as well,” Eli offered.
Ezra paused, lifted a brow, and Eli continued.
“He’s been getting kids from the Gungi for years, selling them or killing them himself. Crowe couldn’t get Shya and he used the one shifter he had in custody to make his first hybrids. We were wondering how he’s been producing others. I think Cannon’s been giving him those children.”
“Sonofabitch!” Ezra cursed. “She’s known this all along and she never said a word?”
His brother pointed toward the truck, his eyes blazing green with fury. Eli stood right in his face. They were the same height so they were eye to eye. “The Sanchez brothers and I followed the GPS origination signal that we lifted off the hybrids at the charity event. It was to another one of Slakeman’s houses. In his office there was a letter from Cannon. That’s how Nivea found out about her father’s connection to Comastaz! And it was just a couple of weeks ago.” Eli was only partially lying to his brother, but he felt like he had a good reason to. He had to protect Nivea.
“Then she should have told us a couple of weeks ago! Or you should have told us, Eli!” Ezra yelled back in his face.
“Why? So you could put her in a cell like you did her father? Hell no! She’s not at fault here. She had reasons for what she did and I stand by her.” No matter what, Eli thought.
“You stand by her lying to us, betraying us?” Ezra inquired angrily.
“Just like Dawn lied to you back in Sedona,” Eli snapped back.
Ezra clamped his lips shut, fury still vibrating through him. But Eli knew the argument had ended. Dawn knew about the existence of the Shadows long before Ezra told her and she’d kept her mouth shut. She also knew that Crowe, her ex-boyfriend, was doing some type of developing with damiana at the Comastaz Labs. So there was no way his brother was going to stand in his face and even consider going after Nivea. No. Fucking. Way. And if he did, Eli was prepared to take him down.
“This is not over,” Ezra told him. “Rome and Nick are going to be livid when they find out.”
Eli still did not waver. “If they don’t already know.” When Ezra looked at him quizzically Eli continued, “They’ve been down there questioning Cannon more times than I can count and they never take either of us with them. You think Cannon’s keeping his mouth closed? He’s a worm, a shifter that has never been trained, never wanted to be any part of our tribe. I’ll bet he’s told them everything and Rome and Nick are just keeping it tight until they have a game plan ready. And if he hasn’t, it doesn’t matter, I’ll tell Rome and Nick the same thing I just told you. I stand by Nivea.”
Ezra shook his head. “Yeah, and being mated to you might be the only thing that saves her ass.”
Eli didn’t bother to tell Ezra that they weren’t mated, that he simply understood why she’d done what she felt she needed to. He’d never tell them the reason she remained quiet, would never betray her that way.
“Nobody’s guarding the outside,” Caleb said, coming up behind Ezra. “There’s an alarm system but I think they tried to yank it right out of the wall when they went in. I can see it hanging with wires exposed through the front door.”
“So we can go in hot and go in now,” Aidan suggested.
“We don’t know where they are, Aidan,” Brayden added. “Maybe we can have Nivea send her sister another text.”
“No!” Eli said emphatically. “Enough of that. They’re not driving now so they might see her texting, or they’ve probably tied her up and that’s why she stopped texting in the first place. Let’s just go in like Aidan said.”
“He’s right.” Ezra sided with Eli, which was a slight surprise considering their most recent conversation. “We go in hard, Nivea can get to her sisters, and we can take those bastards dead or alive.”
“Remember, a live one would be good,” Eli started. “But don’t hesitate to kill every
Ezra paused, lifted a brow, and Eli continued.
“He’s been getting kids from the Gungi for years, selling them or killing them himself. Crowe couldn’t get Shya and he used the one shifter he had in custody to make his first hybrids. We were wondering how he’s been producing others. I think Cannon’s been giving him those children.”
“Sonofabitch!” Ezra cursed. “She’s known this all along and she never said a word?”
His brother pointed toward the truck, his eyes blazing green with fury. Eli stood right in his face. They were the same height so they were eye to eye. “The Sanchez brothers and I followed the GPS origination signal that we lifted off the hybrids at the charity event. It was to another one of Slakeman’s houses. In his office there was a letter from Cannon. That’s how Nivea found out about her father’s connection to Comastaz! And it was just a couple of weeks ago.” Eli was only partially lying to his brother, but he felt like he had a good reason to. He had to protect Nivea.
“Then she should have told us a couple of weeks ago! Or you should have told us, Eli!” Ezra yelled back in his face.
“Why? So you could put her in a cell like you did her father? Hell no! She’s not at fault here. She had reasons for what she did and I stand by her.” No matter what, Eli thought.
“You stand by her lying to us, betraying us?” Ezra inquired angrily.
“Just like Dawn lied to you back in Sedona,” Eli snapped back.
Ezra clamped his lips shut, fury still vibrating through him. But Eli knew the argument had ended. Dawn knew about the existence of the Shadows long before Ezra told her and she’d kept her mouth shut. She also knew that Crowe, her ex-boyfriend, was doing some type of developing with damiana at the Comastaz Labs. So there was no way his brother was going to stand in his face and even consider going after Nivea. No. Fucking. Way. And if he did, Eli was prepared to take him down.
“This is not over,” Ezra told him. “Rome and Nick are going to be livid when they find out.”
Eli still did not waver. “If they don’t already know.” When Ezra looked at him quizzically Eli continued, “They’ve been down there questioning Cannon more times than I can count and they never take either of us with them. You think Cannon’s keeping his mouth closed? He’s a worm, a shifter that has never been trained, never wanted to be any part of our tribe. I’ll bet he’s told them everything and Rome and Nick are just keeping it tight until they have a game plan ready. And if he hasn’t, it doesn’t matter, I’ll tell Rome and Nick the same thing I just told you. I stand by Nivea.”
Ezra shook his head. “Yeah, and being mated to you might be the only thing that saves her ass.”
Eli didn’t bother to tell Ezra that they weren’t mated, that he simply understood why she’d done what she felt she needed to. He’d never tell them the reason she remained quiet, would never betray her that way.
“Nobody’s guarding the outside,” Caleb said, coming up behind Ezra. “There’s an alarm system but I think they tried to yank it right out of the wall when they went in. I can see it hanging with wires exposed through the front door.”
“So we can go in hot and go in now,” Aidan suggested.
“We don’t know where they are, Aidan,” Brayden added. “Maybe we can have Nivea send her sister another text.”
“No!” Eli said emphatically. “Enough of that. They’re not driving now so they might see her texting, or they’ve probably tied her up and that’s why she stopped texting in the first place. Let’s just go in like Aidan said.”
“He’s right.” Ezra sided with Eli, which was a slight surprise considering their most recent conversation. “We go in hard, Nivea can get to her sisters, and we can take those bastards dead or alive.”
“Remember, a live one would be good,” Eli started. “But don’t hesitate to kill every
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