The Beast (Black Dagger Brotherhood #14) - J. R. Ward Page 0,46

same without him.”

“Or you,” Zsadist tacked on.

Z was the last to come over, and as he opened his arms wide, for some reason, the slave bands that had been tattooed around his throat and wrists stood out to her.

His embrace was stiff. Awkward. Obviously hard for him as he kept his hips far away from her body. But his eyes were yellow, not black, and as he stepped back, he put his hand on her shoulder.

The scar that ran down the bridge of his nose and around to his cheek moved out of place as he gave her a small smile. “You’re really good at saving lives.”

She knew exactly what he was referring to—all those sessions the two of them had had by the boiler in the mansion’s basement, him talking about the horrific abuse he’d suffered at the hands of his Mistress, her listening and offering comments only when he paused for a very long time or looked to her for some sort of life raft as he struggled in a sea of overwhelming shame and pain and sadness.

“Sometimes I wish I were better,” she said as she thought of Bitty.

“Not possible.”

When Z fell back in line with his brothers, Mary smoothed her hair. Swiped under her eyes. Took a deep breath. Even though there were a lot of different emotions going through her, it was really good to be around people who loved Rhage as much as she did.

That much she knew to be true and without question.

“Well.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you all. But honestly…”

As every single one of them glared at her, it was the kind of thing that made you grateful they liked you.

She had to laugh. “Okay, okay, I’ll keep it, I’ll keep it.”

Conversation sprang up among the Brothers, and there was some back slapping, like they were proud of themselves for doing right by her.

With a final wave, she forced herself to continue onward toward the entrance to the underground tunnel… with her new sword.

Boy, it was heavy, she thought as she hiked it up further on her shoulder.

Almost as heavy as the weight she felt on her heart.

While Mary walked down the corridor in the direction of the office, Vishous took out a hand-rolled and put it between his front teeth. As he lit the thing, he frowned, thinking about what she’d said to him.

“So Xcor’s not conscious,” Wrath murmured.

Turning to the King, V exhaled and switched gears in his head. “Not yet. And I checked on him about a half hour ago.”

“Where did you put him?”

“Gun range.” V glanced at Tohr, who was out of earshot. “And we have an alternating guard schedule. He’s tied up to my satisfaction—”

“Do you really use that shit for sex?”

On a oner, the entire Brotherhood looked over at the interruption. Lassiter, the fallen angel, had appeared from out of nowhere, and he was looking somewhat less offensive than usual, his blond-and-black hair pulled back in a braid that went to his ass, his black leathers covering his naughty bits, the gold hoops at his ears, bracelets on his wrists and piercings in his nipples glowing under the fluorescent ceiling lights. Or maybe that was just on account of his heavenly frickin’ disposition.

Not.

“What the hell happened to your goddamn shirt?” V shot back. “And why the shits are you off post?”

Goddamn it, he should have known not to put that idiot on guard duty. But at least Payne hadn’t left the gun range—and that was something V didn’t need to check for himself. His sister was the kind of fighter he’d trust not only with his own life and the lives of his brothers and mate, but with making sure their prisoner didn’t so much as sneeze without permission.

“I spilled on it.”

“What? You’re eating in there?”

“No. Of course not.” Lassiter sauntered on by to where the scrubs were kept. “Okay, yes. Fine. It was a strawberry milk shake—and I’m just getting a fresh shirt and going back in. Relax.”

V took a hard drag. It was either that or put the fucker in a choke hold. “Strawberry? Really?”

“Fuck you, Vishous.”

As the angel smiled and blew a kiss over his shoulder, at least the bitch didn’t pump his junk.

“Can I kill him,” V muttered to Wrath. “Please. Just once. Or maybe twice.”

“Get in line.”

V refocused. “As I was saying, Xcor is going nowhere.”

“I want to find out where the Bastards are staying,” Wrath ordered, “and bring the rest of them in. But they’ve got to be assuming