Page 26 of Dottie's Forbidden Wizard
With the desperate hope that I'll see Maddox again tonight, I select a matching white lace underwear and bra set. I chastise myself for falling too hard for a man who cannot possibly ever be mine, even as I throw on a white t-shirt with a deep V-neck that makes my boobs look amazing, pairing it with a black knit skirt. I carefully transfer the pin to my new shirt sleeve. I smile as I pull on my rhinestone-studded skull sneakers, thinking of the silver stilettos that mesmerized him. Something tells me I could wear anything around that man, and it would end up on the floor in no time.
I towel-dry my long, dark hair and head out to the kitchen. The house is quiet. Despite my recent moment of self-care, I'm horny and restless. I need to get busy.
Looking around, I see Leo's laptop sitting on the side table next to the armchair in the front room. I hesitate, knowing he won’t want me using his computer.But he's already mad at you,I remind myself.
I bring it over to the kitchen table, open a search engine, and type in various keywords to gather information on Frank Ozella. Digging up dirt on this guy won’t be easy. Article after article details his various shady business practices and dubious accolades, but it all appears to be public knowledge. Deep in my search, I squint at a grainy picture of the Ozella family. Maddox looks to be around fourteen, but his icy glare squeezes my heart. He looks miserable and lonely.
What kind of father puts his happiness over that of his child? A father as cruel and vicious as Frank Ozella, that's who.
I find an article from a few years ago featuring an interview with Frank Ozella after a visit to Fable Forest and Screaming Woods. In it, he extols the supremacy of the wizarding race over other magical creatures.
"Everyone has their place, of course, but wizards are superior in capabilities and intelligence," he's quoted as saying.
A picture accompanies the article, and his smug face stares back at me with dead shark eyes. I shudder. What a disgusting man.
I open the Find function and search forScreaming Woods,hoping to discover more about that visit. A bunch of files pop up on Leo's computer, and I realize I’m no longer searching online. Why does Leo have so much information about Screaming Woods? The files are labeled with various tags: Griffin Hybrid, Griffin Communities, Earth Magic, etc.
Not willing to incur more of Leo's fury by invading his privacy, I carefully close out of the folders and back into the browser.
As I'm scrolling, a recent news alert comes up:Emerald City Mayoral Debate Tonight at 5 pm. I click on the link and readthat the entire Ozella family will be in attendance, as well as Jareth Merlin's wife, Viviane, and his two daughters. That's where Maddox had to get off to.
I close Leo's laptop, disappointed to have come up empty-handed. What I need won’t be available online. I tap my chin in thought. Maddox offered to help me, but can I trust him to stop the rezoning if it means taking his father down publicly?
A ping from my phone alerts me to an incoming text, and I reach for it quickly, tamping down the hope that it's from him. What I see instead makes my heart drop.
TOTO
Dottie, please help me! I'm trapped at the Ozella Tower. Thirteenth floor. Please come quickly!
Toto.Oh, my god.
I don't think; I just move. Racing for my car, I peel out of the dirt driveway and onto the yellow brick road to Emerald City.
"Call Toto," I yell at my car's Bluetooth, slamming the pedal to the floor as I whiz past the poppy fields at breakneck speed.
"Hi! You've reached Toto. I'm away from my phone right now, but please leave a message and..."
I try calling her again and again, but it goes straight to voicemail, her chipper greeting a stark contrast to the panicked tone of her text. Desperate, I call Nick's phone, preparing to leave a voicemail, but his inbox is full.
Damn it.
Granger won't get reception way out in the fields, and Leo doesn't even own a cell phone. I know I should stop and plan, but I can't think of anything other than getting to Toto as quickly as possible.
When I arrive at the Ozella Tower building, I drive into the parking garage, which is surprisingly empty. Most workers in the city are probably in Munchkin territory for the mayoral debate. Circling the first floor, I head up the ramp to the next floor, slowing when I see a sign for the elevators. I park out of the way, in a dark corner, my heart racing as I worry about finding my friend.
How long ago was she taken?
I realize she’s probably been gone since I went through the portal, and guilt floods me. While my friend was getting kidnapped, I was probably on my fifth or sixth orgasm with my enemy. I squeeze my eyes shut.
Time to unpack all that shit later.
I shake my head and clench my jaw. Opening my car door, I slam it with intense fury and storm toward the elevator. I have no plan, no reinforcements, but I’m fueled by anger and love for my dear friend.
It’s only when I hear the cackle behind me that I realize I’ve made a grave mistake.
"Look what the wind blew in."
Shit.
