“No, I…” Ezra’s words are cut off when Julian slams the gun into the back of his head.
I scream, but Nico’s dark brown eyes flashing to me immediately shuts me up.
He turns back to a whimpering Ezra.
“What did I tell you the last time I spoke to you?” The calmness in his tone has me shivering. It’s in such a juxtaposition to what’s going on around him.
When Ezra doesn’t answer fast enough, Julian taps the gun against his temple gently.
“What. Did. I. Say?”
“You said to stay away from your wife.”
This, of course, is news to me, but it would explain why for a short time before we went to St. Croix, Ezra was MIA.
Nico nods. “And you didn’t listen.”
“Please,” Ezra begs.
“The time for reasoning has passed. You should’ve heeded my warning.”
Ezra starts crying.
“Not only did you set my wife up for this bullshit date, but you lied to my face. You called my brother’s establishment to take my wife out and thought I wasn’t going to know?”
“I didn’t mean it. I swear,” Ezra pleads.
I know that if I don’t speak up now, things will get out of hand.
“Nico, you can’t—”
“Jake.” Nico cuts those furious eyes over to me. “Take my wife home.”
Anything else I was going to say dies on my tongue. Jake appears out of nowhere. I stay seated as I try to figure out what I should do. I know that if I leave, Nico will kill this man. Yeah, it was shitty of Ezra to trick me into coming here thinking we were having a business meeting when really it was just the two of us. But I didn’t want him to die over it.
Plus, people saw him here with me. If he turns up missing or dead, the police are going to come looking for my husband. His sister and brother-in-law will not let his death go unsolved.
I turn to say all this to Nico, but his next words shut me up.
“Your delay is only making it worse, Angel.”
Swallowing the knot in my throat, I glance at Ezra. His blue eyes are shimmering with tears and fear.
“Come on, Boss lady,” Jake says, holding out a hand.
Shutting my eyes, I ignore Jake. I can’t let my husband do this. I won’t be able to live with this on my conscience.
“I love you, Nico. And if you love me, please don’t kill him.”
When I open my eyes, Nico’s dark brown ones are staring at me intently. In that gaze, I can see so much. I see his anger at Ezra, and probably me as well. I see the frustration with the situation and the desire to kill. But most importantly, I see his love for me.
He twists his neck from side to side before turning to Ezra.
“You’re in luck.” His tone is jovial, as if he’s a car salesman about to make a deal. “My wife has vouched for your life. And she knows whatever she wants, she gets.” That last comment was directed toward me.
“Thank you.” Ezra let’s out a deep sigh. His entire body seems to relax. “I promise you won’t have to worry about me again.”
I start to feel better about the situation. At least there will be no bloodshed or dead bodies.
