My lips lifted on their own accord, glancing up at him. “He’s smarter than the rest.”
He watched me, eyes roaming over my features. “Is he the only one?”
“Yes.” I kept my heart rate steady, having to take a chance Elder Merrick wouldn’t blab.
I jolted when my new cell phone in my pocket began ringing. Not sure what to do during this inquisition, I only lifted it from my pocket, trying to figure out where the ignore button was, but Cahal stated, “Answer it.” Well, guess that made up my mind.
I flipped it open. “Hello?”
“You’re not back in our room yet,” Ezra growled over the line, apparently having better luck tracking down cell phone numbers than I’d had. “You said you were going to handle your issue yourself, but you’re not here doing it.” He sounded all kinds of put out. “Where the f**k are you?”
My gaze lifted over Cahal’s shoulder, thanking God that King Kincaid had told me the phones were spelled so no Vamps could overhear what the caller was saying. Go Shifter paranoia. “I got held up.”
“If it’s not important,” Cahal’s lips were pinched slightly, probably because he couldn’t eavesdrop, “hang the f**king phone up.”
But I knew instantly the spell didn’t go both ways when there was dead silence over the line, before Ezra asked quietly, “Where are you, sweetheart?”
“I have to go,” I stated evenly. I hung up without another word. My phone instantly rang again, but when I couldn’t find the damn button to ignore the call, I stuffed it in my pocket with it still ringing. Eyes steadfast on Cahal, I murmured, “Sorry.” The ringing stopped, only to start again instantly. “It’s new, I don’t know how to shut it—” I jerked, my voice silenced when the door slammed open behind me.
Everyone’s gaze, including my own, snapped in that direction.
Ezra stood in the doorway, nostrils flared, his green eyes instantly doing a sweep over my person before traveling over everyone in the room, his gaze honed and assessing as he snapped his cell phone shut next to his leg and placed it in his pocket in an efficient motion. My phone instantly stopped ringing, and I realized that was how he had found me — by the ringing. His hair was a wet mess all over his head, as if he had just gotten out of the shower. He was only wearing a pair of athletic shorts. And that was it for clothing. Even his feet were bare.
Antonio made an odd noise, then groused, “Well, why the hell not?” Ezra’s mien didn’t change at Antonio’s outburst into the tense silence. “Come on in, Ezra.” Antonio laughed, sounding frazzled. “Join the party.”
Instantly, I held up my hand. “Actually Ezra, why don’t you go?” I flicked my wrist. “I’ll see you later.” I was already in it neck-deep. He could still run. “At dinner.” Hopefully.
His response was to step inside the room, shut the door, and lock it behind him.
My chest heaved. The man seriously didn’t know how to run. “Remember that nifty trick Antonio did that one night before our trip to the zoo?” It was best to give him a heads up if he wasn’t smart enough to get out.
His feet didn’t even falter as he stalked through the room. “Yes.” And, dear God, was he ever stalking, not just walking, his strides showing his rigidity while nothing else about his expression, or even his heart rate, did.
“Well,” I nodded around, “this happens to be Antonio’s office. All four of them were in it earlier while we were.”
He hummed.
That was all he did, stepping beside me with his hands in his pockets, directly between me and his dad.
No lips thinning. No heart faltering. No fainting.
Just that hum as he trained his eyes directly on his dad.
And they stared at each other with utterly blank faces…for what seemed like forever.
And finally, as before, Cahal started speaking, going through the same questions he had asked me, only this time, to his son. “You lied to me.”
Ezra’s answer was short and simple, like mine. “Yes.”
“Ms Ruckler has confirmed you two share a bedroom.”
Ezra shrugged. “And a bed.”
Cahal’s eyebrows rose. “How long has this been going on?”
Ah, a little deviation.
Ezra’s head cocked. “The first time we shared a bed was in December.”
My head dropped, realizing he was talking about the camping trip last year.
Cahal glanced to me, then back to his son. “Was that when your sexual relations began?”
Ezra’s lips lifted. “That was the first night I kissed her,” he shrugged, “she ended up naked on top of me by morning.”
I stilled, realizing he was taking the fall. Exactly as he said he would do in that supply closet.
Cahal glanced at Elder Merrick, who shrugged, stating, “Truth.”
“We didn’t actually have sex that night as he’s implying.” I wasn’t about to let him do this.
Cahal ignored me, asking Ezra, who also ignored me, “You were the father of her twins?”
His lips did pinch. “Yes.”
“How did you know their genders?”
Ezra’s head tilted back and forth. “It’s only an assumption.” He also didn’t look at Elder Merrick at the lie.
Cahal placed his elbow on the arm of the chair, chin in hand, watching his son avidly. “Who knows of your relationship?”
“Other than the people in this room?”
“Yes.”
Ezra shrugged. “No one who will ever mention anything.”
Cahal’s lips lifted on one side. “Enlighten me.”
Ezra sighed heavily, stating, “King Venclaire.”
Goddamn, what a f**king duo of liars we were.
Cahal lifted one eyebrow. “Who else?”
Ezra’s eyebrows came together. “No one else.”
“And how did King Venclaire find out?”
Ezra’s lips twitched. “He asked for a cigarette.”
Cahal’s dark eyes moved back and forth between us. “Outstanding.” His eyes continued evaluating. “You’re both lying in there somewhere, but you both do it so damn well.” He tilted his head toward Elder Merrick. “Shall I ask him where you both lied?”
We both shrugged, heart rates normal. If Elder Merrick really wanted to rat us out, he would do so whenever he chose to. It was no longer in our hands.
Cahal grunted. “Simply incredible.”