Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38444 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 192(@200wpm)___ 154(@250wpm)___ 128(@300wpm)
“Then why haven’t you signed the divorce papers?”
Brian stared at him for several moments. “You know I don’t like to fail.”
“But it wasn’t even a real marriage.” Feeling emboldened by all the power around him, Ezra narrowed his eyes. “I saw you murder someone. Saw you slit a man’s throat, right here in this room. You’re a bad person, Brian.”
“It’s unfortunate that you witnessed that, but sometimes one has to take care of problems.”
He was still so damn confident, standing there and facing a room full of beings who could easily take his life. There wasn’t an ounce of fear on his face, just complete assurance that he was going to come out of this. He truly believed himself invincible. Was truly delusional.
“I’m going to the police,” Ezra said softly, his voice easily carrying across the room in the silence. “I should have already done so. I will no longer be scared of you, Brian. You’re going to prison, where you belong.”
“I will be doing no such thing.” Brian pointed a gun at Ezra, and two things happened simultaneously. Xavier aimed a hand at the gun, and Alaric ran in front of Ezra. The gun went off, but the bullet hit the ceiling just as Alaric took Ezra to the floor, twisting his body so he hit the carpet and cushioned Ezra from the fall.
There was a yell, and he looked around Alaric to find Brian writhing in his chair. “Don’t kill him. He deserves to suffer in prison.”
Xavier just nodded, so Ezra turned his attention to Alaric. “You were going to take a bullet for me.”
Alaric just stared back at him before hugging him. “Always.”
And Ezra knew he meant that.
Chapter Nineteen
Ezra
Xavier promised to wrap Brian in a bow and deliver him along with all the documentation of his trafficking ring to the authorities. Ezra wanted to go home, but he’d believed Brian about him not being responsible for the price on his head. The preternaturals had believed him, too, so Alaric had insisted they stay in the warded house until they could solve the mystery. Ezra was at a complete loss, He’d honestly believed Brian was behind this. All he could think about was maybe an ex-boyfriend or two, but none were wealthy enough or even interested enough to have him taken out.
It had to be one of his father’s enemies.
He sat on the floor with paperwork strewn over the coffee table. He’d been at this for hours, but there was just nothing, and frustration had burned a hole in his gut.
Reaching up to rub his throbbing temples, he let out a deep breath, then jumped when hands went under his armpits and lifted him to his feet.
“Bedtime,” Alaric announced as he kept lifting and turning Ezra until Ezra was forced to wrap his arms and legs around the elf. He met the gaze of Finn who’d been sitting on the couch watching the television and found amusement and a faint hint of envy, but Alaric quickly walked down the hall, and he let that leave his mind. He was so tired and so sick of having his world turned upside down. The only good thing was Alaric, so he hugged his neck tight.
“I still can’t believe you jumped in front of a gun for me.”
“I was hired to protect you, Ezra.”
“That’s the whole reason?”
“You know it’s not.” Alaric didn’t turn on the bedroom light, just walked across the room and laid Ezra onto the bed. “Ezra, there isn’t much I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Will you sleep here? Hold me?”
“That was the plan.”
“Good.” Ezra watched as Alaric removed his clothing then leaned over the bed to take off Ezra’s. A part of Ezra wanted to have sex again, but he was just so stressed and exhausted, his body didn’t want to follow that part. “I don’t know if I’m up to sex,” he admitted.
“We’re both tired. Callan is outside, and Finn is in the living room. We can sleep knowing you’re safe. All I want to do is hold you while we sleep. That sound okay?”
“It sounds like a dream.”
“Though I will be naked because like you, I sleep that way. You’ll have to ignore whatever my body does. Being naked against you will have me reacting no matter how sleepy I am.”
“I’m sure mine will too. We’ll just ignore the wood.” When Alaric slid against him, he snorted. “Or not.”
Alaric started chuckling when it was obvious neither of them was ready to sleep together like this without reacting. He twined his legs with Ezra’s and wrapped his arm tight around him.
“I couldn’t find anything in my father’s paperwork. There’s just nothing, Alaric, to tell me who is doing this. I don’t know what to do. It’s not like I can just hire you indefinitely, and I do want to get back to my regular life, listless as it was.”