“Go,” Erzo said, nodding at Polly.
In an instant, she ran.
Charro came out of the walls, or so it seemed, as they disengaged their cloaked body armor and attacked. It took him a breath to count the attackers.
Not that it mattered.
His only goal was to fend them off while Polly escaped. She disappeared through the door.
Erzo punched one attacker and was ready to move when Polly screamed.
He turned in time to see someone grabbing Polly and her fighting back.
Another attacker grabbed Erzo, the other two had blasters at the ready.
Erzo wasn’t going down without a fight.
Punch.
Kick.
Swipe.
Erzo leaped into the air and grabbed for something for balance. Wound up pulling down a light, He slammed it in one male’s head. The attacker growled as he leaped for Erzo.
One attacker landed a punch, making the room spin. Two of them had their blasters drawn, ready to take shots.
“Sneaking up on a man in his bed,” he said as they traded punches. One moved, and he made out the emblem on their clothes, the one that showed clan affiliation.
The same as the emblem he’d shown Polly.
His clan. His father orchestrated this. “Of course, Arik sent you.”
“You forgot your place,” the Charro snapped back.
Erzo dodged a punch. “This is really not the way to get the forgotten offspring to come home,” Erzo snapped. “Tea, music, and a party is much more inviting?—”
“Knock it off,” came a voice.
Erzo froze.
One of the male’s hits landed, and he fell back on the floor with a thump.
His blood ran cold.
Because he knew that voice very well. As close as his own, honestly.
At least, he thought he did.
It was Breal, dressed in her clan’s colors, but included a stripe of dark gray, indicative of Erzo’s clan colors. That she was entwined with his clan.
The intensity of his anger was so overwhelming that he couldn’t speak. Instead, he grunted at Breal.
She raised her eyebrow and glared back at him. “What? I told you. You’re the one here screwing around,” she said, and disapprovingly stared at Polly.
Erzo lunged forward. “Leave her out of this!”
Breal turned, and for a second, her eyes were wide. Whether it was shock or fear, he didn’t care.
