Page 68 of Filthy Few

“You know him?” Archer asks. Ezekiel says nothing as he turns to face me. His gaze bores into mine and I fight not to fidget under the intensity of it.

“Taylor?” Ez murmurs, I jerk back into Vox’s side shaking my head.

“I told you my identity would change everything,” the man says but his tone is filled with regret.

Vox shifts and pulls a gun from his waistband and points it at the man. “No more bullshit, who the fuck are you?” Vox snarls. I still can’t tear my gaze from Ezekiel, he reaches up and pulls his mask off. The guys protest and scream at him to put it back on but he ignores them as he stumbles toward me. Vox stiffens at my side and doesn’t move until Ez drops his mask at my feet and cups my face between his hands. Instantly Vox is there, shoving him back and using his body to block me from Ezekiel’s view.

“Get out of my way,” Ez screams as he pushes right into Vox.

“You stay the fuck away from her,” Vox seethes. “I told all of you she’s mine, none of you are touching her!” Vox’s declarationand the power in which he says that has heat unfurling inside me. Ezekiel snakes his arm out and smacks Vox’s mask off, drawing a shocked shriek from me. Ez gets right in Vox’s face, not even bothered by the gun in his friend's hand.

“I need to know if it is her!” Ezekiel shouts, the pain that laces his words has me taking a step back and turning to the man who has gaze focused on me.

“Who does he think I am?” I ask. The man smiles sadly and takes two steps toward me, but pauses when Vox whirls around and points the gun at him again. Hayze and Archer move to stand at my back.

“My name is Nikoa… Tempest.” My eyes widen.

“You're aTempest?” I breathe out.

He nods. “Yes,” he answers. Vox turns his head toward me and the utter shock and devastation on his face floors me. He shakes his head.

“No, not you,” he murmurs. I stare at Vox as worry churns inside me. He’s never looked at me like this before, the pitying look in his eyes tears me to shreds. “I can’t save you both,” he mutters as he drops his arm back to his side.

“You can’t but I can,” Nikoa says, drawing all our attention back to him.

“How?” Archer presses. My mind begins to shut down as I process everything, the letters said he was my uncle, he told me my father died and that I had a…brother.

Oh, no!

I stumble backward and land on my ass. Vox still has a guilt stricken gaze on the ground in front of him but not Ezekiel, he stares at me with a broken look in his gray blue eyes.

This can’t be happening.

“I had you meet me here because neither of you would believe the truth separately. You needed to see the other’s reaction and process everything I have told you.” Nikoa’s voicesounds so far away as I continue to stare up at Ezekiel. So many emotions are running through me.

Confusion,

Fear,

Confusion,

Anger,

Confusion.

“This is why I couldn’t?—”

Ez cuts Nikoa off before he can continue. “Shut the fuck up…uncle.” A choked sob escapes me. Ezekiel drops to his knees in front of me. I flinch when he lifts his arm toward me, he instantly drops in and sighs. “How are you alive?” he whispers with regret in his tone.

I shake my head, Nikoa answers for me. “After your father made his decree, he never thought he would have children. When you were born, Ezekiel, he was elated and relieved that you were a boy but mere weeks after your birth your mother got pregnant again.” Nikoa looks at me as he continues to speak. “You were born premature, which is why there isn’t even a year between both of your births?—”

“No!” I rasp put as I stare up at the man with tears clouding my vision. “My mother is Kelly?—”

“Your mother is Olivia Tempest, Nova-Scotia,” he injects.

“Stop calling me that,” I scream as the first tear trails down my cheek. “My name is Nova Quinlin, my mother is Kelly Quinlin-Valerian. I was born in Washington DC?—”

“You were born in Hollow Hills as Taylor Tempest to Olivia and Edmund Tempest on the eighteenth of December 2006. You are the younger sister of Ezekiel Nikoa Tempest.” My bottom lip begins to tremble and I shake my head.

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