Jana Downs

Sorry everyone,

Blog Hop accidently connected my entry to the old webpage. Hit the link below to go to the real page. Sorry for the inconvience!

http://janadowns.blogspot.com/

*****StoryExcerpt*****

The Ravyns were in especially jovial moods tonight. Even the normally stoic Tony was smiling softly as they piled out of the SUV and shuffled toward the VIP line in the side alley that ran beside the club. It was always a short line. As soon as the vampire bouncers saw Alex’s husband, Dageus, standing in line, they ushered them all forward past disappointed faces and a few scowls. When the Master vampire’s spouse showed up, everyone lost their place in line. It was a nice perk.

Damian, his Ravyn Allasandro’s fiancé,flashed into existence beside them as they filed into the door. He backed his lover up into the pitch-black corner, and they disappeared from view for a fewhot seconds.

“Oh, for the love of the gods,” Tony grumbled. He opened his mouth to deliver a scathing remark, but Salvatore silenced him.

“Enough. Leave them be. The club is safe. Grab your beer and a table, and I’ll join you in a bit.” The Demon Prince walked steadily toward the bar where he knew his bartender would be working tonight. The fact that he knew his schedule and beelined for him every time they hit the club would’ve probably been considered stalking in multiple states,but he just couldn’t help himself. He was never too forward or obvious about it and always extremely polite and respectful. He didn’t know how else to be.

“Salvatore.” His younger cousin, Theron,grabbed his arm, his gaze darting around wildly. He was the newest addition to his band of merry men and still wasn’t used to their life on Earth. “Is it safe to be wandering about by yourself?”

Salvatore petted his arm soothingly. “Of course. Daylight is the safest place in the city outside Alex’s house. I promise. If there was any danger, my Ravyns wouldn’t let either of us out oftheir sight.” He gestured to the table where his Ravyns were seated, loudlytalking with one another as they passed around a pitcher of beer. “Go sit with them and try and relax. You’ll feel safer among them.” He didn’t know whyTheron had agreed to come out with him. The younger demon didn’t really seem like the type to hit the club on a nightly basis. He was pretty reserved for royalty.

He sidled up to the bar and smiled when the bartender of his dreams immediately came to him. His black hair was done upin fashionable spikes tonight, making him look impish. His wide white smile wasframed with kissable lips which had two metal hoops off-center on his bottomone. His brow was pierced as well, along with his ears and, because Salvatorehad stared enough to notice, pierced nipples that showed faintly through his tight Ed Hardy muscle shirt. Tattoos of trees decorated his arms, one tree in the thick of summer, full of greenery and scattered wildlife, and the other inthe last vestiges of fall with bright orange, yellow, and brown leaves fallingaround it. Crows sat among the branches of that tree. Six of them to be precise. It had amused Salvatore when he’d first seen it. The roots of both trees traveled down his arms, forearms, and circled around his wrists.

His body was thin but graceful, and he stood almost a foot shorter than most of his Ravyns, topping five five at most.What muscle he did have was ripped and tight. When he bent over behind the bar,Salvatore often had a hard time not salivating. His ensemble tonight ended in tight, aged, designer jeans that were frayed in strategic places. He was breathtaking.

“Hiya, good lookin’,” the bartender drawled. In their conversations, Salvatore had learned that the accent was oneof America’s southern region’s dialects. His bartender was apparently from Georgia.Wherever that was.

“Hi,” Salvatore greeted, leaning forwardin his seat.

“What can I getcha?” he asked. “Your usual?”

“Actually, I’d like something sweeter,if you please. A Jack and Coke isn’t what I’m wanting.” Salvatore switched up his drink choice just to get him talking. He loved listening to him talk. Hispunk rock sex god was impossible not to stare at, but when he talked, he was positively…what was the word Ally used all the time? Fuckable. That was it. He was positively fuckable. His eyes drifted down the other man’s lean frame of their own volition.

“Last time I checked, darlin’, the drink menu was not in my jeans.”

Alone. It was the story of his life. Colton Stanton, Cole for short, took a sip out of his polar bear coffee mug and let the hot chocolate warm his insides. The flames crackled in the fireplace; despite the warmth emanating from therein, he’d have to add wood soon. He could already feel the heat ebbing as his fire lost energy. He sighed deeply, set his mug on the coffee table, and stood. No matter how warm he made his house, it wouldn’t warm the ice that seemed to encase his soul.

