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)
In no time at all, Finn returned, and they hurried toward the back door. Hoping his code still worked, Ezra keyed it in, breathing a sigh of relief when the door opened. It wouldn’t take long for Brian’s people to let him know about the cameras, so he hurried toward the office where his ex basically lived. It was a big room with a desk and two couches, various lamps, and the Salvador Dali paintings Brian collected. There was also a fireplace which gave the uncomfortable room a hint of coziness. That coziness had fooled Ezra at first, making him think he’d be welcome in there. That wasn’t the case. Turned out, Brian probably kept a fire going to counter his absolute coldness. The man was ice through and through.
Knowing they still had the element of surprise and that he was surrounded by powerful beings, Ezra boldly marched into the office. “Hello, Brian.”
His ex looked up, firelight playing over his ridiculously handsome features. His white hair was stark against his olive skin, the instant frown and surprise in his expression something Ezra had rarely seen when living here. Showing emotion was not in Brian’s wheelhouse. Those brown eyes slowly moved to each man around Ezra, and Ezra took that moment to count how many people were in the room. Jake was there, along with the other bodyguard, Stephen. Other than them, only one of the usual two really creepy men Ezra had done his best to avoid was there. He didn’t have a glamour for Ezra to see through, but now that he’d been around Xavier, he understood that a lot of preternaturals looked more human than others. So he got the feeling that the creepy man held magic, and that was why he and his buddy had always made Ezra so uncomfortable. The twins, as he liked to call them, held no souls. There was something just…void…about them. He was glad only one of them was there.
“Guess you’re wondering why I’m here, huh?” he asked his ex.
“Of course. You’ve refused to see me for months. But who are your friends?”
“They’re my protection.”
“So many. Why would you need to bring protection with you here?”
“Maybe because you’re trying to have me killed?”
That’s when true surprise widened Brian’s eyes. Brian was a consummate actor—he had to be to pretend to be human—but this looked real. “I am not trying to have you killed. If I were, you’d already be gone.”
Ezra studied Brian for a few moments, but then he happened to glance at Alaric. The elf’s narrowed gaze was on the man just to Brian’s right. There was recognition in his eyes.
“He’s the warper wizard,” Alaric said just as the creepy man disappeared and reappeared right in front of Alaric.
All hell broke loose.
Callan let out a loud sort of roar and rushed the wizard, his meaty fist only glancing off the man’s face because he disappeared again. Alaric flung up his hands, and so did Xavier. When the wizard materialized, he was clawing at his neck and making a horrible choking sound.
Finn was fighting both Jake and Stephen but was soon joined by Callan, who picked up Stephen like he weighed nothing and threw him toward the fireplace. Stephen’s body slammed into the bricks, and there was a wretched crunching sound. When he scrambled to his feet, Stephen was holding his arm, which was undoubtedly broken. It didn’t stop him, and he rushed Callan, who merely laid him flat with one hard punch to his face. Stephen didn’t get up this time.
“Enough!” Brian yelled as he stood. “Release my wizard. Now.”
Shock made Ezra whip his gaze to the man still clawing at his throat. His ex knew about the preternaturals?
Neither Alaric nor Xavier lowered their hands. Ezra had no idea what they were doing to the wizard, but his lips had turned blue.
Xavier did look at Brian. “We know what you do. Know about the people you’ve trafficked. This wizard has been helping you, so he doesn’t deserve to live.” With that, he made a slashing gesture, and the wizard just dropped to the floor.
Ezra was pretty sure he was dead. He glanced around to find Jake on the floor, too, and that bothered him enough to go and check for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt one. He looked up at Xavier. “This man helped me, so please let him live.”
“Even knowing what he helped with? Hundreds of people have been taken, been forced into servitude, and this man was a part of that.”
“Maybe he didn’t know?”
“Oh, he did.”
Brian cleared his throat. “Nobody else here is dying. What I do has nothing to do with any of you. And to be perfectly clear, I have not tried to kill Ezra. Why would I? It would accomplish nothing.”