"Lover At Last" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ward, J.R.)

Meeting each one in the eye, she came forward and forced them to part, a path forming among the still figures and then closing shut behind her. Out in the waiting area, she stopped in front of the reception desk and stared hard at the female who was sitting up in alarm.

тАЬYou have two choices.тАЭ Layla nodded to the reinforced exit door. тАЬEither you voluntarily open that for me, or I blow it apart with my willтАФexposing yourselves and your patients to the onslaught of sunlight that is coming inтАЭтАФshe checked the big-faced clock on the wallтАФтАЬless than seven hours. IтАЩm not sure you can fix that kind of damage in timeтАФare you?тАЭ

The click of the lock being sprung sounded loudly in the resonant silence.

тАЬThank you,тАЭ she murmured politely as she headed out. тАЬYour acquiescence is much appreciated.тАЭ

After all, far be it from her to forget her manners.



Sitting behind his desk, with his leather-clad ass cozied in the throne his father had had made centuries and centuries ago, Wrath, son of Wrath, was running his forefinger up and down the smooth silver blade of a dagger-shaped envelope opener. Beside him on the floor, a faint snoring rose from GeorgeтАЩs muzzle.

The dog slept only during rare moments of downtime.

If someone knocked or entered, or if Wrath himself moved in any way, that big head rose, and that heavy collar jingled. The instanta-lert also came if somebody walked by in the hall, or ran a vacuum cleaner anywhere, or opened the vestibule door down in the foyer. Or set a meal out. Or sneezed in the library.

After the head raise, there was a sliding scale of response from nothing (dining room activity, vacuum, sneeze) to a chuff (downstairs door opening, walk-by) to an at-attention sit-up (knock, entry). The dog never was aggressive, but rather served as a motion detector, leaving the decision about what to do to his owner.

Such a gentleman the guide dog was.

And yet, although a tame nature was as much a part of the animal as his soft, long fur and his big, rangy body, Wrath had seen glimmers from time to time of the beast inside the lovely disposition: When you were around a bunch of highly aggressive, heavy-nutted fighters like the Brotherhood, heads got hot from time to timeтАФeven toward the king. And the shit didnтАЩt bother WrathтАФheтАЩd been with the motherfuckers too long to get riled at a little chest pumping or sac grabbing.

George, however, didnтАЩt like that. If any of them got into meathead territory toward their king, the hackles on that gentle dog would rise and he would growl in warning as he pressed his body close to WrathтАЩs legтАФlike he was prepared to show the Brothers just how long real fangs were in the event things got physical.

The only thing Wrath loved more in his life was his queen.

Reaching down, he stroked the dogтАЩs flank; then refocused on the feel of his finger on the letter opener.

Jesus Christ. Airplanes falling out of the skyтАжBrothers getting injuredтАжQhuinn saving the day againтАж

At least the night hadnтАЩt been all drama of the heart-attack variety. In fact, theyтАЩd started out on a good note with the proof that they needed to move on the Band of Bastards: V had done his ballistics testing, and gee-fucking-whiz, the bullet that had come out of WrathтАЩs neck had started its journey in a rifle found at XcorтАЩs lair.

Wrath smiled to himself, his fangs tingling at the tips.

Those traitors were now officially on the hit list, with the full backing of the lawтАФand it was time do to a little flushing.

At that moment, George let out a chuffтАФand the insistent knock that followed suggested Wrath might have missed the first bang on his door. тАЬYeah.тАЭ

He knew who it was before the Brotherhood even entered: V and the cop. Rhage. Tohr. Phury. And at last, Z. Who, going by the thump, seemed to be using a cane.

They shut the door.

When no one sat down or made small talk, he knew exactly why they had come to him. тАЬWhatтАЩs the verdict, ladies,тАЭ he drawled as he leaned back in the throne.

TohrтАЩs voice answered him. тАЬWeтАЩve been thinking about Qhuinn.тАЭ

He bet they had. After introducing the idea at the meeting earlier tonight, he hadnтАЩt pressed them for a yes or no. There was plenty of shit that, as king, he was more than willing to cram down peopleтАЩs throats. Who the Brothers were going to welcome into the club was not one. тАЬAnd?тАЭ