The Jackal (Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp #1)(108)

“He saw the house. But he was called unto the Fade before he saw it full.”

“Your loss must be so great.”

“Yeah. It is. And it happened not so long ago.” Rhage indicated the entry. “Come on, you’ve got to want to see everything.”

Nodding, Jack followed the Brother into a vestibule. “When did construction start?”

“Right after you . . .” Rhage stopped and pivoted around. “Look, I gotta clear this up. I didn’t know what happened to you. Where you ended up, that is. Jabon was a weak piece of shit, and I was just done with him after that night. You’ve got to know that I had no idea he was turning you in to the Council. If I had known, I would have told them what I knew to be fact. That you did not dishonor that young female. That you are a male of worth who would never do such a thing.”

Jack bowed. “I appreciate you saying this. But I took for granted all that was true. Jabon was the bad one in it all. I don’t even blame that daughter and the mahmen.”

“If the aristocrat weren’t dead already, I’d kill the fucker. In fact, I’m considering digging him up just so I can murder him all over again?”

“Did he die by violent means?”

“Two females killed him about twenty-five years after the incident involving you.” Rhage leaned in. “When they found the body, they couldn’t locate his courting tackle, if you know what I mean.”

Jack winced. “Wow.”

At that moment, there was a buzzing and the sound of a lock freeing. And then the vestibule doors were opened wide by the butler who’d driven the bus to Caldwell.

“Greetings!” the doggen said. As if he had not seen Jack for twelve years and Jack was the most honored guest who had ever been invited over the threshold.

“Thank you,” Jack murmured as he stepped into—

He stopped dead just inside the door. The foyer, with its marble columns and its grand staircase, its three-story-high ceiling and its mosaic floor, was every bit as majestic as Jack had envisioned it. And the spaces on either side . . . the grand dining room with its carved archway and the billiards room over to the left.

Just as he had hoped.

Abruptly, the fact that people were all around registered—in fact, it was a very large crowd of people, including males and females along with young of all ages, and they were all standing by a huge dining table, sharing greetings and introductions with Peter, Nyx, Posie, and Grandpapa. There was such joy among them, smiles and hugs given freely, the chatter and laughter and bubbling welcome filling the huge formal room, indeed all the square footage under the slate roof, with life . . . and love.

Jack looked at Rhage. At his brother who was a Brother.

“This is just what Darius wanted.”

Rhage’s handsome face grew sad. “I know. His dream is our reality.”

“He told me that he was building this to house everyone he loved. To give them a safe haven to raise their families in. He told me he felt like it was his legacy to leave the world.”

Rhage rubbed his eyes as if they were stinging. “Yeah. Much as I doubted him at the time. . . it did come true. Just too late for him to enjoy it.”

As the Brother seemed overcome with emotion, Jack put an arm around the male’s thick shoulders. “Come. Let’s go join them, shall we?”

“Good plan.” Rhage took a deep breath. “Great plan, actually.”

Together, they walked toward the dining room.

“Say,” the Brother intoned, “I have a craving for some ice cream. You want to join me?”

“I happen to love ice cream, as it turns out. I had my first taste of it last evening.”

“Isn’t it the best?” Rhage made mmmmm noises. “And I’m happy to share my stash with my newfound brother. No more Rocky Road for me, though. I’m sticking with vanilla.”

Entering the dining room, there was an instantaneous cheer, and the two of them were promptly overwhelmed by their mates, their family—and on Jack’s side, so many new friends.

And soon thereafter . . . much dessert.





With so many thanks to the readers of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books! This has been a long, marvelous, exciting journey, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in this world we all love. I’d also like to thank Meg Ruley, Rebecca Scherer, and everyone at JRA, and Hannah Braaten, Andrew Nguyen, Jennifer Bergstrom, Jennifer Long, and the entire family at Gallery Books and Simon & Schuster.

To Team Waud, I love you all. Truly. And as always, everything I do is with love to, and adoration for, both my family of origin and of adoption.

Oh, and thank you to Naamah, my Writer Dog II, who works as hard as I do on my books—and the Archieball!