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)
Ezra stared at him for several seconds, his gaze sliding over Alaric’s body briefly before he came back to Alaric’s face. “Look, I plan to do nothing but lie here until it doesn’t hurt to breathe. We’ll worry about work after that.”
“Got it.” Alaric moved to stand to the side of the door. This man obviously wasn’t a conversationalist. Also, he was an asshole. Though being in pain made people touchy, so Alaric took that into account. Still, ignoring Ezra’s pain went against his very elf nature so the farther he stood from him, the better.
Ezra was quiet for a few moments before he curled his lip again. “What, you’re just going to stand there like some kind of sentry?”
“Will it bother you if I do?”
Ezra shrugged, then winced. “Do what you want. It’s not like I can go anywhere yet.”
“Do you know who did this to you?”
“No idea. It could be anyone, though my money is on my ex-husband. He’s a real shit gibbon.” Ezra slowly shifted and winced. “Can’t wait until that divorce is final.” The tip of his tongue came out to touch his swollen lip.
Alaric had trouble resisting the urge to heal him. Like, a lot of trouble. He didn’t know this human at all, didn’t really like him so far, but seeing him in pain pulled at his heart.
But he couldn’t explain how he could heal any more than he could explain his pointed ears or his purple eyes. Like it or not, he had to just put up with feeling Ezra’s pain across the room.
He looked at Ezra to find those dark brown eyes narrowed at his head.
“What’s with the headband? You planning to work out soon?”
“Fashion statement.”
“It’s not 1980, so I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. But just so you know, if it’s to hide the ears, it’s not doing its job.”
Utter shock made Alaric freeze. “What do you mean?”
“The headband shifted, Sherlock. I can see a pointed ear. Are you an elf?”
Alaric blinked at Ezra. He knew one other human, Clive, who had been able to see through glamours, but he hadn’t known that anyone else could. “What are you talking about?”
Ezra languidly waved one hand. “You’re a preternatural. That’s what you call yourselves, right? One of your kind worked in my house growing up, and she told me all about this hidden world when she realized I could see her tail. So you can lose the headband. It looks ridiculous.”
Well, this changed things. Another human who could see past his glamour. That was new. He should call Xavier right away—but his boss was the one who’d insisted on the headband and contacts. So he already knew. Knew and hadn’t told Alaric, which pissed him off.
He yanked the headband off and stuffed it into his pocket.
“You look a lot better without it. So, elf? I’m assuming, because I’ve seen different creatures with pointed ears over the years, but some of those didn’t blend nearly as well as you do.”
Alaric glared. “Creatures? I thought you said you knew we preferred the term preternaturals.”
“Creatures is some kind of insult?”
“Not to all, but to some, yes.”
“Is it to you?”
“Not particularly.” A lot of them did look like creatures, so the term had never bothered him, but for some reason it sounded like more of an insult coming from this guy’s mouth.
Ezra snorted.
He was such an ass. Too bad he was so beautiful he drew Alaric’s gaze. But it was easy to figure him out. Spoiled rich kid. Narcissistic. The kind of person Alaric could hold no respect for. Which was good. He’d have no trouble keeping things silent and professional despite his fascination with Ezra’s face. And body. His slim, elegant form would look fantastic in a suit. Alaric had always been partial to a slender, suited man.
“As for who beat me up, it was a couple of hired guys.” Ezra picked up a notepad off the coffee table. “I did make a list of people who could have it out for me. Problem is, my father was just murdered, so that list could be bigger if I knew who his enemies were. I grabbed some of my father’s paperwork—he was old fashioned that way—and plan to go through it when my head isn’t aching so badly.” He scowled. “I’m going to figure out who this is and confront them myself. As my father always said, Forsbergs never sit back and let things happen. They make their destiny. He may have been the worst sort of jerk, but some of the things he said stuck.”
Xavier had filled Alaric in on just what kind of family he was dealing with. It was an ongoing investigation, but so far, Xavier hadn’t found anything that proved the two sons of Elijah Forsberg were involved in their father’s crime empire. The man had been taken out by an assassin in his home, the funeral just days before. Ezra being beaten nearly to death around the same time didn’t feel like a coincidence.