Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 132437 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 530(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132437 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 662(@200wpm)___ 530(@250wpm)___ 441(@300wpm)
There was an immediate cheer from the brothers, and after a moment of holy-hell-are-these-my-future-in-laws, V was right there with the greeting, putting his cigarette between his front teeth and clapping—
A couple of walleyed glances had him cutting the weirdo applause.
But hey, wouldn’t it be great if the kids got together, true?
As Wrath put the dog down and rose to his full height, that harsh face relaxed into an honest affection, and V set himself at the end of the receiving line because he wanted to read their faces. Did they know?
Man, it would be a stinger if they did and he and Jane didn’t.
What a good family, though. He’d always respected Trez and iAm. He hadn’t seen the former in about a decade, but the latter had come and asked for help with IT and security consult stuff for the s’Hisbe from time to time. In return, the Shadow was always comping them dinners at Sal’s, and letting them use the place after hours or for parties. Sometimes, he even came in and cooked.
V wasn’t particularly a foodie, but the male was a goddamn maestro at the stove.
And his shellan? If only there were more of her in this world. She was a calm, steady, wise ruler who didn’t take shit. Couldn’t ask for better leadership, and that was why V knew that just last week, Wrath had reached out and asked her for advice in his dealings with the aristocracy here. Beth had certainly consulted with the Shadow Queen when she’d been ruling during her thirty-three years on the throne.
Holy fuck. Could these two eventually be his in-laws?
Please and thank you?
That was what was going through his mind as iAm came up to him, and they clapped palms.
“How you,” the Shadow asked.
“Good, yeah. How’s your daughter?”
What the fuck was coming out of his mouth?
“Oh, she’s okay.” The male’s black eyes flashed with an emotion quickly covered up. “It’s all good. How’s Jane?”
“Good.” V frowned and released that dark palm. “FYI, that ‘okay’ has complication written all over it.”
“It’s a long story.” iAm drew his shellan into his side. “Isn’t that right?”
V inclined his head with honest regard to the Queen. “Your Majesty.”
“Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, how are you.” Catra smiled, her beauty resplendent as she looked around. “And thank you all for letting us come here.”
Wrath spoke up. “Yeah, absolutely. What’s going on?”
“We need some expert opinions on a situation with the humans.”
“You got problems?” someone asked.
“What can we do to help?” somebody echoed.
The story came out in a steady stream of not-so-hot: Data centers. Land grab. Humans being humans and doing human things.
The bastards.
V kept track of the fact pattern because that was what his brain did. It recorded pertinent things and put them in order for a coordinated response. Except as Wrath and the brothers talked to the Shadows to tease out details, and Saxton discussed things about lawsuits and negotiations, he retreated not just to his corner, but in his consciousness.
As he smoked his cigarette down and immediately lit another one, he focused on iAm’s face. He just didn’t like the tension in it, and he really hadn’t liked that response.
Okay? Dennesha was “okay.”
Fucking Caldwell.
Always something.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Out at the Sugar Loaf Scenic Lookout, Allhan’s view was restricted to the wheel well of the seat behind the driver’s, his face mashed into the tread on the contoured, hard plastic floor mat. With his nose bending to meet his cheek, and one eyelid peeled so wide, it was nearly at his hairline, he was amazed that he could still breathe. Was he breathing? He didn’t know.
Didn’t care.
The single most incredible sensation in his whole miserable fucking life had just wiped his proverbial slate clean with a sandblast of pure pleasure. And in the floating aftermath, he could only think of two things: One, he wanted to do it again. Like now.
And two, he wanted Denne to feel this, too.
“Are you all right?” she asked from up front.
“Are you even kidding me.” As he swallowed, he tasted chemical lemon and thought of the man who had cleaned everything up. “You want to join me back here?”
Denne’s throaty laugh went straight into his bloodstream. “How about we help you up first so you don’t look like you were in a car crash?”
“I’m great.” He grunted and pushed something that had carpeting on it. “You should try this sometime.”
“Because lumbar support is overrated?”
“I mean, chairs are so confining.”
“I’m coming around to help you.” The door in front opened. “Hold on.”
“Don’t rush. This is really quite comfortable, actually.”
A fresh wash of cold air hit a certain very sensitive foot-long that was not deflating in the slightest. And as Allhan moaned at the tingling thrill that made the thing kick like a mule, the side panel next to him opened.
“Okay, so this is not the most dignified look,” he said with a grimace. “Especially given what…”