbles.
Her eyes meet mine, reading the question before I can even ask.
“Long story,” she says quickly. “I’ll tell you later.”
A long story? Not exactly reassuring.
My gaze flicks to a monitor strapped to her wrist.
Is she sick?
How bad is it if she needs a damn medical team to travel?
I don’t realize I’ve frozen until she touches my arm.
“Please, just take me to Tiero,” she says, her voice urgent.
As we move through the halls, Ella bombards me with questions, most of which I have no satisfying answers for.
We reach Tiero’s door, the guards on either side snapping to attention. I hesitate, torn between giving her space and demanding answers about her, but decide to leave her be for now.
I turn back, catching her gaze over my shoulder.
“Please bring him back to us. Please give him the strength to hold on.”
Her breath shudders, but she gives me a small, resolute nod. That’s all I need.
I walk away, my mind already shifting to the new problem, Ella herself.
In the waiting area, I find her travel companions. A tall, muscular guy with short dark blond hair rises, his sharp gaze locked on me.
“Mateo De Marco,” I introduce myself, my voice even despite the tension curling in my gut.
“I presume you’re Aiden Burg,” I continue, extending my hand, even though I’d rather put my fist through his face. “Santino filled me in on as much as he knew.”
He nods and clasps my hand in a firm shake.
“Ella said you’re the man in charge until your brother recovers,” he replies, settling into a chair. I take the one opposite, both of us silently sizing each other up.
“What the hell is going on with Ella?” I ask, cutting straight to the point.
“Why is she wearing a monitor? And why the medical entourage?”
Burg exhales, his expression unreadable. “Ella’s heart is damaged. It could give out at any time.”
My stomach drops.
What?
The words don’t compute.
“She never should’ve traveled, but there was no stopping her,” he continues, rubbing a hand over his tired-looking face. “The medical team was the compromise.”
“She should have told me,” I grit out. “I’d never have asked her to come—”
“Which is exactly why she didn’t,” he cuts in smoothly. “If Tiero needs her, she’d move heaven and earth to be here.”
