Page 31 of Elf

“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—butthis 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.”

“Then why haven’t you signed the divorce papers?”

Brian stared at him for several moments. “You know I don’t like to fail.”

“But it wasn’t even a real marriage.” Feeling emboldened by all the power around him, Ezra narrowed his eyes. “I saw you murder someone. Saw you slit a man’s throat, right here in this room. You’re a bad person, Brian.”

“It’s unfortunate that you witnessed that, but sometimes one has to take care of problems.”

He was still so damn confident, standing there and facing a room full of beings who could easily take his life. There wasn’t an ounce of fear on his face, just complete assurance that he was going to come out of this. He truly believed himself invincible. Was truly delusional.

“I’m going to the police,” Ezra said softly, his voice easily carrying across the room in the silence. “I should have already done so. I will no longer be scared of you, Brian. You’re going to prison, where you belong.”

“I will be doing no such thing.” Brian pointed a gun at Ezra, and two things happened simultaneously. Xavier aimed a hand at the gun, and Alaric ran in front of Ezra. The gun went off, but the bullet hit the ceiling just as Alaric took Ezra to the floor, twisting his body so he hit the carpet and cushioned Ezra from the fall.

There was a yell, and he looked around Alaric to find Brian writhing in his chair. “Don’t kill him. He deserves to suffer in prison.”

Xavier just nodded, so Ezra turned his attention to Alaric. “You were going to take a bullet for me.”

Alaric just stared back at him before hugging him. “Always.”

And Ezra knew he meant that.

Chapter Nineteen

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