The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J. R. Ward Read Free Book Online

storage unit is through the shed out back. They were checking on the security system first, clearly less concerned that the house had been infiltrated.”
    Z cleared his throat and warbled, “The alarm is still blinking. If it doesn’t get shut off, more will—”
    Rhage leveled his gun at the red light, pulled the trigger, and dusted the thing. “Maybe that’ll work.”
    â€œYou are such a techie, Hollywood,” Z muttered. “Right up there with Bill Gates.”
    â€œWhatever. We need to get you and the civilian out—”
    Z’s phone vibrated and he opened the text from Bella, holding his breath. After he read it twice, he shut his eyes hard and clipped the phone shut. Oh, God . . . no.
    Propping his upper body off the dirt floor, he made a lurch to get on his feet. The shot of agony that ran up his leg helped to distract him from the sight of all the blood that had pooled underneath him.
    â€œWhat the . . .”
    â€œ. . . fuck are . . .”
    â€œ. . . you doing . . .”
    John signed what the other three were saying: What are you doing?
    â€œI need to get home.” Dematerializing wasn’t an option because of his leg—which was making him want to throw up as it flopped around. “I need to—”
    Hollywood shoved his perfectly beautiful face right in Z’s grille. “Will you just relax? You’re in shock—”
    Z grabbed the male’s upper arm and squeezed to shut the brother up. He spoke softly, and when he was done, Rhage could only blink.
    After a moment Hollywood said quietly, “Here’s the issue, though. You have a compound fracture, my brother. I promise we’ll get you back, but we need to take you to a doctor. Dead is not where you want to be, feel me?”
    As a wave of light-headedness came swooping in from out of nowhere, Z had a feeling his brother had a point. But fuck it. “Home. I want—.”
    His body collapsed. Just folded on him like a house of cards.
    Rhage caught his weight and turned to the boys. “You two, carry him out of the tunnel. Move it. I’ll cover.”
    Zsadist grunted as he changed hands and was hauled off like a deer carcass found in the middle of a road. The pain was a stunner, making his heart palpitate and his skin shiver, but it was good. He need the physical manifestation of the emotion trapped in the center of his chest.
    The tunnel was about fifty yards in length and tall enough so that only a hob-bit could have any headroom—so the trip out was about as much fun as being born. Qhuinn and John were cranked over, scrambling to hold on to him while hauling ass, two grown-ups in a kid-scaled model. As Z’s body jangled and his fucked-up foot rang like a bell, the only thing that kept him conscious was the text from Bella:
    I’M SORRY. I LOVE YOU, BUT SHE AND I HAVE TO GO. I’LL GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS WHEN WE’RE SETTLED LATER TONIGHT.
    Outside the air was cool, and Z dragged the shit into his lungs in hopes of calming his stomach. He was taken directly to the Hummer and settled in the back, along with the civilian who had passed out cold. John, Blay, and Qhuinn piled in, and then there was a stretch of hurry-up-and-wait.
    Finally Rhage bolted from the house, flashed three fingers and a fist, and dove into the shotgun seat. While the brother started texting on his phone, Qhuinn hit the gas and once again proved he had half a brain: The guy had been smart enough to back in so he had a straight shot down the driveway, and he took the way out with a vengeance.
    Rhage looked at his watch as they bumped along. “Four . . . three . . . two . . .”
    The house behind them exploded into a fireball, the aftershocks sending waves of buffering energy through the air—
    Just as a minivan full of the enemy pulled into the end of the driveway, blocking the way onto Route 9.
    Â 
    Bella double-checked the two L.L. Bean bags and was pretty sure