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“I love you” was immortal.
Even death couldn’t fade those words. And for vampires, who existed in the darkness, they were the golden sunlight that kept the species warm and alive.
Exactly one hour after Jack enjoyed a delicious First Meal of eggs, bacon, and toast with his family, the sixteen-seat bus that had been sent to collect them arrived. The Black Dagger Brotherhood’s vehicle had blacked-out windows, comfortable leather seating, and a traditionally dressed butler behind the wheel.
The trip to their destination took a while. And in the roomy back area, behind the partition that had been raised, they passed the four hours talking about everything and nothing at all. Posie, Nyx’s sister, had a sweet disposition, and there was true fondness between her and Peter, a brother/sister connection that had been born out of the healing she had helped him through. The grandfather was a hoot. Dry as the desert, quiet as a library, smart as an encyclopedia. You couldn’t not like him.
And then there was his Nyx. Who was perfect in all ways as far as Jack was concerned.
Time flew, and suddenly, they were on some kind of ascent. Jack squeezed Nyx’s hand and tugged her closer to him on the bench seat.
He had spent a lot of time stealing glances at her, and he knew he was not ever going to get tired of the sight of her. The sound of her. Her scent and her laugh, her smile and her secret little flushes—which cropped up whenever he went to naked places in his mind. It was as if she knew exactly what he was thinking of.
Which was often, but always discreetly.
When the bus stopped, the butler put down the partition and smiled at them all, his elderly face radiating warmth and good nature. “We have arrived! Please do depart the vehicle at your leisure.”
Jack was content to let the others go first—because it allowed him to sneak a kiss from his female. And then she was shuffling out and he was in her wake, the pair of them going down the center aisle and descending some short steps onto cobblestones that—
Jack tightened his hold on his female’s hand.
As he looked up . . . up . . . way up . . .
“He built it,” Jack breathed as he took in the breadth and height of the magnificent stone mansion that he himself had designed and labored over in his mind. “He built the house.”
The great gray manse was exactly as Jack had envisioned it, from the complicated roofline, to the two wings, to the enormous center core that rose up to the heavens—
The grand double doors opened wide, and Rhage, the Brother with the bright blue eyes, came out. With him was a brunette female and a pretrans young who had to be their daughter.
Jack felt his throat close up with emotion.
Walking forward with Nyx and Peter, Posie and Grandpapa, as Peter called the older male, Jack felt as though he was bringing his family . . . to meet the Brother’s.
His brother’s.
“Have a good ride?” Rhage said.
“Yes. We did.”
As Jack surmounted the stone steps, he kept staring at the Brother while the Brother stared back at him, both of them frozen.
The females did the intros, Nyx and Mary, Rhage’s shellan, stepping forward, hugging each other, hugging everyone, the melding happening.
Even as Rhage and Jack stayed where they were.
“I’m just going to take the kids inside?” Mary said to her hellren. “We’ll let you two have a minute out here, ’kay?”
Rhage seemed to shake himself. “Hey, would you mind taking the kids inside so that Jack and I can have a moment?”
The female smiled at him. “I’d love to. What a good idea. Come on, Nyx. Have you all had anything to eat? We have food here like you wouldn’t believe.”
Nyx hesitated. When Jack squeezed her hand, she nodded, kissed him quick, and followed the others inside.
And then he was alone with the Brother.
“So . . .” Rhage cleared his throat. “You feeling better? You know, after a good day’s sleep?”
“Oh, yes. Much. Thank you for asking.”
And then . . . nothing.
Until they both spoke at the same time.
“I’m sorry, I know this is weird—”
“Please forgive me, I don’t mean to—”
They both laughed. And then Jack said, “Who was your father? When I first saw you at Jabon’s, I had a thought in the back of my mind that perhaps we were related. I wanted to follow up on it, but I didn’t know who to trust, and I was a stranger to you.”
“My sire was the Black Dagger Brother Tohrture. He was a brave and proud warrior.”
Jack shook his head. “I’ve never heard the name. My mahmen never told me who my father was, but there were rumors he might have been a Brother. When I pressed her on the issue, she forbade me to ever go to Caldwell. That was why . . . well, she had her reasons, I guess.”