Cole had left his North Carolina prison as soon as he’d turned eighteen. NYC had seemed like the Promised Land for someone like him, a place where he could lose himself in the anonymity of the city. A place where no one would care that he was a foster brat. A place to start over. He’d worked hard to put himself through school, managing to snag two scholarships sponsored by the state after his first semester. He’d always pushed himself academically. All the sappy Lifetime movies he watched told him that education was the only way out of a penniless existence. He’d gotten his master’s degree in literature and taught part time at a community college as he worked on getting noticed for his writing. Cole had always been a writer and often lost himself in the worlds in his head. His fiction tended to be heartrending depictions of love and loss with happy endings, in stark contrast to what he actually knew of reality. Finally, in his late twenties, he had sold one of his manuscripts to a major publisher, and his life had completely changed. He filed that under the “how the hell had that happened?” column in his mind. Then he’d filled his world with all the things he’d lacked in his childhood. Well, almost everything. Some things were still missing.

Dragging himself out from the shit swirling in his head like the world’s largest toilet bowl, he threw another log on the fire and stared into the crackling flames, contemplating the moment he’d decided to abandon New York and everything about his life there. I should probably shoot Eric an e-mail to let him know I’m still alive, Cole thought, going back to his plush green couch and burrowing under his red fleece blanket. He and Eric had worked together for the past five years, ever since his first book was accepted for publication, and somewhere along the way he’d become more than an editor. He’d become a friend. A copy of Lisa Jackson’s latest thriller lay open on the armchair, waiting. Cole rubbed his eyes and yawned. Maybe he’d e-mail Eric tomorrow. His eyes were heavy and his body warm beneath the soft blanket. Before he could convince himself to cross the wood floor and pour himself into the cool bed in the other room, he was asleep.

A hard knock on the front door jolted Cole out of his rest. He stretched with a groan of pain as his cramped muscles protested the movement after sleeping in an uncomfortable position on the couch all night. The fire had long since died, and the hardwood floor was freezing on his feet as he stood. 

“I’m coming!” he barked at the door. He wondered briefly who could be banging on his door this early in the morning. Nestled in the rural North Carolina mountains, his home rarely received visitors. He had surprised himself by buying a home in the place he’d once called a prison. He’d first returned on the insistence of a friend who wanted to visit the Biltmore House in Asheville. Despite his bad memories of the state, Cole had found himself falling in love with the quaint historical charm of the town like so many other city dwellers did, and he decided to buy a vacation home near there. The seclusion and natural beauty acted like a calming balm to him after a hard write, and he’d made it into his own rural retreat. Not many people knew who he was or even that he lived in the area. In fact, the only other person he’d had at his home in months was the elderly Mrs. Bryant, who hobbled up the hill every Sunday to bring Cole a home-cooked Sunday dinner—against his adamant protests, of course. It couldn’t be Mrs. Bryant, though, because unless Cole had lost his ever-loving mind, it was Thursday.

Cole smoothed his hands down the front of his sleep-wrinkled shirt and swung open the heavy oak door. He blinked several times in confusion. Was he still asleep? There on his front porch, in two inches of snow, wrapped up like a seasoned Eskimo to stave off the cold, was Eric. The early morning sunlight poured over his broad shoulders and etched out in detail the natural highlights of his golden hair, and then, just to fuck with Cole’s equilibrium, decided to play “mesmerize like a kaleidoscope of beautiful” with his emerald eyes. The eyes that Cole had been practically drooling over since first staring into them. 

“Good morning,” Eric said brightly. “Did I wake you?” 

Cole blinked again. His brain still wasn’t processing Eric’s presence on his doorstep. He looked so out of place in such a rural setting. A native New Yorker, Eric was most at ease in the rolling urban sprawl. Cole had never been able to picture Eric here. 

“You going to invite me in, or am I supposed to stay out here and turn into a popsicle?” Eric demanded in his usual straightforward manner. His bluntness was one of his most endearing qualities. 

“Yeah, sure. Sorry. Wasn’t expecting anyone. Come on in.” Cole stepped back to allow Eric to enter his home. He shifted from foot to foot as he watched Eric sweep the room with his discerning gaze. His home was built for comfort; everything was plush and soft, in stark contrast to his New York apartment, which was the epitome of functionality. He knew for a fact that Eric’s own apartment was more modern in its décor. “Toe off your shoes so you won’t get water on the floor,” Cole said. 

