Page 82 of They Call Me Wicked

“See what?” Caution floods me at his abruptly calm demeanor and I step back toward Kai and Ezra without meaning to.

“That I am the only person in this house who has any sense left. The rest of you are either too stupid, or too pussy-whipped. You can decide who is which.” With that, he turns on his heel and flounces out of the living room, leaving behind a very stunned trio and two hangry raccoons.

I need to get them something to eat soon.

“Kai?” I collapse back down onto the couch between the guys with a huff.

“Yeah?” He grips my thigh and pulls it over his lap, his fingers tracing over the most sensitive part of my leg.

“Can you order some food? Chinese for everyone. My treat.” I dig in my jacket pocket and pull out my card, holding it out for him to grab. “Plenty of extra for Gizmo and Snitch, please.”

“You got it, babe.” He presses a quick kiss to my temple before untangling himself from beneath my leg and standing.

“Oh, and Kai?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for having my back. You too, Ezra. It means a lot.” I snuggle further into Ezra’s side as he wraps his arm around me, letting my head fall to his lap as I get comfy on the sofa.

“I can’t deny that you made a few good points. I don’t want to believe that Alan had anything to do with all of this, but… Just in case,” Kai states solemnly before leaving the room to go order some food.

“Tell me honestly, do you think that Alan could be…you know?” I direct the question at Ezra as Gizmo and Snitch hop up on the couch and curl into balls between my legs and the back of the couch. I absentmindedly stroke their fur as Ezra’s hand starts playing with my hair.

“No.”

“Way to tell it like it is,” I tease, the sting pulsing in my chest, but I’m not upset. “So why did you take my side?”

“Because I-” He cuts off for a moment, like he’s struggling to find the words to say, his aura giving me nothing.

“Because you…” I prompt, encouraging him to keep going, my heart hammering in my chest.

“A couple reasons.”

“Which are?”

“Well…” He adjusts beneath me, and I grin to myself at seeing him finally squirming. I did it. I’m the queen of discomfort and he was the last man standing!

“Ezra.”

“You made a good point. It’s better to be safe than sorry in any given situation, especially one like this,” He says, his tone calm and even, but my chest seems to deflate. I’m not sure what answer I was looking for, but that one was just boring.

“Oh.”

“And because I care about you, Squeaks. It doesn’t matter if you might be wrong, I won’t ever let you stand on your own. I’ll tell you what I think, always. But I’ll do it when it’s just you and me. I just want you to know that you’ll always have someone on your side when I’m around. Even if you’re leading us into destruction, I’ll follow you until my last breath, doing everything in my power to make sure you know that you’re never alone. And you never will be.” I went from disappointed to downright giddy in only a few sentences.

Sentences which, if I’m right, are the most words Ezra has ever spoken in his life.

“You really mean that, don’t you?” I whisper, my heart beating a staccato in my chest, a song of hope and…something else.

“I never say anything I don’t mean.”

“No, you really don’t,” I mutter lamely before sitting up and spinning to face him, accidentally dislodging my trash pandas from my legs. I ignore their annoyed chitters and wrap my arms around Ezra’s neck, squeezing him as if my life depends on it. His large arms snake around me, pulling me onto his lap, and I adjust until my legs are caging him in as much as they can, my core directly over his third leg.

“I-” My next words are cut off as a banging on the front door echoes around the living room. Ezra immediately jumps into action, grabbing me and depositing me on the couch, the cocking of a gun like a bucket of ice cold water on our warm, cozy moment.

“Stay here. Nic! Kai!” He yells out and their telltale footsteps sound from wherever they were, one squeaky like sneakers and the other clicking ostentatiously. Two more guns cock and I just settle into the couch, crossing my arms over my chest in annoyance. It’s not like I can do anything except sit here and mourn the loss of what I’m sure was going to be some great sexy times with my giant before the interruption.

“It’s Alan.” My mood plummets further as Nic’s ridiculously sexy accented voice reaches me.

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