The Jackal (Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp #1)(107)

Jack was content to let the others go first—because it allowed him to sneak a kiss from his female. And then she was shuffling out and he was in her wake, the pair of them going down the center aisle and descending some short steps onto cobblestones that—

Jack tightened his hold on his female’s hand.

As he looked up . . . up . . . way up . . .

“He built it,” Jack breathed as he took in the breadth and height of the magnificent stone mansion that he himself had designed and labored over in his mind. “He built the house.”

The great gray manse was exactly as Jack had envisioned it, from the complicated roofline, to the two wings, to the enormous center core that rose up to the heavens—

The grand double doors opened wide, and Rhage, the Brother with the bright blue eyes, came out. With him was a brunette female and a pretrans young who had to be their daughter.

Jack felt his throat close up with emotion.

Walking forward with Nyx and Peter, Posie and Grandpapa, as Peter called the older male, Jack felt as though he was bringing his family . . . to meet the Brother’s.

His brother’s.

“Have a good ride?” Rhage said.

“Yes. We did.”

As Jack surmounted the stone steps, he kept staring at the Brother while the Brother stared back at him, both of them frozen.

The females did the intros, Nyx and Mary, Rhage’s shellan, stepping forward, hugging each other, hugging everyone, the melding happening.

Even as Rhage and Jack stayed where they were.

“I’m just going to take the kids inside?” Mary said to her hellren. “We’ll let you two have a minute out here, ’kay?”

Rhage seemed to shake himself. “Hey, would you mind taking the kids inside so that Jack and I can have a moment?”

The female smiled at him. “I’d love to. What a good idea. Come on, Nyx. Have you all had anything to eat? We have food here like you wouldn’t believe.”

Nyx hesitated. When Jack squeezed her hand, she nodded, kissed him quick, and followed the others inside.

And then he was alone with the Brother.

“So . . .” Rhage cleared his throat. “You feeling better? You know, after a good day’s sleep?”

“Oh, yes. Much. Thank you for asking.”

And then . . . nothing.

Until they both spoke at the same time.

“I’m sorry, I know this is weird—”

“Please forgive me, I don’t mean to—”

They both laughed. And then Jack said, “Who was your father? When I first saw you at Jabon’s, I had a thought in the back of my mind that perhaps we were related. I wanted to follow up on it, but I didn’t know who to trust, and I was a stranger to you.”

“My sire was the Black Dagger Brother Tohrture. He was a brave and proud warrior.”

Jack shook his head. “I’ve never heard the name. My mahmen never told me who my father was, but there were rumors he might have been a Brother. When I pressed her on the issue, she forbade me to ever go to Caldwell. That was why . . . well, she had her reasons, I guess.”

“My sire was not formally mated unto my mahmen. And yes, I got my eye color from him.” Rhage shrugged helplessly. “I was told all of my blooded brothers had died, but when I look in your face? Anyway, I had that flash of recognition when I met you as well, but I didn’t make the connection, because I didn’t think it was possible. Not with what I knew of my family.”

“My mahmen . . . on her deathbed, she made me promise I would never go in search of my father. I have had a century to ponder it, and I believe . . . well, I think she felt as though she had had an affair with my sire. She did not want to ruin a family.”

“Our sire was not mated unto my mahmen, as I said. So there was nothing to break up. And in any event, that is all in the past. We have now, though. We have the present. Let’s start as we mean to go on, shall we?” Rhage put his palm out. “Oh, and by the way, nice to properly meet you.”

Jack clasped the dagger hand that was extended to him. And then he was pulled into a hard embrace.

“Welcome to the family,” Rhage announced before stepping back.

“How can you accept me so readily? Do you not want some kind of proof?”

“How many people do you know with eyes like ours? Yours, mine, and your son’s?”

“Not many.” Jack thought about it. “None, actually.”

“There you go. We can do a Maury if you’d like, though.”

“What’s a Maury?”

Rhage blinked. And then clapped a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Oh, the things that are waiting for you here in this age of TV and the Internet. Now, you ready to come inside and check out what you planned with all those drawings?”

Clearing his throat, to keep the emotions down, Jack looked up again at the mansion’s exterior. The leaded glass windows were glowing with light, a beautiful sight.

“It’s just as I constructed it,” he said. “I can’t wait to speak to Darius about—”

“I’m really sorry.”

Jack glanced over to ask what the low-voiced, grim apology was for. But instantly, he knew by the expression on Rhage’s face what it was about.

Jack hung his head for a moment. “When did Darius die? Please tell me he got a chance to see this? It was his dream.”