J.R. Ward the Black Dagger Brotherhood Novels 1-4 - J. R. Ward [208]
“You tell Wrath and Tohr all this?”
“No.”
“You should.”
The human shifted. “I don’t know how much to get involved, you know? I mean, I don’t want to stick my nose where it shouldn’t be. I’m not one of you.”
“But you belong with us. Or at least that’s what V said.”
Butch frowned. “He did?”
“Yeah. That’s why we brought you here with us instead of…well, you know.”
“Putting me in the ground?” The human cocked a half smile.
Rhage cleared his throat. “Not that any of us would have enjoyed that. Well, except for Z. Actually, no, he doesn’t enjoy anything…. The truth is, cop, you’ve kind of grown on—”
Tohrment’s voice cut him off. “Jesus Christ, Hollywood!”
The male stalked into the weight room like a bull. And of all the Brotherhood, he was the levelheaded one. So something was on fire.
“What’s up, my brother?” Rhage asked.
“Got a little message for you in the general mailbox. From that human. Mary.” Tohr planted his hands on his hips, upper body jutting forward. “Why the hell does she remember you? And how does she have our number?”
“I didn’t tell her how to call us.”
“And you didn’t scrub her memory, either. What the good goddamn are you thinking?”
“She’s not going to be a problem.”
“She already is. She’s on our phone.”
“Relax, man—”
Tohr jabbed a finger at him. “You fix her before I have to, you feel me?”
Rhage was off the bench and up his brother’s face in the blink of an eye. “No one goes near her, not unless they want to deal with me. This includes you.”
Tohr’s navy-blue eyes narrowed. They both knew who was going to win if they got down to it. No one could take Rhage in hand-to-hand; it was a proven fact. And he was prepared to beat a no-touch commitment out of Tohrment if he had to. Right here, right now.
Tohr spoke in a grim tone. “I want you to take a deep breath and step off from me, Hollywood.”
When Rhage didn’t move, footsteps smacked across the mats and Butch’s arm went around his waist.
“Why don’t you cool off a little, big guy,” Butch drawled. “Let’s just break up this party, okay?”
Rhage allowed himself to get pulled back, but he kept his eyes on Tohr’s. Tension crackled in the air.
“What’s going on here?” Tohr demanded.
Rhage stepped free of Butch and paced around the weight room, winding in and out of the barbells on the floor and all the benches.
“Nothing. There’s nothing going on. She doesn’t know what I am and I don’t know how she got the number. Maybe that civilian female gave it to her.”
“Look at me, my brother. Rhage, stop where you are and look at me.”
Rhage halted and shifted his eyes.
“Why didn’t you scrub her? You know once their memories are long-term, you can’t get them clean enough. Why didn’t you do it when you had the chance?” As silence stretched out between them, Tohr shook his head. “Do not tell me you are getting involved with her.”
“Whatever, man.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. Christ, my brother…what are you thinking? You know you shouldn’t get tangled up with a human, and especially not with her because of the boy.” Tohr’s gaze sharpened. “I’m giving you an order. Again. I want you to scrub yourself from that female’s memories, and I don’t want you to see her anymore.”
“I told you, she doesn’t know what I am—”
“Are you trying to negotiate with me on this? You can’t be that stupid.”
Rhage shot his brother a nasty look. “And you really don’t want me up in your grille again. This time, I won’t let the cop peel me off.”
“You kiss her with that mouth of yours yet? Whatcha tell her about your fangs, Hollywood?” As Rhage closed his eyes and cursed, Tohr’s tone eased up. “Be real. She’s a complication we don’t need, and she’s trouble for you because you chose her over a command from me. I’m not doing this to bust your balls, Rhage. It’s safer for everybody. Safer for her. You will do this, my brother.”
Safer for her.
Rhage leaned down and grabbed his ankles. He stretched his hamstrings