«Is he still alive?» Butch asked.
«I’m not sure. I used to think he was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery. Now? Who the hell knows.»
«I can find out.» As V spoke up, Butch and Manny both looked over at the brother. «Say the word and I will find him — whether he’s in the vampire world or the human one.»
«Find who?»
The deep voice came from the head of the stairs, and everyone looked up as the words reverberated throughout the foyer. Wrath was standing on the second-floor landing with George at his side, and the king’s mood was easy to guess at even though his eyes were hidden behind those wraparounds: He was in a deadly frame of mind.
Hard to know, however, whether it was the human in the foyer or not because God knew there were a thousand things riding the guy’s ass right about now.
Vishous spoke up — which was a good call. Butch had lost his voice and so had Manello, evidently. «Looks like this fine surgeon may be a relative of yours, my lord.»
As Manello recoiled, Butch thought, Holy crap.
Didn’t that throw another iron into the fire.
Manny rubbed his temples as that tremendous vampire with the waistlong black hair came down the stairs, a blond dog seeming to lead the way. The bastard looked like he owned the place, and given the «my lord» shit, he probably did.
«Did I hear you right, V?» the male asked.
«Yeah. You did.»
Annnnnnnnnnnd that settled another question — because Manny was wondering if he’d been having trouble with his ears, too.
«This is our king,» Vishous announced. «Wrath, son of Wrath. This is Manello. Manny Manello, M.D. Don’t think you two have met formally.»
«You’re the one who’s Payne’s.»
No hesitation on that. No hesitation on his reply either: «Yeah. I am.»
The low rumble that came out of a cruel mouth was part laugh, part curse. «And you think that we’re related how?»
V cleared his throat and jumped in. «There is a striking physical resemblance between Manny’s dad and Butch. I mean. . shit, it’s like looking at a picture of my boy.»
Dark brows disappeared behind those wraparounds. Then the expression eased. «Needless to say, I can’t make that call.»
Ah, so he was blind. Explained the dog.
«We could ancestor-regress him,» Vishous suggested.
«Yeah,» Butch said. «Let’s do—»
«Wait a minute, can’t that kill him?» Jane interjected.
«Hold up.» Manny pulled an out-and-safe with his hands. «Just wait a fucking minute. Ancestor what?»
Vishous exhaled smoke. «It’s a process by which I get into you and see how much of our blood is in your veins.»
«But it could kill me?» Shit, the fact that Jane was shaking her head so did not inspire confidence.
«It’s the only way to be sure. If you’re a half-breed, it’s not like we can go into the lab and look at your blood. Half-breeds are different.»
Manny glanced around at all of them: the king, Vishous, Jane. . and the guy who might be a half brother. Christ, maybe this was why he felt so differently about Payne — from the second he saw her, it was like. . a part of him woke up.
Maybe it explained his hot-blooded temper, too.
And after a lifetime of wondering about his father and his roots, he thought. . he could find out the truth now.
Except as they stared back at him, he remembered heading into the hospital the week before and thinking it was morning only to find out it was night. And then the shit with Payne and his body changing came to mind.
«You know what?» he said. «I think I’m good.»
When Jane nodded as if she agreed with him, he was sure he was on the right train.
Besides, they were getting distracted from the real issue.
«Payne is going to come back, someway, somehow,» he said. «And I’m not sucking on a loaded gun right before I see her again — even if it means the difference between belonging in this world or not. I know who my father is — and I’m fucking looking at his reflection right now standing across from me. That’s as far as I need to go — unless Payne feels differently.»
God. . his mother, he thought abruptly. Had she known?
As Vishous crossed his arms over his chest, Manny braced himself for an arguement.
«I like your white ass,» the guy said instead. «I really do.»
Considering what the bastard had walked in on not so long ago, this was a surprise. But he’d take it. «Okay, we agree. My woman wants it — I’ll do it. But otherwise, I’m good with who I am.»
«Fair enough,» Wrath pronounced.
At that point, there was nothing but silence. Although what was there to say? The reality of where Payne was — and was not — hung around everyone’s neck.
Manny had never felt so powerless in his life.
«’Scuse me,» his semi-brother said, «I need another drink.»
As Butch peeled off and went into the other room, Manny watched him disappear through an elaborate archway. «You know, I’ll second that on the hooch.»
«My house is yours,» the king said darkly. «Bar’s that way.»
Fighting back an odd urge to bow, Manny nodded instead. «Thanks, man.» When knuckles were presented, he tapped them and then gave Jane and her husband a nod.
The room he walked into was like the best horse racing hospitality suite anyone had ever seen. Hell, they even had a popcorn machine.
«More Lag?» the guy muttered from across the way.
Manny pivoted and found himself measuring one fuck of a bar. «Yeah. Please.»