After he took Eric’s coat and sat him on the couch, Cole retreated to the bathroom. He stared at the unforgiving reflection in his mirror and winced. His dark hair was stuck up every which way, and his brown eyes had black circles underneath them. He brushed his teeth quickly and washed his face, hoping that it would clean him up a bit. He also needed a shave, but that would just have to wait.

“This is a really nice place. Kind of a pain in the butt to get to, though.” Eric’s voice echoed through the house, reaching Cole in the bathroom.

“Uh, yeah. What’d you expect when you travel to BFE? Definitely no Quickie Marts in reasonable travel distance, but I like the isolation. Gives me room to relax after a hard write,” Cole called back. When he was working on a new story, he’d immerse himself in New York and the busyness of the city. The constant motion drove his muse and gave life to his characters. He often retreated to a more rural setting when he needed to relax. Here, he didn’t need to think. 

“I always wondered what this place looked like,” Eric said, a certain awe in his voice. “It suits you.” 

Cole came out of the bathroom and eyed his editor warily. What the hell did that mean? And why was he here? “Would you like some coffee?” he asked instead. He didn’t want to be rude. “It’s not Starbucks but it gets the job done.” 

“That’d be great. I’ll help you out in the kitchen. You have anything to whip up for breakfast? I’ll cook.” 

As usual, Eric took up all the space in the room. His personality was just like that. Larger than life. He never asked for permission but instead dived headfirst into everything. Cole watched helplessly as Eric walked toward his kitchen. 

“Wait, you don’t even know where it is!” Cole snapped. He didn’t need Eric messing in his pantry… not that he had that much in it.

“Well, I figured the way you came from had the bedrooms, and since I see the dining room table right there,” he explained, pointing to the table across from the couch, “I’d wager that the kitchen is right through here.” He grinned in triumph as he rounded the corner and was faced with marble countertops and the stove. He turned back to meet Cole’s stormy expression. “So how about that breakfast?” 

Hi everyone,

Just passing on a little news I received from Dreamspinner today.

They're having a We Are Thankful sale on their website which lists 20% off all of their fabulous products at Dreamspinnerpress.com, every purchase enters you in a chance to win a new Kindle Fire so it's a pretty awesome deal.

Also, if you like them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/dreamspinnerpres... they'll give you a discount code for 15% off of one order regardless of size over the next year.

Whew! That was a lot of stuff.

Anyways, just passing the news on to you all. Happy reading and as always, stay scandalous!

Jana ;D

It had to be around here somewhere. There was no way it had grown legs and wandered off. It just wasn't possible. Ger's heart was thundering in his ears as he used his power to illuminate the entire room. There wasn't a shadow left in the space.

"Where are you?" He asked in exasperation after another ten minutes of fruitless searching.

"What in the bloody hell is making my house light up like a blasted lighthouse?" Alex thundered from somewhere down the hall. "Kal! Kal! What are your damned brothers doing to my house?"

Ger winced. Oops. He hadn't realized his powers had flared to the other rooms. The house phone began ringing. 

"And there is the human authorities. Kal!" Alex shouted. "Come explain to the police commissioner why I'm creating a light show."

Germany sighed. Fine. He would have to do this the old fashioned way.  WIth a wave of his hand, the power dispelled, making the world settle into normal patterns of light and darkness. He crossed the hardwood floors to his bedroom door and threw it open.He took a right down the hallway to the Salvatore's room.

He knocked quietly and waited for affirmation before he opened it and slipped inside. His brothers sat around Salvatore's game table, playing Sorry. Dageus had introduced the game to them but he was nowhere in sight. He must've gone to Alex to calm the vampire down.

"Ah, I figured you were the one disrupting the light flow." Salvatore said by way of greeting. He rolled his dice and smiled as he achieved a good roll. His wine colored eyes all but sparkled with mirth as he bumped Tony's piece back to start. Druas and Ally-cat snickered at the move. Their commander cursed.

"Okay," Germany began, looking at each of his brothers in turn. "If it is returned to me in five seconds I won't ask any questions. Not even if you read it." Four pairs of eyes stared at him blankly. Ger felt like screaming. "One of you had to have taken it."

