121
" So why was tonight not so good?” he asked, desperate to shut himself the fuck up.
“My father. And then…well, I got stood up.”
Rehv frowned so hard he actually felt a slight sting between his eyes. “For a date?”
“Yeah.”
He hated the idea of her out with another male. And yet envied the motherfucker, whoever he was.
“What an ass. I’m sorry, but what an ass.”
Ehlena laughed, and he loved everything about the sound, especially the way his body warmed a little more in response.
Man, to hell with a hot shower. That soft, quiet chuckle was what he needed.
“Are you smiling,” he said softly.
“Yeah. I mean, I guess. How did you know?”
“Was just hoping you were.”
“Well, you can be kind of charming.”
Quickly, as if to cover up the compliment, she said, “The date wasn’t a big deal or anything. I didn’t know him that well. It was just coffee.”
“But you ended the night on the phone with me. Which is so much better.”
She laughed again. “Well, I won’t ever know what it’s like to go out with him.”
“You won’t?”
“I just…well, I thought about it, and I don’t think dating is a good idea for me right now.”
His surge of triumph was sacked when she tacked on, “With anyone.”
“Hm.”
“Hm? What does hm mean?”
“It means I have your phone number.”
“Ah, yes, you do—” Her voice caught as he shifted around. “Wait, are you…in bed?”
“Yeah. And before you go any farther, you don’t want to know.”
“I don’t want to know what?”
“How much I’m not wearing.”
“Er…” As she hesitated, he knew she was smiling again. And probably blushing. “I so won’t ask.”
“Wise of you. It’s just me and the sheets—oops, did I just spill that?”
“Yes. Yes, you did.”
-Rehv & Ehlena "
― J.R. Ward , Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #7)
127
" So out of the six major subcontractors who buy from us, there are two left? Man, that’s a turf war, right there.”
“And whoever’s pulling this shit is probably going to try to work his way up the food chain.” Trez spoke up. “Which is why iAm and I think you should have someone with you twenty-four/seven until this shit shakes out.”
Rehv seemed annoyed but he didn’t disagree. “We got any intel on who’s leaving all those bodies around?”
“Well, duh,” Trez said. “People think it’s you.”
“Not logical. Why would I kill off my own buyers?”
Now Rehv was the one getting the hairy eyeball from the peanut gallery.
“Oh, come on,” he said. “I’m not that bad. Well, okay, but only if someone fucks with me."
-Rehv & Trez "
― J.R. Ward , Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #7)
128
" As he and Beth hit the stairs, he called out to his brothers, “Thanks for having my back once again.”
The group stopped and turned to face him.
After a beat of silence, they formed a half circle around the foot of the grand staircase, each making a thick fist with his weapon hand. With a great whoop! of a war cry, they went down on their right knee and slammed their heavy knuckles into the mosaic floor.
The sound was thunder and bass drums and bomb explosions, ricocheting outward, filling all the rooms of the mansion.
Wrath stared at them, seeing their heads bent, their broad backs curled, their powerful arms planted. They had each gone to that meeting prepared to take a bullet for him, and that would ever be true.
Behind Tohr’s smaller form, Lassiter, the fallen angel, stood with a straight spine, but he wasn’t cracking any jokes at this reaffirmation of allegiance. Instead, he was back to staring at the damn ceiling.
Wrath glanced up at the mural of warriors silhouetted against a blue sky and could see nothing much of the pictures that he’d been told were there.
Getting back with the program, he said in the Old Language, “No stronger allies, no greater friends, no better fighters of honor could a king behold than these assembled afore me, mine brothers, mine blood.”
A rolling growl of ascent lifted as the warriors got to their feet again, and Wrath nodded to each one of them.
He had no more words to offer as his throat had abruptly choked, but they didn’t seem to need anything else.
They stared at him with respect and gratitude and purpose, and he accepted their enormous gifts with grave appreciation and resolve.
This was the ages-old covenant between king and subjects, the pledges on both sides made with the heart and carried out by the sharp mind and the strong body.
“God, I love you guys,” Beth said.
There was a lot of deep laughter, and then Hollywood said, “You want us to stab the floor for you again? Fists are for kings, but the queen gets the daggers.”
“I wouldn’t want you to take chips out of this beautiful floor. Thank you, though.”
“Say the word and it’s nothing but rubble.”
Beth laughed. “Be still, my heart.”
The Brothers came over and kissed the Saturnine Ruby that rode on her finger, and as each paid his honor, she gave him a gentle stroke of the hair. Except for Zsadist, who she smiled tenderly at.
“Excuse us, boys,” Wrath said. “Little quiet time, feel me?”
There was a ripple of male approval, which Beth took in stride—and with a blush—and then it was time for some privacy. "
― J.R. Ward , Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #7)
