Lover Forbidden (The Black Dagger Brotherhood series)

Lover Forbidden (The Black Dagger Brotherhood series)

The aristocracy is making a run for the throne in this star-crossed paranormal romance entry in J.R. Ward’s “delicious, erotic, and thrilling” (Nicole Jordan, New York Times bestselling author) #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. When Lyric goes out for a night in Caldwell, New York, a brush with death is not on her bingo card—and she’s totally not ready for the man who risks his own life by shielding her with his very big, very enticing body. Her family, especially her sire Qhuinn, are so relieved she’s okay, but afterward, all she can think about is her mysterious savior. Even though humans and vampires are not supposed to mix, Lyric seeks out Devlin, and they are immediately drawn to each other. Her near-death experience gives her a fresh thirst for life. Devlin finds it impossible to continue his loner ways whenever he looks into her eyes. As passion ignites, both have their own reasons for keeping things short-term—and that’s before a betrayal that cuts to the core tears them apart. In the end, as the Black Dagger Brotherhood hunts a traitor, and terrible truths are revealed, Lyric has to decide whether the forbidden can ever be forgiven…in the name of true love. J.R. Ward is the author of more than sixty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are more than twenty million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-seven different countries. She lives in the south with her family. Chapter One CHAPTER ONE Present Day Bathe Nightclub Market Street, bet. Sixteenth & Seventeenth Caldwell, New York The statistical probability of being killed by a falling billboard on a city street is nearly incalculable. Something south of .00000071 percent, considering that math contemplated all objects going Sputnik on you, not just billboards. But this was something Lyric, blooded daughter of the Black Dagger Brother Qhuinn and the Chosen Layla, adopted daughter of Blaylock, son of Rocke, and Xcor, leader of the Band of Bastards, wouldn’t think about until later on in the night. And even then, her one-in-a-million would just be a pebble on the shore of much, much more important things. Fortunately, as with most stuff having to do with fate, she didn’t know what was coming. At the moment, she was standing in the grungy city snow in a pair of Louboutin stilettos—and she wasn’t worried about crapping up her shoes, either. It was the shit coming through her cell phone she’d had enough of. “Marcia.” She pronounced the name “MAR-see-ah,” as opposed to the Brady Bunch, normal way, under protest. “Can you just stop so I can get a word in—” “This is a huge opportunity for you. She wants you to come for the first day of the conference, free of charge. There’s a backstage photo op , and an interview with her—this is going to level your brand up, I’m telling you.” The emphasized words were like a strongman working his way through a bench press, and you had to wonder if there was a minimum set count and rep number. Like if the woman missed it, did she stand in front of her bathroom mirror and go at her grocery list just to finish the workout? Lyric turned so her back was to the strong, shifting wind—and what do you know. Down the alley and across Market Street, there was a huge purple advertisement for the Resolve2Evolve conference. Like Valentina Disserte was a stalker. “ Hello? ” came through the phone. Okay, fine, it was— was —a hot invite. R2E had real momentum as a self-actualization movement for women, and no one could argue that its leader wasn’t making the most of her fifteen minutes of fame. If the great Valentina kept stalking those stages and proselytizing about the priority of the personhood, the woman was going to be this generation’s love-yourself messiah. The problem? It all just seemed a little too pretty-purple-bow’d to be real. Life through a filter of sound bites, rather than the real thing. Closing her eyes, Lyric thought about what was happening in her grandparents’ house. Maybe even a month ago, she might have bought into the R2E message herself. Now? Then again, maybe she needed the distraction. “Fine.” As the wind came barreling down the alley with a big shove, she shivered and turned to the club’s fire door. “But can we get through tonight first before you ask me about anything else?” “So where are you?” “Out in the alley—” The dented metal panel swung wide, and MAR-see-ah Rotterdam, social media manager to the stars, made her appearance with a stress-flourish. Clocking in at barely over five tall and fifty pounds if she’d just had another Diet Coke, the fact that the woman had two cell phones up to her ears made her look like she was ducking an explosion. “No, Ron .” She motioned with the phone on the left as she hung it up. “You go to L.A. tomorrow for the collab . Look, I’m at an exclusive event and I have