“He didn’t even know what it was, Vishous.” “The tux?” V lit a hand-rolled. “Of course he didn’t. He’s a real male.”

“So what’d you do to the lesser?” a male voice said. “I lit his cigarette with a sawed-off,” another one answered. “He didn’t come down for breakfast, you feel me?”

“And Vishous. . . V was the worst of them. He stood by the door, staring into space. Icy before, he was glacial now, a sinkhole in the room.-Phury's thoughts”

“Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, was not the kind of male anyone addressed like that. Except, apparently, for Wrath. In this case, the Brother with the tattoos on his face and the perverted reputation and the hand of death did exactly what he was told. He shut the fuck up.Which said volumes about Wrath. Did it not.”

“He could feel V's eyes sharpen, the vampire's fierce intellect churning over the situation. Among the brothers, Vishous had the most raw brainpower, but he paid for the privilage.Man, Wrath sure had his own demons, and they were no walk in the park, but he wouldn't have wanted Vishous's cross to bear. Seeing what had yet to come was a terrible burden.-Wrath's thoughts”

“V? Answer the question or so help me God I'll beat it out of you.""I just know how to find him.""What are you hiding?"V went over to the bar, poured himself a couple of fingers of GreyGoose, and hammered the shot. He swallowed a number of times and thenlet the words fly."I fed him."A chorus of inhales floated a...round the room. As Wrath rose in disbelief, V poured himself another hit of Goose."You did what?" The last word was bellowed."I had him drink some of me.""Vishous..." Wrath stalked around the desk, shitkickers hitting thefloor like boulders. The king got face-to-face close. "He's a male. He's human. What the fuck were you thinking?"More vodka. Definitely time for more Goose.”

“I want to be with you, too,” he said. “I’ll come to your room after dawn.”Qhuinn didn’t want to ask. Had to. “What about Saxton?” “He’s gone on vacation.” Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally. “For how long?” “Just a couple of days.” Too bad. Any chance of an extension…for like a year or two? Maybe forever? “Okay, it’s a—” Qhuinn stopped himself before he finished that with date. There was no sense kidding himself. Saxton was away. Blay wanted to get laid. And Qhuinn was more than willing to supply the male with what he wanted.”