Shatterproof

by Stein Willard

  “Come on. We need to hurry,” she hissed and pulled the older woman behind her to the lift. When the steel doors closed behind them, Magarethe gave Bo a withering look.

  “You can’t rush me like that. I’m not as young as you think.”

  “I’m sorry, but I know the man who was outside the apartment just now.” Magarethe frowned. “He crashed into my car back home and then he tried to break into my house last night.”

  Magarethe’s eyes filled with pain. “Oh, Borgny. It has already begun.”

  “I need to make a call as soon as we get to the car.”

  ***

  Shawn was making his way over to the tomb after his talk with Doctor Keene. The woman hadn’t taken the news well and Shawn was worried that the students were in for a thorough tongue-lashing this evening. He was about to enter the tomb when his phone rang. Not recognizing the number, he considered letting it go to voicemail.

  “Aren’t you going to get that, Professor?” Hanna called from inside the tomb. He sighed and pressed the answer button.

  “Whitaker.”

  “Professor, it’s me, Bo Witteman. I’ve arrived in Iceland.”

  He smiled widely. “Bo, it’s so good to hear you’ve…”

  “I’m in trouble, Professor. A man followed me from the States and I need somewhere I can lay low for a day or two.”

  Shawn blinked. “A man? He followed you here? Why?”

  “I can’t tell you now. He’s coming towards me. Please call me back when you find something.”

  He was staring at the phone still puzzled by the strange call when he looked up and saw Hlif walking towards the surveillance tent with two of her men. “Hlif.”

  She stopped and looked at him. He rushed over to her and she quickly excused herself from the men. “Professor, is there a problem?”

  “No. I mean, yes.” He held up his phone.

  “With your mobile?”

  “No. I just received a call from a friend. She’s in trouble and she needs a place to lay low for a while.”

  Hlif frowned. “I’m not sure how I can help with this. If she’s in trouble with the law, I would suggest she hands herself over.”

  “I don’t think she can.” He looked around. “A man followed her here from the States and he was chasing after her as we were talking. She…”

  Hlif’s face underwent a quick transformation. It suddenly looked like it was cut from granite. “Where is she now?”

  “I don’t know,” he said slowly, suddenly fearful of the look in the dark grey eyes.

  “Tell her to drive to the nearest police station. Give her my number and ask her to text the street name to me.”

  Shawn was confused as he watched the tall woman sprint to the surveillance tent. He remembered then that he had to make a call. What a strange day.

  ***

  “How do you know we can trust this woman?”

  “Because my friend vouched for her,” Bo said as she checked all the mirrors to make sure that they hadn’t been followed.

  “So, this man crashed his car into you and then he followed you home?”

  “He came to my home much later. I spotted him when he peeped through my kitchen window.” She glanced at her grandmother and saw stark fear on the woman’s face. She placed a hand on the older woman’s hand. “I think we’ve lost him. Professor Whitaker’s friend should be here any moment now.”

  “We don’t know what she looks like, so how will we know who to look out for?”

  “He said she was very tall.” Bo prayed that the woman was tall enough to stand out in a country of genetically tall people.

  A car pulled into a parking lot behind them and Bo stiffened. Please, don’t let it be him. A tall figure got out and made a sprint towards the entrance of the police station. Bo didn’t know how she knew that was the person she was supposed to meet, but she pressed the horn and the figure came to an immediate stop. She turned and Bo blinked rapidly. Professor Whitaker could’ve done so much better with his description. He left out the fact that the woman was exquisite.

  “I think your friend’s description was sorely lacking,” Magarethe said next to her and Bo felt her cheeks heat up. Yes, she fully agreed with her grandmother. Remove the classy suit; drape the tall figure in leather leggings, a tunic, and animal furs and in the blink of the eye, the woman resembled an ancient Viking warrior.

  She waited in breathless anticipation as the tall woman came over to their car with long, powerful strides. Bo opened the door just as the brunette reached the car. A piercing, dark grey gaze trapped hers. It was almost as if the woman was looking right through her with those unusual eyes. Bo wasn’t a short woman, but the raven-haired woman was a head taller, making her feel puny next to her.

  “Hi.” She sounded breathless.

  “Hi. I’m Hlif, professor Whitaker’s friend.” She had a faint accent that added to the striking package.

  “Bo Witteman.” She held out her hand and the woman’s larger one gently enfolded hers. An electrical spark shot through their locked hands straight to her chest and Bo’s lips parted in a silent gasp. Hlif appeared a tad disoriented and they quickly broke contact. “I… My grandmother is with me.”

