These short updates were just snapshots catching up with the household, and they were so much fun to do! As I’ve always said, there is a lot going on that I can’t really fit into the books, and this was a great opportunity to purge what was in my head.
Valentine’s Day Comes to the Mansion
With Valentine’s Day approaching, I thought that we’d see what some of the Brothers are doing for their mates. On a side note, Fritz is getting twenty-two new Dyson animal vacuums as a presie. Why twenty-two? Apparently, it’s a good luck number fordoggen? I have no idea. He is going to be overcome—and promptly take to the carpets as only he can.
Wrath is getting Beth forty-eight hours in Manhattan in their hideaway. He’ll be serving peaches, go figure. Although there will be plenty of sexy time, I will say there will also be a lot of holding close under the covers. Life has gotten really complicated and chaotic for both of them and I’m glad they’re going down there—given what happens to them in Lassiter’s book. Brace yourselves…
Rhage is getting Mary a movie night with a charcuterie board he’s going to try to make himself (it’s not that he doesn’t know how to put meats and cheeses in a display—he’s not sure how to get Fritz to let him do it. Oh, and then there’s also the challenge of one for him, one for the board, one for him, etc., which will lead to all kinds of digestion beforehand). As for the film that’ll be shown, he’s going to let Mary pick betweenThe FabelmansandEverything Everywhere All at Once. (What he will not anticipate is that Mary will suggest they watchMaverick, which is also nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars—I guess this ishow true love works! Note: It will be Mary’s firstMaverickand Rhage’s fifteenth. Or is it sixteenth?)
Z is going to serenade Bella with some of his favorite love songs, including Billy Joel’s “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel),” “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, “Sweetest Thing” by U2, and especially “So Far Away” from Staind. Of all the Brothers, I find revisiting him the most difficult, probably because, for me, he is the most significant of all the heroes I’ve ever written about. He’s the one that got to me the deepest, and nothing has changed. That being said, I want people to know that Zsadist plays a major role in the 2024 BDB hardcover (title to be released at the Cinci event if someone asks me THAT QUESTION…) I’ll be sharing why he does and in what context then. Ho, boy. Get your seat belts ready. That sh*t is going to be a bumpy ride.
V and Butch are double dating with Jane and Marissa for dinner down in Caldwell at Sal’s. Then Butch and Marissa are going shopping at Saks (they’ve arranged an after-hours concierge thing, because, hello, he spends a mint there) and V and Doc Jane are—and this reallyisromantic, when you think about it—installing new equipment in the OR. It kind of reminds me of how he built the clinic for her. V’s not much with the lovey-dovey chatter, which suits Jane just fine—but he’s big with the elbow-grease kind of love language. And the black candles, of course.
Phury and Cormia are going the Wrath and Beth route, and hanging out privately upstate, at his big house on the lake. Lots of crackling fire time and quilts and…yup, it’s her needing time. And we all know where that leads to—Ahgony is indeed going to be conceived!
Tohr and Autumn are going to be cooking for Xcor and Layla. Tohr and Xcor have gotten close this last year. As half-brothers, they have some fundamentals in common, and it’s great to see them really bond. Autumn loves playing with the twinswhen they’re around and is always excited to be an honorary “grandmahmen” when the opportunity arises.
JM, Xhex, Qhuinn and Blay are all going to Blay’s parents’ house and having a good ol’ fashioned gaming night. Xhex is going to start off on the fringes, but by the time they bust out UNO, she is going to be on fire. Lyric and Rhamp will be with them—until they fall asleep in their fathers’ laps. It’s painfully wholesome, right? Well, I guess if you fight in a war as your night job, the nicest thing you can do on an evening off is be with your family. You never know when you might not come home to them…
There are going to be loads of other celebrations going on with Rehv and Ehlena, Sax and Ruhn, Balz and Erica, as well as Syn, Murhder and Sahvage all doing things for their mates (and other people in the household, too). I wish I could write all of the scenes for you all. I’ll just rely on your very fine imaginations to fill in the details (especially the after-dark ones!).
I hope you all have a great Valentine’s Day if you celebrate it. I know a lot of people who do nice things for their friends and families—it’s not just about partners. I plan on also treating my dogs, for example.
Although, if I’m honest, they get chimken every night of the week anyway!
Speaking of hearts, I’ll conclude this with a mention ofThe St. Ambrose School for Girls. Over the course of my career, I’ve had two books of my heart.Dark Lover…andThe St. Ambrose School for Girls. Of course, many of the BDB books have rocked me (Lassiter,Lover Awakened,Lover Unboundbecause V hates me, etc.). But really, Wrath and St. Ambrose are gateways into worlds that I got lost in for all the best (and most heart-wrenching) reasons.
St. Ambrose is about a fifteen-year-old girl at a prep school in the 1990s. She’s dealing with a lot of sh*t, and the bully acrossthe hall doesn’t help. Her roommate, and her residential advisor, become allies—but then things start to unravel. The best part of the book is the ending, which I won’t spoil here. But I love when a mouse roars, that’s all I’m saying.
This book is very different from the BDBs, but if you like mystery and teenagers and prep school settings, you might give it a try. A bit of warning. The mental health issues in this book are intense, and discretion is advised, particularly for younger audiences.
Sending hugs,
J.R.
Spring!
First, as it is now March, I’d like to report that Fritz is starting to wake up the mansion from its seasonal shutdown. This includes a cleanup of the grounds, ordering of annuals for planting, and servicing the pool’s heater and filtration systems. Winter on the mountain was relatively mild, and by the end of this month, he anticipates having the fountain up and running again.
Elsewhere in the house, some people are pretty frickin’ bored hearing Lassiter talk about his release. *cough* V *cough* Just for shits and giggles, a couple of the Brothers and members of the household gathered in the billiards room for a happy little roundtable discussion. Which wasn’t all that happy, was not little at all, considering Wrath and Rhage were both involved, anddiscussionis really a loose term for what transpired…
Personally, I’ve seen more camaraderie in a UFC bout:
“Did you enjoy reading Lassiter’s book?”
Wrath:I listened to it on audio while I worked out. I can’t comment on the content. I’m too close to it.
Beth:*nods* It was so hard to get through for me because I adore that fallen angel—
Lassiter:*loudly from the foyer* Thank you, Beth! I love you, my Queen.
Beth:*laughs* I love you, too!
Vishous:I didn’t read it. I won’t read it. I am prepared to give up literacy to avoid it. *glares through the arches* *raises voice* And will you quit eavesdropping? Fuck, like you aren’t getting enough attention?
Lassiter:*still from the foyer* You know you love me!
V:*under breath* Only when you’re walking away—
