There are spoilers.

Whenever I’m about to read a J.R. Ward book, I like to put on some mood music, particularly what the kids call a “rap” song called Pimp of the Year by a genius named Dru Down. I can always count on a sexy, fun, hot time when reading a Black Dagger Brotherhood novel. If the hero and heroine get naked and dirty with each other and I start hyperventilating? If the evil nasty things called lessers are planning something insidious and gross against our protagonists and our heroes know nothing about it? If I would ever find out who those ghost-hunting buffoons are and what they have to do with the Brotherhood mythology? If the massively muscled, ridiculously handsome tattooed and pierced bois wearing designer suits worth more than my annual salary start looking at each other in a funny way and think about grinding their pelvises together? If John Matthew and Beth (who are supposed to be siblings) manage to bump into each other in this massive house and spend two minutes together and maybe just say, “Hey, what’s doin’?” to each other? These are the reasons I always have a portable electric fan on hand and my cell phone within reach so my BFF Shuzluva and I can text each other our favorite passages while giggling and swooning at the same time. It’s harder than it sounds, I assure you. Have you ever tried typing a multi-sentence text message while on the verge of passing out from over-excitement? So I was very excited to finally get my hands on this book? Because John Matthew and Xhex were my favorite characters? And I wanted to see if John Matthew was somehow going to get his voice back? And if Qhuinn and Blaylock would get drunk and make out and have dirty sex on the floor of a bar’s restroom? I was mostly wondering how Xhex and John Matthew’s story was going to play out? If it will have a similar feel to Zsadist and Bella’s story? Because Bella was kidnapped by lessers in that one and Zsadist spends a significant time in the book trying to find her? Like John Matthew does for Xhex in this book? And do we finally find out why JM keeps getting those damn seizures? Am I going to keep talking like this?

Maybe?

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I resigned my week-old job today with this email:

Please accept this letter as a notice of my resignation effective immediately. I don’t feel I am the right fit for the company and each day, I find myself wracked with anxiety and uncertainty as I go about my duties. I don’t think I will be happy at [company name redacted] and don’t want to waste your time more than I already have, which is why I believe the best course of action would be for me not to return anymore.

I thank you for your time.

This is how my former boss—a man about five-eleven, 250 lbs, calls himself a Christian, prides himself on doing “God’s Work”—responded:

this is not acceptable. you decide to walk out with no notice. did we hurt you in some way? were you disrespected to treat us this way? you know [name redacted] is on vacation next week and you dont have enough respect to give us a weeks notice.

In my opinion you are a piece of shit. If any of us ever see you again we will be sure to tell you in person. Karma will also repay you for this.

If any of us ever see you again sounds like a threat to me. I should be looking over my shoulder for this big angry dude. Say my guy and I were walking around in Balboa Island and we walked into this dude… would he scream in my face and slap me with his meaty, sausage-fingered hand? Would he throw acid in my face and laugh maniacally? Seriously, I want to know. SHOULD I BE SCARED OF THIS MAN?

And oh, yeah… I totally believe in Karma, dude. I’m pretty sure it’s this invisible thing that will follow me around like a puddle of water or a shadow or an errant pull-cord for the venetian blinds that will choke me in my sleep just like in Final Destination. I only fear five things, dude: 1) zombies 2) snakes 3) carbohydrates 4) drowning 5) zombified sea-snake creatures that poop cupcakes and pull chubby Asian girls under water and drown them.

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