Alex looked around at the devastation, and then he suddenly heard a voice calling out in pain.
He searched, following the sound, and eventually, he found Celeste crumpled in the corner of the room. Another Moon Maiden lay next to her, also injured. Although both women were skilled fighters, the attack had been so sudden that they hadn't had time to react.
"Celeste!" Alex called in anguish. As far as he was concerned, the Moon Maidens were his family, and he was furious they had been hurt.
Catching sight of the driver, Alex roared, dashing forward to wrench the truck door open.
Then he reached in, pulled out the driver, and threw him away from the truck. The man hit the wall and slid down it, whimpering in pain for a moment before passing out.
Kendall hadn't entirely let go of her past as an assassin, so she was acting on instinct when she rushed forward to strike at the unconscious driver, ensuring he wouldn't wake up for a while.
Alex jumped into the truck, put it into gear, and backed it out of the clinic and onto the street. Then he kicked the door open and got out, rushing back to Celeste.
She was exactly where he had left her, in the middle of the debris. As he crouched down beside her, she coughed weakly, and a little trickle of blood escaped from the corner of her mouth. Clearly injured, she was lying in the corner like a broken doll, and Alex hated seeing her like that.
"Mr. Alex," Celeste said, blinking up at him. She tried to say more, but it was too difficult, and it was obviously causing her pain.
"Celeste, don't talk," Alex said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Just hold on. You'll be fine. I promise."
He stood, carefully lifting Celeste and carrying her over to an examination table. Then he gently placed her on it before frantically looking around the room.
"Silver needles… silver needles…" he muttered, opening cabinets and then slamming them closed. "Where are they?"
Sophie rushed over to help, taking a set of needles from the drawer.
Alex poured inner power into Celeste to keep her alive, and then he got to work trying to heal her. He would do anything to snatch her back from the jaws of death.
As Sophie worked on Celeste's wounds, Alex used his acupuncture needles, sending more of his power into her with each one.
Sophie called for blood, and they had to give Celeste several transfusions as they fought for her life.
Eventually, Celeste's condition stabilized, and the worst of the danger had passed. Alex sank to the floor, too exhausted to remain upright for a moment longer. His clothes were damp with sweat, and they stuck to his back when he leaned against the wall.
Treating someone he cared about was much harder than healing strangers, and he was feeling extremely emotional as he looked at Celeste.
A little later, he managed to haul himself to his feet and looked around for supplements to replenish his energy. While he was recovering, several police officers arrived to investigate the crash.
After looking around, they declared it an accident. Their theory was that the driver must have stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake, losing control of the vehicle and hitting the clinic. They suspected the driver might be drunk, and they planned to charge him with driving under the influence.
By now, the driver had regained consciousness, and the officers walked him to the door.
"You think this was just a drunk driver losing control?" Alex asked incredulously. He glared at the driver. "Do you really expect me to believe that? Tell me the truth. Did Michael Murdoch send you?"
He was sick and tired of all the chaos. Just for once, he wanted everything to be quiet and uneventful, but there always seemed to be some crisis, often one that put the people around him in danger.
"I drank too much," the driver said. "It was stupid, I know. I think I accidentally stepped on the wrong pedal. I'm sorry for causing so much damage, but I'm sure my insurance company will compensate you for the loss of your clinic."
Alex clenched his fists as he glared at the man, saying nothing.
"Dr. Ambrose, I'm sorry people got injured," the driver said. "I'll pray for their recovery."
"Dr. Ambrose?" Alex repeated, his tone icy. "You know my name, so this wasn't random."
The driver spotted the officers talking to each other and took advantage of their inattention to lean closer to Alex. "Of course it wasn't random," he whispered. "This is what happens when you offend someone important. There are some people you just shouldn't make angry."
Alex narrowed his eyes. "You're right," he said. "There are people you simply shouldn't offend." The threat was obvious; Alex was not someone to be crossed.
"I'm warning you," the driver said, checking that the police officers were still distracted. "This is just the beginning, and they won't stop coming for you until you've been destroyed. You need to be careful when you go outside. Just in case you come across another drunk driver who makes a mistake."
"Where is Michael?" Alex asked, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"Who?" the driver asked, smiling.
Alex scowled at him.
"Are you angry?" the driver asked. "Why don't you hit me? You know you want to. Go on. I won't even resist." He knew if Alex took him up on the offer, he would be arrested for assault, and he quite liked the idea of Alex going to jail.
"Son of a bitch," Kendall screamed. "I'll kill you!"
She rushed forward, desperately wanting to hit the man, but the police officers stepped into her path, blocking her.
"Hit you?" Alex asked, laughing. "Why should I bother hitting a dead man?"
"What do you mean?" the driver asked. His heartbeat sped up as he wondered what Alex was talking about. He didn't understand, but he realized things wouldn't go well for him.
The officers put handcuffs on the driver and took him to a nearby hospital for treatment. After all, he had been injured in the crash.
When they reached the hospital, the officers got him out of the car, but before they got any further, he heard the screech of tires, and then a car shot toward him. Seconds later, the car hit him and sent him flying through the air.
It had all happened so quickly, that he hadn't been able to dodge it. He landed hard, his neck hitting the curb with a loud crack. He didn't get back up.
The police officers rushed toward him as the car swerved and sped away.
Inside the car, Jeffrey pulled down his mask and drove his car smoothly into the traffic, fleeing the scene.
**
Alex checked on Celeste, and then he looked at the message Will had sent. After arranging for Will to protect Celeste, Alex got into a car and drove off.
He headed for Nirvana, a high-end club with luxurious décor. It comprised several floors, with the VIP section on the highest level. Well-trained security guards were visible everywhere, hired to protect the important guests.
When Alex arrived, business was booming. A line of luxury cars dropped people off at the door, and inside, the club was crowded with well-dressed men and women.
Alex didn't have time to admire his surroundings. As soon as he stepped inside, he took the elevator to the top floor.
According to Will's intelligence, Michael was holding a birthday party here tonight.
Alex had known for a long time that Michael's family was powerful and had a lot of connections. In particular, Michael's father, Jeremiah, controlled the pharmaceutical industry, making him an extremely important person.
In recent years, there had been several healthcare corporations setting up new hospitals and clinics around the country, but they hadn't been able to establish themselves in Baltimore.
Five or six powerful companies had attempted it, but they had all closed down within months, each the victim of mysterious complaints or accidents that had damaged their reputations and cost them a lot of money.
Alex had known the Murdoch family was behind it all, but he hadn't wanted to deal with the consequences. Instead, he had taken the money they had given him, and at the urging of Sawyer, he had let the matter drop. But now, it appeared the Murdoch family was still moving against him, and he was determined to make Michael pay.
He stepped out of the elevator and spotted two guards standing outside the door.
When they saw Alex, the guards walked forward to intercept him. "This is a private function," one of them said. "You can't go in."