Page 49 of The Blood Widow

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you to know the pain I come from. I can’t promise to be perfect or what you need. But if you give me a chance, a real chance, I’ll stop at nothing to keep us all safe. I lost one love, and I won’t lose any more.” He pushed off the walland walked away like he didn’t just throw a grenade at my feet, daring me to pick it up.

“All right let’s get out of here,” Cole said, coming to stand next to me.

I gave him a half smile and nodded. Ezra just made a huge mistake challenging me like that because I was the kind of crazy that just might pick up a grenade.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Istuffed the last of my toiletries tucked into an over-filled gray duffle bag. I pulled on the zipper to close it, but it wouldn’t budge. “Okay let’s go.” If I lost a few pads and tampons in the portal, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

The magic inside of me flared to life. It was a little low, but not too bad. I was charging my magic quicker these days.

The portal appeared high up on the window. We’d have to work extra hard to get things through.

Cole snickered. He was well aware of how fickle my magic was.

“Looks like we’re climbing out of here,” Beaut said as her mates dragged a kitchen chair into the room.

I wasn’t taking everything, so it would be fine. The bed was for the new tenants. The table set was staying too. Everything in the kitchen was, in fact.

My dresser would be the hardest to move of the furniture I was taking because it weighed a ton.

I rolled my eyes. “Want me to go first, or do you guys want to take the big stuff first?” I asked. They did most of the work, so they could run the show. We got it all done in an hour. It would have taken me at least a couple of hours.

Beaut started climbing me instead of the chair. She snickered when I had to hold up the waistband of my pants to keep them from falling.

“Don’t worry your thong-twirling tooshie about coming back to wipe the place clean. My poo-poo-face mate is going to do that once we leave.”

She sat on my shoulder and glanced down at the buff purple-haired brownie at my feet. He looked like he wanted to climb me and kidnap Beaut.

“You’ll do a good job, right?” she asked. The brat held on to my braid to lean out over him.

He folded his arms like he wasn’t happy but nodded. They were a bunch of silent little brownies, almost the exact opposite of Beaut.

She tugged on my hair. “Onward.” Her little finger pointed at the portal.

“Actually, let’s move the big stuff first. Ezra and Dominic, you go on the other side. Who knows where the portal will open on that side.” They didn’t even hesitate before climbing up and pulling themselves through.

Cole glanced my way. “Want to help me?”

“Of course.” We got the couch, television, side tables, and dresser into the portal before I started to feel drained. The brownies were throwing bags into the hole with more strength than I expected.

“You okay?” Beaut pulled my hair as she asked.

“Yeah, just getting tired.”

“I’ll go first, and you follow, yeah?” His protective nature wouldn’t let me go first even if his friends were on the other side.

“I’m right behind you,” I said.

Cole jumped and was through the hole in a blink. I just stood gaping. My mouth hung open. My stunned expression wasn’tjust because of the skillful maneuvering like that took, it was how sexy he was doing it. I kinda wished it didn’t happen so fast.

“You’re in big trouble, flabby tits. They are pulling out the big guns for you. If they’re naked on the other side of the portal, my mates might cut their dicks off.”

I couldn’t help but snort. Especially at all the nodding brownies around my feet. She really was their world. Everyone kept an eye on her, ready to catch her if she fell. A pang of longing twisted my heart. I was extremely happy for Beaut, but I still was jealous at how easy it was. She didn’t have to worry about her mates dying, or her past coming to bite her in the ass.

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