Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood 10)

More with the drinking. Which suggested that bravado might just be a little forced.

Tohr parked it on one of the stools. "Why the hell did you put yourself in front of me?"

The angel went about making himself number three. "I'll tell you the same thing I did Doc Jane - I got no clue what you're talking about. "

"Those were bullet wounds all over you. "

"Were they?"

"Yeah. "

"Can you prove it?" Lassiter did a little turn with his arms up. "Can you prove I was even hurt?"

"Why deny it?"

"This isn't a denial if I have no fucking clue what you're going on about. "

With another charmer of a smile, he bottomed up again. And then immediately started making number four.

Tohr shook his head. "If you're going to get plastered, why can't you do it like a real man. "

"I like the taste of fruit. "

"You are what you drink. "

The angel glanced up at the clock. "Shit. I missed Maury. But I DVR'd Ellen. "

Lassiter went over and stretched out on the leather couch - and Tohr counted himself lucky that the bastard at least had the decency to wrap a throw blanket around his naughty bits. As the television came on, and Ellen DeGeneres danced down a row of housewives, it was obvious that conversation was not on the angel's to-do list.

"I just don't get why you did it," Tohr muttered.

It was so unlike the guy, always out for himself.

At that moment, No'One appeared in the arches of the room. She was in her robe with the hood in place, but Tohr saw her naked and undone, and his body juiced to life.

As he slid off the stool and went to the female, he could have sworn Lassiter murmured, "That's why. "

Approaching the female, he said, "Hey, did you get the food?"

"Yes," she whispered. "But I was worried when you didn't come back. What happened?"

He glanced back at Lassiter. The angel appeared to have passed out, his breathing even, the remote resting on his chest in a lax hand, the drink beading up with condensation on the floor beside him.

But Tohr didn't trust the out-cold appearance.

"Nothing," he said roughly. "It's. . . nothing. Let's go upstairs and have a rest. "

As he turned her away with a subtle touch on her shoulders, she said, "You sure?"

"Yeah. " And they really were going to rest. He was suddenly exhausted.

He spared one last glance over the shoulder as he headed into the foyer. Lassiter was exactly where he'd been. . . except there was the smallest hint of a smile on his face.

Like everything had been worth it, as long as Tohr and No'One were together.

Chapter Thirty-Four

As the night wore on, Throe walked the streets of Caldwell by himself, unarmed, dressed in hospital scrubs. . . and stronger than he'd been since he'd arrived in the New World.