Page 137 of Ruled By Wizard

Looking over her shoulder in the dim room, she saw Knox had stood, and was picking up Diamond into his arms to walk toward the bedroom door.

With a loud groan, Wizard rolled her over and pinned her beneath him. His kiss shook her soul to its core, sending every other thought dissolving into another dimension.

Until Knox’s deep voice sounded over the loud television.

“I heard that.”

EPILOGUE

“Whatcha doing?”

“I’m digging up worms. Dad and Uncle Wizard are taking me fishing tomorrow.”

Plopping onto the ground, the little girl watched as he dug with a metal spoon he had sneaked from Aunt Nat’s kitchen drawer.

“What are you going to do with them?” she asked curiously.

“I told you, I’m going fishing.” His excitement grew when he spotted a big, fat worm trying to crawl away. “I stick it on the hook on my fishing pole then dunk it in the water.”

“Does it hurt the worm?” Liquid dark-blue eyes stared at him.

“How should I know? It’s a worm.”

“How would you like it if someone put a hook through your belly?”

“I wouldn’t care. I’d be dead.”

“You’re going to kill the poor thing?” A tear shimmered on the six-year-old’s cheek.

“If the hook doesn’t, the fish will when it swallows it.”

“Bishop, you’re so mean.” Jumping up, she went to sit on his swing and glared at him.

Good. He hoped she stayed there and stopped bothering him.

“I don’t know why you’re so mean. You’re my best friend.”

Bishop made an ugly face at her. “I keep telling you we’re not friends.”

“You’re my favorite cousin,” she tried again.

“We ain’t cousins.”

Her face fell, and her bottom lip trembled until a flash of movement caught her eye. Jumping off the swing, she ran back to his side.

“The bunnies have come out to play. See?” She pointed toward four baby rabbits and a larger one that had to be their mother. They sat munching on the grass as though they were invisible to the children watching them.

“You can’t play with them. They’re wild. Uncle Greer said they’ll make good eating once they get some fat on them.”

The little girl’s mouth dropped open in horror. “You eat bunnies?”

“Not yet. Uncle Greer says they aren’t big enough.”

The back door opened. Hearing it, the little girl gave Bishop an I’m-telling-on-you look before running toward the two men who had come outside.

“Daddy!” she sobbed. Throwing herself into Uncle Wizard’s arms, the little tattletale began crying against his shoulder. “Bishop said he’s going to eat my bunnies.”

Bishop lowered his head so he wouldn’t have to meet his father’s reprimanding stare and pretended not to hear her telling on him.