Page 94 of Bully for Sale

Then he went back inside, curled up on the sofa, and waited.

Numb to the bone.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“You have alot of explaining to do.”

Heath’s voice took Ned by surprise as he opened the garden gate and stepped into the pool area, where he’d expected to find Ezer sunbathing or napping.

“Uncle,” Ned said smiling anxiously. “You’re here? I wasn’t expecting you.”

Heath glared.

“I, uh, has Earl—”

“Earl isn’t here. Your omega is here, and he’s been assaulted.”

Ned’s stomach dropped, and a sour taste lurched into his mouth. “Assaulted? What? How?” He didn’t wait for Heath’s answer, though, rushing through to the house to find Ezer curled up on the sofa, covered with a soft blanket, and with Adrien and the new baby in the loveseat beside him.

Ned didn’t take the time to greet Adrien, instead dropping to his knees beside Ezer.

“Ezer? Are you all right?” He was met by a dark grimace. His mind raced and he knew without having to be told. “I’ll kill Braden Tenmeter. I’llfuckingkill him.” He rose, his heart thumping, his blood rushing with white rage, fist clenched, and murder in mind.

Heath took hold of his shoulders and shook him. “He’s been arrested. I saw to that.”

Ned huffed in and out his nose. “I’ll kill him.”

“I know,” Heath said, almost like he thought Ned should. “But I also know that right now you can’t get to him,andI know that you need to see to your omega.”

Ned looked down at Ezer, his blue eyes shut, and his cheeks pale. He sat next to him, relieved when Ezer didn’t flinch away. “Baby, are you okay? Did he hurt you? Did he hurt the babies?”

Ezer shrugged at the first question and shook his head at the second.

“We should go,” Adrien said, standing.

“No, there are answers I want from Ned,” Heath said, darkly.

“Not today.”

“I’m not leaving them here. They’re children.”

“They’re nearly the age I was when you gave me Michael,” Adrien said.

“And you were too young!” Heath shouted. “At least I was a grown man. They’reboth—” He broke off and then added, “They’re too young!”

“Shh,” Adrien said. “You’ll wake Laya. We can’t stay here, Heath. This is his home, he’s the alpha here, and this problem is his duty to deal with. Now is not the time to interrogate Ned. Think.” Adrien took hold of Heath’s arm. “Ezer needs his alpha…”

Heath shot Ned another glare and then said, “Take good care of him. He’s your responsibility. Those babes in his belly? Your responsibility, too. You let him down today and it almost cost you—and him—everything. It may well still have.” He snarled. “How you allowed your greedy, rotten father to talk you into breeding an omega at your age—”

Adrien interrupted him. “Heath, not now.”

It seemed to be all his uncle could do not to launch into a rant. Ned wanted him gone, though. He needed to attend to Ezer.

“What on earth?” Earl’s voice rang in the room. “Oh, Mr. Clearwater, Adrien, sirs, let me get you tea, and what is Ezer doing upstairs, oh, what’s…what’s this?” he asked seeing Ezer’s face, and everyone else’s expressions as well. He dropped his grocery bags and rushed over. “What’s happened? What’s the matter?”

Adrien sighed.

“I’m going down to the nest,” Ezer said, dully, standing and moving with a slowness that struck fear in Ned’s heart. Had he been violated? Was he hurt? Was there damage? Rage almost felled him again, and he fought the urge to storm the police station until he reached Braden to wring his puny neck.