No one but his brothers knew how important his journal was to him. His anxiety always spiked when he had to go without it. He wrote down everything in there. Salvatore sat back in his chair and looked at him confusedly.

"What are you talking about, Germany?" Salvatore asked. His prince played with the ends of his long red hair. He did that when he was puzzled. Crap.

"My journal is missing and no one but one of you could've taken it." They were the only ones who knew where he kept it. The servants and the vampires would have no reason do dig through his sock drawer in search of it.

Druas frowned. "I didn't take it, man. You know I don't like reading to begin with and the thought of reading your boring ass scribbles gives me the shakes."

"And I didn't take it, bro. If I would've thought of it, I would've but I didn't." Ally added.

Tony snorted. "Don't even look at me. I'm not childish enough to even contemplate it." He said it pointedly looking at Allasandro. Ger made a noise of frustration.

"Fine. But, I'm launching an investigation. I will find out who took my journal."  Ger turned and went through the door, slamming it behind him.

Germany Hi everyone,

Well, it's done. Finished. Completed. Thank whatever mystical powers that may exist in the universe. Ger's HEA is officially on paper.

Lots of twists in this one. A lot more than I expected. A few new faces that you'll hopefully be seeing again. I'm really excited for you guys to get to know him as well as I did.

To celebrate I'm going to do a little "behind the scenes" moment with him sometime this week. His rotation is going to be difficult to work with but I'm sure I can harass him before a shift.^_^I promise to post it multiple places when it happens.

Thanks for reading!

Jana Downs

Allasandro gave a scream of joy as he slid down the banister of Alex's house before hopping off and skating to the foyer. He nearly lost his cowboy hat as he skidded on the polished marble and nearly bowled over his vampire husband. Damian managed to absorb the weight of him just in time though and righted himself.

"Well Hello, love." Damian purred, pressing a kiss to Ally-cat's lips. His eyes traveled the length of the Ravyn's body and his hands slid down to grope the tight globes of Ally's blue-jean clad buttock.

"Howdy." Ally greeted, tipping the brim of his hat. He was a stripper cowboy for Halloween, complete with blue jeans, glittery chaps, and a dust of golden glitter over his muscular chest. The outfit was so typical of him that when he'd announced it, it came as no real surprise. They had all expected him to be a stripper-something. The rest of them were keeping their costumes underwraps until they met in the foyer. There was a big Halloween party at Daylight tonight and they were all looking forward to going.Well... maybe not Tony but that was typical.

Ally noticed the bolts that were glued to the side of Damian's neck, the eyeliner stitches on his forehead, and the tattered black suit. He cocked his head to the side. "What are you?"

"I'm Frankenstein's Monster. What else would I be?" Damian announced, pinching Ally-cat's backside. Ally didn't get it but he figured "monster" qualified it as an actual costume. He turned in Damian's arms as the sound of footsteps echoed on the marble floor.

He laughed aloud as the other Ravyns came into view. Salvatore was in a pair of skintight bright red zebra striped leggings with a white fur vest, white boots, and a crazy hat that had a lime-green feather sticking out of it.

"Good gods, my prince. What the hell are you?" Ally asked laughing.

The Prince returned his smile. "I am a pimp, a trafficker of young performers from the seventies. Maddeline suggested it." Damian choked out a burst of laughter.

"Of course she did." The vampire said. Ally's attention turned towards Tony who was dressed in a navy blue suit, complete with tie, sunglasses, and an ear piece. It didn't look very costumey to Ally.

Tony cut him off before he could ask. "Before you ask, Allasandro, I am dressed as a secret service agent. I did wear a costume." 

Ally snorted but made no other comment. Outfits like that were cheating. Druas came into view, towering over them all as usual. Except he normally didn't sport gauzy green and blue fairy wings. He was bare-chested with the exception of those wings, glitter decorated his chest and flowers were woven into his hair, he had brown pants on that had vines wrapped around one thigh.

"I'm a fairy." He announced proudly. "Got the idea from the Peter Pan movie we watched the other night." The entire party laughed.

"You're Tinker Bell?" Ally dissolved into fits of laughter. That was freaking priceless. Of course he dared anyone to say anything to the biggest out of the Ravyns. They'd get pummeled by a man wearing fairy wings and they would never live that down.

