The Black Dagger Brotherhood_ An Insider's Guide - J. R. Ward [120]
Beth stirs, feeling stiff. She reaches out for Wrath, and when he’s not there, she opens her eyes. Her sight is still with her. She gets up, looks down at her body. It feels the same. She does a little jig. Works the same, too. She dresses in a black robe which smells like Wrath and goes upstairs. She notices on the way up that she’s not breathless at all from the exertion. Which is a bonus, she thinks. Maybe there are benefits to the whole vampire thing.
When she gets to the top of the stairs, it takes her a minute to figure out how to push the secret door open. And then she steps into the drawing room. Butch is there with a gorgeous blonde woman. The two of them are sitting on the couch and both look up. Butch comes over to Beth and gives her a hug. Beth can feel the blonde watching her closely, as if the woman’s measuring every inch of her. There’s no hostility in the blonde’s eyes, though. Just curiosity and something oddly close to awe. Butch introduces the two of them, and when Beth asks where Wrath is, he tells her he’s in the dining room.
Beth walks across the hall and her feet slow when she sees a group of deadly looking men sitting around a table with china on it. The scene is totally incongruous. All these hard ass guys in leather eating with silver. Then she sees Wrath. He’s sitting at the head of the table. The moment he sees her in the doorway, he rushes over to her. He takes her into his arms and gently kisses her. Beth is dimly aware that all conversation in the room has ceased and that the other men are staring at her. Wrath asks her softly how she’s feeling and it takes her a little time to reassure him. He asks if she’s hungry and she says she has the oddest craving for chocolate and bacon. He smiles and tells her he’ll bring her some of both from the kitchen. He pulls back and then seems to realize he needs to introduce her. Wrath points at the men around the table, telling her their names and then introducing her. After saying her name, he uses a word she doesn’t recognize and then heads for the kitchen.
Beth watches him go and then there’s a rush of sound in the room as the men push their chairs back and stand up in a group. Daggers appear in their hands and they start for her, moving with purpose. She panics and backs into a corner. Just as she’s about to yell for Wrath, the men drop to one knee in a circle around her, bow their heads to her, and thrust their daggers into the floorboards at her feet. The handles wobble from the force, the blades flashing in the candlelight. Umm, nice to meet you, too, she says lamely. The men look up at the sound of her voice. Their harsh faces are reverent, their eyes shining with adoration.
In the bad part of town, Havers is sensing the coming dawn and worried that he’ll lose his resolve when a lesser finally starts to track him. Just as the lesser is about to attack, Havers stops him by offering information on a great vampire warrior. The lesser pauses. Havers points out reasonably that he’s small potatoes. If the lesser wants to take down a real vampire, he should get reinforcements and go across town. Havers gives the address of Darius’s home, where he knows Marissa has been meeting Wrath.
Meanwhile, back in the drawing room, Butch and Marissa are talking when she says that she has to go. Why, he asks. And where? When can I see you again? She says she doesn’t know. Can they have lunch? Dinner? What are you doing tomorrow night, he asks. Marissa smiles a little. It feels kind of funny to be pursued. She likes it. She considers the options for places to meet and