My brows eventually puckered. “How long?”
Antonio’s expression was patient on mine. “Cahal and I were together long ago. Until I became mated.” His lips thinned and his gaze altered, lingering on Cahal. “We were in love. It’s not a period of our lives we wish to rehash. It wasn’t…pleasant…when it ended.”
I rolled my shoulders, glancing backward and quickly appraising Cahal while Ezra stayed mute and appeared to be sniffing the air. Cahal was now staring out his dark window, his expression so damn blank that is was telling enough. I swiftly turned my attention to the road, and I nodded once in the silence. “Fair enough. I won’t ask any more questions.”
“Thank you,” Antonio murmured quietly.
Ezra broke his stillness, abruptly turning to stare back at his dad. “I am going to ask.”
Cahal slowly turned his gaze to his son. “I loved your mother.”
Ezra grunted. “And him?”
A simple word. “Yes.”
Ezra’s Vampire gently growled. “The entire damn time?”
“Yes.” He was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed, his words just as soft as he said, “Antonio is the love of my life, son. He always has been. He always will be. He is my soul mate.”
Instant. Unforgiving. “Did Mom know?”
“No.” And…there was no apology given.
Just as fast. “Did you treat her any poorer because of him?”
“Never. She was my mate. I loved her. You know that.”
Ezra stared for a long moment, his nostrils flared. The silence was so heavy that I rolled down my own window for the rushing night air. Ezra continued eyeing his father before his attention, ever so gradually, swiveled to Antonio. His Vampire began hissing in slow ticks. “Do you feel the same way about my dad?”
Antonio answered coolly, “Yes. He is mine.” He even glowed the smallest bit, lighting the Hummer with a subtle frigid radiance. “I’ve had to wait much longer for him without love.”
“If you hurt him—”
“I won’t,” Antonio interjected, leaning forward. “Now, back off.”
Ezra’s Vampire didn’t stop hissing, but he did ask, “Lily?”
“Truth to all. For both of them,” I whispered, having heard the hidden pain not only in Antonio’s voice, but in Cahal’s as well. I sent a swift warning glance to my husband. “Do as he said. Back off.” I couldn’t imagine being in their situation, the internal torment they had both endured at knowing their agonized love for one another but not knowing if they would ever be together again.
At the direct order, Ezra shot me his own cross expression, but his regard swiftly turned back to his dad, his words curt. “You should have told me.”
Cahal grunted. “Son…shut up.”
“Does anyone else know about you two?”
Cahal sighed grandly. “Merrick knows. He’s always known.”
Antonio quit glowing and muttered, “Jacobs isn’t unintelligent, either.”
“Wonderful.” Ezra’s Vampire growled, but he finally turned to face the front. He was grumpy as hell, his arms even crossed like a scolded child, but he didn’t pry further. Ezra was silent as he processed their information, just as I was wordlessly doing.
Antonio eventually cleared his throat, changing the subject. “Have you two decided how your introductions will go with Queen Cooper and King Collins?”
Drawn out of my thoughts, I snorted softly. “Nice code talk.” I shook my head. “While you two were having your fun today, Ezra and I were trying to decide how to broach the subject.” I hesitated. “We didn’t come up with shit. The only thing we can think of is to give each of them a copy of the videos that we finished duplicating today, and let them figure it out.” I mean, there was no easy way to handle an individual who had been mind raped.
Antonio hummed softly. “That might be the best way.”
“It’s the only way,” Ezra clarified. “If they’re like us, they’ll want the blunt truth.”
Cahal chuckled softly. “Just be careful. The truth can be just as dangerous as a lie.”
Ezra grunted, glaring out his own window. “No shit, Dad.”
Ignoring the hostility radiating from my husband again, my head cocked as I stared at the road ahead. “What…is that?” It looked like a darker-than-dark shadow on the side of the road.
Ezra instantly sat straighter, squinting out the front windshield. “It’s a person in a black cloak. The hood is up. I can’t tell if they are male or female.” He leaned forward, everyone staring now. “This road was supposed to be cleared.” Yes, our elite guard, along with Bindi, were driving a few miles ahead of us, making sure of this fact. A soft shake of his head. “Whoever it is, they’re holding up a sign. It says,” he paused, squinting further, “Queen Ruckler and King Zeller: stop.”
“Uh…what the hell?” I was at a loss.
“Yeah,” Ezra grumbled, resting back on his seat.
Antonio cleared his throat — loudly. “I would stop.”
My eyes flicked to the rear-view. “It’s odd.”
His nostrils flared. “Exactly.” He pointed his finger toward the stranger. “Do as I said, Lil.”
My brows rose. I knew that tone. “What don’t I know?”
Instant. “A lot.” More finger-pointing. “Just stop the damn car.” He paused. “Please.”
I blinked at his plea. My foot instantly altered from the accelerator to the brake as I steered the Hummer to the side of the road the individual was on — almost on top of him/her. “Okay.” Antonio didn’t ever beg. This was out of character for him. “Is this a Mage thing?”
Antonio sighed heavily as we came to a complete stop a few feet away from the person, taking his seatbelt off, his words barely heard as he opened his car door. “When is it not?”
Turning the Hummer off, I glanced at Ezra. We didn’t say anything, but we both had a gun ready as we unbuckled our seatbelts then stepped out of the vehicle. Behind us, Elder Merrick and Elder Jacobs were already out of their car and walking toward us, their eyes glowing on the individual, whose cloak fluttered softly in the night breeze. Everyone was on high alert as we eyed the silent individual.
Except for Antonio.
I stood stock-still as he bounded forward. He started circling the person, his gaze running up and down their body with way too much excitement. His shoulders even bounced a few times. He seemed…giddy.