J.R. Ward the Black Dagger Brotherhood Novels 5-8 - J. R. Ward [809]
“Something’s not right here,” she said into his chest.
Down below, on the lawn, a lone figure ambled into view. Clearly, Stan going for a stoner stroll.
Gregg shook his head. “The only thing that’s not right is that damn butler. Don’t you want to be famous? A special here’s going to open doors for you. You could be hosting Dancing with the Stars next. Or Big Brother.”
He could tell he’d gotten her attention, because her body relaxed, and to help her along, he rubbed her back.
“That’s my girl.” He watched Stan wander along, hands in pockets, head looking away from the house, long hair moving in the wind. Another couple of yards and he was going to be bathed in moonlight as he stepped out from under the trees. “Now, I want you to stay here with me—like I said, you of all people should know these ghost stories are never anything more than creaking floorboards. We have a job just because people want to believe in creepy shit.”
As if on cue, someone came up the stairs, the soft footfalls accompanied by some real Vincent Price specials, the whines and groans of the old wood penetrating the quiet.
“Is that what you’re afraid of? Just some bumps in the night?” he said, pulling away and looking down at her. Her plump lips brought back some very fine memories and he brushed her mouth with his thumb, thinking that maybe she’d gotten more silicon pushed into them. They seemed extra puffy and pretty.
“No . . .” she whispered. “It’s not that.”
“So why do you think there’s a ghost.”
A knock on the door sounded out and Stan’s voice was muffled. “Are you two fucking or can I go to bed now.”
Gregg frowned and whipped his head toward the window. That lone figure stepped out into the wash of moonlight . . . and disappeared right into thin air.
“Because I just had sex with him,” Holly said. “I had sex with Eliahu Rathboone.”
TWENTY-FOUR
Outside in the basement hallway at Xhex’s, John was wearing a path in the stone floor. Up and back. Up and back. While he heard absolutely nothing through the door to the bedroom.
Which he supposed was a good thing—no screaming or curses hopefully meant that Doc Jane’s exam wasn’t causing pain.
He’d texted Rehvenge and told the male that Xhex had been found and they were going to try to get her back to the compound. He didn’t mention the basement place, however. Clearly she wanted to keep this private, because if Rehv had known about it, the guy would have insisted on coming here after she wasn’t at the hunting cabin.
After checking his watch, John raked his hands through his hair again and wondered how bonded males like Wrath and Rhage and Z handled shit like this—Christ, Z had had to go through watching Bella give birth. How the hell did they—
The door opened and he wheeled around, his soles squeaking on the floor.
Doc Jane was grim. “She’s agreed to go to the compound. V should be outside waiting in the Escalade—can you see if he’s there?”
John signed, Is she okay?
“She’s been through a lot. Go check if the car’s there, will you? And you’re going to have to carry her out, okay? I don’t want her walking and I’m not using a stretcher because we don’t need to cause a scene on the street.”
John didn’t fuck around and bolted out of the basement. Right on the curb, with lights off but the engine running, was the SUV. Behind the wheel, there was a flare of orange as V took an inhale from his hand-rolled.
The Brother put his window down. “We taking her in?”
John nodded once and rushed back inside.
When he came up to the door of Xhex’s room, it was closed, so he knocked softly.
“One minute,” Doc Jane called out, her voice muffled. “Okay.”
He opened up and found Xhex still on her side. A towel had been wrapped around her and a fresh sheet draped her from head to foot. Christ . . . he wished her skin offered a little more contrast to all that white shit.
John approached and thought it was odd. He’d never seen himself as taller than her before.