Page 22 of Hurt

Grant opened his hands. “This is neutral territory, and he is right. Let’s discuss this another time.”

Ezra’s black stare lingered on Kurt for a moment longer before he turned his attention to the elder Weaver. “Another time?”

“A meeting between us is long overdue, is it not?” Grant’s smile was pleasant and impersonal. Non-threatening in comparison to the way Roland was standing behind him with his arms crossed. The rings on his fingers obvious in the way he was holding his hand. A silent threat.

Elijah and Jamie were hovering on the periphery. Pacing like dogs on a chain, ready to launch the moment their masters snapped. They were tense. The silly grin on Jamie’s face was gone—replaced by a hawkish look as his eyes flicked to each member of the Vega Cabal. Clocking their body language and ready for a fight.

“Can you control your brother until then?” Ezra asked.

“Can you control yours?” Grant shot back, his smile faltering just slightly. “The Weavers have always respected the sanctity of The Sunspot’s neutrality.”

Asher huffed, holding his shoulder where Roland had wrenched it. “Make him apologize!”

Ezra regarded Grant. His head was cocked to the side, and though there was an aloof way to the way he was speaking, it was obvious he was considering the situation.

“No,” he answered finally. “I don’t think I will.”

Asher made an incredulous noise, but Ezra held up his hand to silence him. Without taking his eyes off Grant, he snatched the cue stick from Kurt, tossing it across the room. Kurt was so surprised by the act he didn’t have a chance to cling to the weapon.

Ezra’s arm snagged around Kurt’s waist, forcibly dragging him against him. Willow tensed, ready for Kurt to swing. He could get two or three punches in before the Vega Cabal swarmed them.

Sid had vanished the moment tensions escalated. He could handle any sort of drunken brawl, but he lived in fear of the main branch of the Vega Cabals. Willow never asked why he was so afraid of them but whatever it was, was bad.

There was no reaction from Kurt. Ezra’s hand slid down over his ass, pulling the stiff man against him.

“I don’t think I’ll ask Roland to apologize. After all.” He leaned in and sniffed Kurt’s neck. Kurt’s fists were clenched, and he turned away from Ezra with his face twisted. But he didn’t hit him.

“We have to protect what’s precious to us, right Kurt?”

Her brother swallowed but didn’t say anything. Grant’s smile had fallen off his face, and his right hand twitched by his thigh as if it was trying to reach for something that was usually there.

Subtly, Jamie moved through the crowd. Like a shadow, he positioned himself behind Ezra. All it would take is a word from Grant, and he was ready.

There was tension in Grant’s shoulders, but he didn’t acknowledge it. “Let them leave. We need to discuss business.”

Ezra’s face was still alarmingly close to Kurt’s. His right hand drifted until he caressed the skin just above the waist band of his jeans, gaudy rings dragging over his leather belt.

A door in the back of the bar slammed open, and Molly stepped out. Wearing a designer dress and terrifyingly high patent red heels, she stormed across the bar. Hefting a fire extinguisher on her hip, she pointed the nozzle at the group.

“Listen up, you limp dick fuckers. You either disperse right now, or I spray you with whatever the hell comes out of this fire extinguisher. Then I’m going to bash your hollow heads in like a disappointing chocolate bunny.”

The room visibly recoiled. Kurt pulled away from Ezra and dragged Willow behind him. His hand was cold and clammy, wrapped around her wrist as he fled the scene. He didn’t let go of Willow’s hand until the back room door was closed and locked behind them.

“Took Molly long enough,” Willow muttered.

Kurt was leaning up against the locked door. His forehead resting against the wood, eyes closed. Arms wrapped around himself. He looked like he was trying not to shake apart.

Willow turned around and finally noticed her brother. “Kurt?” She had never seen him so visibly shaken before. “Why didn’t you hit him? You could have knocked that shit-eating grin right off his face.”

She lifted a hand and rested it on Kurt’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Kurt has never been a person who liked to be touched, so being held by Ezra must have been annoying for him. But this reaction was more than annoyance. This was fear.

She had never seen Kurt afraid before. Willow had seen her brother go toe to toe with men twice his size. He had taken beating after beating when he was boxing in the clubs and never once showed any sign of being afraid.

It was the most horrifying thing she had ever seen.

She bodily turned Kurt and grabbed his face, dragging his forehead down to hers. “Hey. Hey. What the hell is going on?”