Read Online Eternal Nights by Patti O'Shea - Free Book Online Page B

elaborate marble hallway. Even though he’d decided Brody was almost good enough for his sister, it went against the grain to consult with his brother-in-law about anything. Too bad he was the one person Alex trusted to be honest with him about Montgomery. He needed some answers before he decided how to approach the case. Brody was friendly enough with Montgomery to be able to give him some insight, but not so friendly that his opinion was suspect.
    He scowled. It was late, he was tired and he hadn’t been home since yesterday morning. He just wanted to call it a day and get some sleep. Instead, he’d been snarled at by his sister when she’d told him where to find her husband and now he had to chew the guy out for angering Ravyn.
    Without knocking, Alex opened the door to the private sitting room. To his left was an enormous table surrounded by twenty intricately carved chairs. That side was empty. On his right was a sitting area with an overstuffed sofa, several matching seats and a low table. Alex spotted Brody lying on the floor next to his son. They were creating something with old-fashioned wooden blocks. He didn’t doubt for a minute that his brother-in-law knew he was there, but the man kept his attention on what he was building with Cam. For a minute, Alex smiled fondly at his nephew. Ravyn and Brody had their hands full—the kid had a mind of his own—and Alex guessed it would only get worse as the boy got older.
    A clumsy move by Cam toppled one of the blocks on the castle tower, sending it rolling across the floor. The boy’s lower lip quivered, but only for an instant. Alex felt someone tapping into the planet’s energy, directing it, then the block sailed through the air and settled back into its original position. I did not see that. Cam did not telekinetically move anything. “It’s sleep deprivation,” Alex muttered softly.
    His nephew looked in his direction, and with a squeal, ran over to say hello. Alex picked the child up and got a grin, then a hug. Damn, he loved this kid—even if he was the spitting image of his dad.
    Brody pushed to his feet at the same time Cam demanded, “Down!” Alex lowered the boy to the floor and the toddler hightailed it back to the blocks. For a two-year-old, he had an unusual level of intensity and focus, not to mention stubbornness. That last trait he’d gotten from Ravyn—no question about it.
    Alex glared threateningly at Brody when his brother-in-law reached him. “What the hell did you do to piss off Ravyn?”
    “I’m not the one she’s mad at.”
    Something in the man’s bland tone tipped off Alex. “Me? What did I do? I haven’t seen her in at least three days.”
    “A few hours ago, Stacey came up to the house looking for you.” Brody tucked his fingers in the front pockets of his jeans. “Did you forget she had a special dinner planned?”
    For an instant, Alex was nonplussed; then he remembered. He’d promised Stacey he’d be there no matter what came up, and instead, he’d spaced out completely. “Oh, shit.”
    “Watch the language, Colonel,” Brody warned him with a frown before glancing at his son.
    Alex looked over too, but Cam was busy building a wall, oblivious to the conversation between them. “He’s not paying attention to us; don’t worry about it.”
    “You’d be surprised how much he hears. Ravyn doesn’t want him to start swearing.”
    Shaking his head, Alex said, “That’s an uphill battle. Not only is this an army post, but the kid has you for a father.”
    Brody grinned. “Hey, I’m doing my part. The bruises on my shins were incentive enough to watch what I said.”
    It was a struggle, but Alex kept from smiling. Damn, he didn’t want to like Brody, but it was hard not to. All Alex had ever wanted was for Ravyn to be happy and treated well. Her husband filled both those requirements admirably. Hell, the man’s whole world revolved around Ravyn and their son. “My stepsister has you wrapped around her