Page 132 of Cursed to Be Mine
Maddox bursts out laughing as Khalid grins and I am left in a nervous ball of energy.
“Oh my gods. I love this elevator,” Maddox wheezes.
When the doors open again, an older man, mid-thirties stands in front of us, glaring at Khalid. He mustbe Varius given how ‘old’ he is.
“Where’s your hand?” he asks, and Maddox turns to look at his brother before jumping back.
“He totally had it when I saw him earlier.”
The other men step forward, blocking the doors, and the elevator is instantly crowded and claustrophobic. My heart stops as Khalid stills beside me.
“Antonio made me hit her with it,” he says softly, still so much pain and hatred burning through him.
Varius’ jaw tics as his eyes flatten. “Let’s get you two home. Mother is worried sick.” He turns, not waiting for an answer.
Threading his fingers through mine, Khalid leads me out of the elevator. “How is she?” he asks.
I squeeze his hand, trying to give him comfort. She is alive and witches heal. Surely…
“Pissed.”
One of the red-haired men enters the elevator after we all get out, and I glance at him as he smiles at me. I turn away, ducking my head and focusing back on Khalid.
“Floor eight, Rudy,” Khalid says as he turns around to look at the man in the elevator. “There’s a cubicle that needs cleaning, as well as a back office.”
My fingers grip his hard as Antonio’s face haunts me. I shudder, closing my eyes as I shake his vileness away. To hell if I’ll let him torture me in his absence.
Rudy gives a two-fingered wave as the doors ping shut for the final time.
We make our way over to two cars parked together. At the sight of a dog bounding over to us, I stop, terrified some innocent bystander is about to catch us. Do witches kill witnesses?
Khalid turns his head to look at me, then directs itdown my line of sight. “That’s Krypto; he’s Leno’s eyes,” he says as the dog runs up to me and sniffs my hand. I start to pet him, but Khalid pulls me back. “He can also feel through him.” He looks at one of his brothers. “Piss off, Leno.”
The man laughs, beautiful and serene. His eyes are directed at me, but they’re unfocused.He’s blind.“Aw, just let her pet Krypto once. He loves a good scratch right above his tail.”
“Fuck off.”
“She’s going to scratch it soon anyway,” he mutters before opening the passenger door on one of the cars. The dog jumps straight in, sitting on the seat with his tongue hanging out. Walking over to the driver’s side, Leno gets in.
I stare at him with an open jaw.Didn’t Khalid just hint that he’s blind?
Maybe he’s not fully blind?
It’s a spectrum and –
My thoughts brake hard.He’s a witch.“Krypto’s not an eye-seeing dog, is he?”
“He is the most eye-seeing dog out there,” Maddox jokes as he slides into the driver seat of the car beside Leno’s. Varius opens the door behind him and slides into the backseat. After kissing me with a small grin, Khalid climbs in on the other side. It’s going to be a tight fit with me in there with them, so I start to head for the passenger seat, but Khalid grabs my hand and shifts over to the middle..
Smiling at him, I climb in. As he rests his hand on my leg, I close the door. The engine sounds, and Maddox pulls out of the garage. When we exit the underground parking, streetlights glow through the window. Night has come, but the city is far from quiet.It buzzes with a lot more energy and people than St. Augustine.
Jacksonville or Orlando, perhaps?
I don’t recognize it, wherever we are.
Turning from the window, I rest my head on Khalid’s shoulder. He squeezes my thigh as he talks to his brother.
“Where’s Talon?”
