Lover Unleashed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #9)

by J.R. Ward

Xcor saw his father killed when he was but five years past his transition.

His group of soldiers was six strong: Throe, Zypher, the three cousins, and himself. And then there was his father. The Bloodletter.

Xcor had been a candidate by bloodline, he’d have had no interest in being a Brother. He cared naught for glory, as it held not a patch on the sweet release of murder. Better to leave such useless tradition and wasted ritual to those who refused to wield naught but a black dagger.

the son now stepped into the soles of his sire, commanding these soldiers who would serve not Wrath, the king who would not rule, nor the Brotherhood, who would not deign to lower themselves to this level... but Xcor and Xcor alone.

Sometimes the only way to know how far you’d come was to return to where you once had been.

“I have no words. Sixteen languages, but no words.”

“You mean there’s another son of a bitch lost in his own life because of you? Great. We’ll start a support group.” “Fucking hell . . .”

“I would do anything for you. Anything.” With that, he pushed his way out . . . and as the door eased shut, she realized that I love you could indeed be said without actually uttering the phrase. Actions did mean more than words.

“Everything. It wants every square inch of you—outside . . . and on the inside. To the point where I’m not sure you’re ready for how much I’m after.” “I decide,” she countered, a strange, pounding need taking root in her gut. “I decide what I can and cannot handle, yes?” His half smile was all evil. In a good way. “Yes, ma’am.”

her fangs were longer. Much longer. And oh, so very sharp. Manny couldn’t help himself: All he could do was imagine what it would feel like to have one of them dragging up the underside of his cock.

“Payne . . . the only way it could have been better is if I’d come inside of you.” She was momentarily relieved. And then she asked, “What is coming?”

“You were sitting up, Payne. You were up on your knees at the end of the bed.” Her heart stopped. Surely she could not have heard him right. Surely.

As he and his males turned a corner, they came upon a human infestation:

this writing 💀💀

The three of them were careful with her, as if even in her deceased state, her battered body registered the rearrangement of her limbs. Carrying her a mere two feet, they placed her in the opened black bag so the coroner

this is so sad 😞

However, when one could not write or read . . . or more to the point, when one preferred methods of communication that were more visceral and less viceroy? Well, then one left the bodies of the dead he’d rendered in an alley for his “host” to find.

“I like it when you demand of me,” she said. “It takes me back to the shower, when you were—” He let out a groan and cut her off, putting his hand gently over her mouth. “Yeah, I remember. Trust me—I remember.”

“He hurt me. . . . My father hurt me.” The words were so thin and soft that they nearly didn’t register. But when they did, her heart just stopped. “Why,” Vishous asked. “Why did he do it to me. Why did my mother? I never asked to be born to the pair of them

If you loved someone, you set them free.

Oh Qhuinn

Karrie Ravisc, a.k.a. Kandy on the streets, had been doing the whore thing proper for about nine months so she’d seen a lot of shit. But this . . .

“I am his son. His son. You stole from me my father—” “Impossible.” “—unjustly—What?” Into his stuttered silence, she said loudly and clearly, “It is impossible that you are his son.”

“The Bloodletter sired one and only one male offspring—” “The Black Dagger Brother Vishous.” Hard laughter echoed. “I have heard well the stories of his perversions—” “My brother is not a pervert!”

“Listen to me now,” she proclaimed. “I am birthed of the Scribe Virgin. I am of the Chosen Sanctuary. So when I say unto you the Bloodletter, my father, bore no other male issue, that is fact.” “Untrue,” the male breathed. “And you—you cannot have been born unto the Mother of the race. There is none born unto her—” Payne lifted her glowing arms. “I am what I am. Deny it at your peril.”

“I am the begotten issue of the Bloodletter and the Scribe Virgin. And I say to you now”—she stepped forward to him—“that I killed my father, not yours.” Lifting her palm, she peeled back and slapped him across the face. “And do not insult my blood.”

“Why,” he said roughly. “Why did you . . . kill him.” The female blinked slowly as if she didn’t want to show vulnerability and needed a moment to make sure she put none out. “Because he hurt my twin. He . . . tortured my brother, and for that he needed to die.”

“He told me I was his son—and he owned me like his son. After his death, I stepped into his boots, as sons do.” The female measured him, and then shook her head. “And I say unto you that he lied. Look into my eyes. Know that I speak the truth you should have heard long, long ago.”

“I have no issue to settle against you. Your actions directed unto my”—pause—“the Bloodletter . . . were taken for your own valid reasons.”

i can respect xcor for this

His eyes were frantic. “Are you all right? What can I do for you? Do you need a doctor? Are you hurt—I’m asking too many questions—I’m sorry. God . . . what happened? Where did you go? Shit, I have to stop . . .” As romantic reunions went, perhaps those were not the flowery words some females would want to hear, but to her, they meant everything in the world.

“I love her so damned much,” Manny heard himself say. “That’s my heart right there. That’s my woman.”

“What the fuck did you do to my car?” “What, you mean the music?” “Where did all my—” “Shit go?” Diamond eyes met his. “You gonna live here, you’re going to start listening to my tunes, true.” Manny shook his head. “You’re kidding me.” “You saying you didn’t like the beats?” “Whatever.” After a harrumph, Manny copped, “Fine, they didn’t absolutely suck.” The laugh was just a liiiiiiittle too triumphant. “Knew it.”

Plus if memory served, Payne’s twin drove that black Escalade over there, and that meant payback was going to be a shitload of Black Veil Bride, Bullet for My Valentine, and Avenged Sevenfold getting loaded into that SUV’s sound system. Just the thought made him smile. All in all? He felt like he’d won the lottery. In each of the fifty states. At the same time. That was how lucky they all were.