Alex and Dageus flashed into the room then. Dageus had a harem outfit the color of the sky that  bared more than it covered and Alex was sporting a turban, white vest, and loose white pants. "We coordinated." Dageus explained. "He's the sultan and I'm his harem boy."

Aw, now Ally was sad that he hadn't thought to do something like that with Damian. Maybe later he and Damian could play something along those lines. Damian must've read his mind because he squeezed his arm as if to say 'later'.

Germany was sporting a black suit that had the outline of a human skeleton on it. His face was painted black with white outlines for the facial bones with his black hair pulled back. That was a pretty cool idea.He waved to them all but didn't say anything. Ally bet anything that he had a notebook stashed somewhere on his person.

"Um, is this okay?" Prince Theron's voice rose up over the chatter of the Ravyns and the vampires. They turned in unison to see him sporting an all white sweat suit with white shoes, white ears, and a red bowtie. "I'm, um, I'm the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland." He was freaking adorable. They'd have to watch out for him at Daylight because otherwise he would be swarmed by men wanting to pick him up.

"You look great, little cousin." Salvatore said, as always he was the epitome of diplomacy.

"Yep. Looking great, cutey." Ally added with a wink. The Prince blushed. How friggin cute was that?

Damian leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Stop harassing the child, naughty boy. Or else I'll have to punish you." Ally shuddered. That so wasn't a threat to Ally.

"Are we finally ready to go?" Alex asked, calling all their attention to him. "The car is waiting for us out front."

"Let's do this!" Ally crowed, pumping his fist in the air. He was so excited he was about to burst. They all laughed at him as he raced for the door. Yeah, he was a clown. Always would be.

They piled into the waiting Limo and began the short drive from Alex's house to his club downtown. Ally looked at his brothers, his king, the prince, and the vampires. They were his family and Ally couldn't have picked any other people he wanted to share his first Halloween on Earth with. Damian drew him backwards into his arms so that he could hold him around the waist as the limo carried them to their destination. He looked once more at his brothers.

"We need a toast!" He announced.

"Well said, Allasandro. Well said." Alex seconded, digging into the mini-fridge and popping a bottle of champagne. Dageus passed out the glasses and filled them with the bubbling liquid.They raised their glasses.

"Go ahead,  Ally-cat. You called for a toast." Dageus encouraged. Ally raised his glass higher.

"Sweet. Hmmm," his eyes went to his lover, his princes, and then back to his brothers. "To new friends, new lovers, family, and good times. Happy Halloween everyone!"

"Happy Halloween!" They echoed. They were in for a fabulous night.

This interview was done in my living room a couple weeks ago. Salvatore was dressed in a black suit with his hair pulled back in a low ponytail. He had little dragon diamond cufflinks (Which I thought was freaking adorable). He had the most uncomfortable looking black shoes on I've ever seen, some brand name like Gucci or something. Anyways, here is the interview.  

Me: Thanks for talking with me today, Prince Salvatore.

Salvatore: Not a problem, ysgrifennydd fy annwyl.

Me: (of course I had no idea what it meant then but I took it as an endearment. It means something like 'my dear scribe or writer'. Old High Court Demonish and Welsh share quite a few similarities but I'll save the linguistics lesson for another time)  Earth is a lot different than the Demon realm where you're from. How are you adjusting?

Salvatore: (shrugging) I am adjusting well enough. My Ravyns and the vampires of the Entertainers are keeping me as comfortable as possible. I have enjoyed my new freedoms very much here on Earth.

Me: I've heard that you enjoy the clubs in Haven. Any one in particular?

Salvatore: Day light. My Ravyns relax a little there.

Me: Any other reasons?

Salvatore: The drinks are well made. (typical that the guy notices the drinks and nothing else)

Me: A couple of your Ravyns have found lovers since coming to Earth. I've been led to believe that this isn't a usual occurance despite the multiple reincarnations. How do you feel about it?

Salvatore: (he was silent for a good minute as he contemplated the question) I wish only happiness for my Ravyns. I know that they need to find their own happiness in any way that they can. They worry over my wellbeing so much, I will and I cannot be an obstacle for their happiness. I like both Damian and Alexander. They're good for my boys. So in turn, I am happy for them.

