The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13) - J. R. Ward Page 0,71

her nose came in contact with the depiction of a vase of flowers, she was in full-on beast mode, ready to punch it up and hit this hard.

Up was … only okay.

Down again to the carpet. Annnnnd up.

Sort of. The muscles in her upper arms started to tremble; her elbows wobbled; her shoulders ached.

She did three. Or, like, two and a half. Before she collapsed on the—

“What are you doing?”

With a yelp, Paradise flipped herself over. Her father was in the doorway to her bedroom, putting away the key he’d used to open things up—and his eyebrows had popped so high on his forehead, they were all the way to the base of his hairline.

“Push-ups,” she said as she panted.

“Why-ever for?”

Ask him, she thought. Just come right out and say, I want to join the Brotherhood’s training center program—

Her phone started to ring again.

“Do you need to get that?” her father asked.

“No. Father, I have a—”

“Something has arisen, dear one.” He shut and relocked the door. “And I must be frank with you.”

Paradise brought her legs up and circled her arms around them. “Have I done something wrong?”

“Oh, indeed no.” He shook his head as he looked at her. “You are the very best daughter any male could e’er ask for.”

As her phone went silent, she had to wonder how many of Peyton’s views her father shared. And how many times Peyton was going to try to call her back.

“I need you to pack up some things,” he said.

Paradise recoiled. “Why?”

“I’m going to ask you to leave the house for a couple of weeks.”

A cold flush went through her. “What did I do?”

“Oh, love.” He came over and knelt down. “Nothing. It is just, I think you might enjoy having a job.”

Now she was the one with the mile-high eyebrows. “Really?”

She had broached the subject a number of months ago, when yet another night taking piano lessons and doing complicated, multi-stitched needlepoint had made her feel like she was losing her mind. But he had carefully denied her in the interest of her safety—a point she had both respected and been frustrated by.

It was hard to argue that the world wasn’t a very dangerous place for vampires.

“What’s changed?” Then she thought about their distant relation. “Wait, is that male going to continue to stay here?”

“It has naught to do with him. Rather, my work as First Adviser is growing more complicated and burdensome and I require someone I may trust with the King’s business to help me. I can think of no one more appropriate than yourself.”

“Really,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “There isn’t some other reason?”

“For truth. I promise you.” He smiled. “So what do you say—would you like to work with me?”

With a sudden lunge of happiness, she tackled her father in a hug. “Oh, thank you! Yes! I’m so excited!”

He laughed. “Okay, but you’ll have to move into the King’s audience mansion. Worry not, you shall not be alone. You may take your maid doggen, and the Brotherhood have the building fully staffed—”

Paradise leaped up to her feet and ran to her walk-in closet. Throwing the doors open, she started pulling out pieces from her set of monogrammed Louis Vuitton luggage.

“I’ll be ready in a half hour! Fifteen minutes!” She yanked out built-in drawers, fisting up underwear, bras, tank tops. “Oh, will you get Vuchie? She’ll be so excited!”

Dimly, she heard her father chuckle. “As you wish, my lady. As you wish.”

TWENTY-THREE

Rhage re-formed on the lawn of Darius’s former mansion and strode up to the front entrance. The second he came into the house, he heard a series of gasps, and glanced to the left. In the parlor, there were a number of civilians clustered in an awkward, standing group, like they didn’t feel comfortable sitting on all the fancy silk-covered furniture—and their eyes were popped large at the sight of him.

Yeah, his reputation still preceded him.

Geez, you’re a slut for a couple of centuries, and people just can’t let that shit go after you get properly mated.

It was a PITA, and on an ordinary night, he would have gone over and introduced himself just to bring his Mary up in conversation.

Tonight, though, he headed to the closed doors of what had once been the dining room. Knocking twice, he said, “It’s me.”

Tohr opened things up with a “What’s doin’,” and Rhage stepped into the cavernous, mostly barren room: All they had in there were a bunch of armchairs, a desk with an office chair, and some