  Hlif peered into the window and quickly walked around the car to greet Magarethe, giving Bo the time to compose herself. She caught her reflection in the window and grimaced at her flustered appearance. What the hell was happening to her? This wasn’t the first time she had been confronted by a beautiful woman. However, it was the first time that all her senses kicked into overdrive simultaneously, disorienting her.

  Bo closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them, Hlif was back. She looked incredible in the three-piece suit that fit her powerful frame like a second skin. Bo had enjoyed a few butch lovers over the years and although she had appreciated their poised, masculine energy, she always found herself reverting to the more feminine types. Everything about Hlif enhanced her commanding presence, but her cloudy, grey eyes offered a confounding gentleness, which made Bo’s stomach hurt from the wild summersaults happening on the inside.

  “I can’t take you to where professor Whitaker is, since his whole family, including his three-year-old granddaughter, are with him. We don’t want to draw the man to them.” She watched Bo closely and only continued after Bo nodded in the affirmative. “If you like, you could stay with me while my team and I track down this man. You’ll be safe there.”

  Sleep under the same roof as this gorgeous creature? Bo wasn’t sure if she would be able to behave herself around the woman. She noticed her grandmother staring at her intensely and Bo nodded.

  “That would be much appreciated. Thank you.”

  “Good. Do you mind if I drive us there? One of my men will come by later to collect my car.”

  “No, not at all.”

  Bo leaned into the car to retrieve her phone and when she pulled back, she bumped into the 6 foot 5 Viking warrior. She inhaled the subtle musky scent of the woman as she moved past her with a soft apology. The tempestuous gaze held hers for a breathless moment.

  The car seemed smaller with their tall guest inside and sitting behind her, Bo could study the woman uninterrupted. That was until Hlif looked up and caught her gaze in the mirror. Bo quickly lowered her eyes, appearing to be busy strapping in.

  “When we get to my place, I’d like to ask you as much as you can remember about the man. Would that be okay with you?”

  “Yes. We appreciate your help.”

  They drove in silence for a few moments before Magarethe broke the quiet.

  “I didn’t catch your surname, Hlif.”

  “It’s Svendson.”

  Magarethe chuckled. “Oh, you’re that Hlif. I thought I recognized you from a magazine article.”

  Hlif shrugged. “That was a long time ago.”

  “Three months is not that long ago, my dear. So, what happened? I must say we were all relieved when you turned her down.”

  Turned her down? Bo was sitting u
p straight now. Who was the unfortunate woman that Hlif had to turn down? She didn’t know the woman, but Bo would be devastated if she let a fine woman like Hlif Svendson slip through her fingers. Crap, any woman would be devastated.

  “We’re here.”

  Bo peered through the window and blinked at the sight of the large three-storey building. It was too severe and non-specific to be an apartment complex.

  “The building also houses my private security firm,” Hlif explained as if she was reading Bo’s mind. “I’m sure you want to rest after your flight. I could make you some tea while you freshen up.”

  ***

  “What do you mean she’s gone?”

  Lars looked uncomfortable. “She left her house this morning, but we lost her in traffic and decided to wait at the office.”

  Loki blinked. “And?”

  “Well, you know the office was closed down for the rest of the week. We then thought to wait for her at her house, but she never came home. She always comes home around four on Fridays before she goes out again.”

  Loki shook his head. He’s working with idiots. Maybe his mistake was in thinking that three centuries old Vikings would be good henchmen. How wrong he’d been. He needed someone savvier; someone more adjusted to this era.

  He’d have to ponder on that some more, but not tonight. He was expected to have dinner with Elaine and her family.

  “I’m going out. Go to her place and find out where she’s gone. Or better yet, let me see what I can do from my side.” He still had the other woman’s number, perhaps she knew where Bo had gone. “Stay here and wait for me.”

  ***

  Hlif looked down the hallway leading to the bedrooms. Both Bo and her grandmother had opted to freshen up, while she made them some tea and a light dinner. She looked at the pan before her. After ten minutes, she still hadn’t started on dinner. With one final glance down the hallway, she reached for it.

  Her hands seemed to shake even more now than they did earlier. She had known that Bo’s presence would affect her. How severe, she didn’t realize until they’d met in the police parking lot. She was stunned that she didn’t cause an accident on the drive over here, since she was acutely aware of the woman sitting behind her seat the entire time.

  Bo was the spitting image of Gurith. She had several pictures that Markus had sent her over the years. However, that was not what had thrown her off balance. It was her presence. She had the same compelling presence that had made Gurith such a good leader. And those eyes! Hlif had missed looking into them. Missed feeling them looking at her.

  Hlif heard footsteps coming down the hallway and she turned to her fridge where she removed veggies and salmon steaks. She turned back to find Magarethe standing at the island.