(Tony and Germany come in then. It's time for Salvatore's daily training session. He's taken up the sword more often lately in preparation for the coming battle with Desmond)

Salvatore: Would you excuse me? I fear our interview must be cut a little short. Another time perhaps?

(I thanked him for his graciousness and waved to them as they left my house. As usual Salvatore was very formal and very polite. It's something about him that is very comforting. Nothing about Salvatore seems cold despite the formality. He is warm inside and out. I hope that he'll be able to find his own happily ever after soon. No man or monarch is more deserving).

HI Everyone,

I'm so happy announce that Ally-cat's release day is today. ^_^ He was a surprising and interesting character to write and I couldn't be prouder to call him mine (yes, I mother the Ravyns. Since I'm their creator I feel like I can do that). I always expected Ally to be the last to find his happily-ever-after but I guess he was a little more of a romantic than I originally thought. Go figure.

I'm pleased to say that the next Ravyn Warriors was also a surprise character and I'm looking forward to everyone's reactions about him.

Hope you enjoy reading Ravyn's Heart!

Best,

Jana Downs

Dageus sat in the plush green couch at Starbucks, sipping hischai tea and browsing on his laptop. Practice had finished early tonight and he was intensely grateful for the few minutes of mental freedom. The coffee shop had provided him a perfect escape destination to catch up on some of the much "funner" aspects of being newly mated that he had yet to be able to explore.Namely, the planning of his wedding.

Alex had insisted the whole thing be done in Entertainer colors: red, white, and black but had left the rest of the decisions up to Dageus. He sighed when he opened his email account. Seventeen new messages fromhis wedding planner. Shit.

“Mon petit, what the hell are you doing here?” The oh-so-familiar sounds of his lover’s voice sent a jolt of awareness to the tipsof Dageus’s toes. It wasn’t his fault. The French vampire was just too damnsexy. He looked up and smiled.

Alex was standing just beyond the cream colored coffee table that he had his laptop perched on. As usual he looked stunning. His blond hair was curling slightly on the ends from sweating during practice  and his practice gear clung to him like a second skin.

“Hiding?” Dageus replied finally after looking his fill.

Alex’s lush mouth turned down into a sharp frown. “We haven’t even been mated six months and you are already hiding from me?” Dageus loved when he pouted. “What have I done this time?”

“Nah. That’s not it.” The Ravyn flipped his screen around and pointed to the email marked Emergency. “Allison needs decisions on at least amillion things.” He sighed. “I need some time to get this done and the schedule for the cake tasting and venue tours set up.”

“Can you not do this when you are guarding Salvatore during the day?” Alex wondered. “The nights are mine. I hate losing time for such…” He wrinkled his nose in obvious disgust. “trivial matters.”

Dageus stared at him like he’d lost his ever-loving mind. “Uh…you’re the one who put me in charge of this. Besides, I can’t do it at home.Ally-cat has harassed me nonstop about being a Bride since I told him the term!”

“Shall I have a talk with him?” Alex asked in a serious tone.Dageus rolled his eyes. Riiiiggghhhht. That would go over well. Then he really would NEVER hear the end of it.

“I can deal with my brothers. Thank you.” Alex waved his handand Dageus’s computer turned off. “HEY!”

“You will do this at home. In our bed. With me.”

“B-but I already had half an email written.” Dageus protested.

“I will compose a single email after we’ve read them all together with a list of the things we will need and will expect from her. I’ll talk Santiago into letting us leave practice early again one evening and we will meet Allison in person. If necessary I’ll have the cake-maker come to us.Alright? No more hiding in Starbucks.” Alex’s deep blue eyes sparkled with awarmth that he only gave to Dageus. “Is that acceptable to you, love?”

I seriously love this man. I love him so much it hurts. Dageus thought to himself. He returned that smile and grabbed up his Chai tea. “More thanacceptable, Master.” Doing things Alex’s way was always more efficient, even Dageus had to admit that. The more quickly they got through the wedding crap the faster that they could get to the fun stuff. He eyed Alex’s perfect ass. Oh yeah. They definitely needed to get done with the email as quickly as possible.

            Alex took his hand and brought it upto his mouth for a kiss. “I love you.”

            “I love you too, Master.” It was so good to be the Bride of a Master Vampire. Ally could bite him and make as many ‘pretty brides wear dresses’ jokes that he wanted. When it came right down to it,Dageus was happy son of a bitch.