Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11)(130)
Author: J.R. Ward

But apparently Daddio and the golden boy had had a falling-out.

Shit, the idea Lash had tortured his brother? Just made him want to kill him all over again.

As Luchas groaned and took a deep breath, Qhuinn raised a hand to…pat him on the shoulder or something. But he didn’t follow through. "Listen, you don’t need to talk."

Those bloodshot gray eyes locked on his. "He kept me alive…because of what I did…to you…."

Down on the gurney, tears welled and started to fall, his brother’s emotions spilling out on his cheeks, regret mingling with what was undoubtedly physical pain as well as the narcotics used to treat it.

Because Qhuinn was hard-pressed to think that the guy would be showing anything like this under normal circumstances. That hadn’t been the way they’d all been raised. Etiquette over emotion.

Always.

"The Honor Guard…." Luchas started to cry in earnest. "Qhuinn…I’m so sorry…sorry…."

We’re not supposed to kill him!

Qhuinn blinked and went back to that beating at the side of the road, those males in black robes surrounding him and whaling on him as he’d tried to protect his head and his balls. Then it was up to the door to the Fade, to meet his daughter.

So strange the way things came full circle. And how some tragedies actually led to good things.

Now, Qhuinn did touch his brother, resting his dagger hand on that thin shoulder. "Shh…it’s cool. We’re good, it’s cool…."

He wasn’t sure whether that was true, but what else was he going to say while the guy cracked?

"He wanted…to turn me…." Luchas took a deep breath. "He brought me…back around. Woke up in the woods – his males beat me…did things to me…put me in that…blood. I waited for them to come back – never did."

"You’re safe here." That was all he could think of. "You don’t worry about a damn thing – no one’s getting anywhere near you."

"Where…am I…"

"The Brotherhood’s training center."

Those eyes widened. "In truth?"

"Yeah."

"Indeed…" Luchas’s expression shifted, those once handsome features tightening even further. "What of Mahmen. Papa. Solange?"

Qhuinn just shook his head back and forth.

And in response, a sudden strength came into that frail voice. "Are you sure they are dead? Are you certain?"

As if he didn’t wish what he had suffered on any of them.

"Yeah, we’re sure."

Luchas sighed and closed his eyes.

Shit. Qhuinn felt a little cheap about lying, but in spite of the fact that the machines by the bed suggested his brother was stable, if the guy tanked, he didn’t want to send Luchas to the grave thinking that after what had been done with him, no one could be sure how many others had been taken – or when.

In the quiet, Qhuinn looked down at his brother’s hand. That signet ring had been left on – maybe because the knuckle above it was so swollen, they would have had to cut it off.

The crest that had been carved into the gold face carried the sacred symbols that only the Founding Families could mark their lineage with. And yeah, wow, it was completely deranged – and grossly inappropriate – to covet the goddamn thing. After everything that had happened, you’d think he’d be disgusted.

Then again, maybe it was just a knee-jerk reaction, an echo from all those years of hoping against hope he’d get one of his own.

"Qhuinn?"

"Yes?"

"I’m sorry…."

Qhuinn shook his head, even though Luchas’s lids were closed. "You don’t worry about anything. You’re safe. You’re back. It’s all going to be okay."

As his brother’s chest rose and fell again like he was relieved, Qhuinn rubbed his face and didn’t feel good about any of it. Not his brother’s condition – or his return.

It wasn’t that he wanted the guy dead. Tortured. Frozen forever.

But he had closed the door on all that family-dynamic stuff. Relegated it to the back of his mental file cabinet. Put it away for good, never to be looked at again.

What could you do, though?

Life specialized in curveballs.

The unfortunate thing was that they somehow inevitably ended up catching him in the nuts.

When a soft whistle sounded next to Blay, he jumped. "Oh, hey, John."

John Matthew lifted his hand in a wave. How’re things?

As Blay shrugged, he thought it might be a good idea to stand up off the floor again. His ass had gone numb, which meant it was time for another of his walkabouts.

Grunting as he got to his feet, he stretched his back. "I guess okay. Luchas was awake enough after surgery so Qhuinn’s in there now."

Oh. Wow.

While Blay walked things off in a tight circle, John settled against the wall. He was dressed in sweats, and the guy’s hair was still wet – and there was a bite mark on his neck.

Blay looked away. Opened his mouth to say something. Ran out of gas for conversation.

From the corner of his eye, he saw John sign, So, how’s Saxton?

"Ah, good. He’s good – on a little vacation."

He’s been working really hard.

"Yeah, he has." As he hoped the topic ended there, it felt odd to keep something from John. Other than Qhuinn, the guy had been the closest friend he had – although they had drifted during the last year, too. "But he’ll be back soon."

You must miss him. John glanced away, like he knew it was pushing it.

Made sense. Blay had always shut down any conversation about his relationship, diverting talk to other subjects.

"Yeah."

So how’s Qhuinn holding up? I didn’t want to intrude, but…

Blay could only shrug again. "He’s been in there awhile. I’m taking that as good news."

And Luchas is going to make it?

"Time will tell, but at least they got him patched up." Blay took out his Dunhills and lit up, exhaling slowly. When there was nothing but an awkward silence, he said, "Listen, I’m sorry if I’m being weird."

The truth was, that bite mark was a reminder of what was going to have to happen for him, and he really didn’t need that so front-and-center.

Qhuinn’s voice barged into his head: We could go together.

What the hell had he agreed to?

You’re stressed, John signed as he focused on the door. We’re all stressed. Everything is…stressful.

Blay frowned as the guy’s mood registered. "Hey, are you okay?"

After a moment, John signed, The strangest thing happened the other night. Wrath called me into his office and told me that Qhuinn was no longer my ahstrux nohtrum. I mean, that’s fine, that’s cool – it’s actually uncomplicated things a lot. But Qhuinn never said anything to me, and I don’t know if I should say something to him? I also didn’t know that was possible. I mean, when it started, it was like, "Your pink slip is a double-tap, and that’s that," you know? Did he just quit? Is it because of the Layla thing? I thought they weren’t getting mated.