Page 112 of A Blackened Bond

“I know.” Ezra’s hand reaches toward my face, gently cupping my cheek with his palm. “Hejust hasn’t realised that yet. He hasn’t realised a lot of things…” A slight, unreadable grin tilts his lips before his brows furrow. “I’m just asking—and I hate even having to, with how he’s been treating you—to give him some small chance, a bit of time to open up and show you there’s more to my stubborn brother than the asshole he’s been portraying. There’s heavy layers to him—”

“As layered as an onion and just as pungent,” I add, cutting his words short as I raise a playful brow.

Ezra chuckles, a slight shake to his head.

“But tasty when cooked and served with other things…like, say, a delicious piece of steak?” He wriggles his brows, and I chuckle, remembering our previous meat discussion.

“Fine. I’ll take his hits on the chinfor now.But if he pisses me off or pushes me too far…” I give him a playful warning glare. “I’ll be throwing him in that fighter’s cage myself and ripping the glare from his dark brows.”

I’ll unload each and every grievance and glare he’s given me over the past couple of months with my fists. He can get to know them, and my roundhouse kickreallywell.

Ezra’s expression brightens, a hopeful smile coating his lips before turning into a mischievous grin.

“I’ll help referee. And just so you know…” He leans in closer, his lips brushing against mine. “I take bribes in the forms of long kisses and date nights at the Roller-Room.”

I laugh as he leans forward, capturing my lips with his, giving me one of those ‘long kisses’ before pulling back and tilting his head against mine.

“We’re a lucky bunch of men to have met you, Micai Bane.”

I thought I was lucky to gain a second chance at life, but now…I realise my luck was spent entirely on meetingthem.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

MICAI’S POV

Ismooth down the black fabric of my dress as it falls to my knees, the silk-like fabric clinging to every dip and curve perfectly.

Excitement bubbles up inside me with the thought of Annex, Ezra, and Mallyn’s reaction to seeing it.

I adjust the strap on my shoulder, my fingers brushing down my collarbone and toward the dress’s square neckline as I glance in the mirror in Ezra’s room. It had a more ‘sexy’ feel to it than other dresses I’ve worn before.Not that I’ve worn many.

My fingers fiddle with the metal gold zip sitting at the centre of my chest and running down the front of the dress before parting into a slight slit, showing off just the right amount of skin.

Something I’m sure the guys will enjoy.

I listen to the muffled thrum of music below me, the party already in full swing, as I leave Ezra’s room and head down the stairway.

I hear Annex’s dark, husky chuckle and Ezra’s laugh as I near the kitchen. The door is left open, all four of them standing around the countertop and talking amongst themselves as I take a minute before entering to admire them.

Andby Godsdid they look other-worldly.

Each of them is clad in varying shades of black and dark-coloured suits, with their hair styled to perfection and sculpted features on full display.

Mallyn’s the first I see, and he has my eyes trailing down him with a slight heat burning my cheeks. There was no hoody in sight. Instead, he opted for a casual, charcoal-grey suit and black shirt. His white hair is styled to one side, with a small tuff falling down onto his forehead. The whole look gives him a modern fallen-angel feel, light and dark shining through his sculpted features with a dark vibe.

Ezra stands beside him, making my eyes instantly flicker in his direction and trail up his toned body and the petrol-blue suit hugging him. The lights above catch it at the right angle and the colour shimmers into a deep plum shade. The two-toned fabric suits him and his personality perfectly. His chocolate brown and lilac locks are styled back casually, his handsome face on full view, as a smile brightens his features while he talks to Annex.

Annex pats Ezra on the back, pulling my attention fully toward him. He’s covered from head to toe in black again, but without a suit jacket this time.

He’s rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, showing off the ink swirling down his arms and hands. His black shirt is unbuttoned down the front, showing off the rest of the ink on his chest and neck. Black straps wrap around his shoulders, almost like a holster but more simplistic. One strap laces around his waist, synching his shirt in and showing off more of those hard abs and tight muscles I’ve become more familiar with.

A smile stretches my cheeks as heat creeps up my neck with the memory.

Annex brushes a hand through his hair as his little dagger earring glistens in the light. His other black and silver skulland snake jewellery are on full display and frame his bad-boy features.

Creed suddenly blocks my view of them all, his tall frame taking over my sight as he stands in black suit trousers and a crisp white shirt.

Unlike Annex, his sleeves are fully pulled down, with gold cuffs lining each sleeve hem. Each slight movement he makes emphasises the shape of his toned and muscular physique, looking more like a sculpted Greek warrior than a leader in the back pulling strings. His raven-black hair is quaffed to one side, looking like the modern-dickhead Adonis that he is.

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