Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39596 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39596 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
“Who is Roman Brentwood?” Alarmed, Lonnie’s voice broke. The sudden tension in the room was as thick as swamp mud.
Xavier sighed and ran one hand through the hair at his temple. “Roman is a wizard who’s given us trouble before. He’s very powerful. Daniel’s been keeping tabs on him for me.”
“Why would someone like that fixate on me?” He was truly perplexed.
“Why wouldn’t he?” Callan frowned. “You are wonderful.”
“But we’ve only talked online, and that was only because we were looking for a couple of the same collectibles. I never said anything that would entice him. There was no flirting, no private discussions. Nothing.” He looked at the map. “And he’s right here in Seattle?” He shivered.
Callan pulled him into his body and Lonnie gratefully soaked up his warmth, burying his face in Callan’s wide chest for a moment before looking back at the others.
“Lonnie,” Xavier said. “Knowing what we’re up against is a step in the right direction. Now we can turn the tables on him.”
“We go there.” Callan stroked his hand down Lonnie’s back. “Now.”
“And do what?” Xavier leaned his hip against the desk and crossed his ankles. “He hasn’t actually hurt Lonnie.”
“Warn him off.”
Lonnie glanced up at Callan’s face, easily seeing from his fierce expression that a warning was not all he wanted, so he looked at Xavier.
Xavier studied Callan for several long moments then nodded. “We let him know we are aware it’s him. Show a united front.”
Daniel nodded. “It has to be you, Xavier. Since he knows you.”
“We’ll go first thing in the morning with Dax, Lake, and Finn. Once he sees that Lonnie has powerful protection, maybe he’ll back off.”
Callan growled. “He knows who I am, then.”
Xavier nodded. “No doubt from the moment you showed up.”
“So he isn’t scared.”
“Roman is not the type to scare easily. When we last faced each other, he was working for one of the worst crime syndicates in the area.”
“Why didn’t you kill him?” Callan asked.
“I had my reasons.” Xavier didn’t elaborate, and Lonnie got the distinct feeling that was normal for him. There was something final in his tone that warned off more questions.
Whoever this Roman was, he was obviously not right in the head, and Lonnie worried that even showing up in force wouldn’t be enough.
Chapter Twenty-One
Callan
Xavier told them to go ahead, and he’d meet them at Lonnie’s. Now that they knew who was after Lonnie, Callan’s employer was more adamant about Lonnie having more than one bodyguard. Xavier didn’t often take jobs himself, so the strength of his concern said a lot.
Callan had never met Roman Brentwood, but he knew of him. Had heard different rumors around the office about the time Xavier had faced off against Roman. That’s why he’d asked why Xavier hadn’t killed the wizard. It was the one question everyone had.
When Callan and Lonnie stepped into the parking lot, the winter night had settled in, the cold instantly making Lonnie shiver despite the heavy coat he wore. His breath puffed out, visible in the glow of parking lot lights.
“I’m so ready for spring,” he muttered as he began to walk quickly toward Callan’s truck. Callan sped up to catch him, feeling his body leave the safety of the wards that protected the office building. It felt a little like walking through an invisible liquid barrier, making his skin prickle.
Just as he lifted his keys to hit the button to unlock his truck, a gust of wind swept through the lot, and on it rode a scent he now recognized instantly.
“Lonnie!”
He raced forward, but Lonnie had moved too far from him. Lonnie’s eyes widened with terror as arms suddenly came around him from behind. Pure desperation fueled Callan’s steps and while all this happened in mere seconds, it felt like time was being stretched out. Like everything was happening in slow motion. Callan lunged on his last step, hands out to grab onto his mate, but instead, his hands slammed into the side of his truck.
Because Lonnie was gone.
Vanished.
A flood of dizzying panic and rage hit Callan with the force of a tidal wave. He roared and sent his fist through the window of the car next to his truck, glass cutting into his knuckles and fingers. The utter anguish tearing him apart was too much to handle, and he yelled as he broke out his own truck window, then punched a dent into the door.
He staggered back against the truck, knees weak as the ramifications of what had just happened—what he’d been helpless to stop—washed over him.
Lonnie was out there somewhere.
With an insane warper wizard.
He had to be so scared.
Callan forced his wobbly legs to move, taking a couple of steps before he ran back through the parking lot. He slammed open the door. “Xavier!” he shouted, making everyone stop and stare.
Xavier came out of the tech room and strode quickly toward him.