  “Thank you for having us.”

  Hlif smiled faintly. “It’s great to have people over for a change,” she said as she carefully began to chop up the veggies.

  The older woman pulled out one of the chairs. “It’s hard to believe that an attractive woman such as yourself prefers to live a solitary lifestyle.” She cocked her head to the side. “I had the same conversation with Bo earlier.”

  Hlif forced herself to remain cool, praying that she didn’t chop off a finger in the process. “Does she also prefer the single lifestyle?”

  Magarethe chuckled. “It would appear so. This is all very sad, if you ask me.”

  “What is?” Hlif flicked on the stove as she looked up to look at the older woman. Magarethe looked genuine confounded.

  “Youth and good looks are wasted on you two. One day you’ll wake up and you’ll find that life has passed you by, while you were too busy with your careers.”

  Hlif lightly seasoned the salmon steaks and placed them in the heated pan. She brought the tray with the kettle and cups over to place it before Magarethe and leaned her hip against the granite island. “For all you know, your granddaughter’s heart might already belong to someone.”

  The woman’s eerily familiar eyes narrowed. “She doesn’t appear to me like someone who’s in love. Does she look like that to you?”

  Hlif decided to attend to her dish. The woman couldn’t really expect her to answer that, especially not when Hlif knew that Bo was standing in the hallway listening to them.

  “It’s not my place to have an opinion on my guests’ love life, madam.”

  The woman laughed softly. “Well-mannered, successful, and extremely good-looking. Maybe you’re just what she needs. A tough Viking maiden like you would give her gorgeous babies and keep her satisfied in bed.”

  The spatula slipped from Hlif’s hand and clattered to the granite surface. Before she could come up with something to say, Hlif heard footsteps rushing down the hallway towards them.

  “Grandmother!” Bo’s cheeks were an attractive rosy colour and her eyes were wide in horror. “It’s rude to put our host on the spot like that.”

  “Why? She’s beautiful and single. Even at my age, I can tell she would be a great lover. An insatiable one, too.”

  “Oh my…” Bo looked like she was going to strangle her grandmother, before she covered her face with her hands.

  Hlif wasn’t sure what to do, her gaze switching between Bo and her grandmother before she remembered the pan on the stove. The fish would be a little dry, but still edible.

  “I’m sorry.” Startled, she found Bo standing next to her. She was still beautifully flustered. Gurith never blushed. She had been exposed to the lives of men, and war too early in life and had developed a tolerance for almost everything. “I apologize for my…” She threw her unrepentant grandmother a poisonous look. “…for all this.”

  Hlif smiled gently. Except for the part about babies, Magarethe had been spot on. She would love to be Bo’s choice and she was looking forward to keeping the intoxicating woman satisfied in and out of bed.

  “No need to apologize.” She pointed at a vacant chair. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. You could have some tea or if you’d like something stronger, I could open a bottle of wine.”

  She saw Bo’s eyes narrow slightly as she glanced at her grandmother. Maybe the wine was not such a good idea, because if Magarethe could create such havoc whilst sober, there was no telling what she was capable of with alcohol in her system.

  “I think I’ll stick to tea for now,” Bo said as she gave Hlif a sheepish look.

  “Good choice.” She couldn’t resist winking at Bo, who turned a flattering shade of red once again.

  Chapter 9

  The beautiful interplay between Aeron and Aspen fascinated Shawn. There was no doubt that the two women were deeply in love. That love extended to their offspring, who bathed happily in the attention and adoration of her two parents. Aspen was very attentive and made sure that Aeron’s glass and plate remained full, while the latter fed their daughter.

  “A penny for your thoughts, honey.” He found Jennifer looking at him with one of those knowing smiles of hers.

  “They remind me of us at that age.” He gently squeezed her hand. “Desperately in love and mesmerized by our beautiful baby girl.” Jennifer’s eyes softened even further. “I still feel like that at this age.”

  “Me too, my love.” She leaned over to kiss him and when they broke apart, it was to find the younger couple smiling at them.

  “I hope we’re like you guys when we hit your age,” Aeron said.

  Aspen nodded slowly. “Gives us a lot to look forward to.”

  Shawn and Jennifer shared a quick look before they returned their attention to dinner. There was no doubt that Aeron and Aspen would still be very much in love thirty-five years on. Their love for each other had survived two thousand years and nothing could trump that.

  “Sara and Maxima are arriving on Sunday. Sara thought it a good time to visit the Reykjavik Art Museum, amongst others, while we’re here too.” Aeron scooped another spoonful of mash potatoes into Cleo’s mouth.

  “That’s wonderful news. That would give you ladies time to explore
the country while I’m at the dig site.”

  “What about Bo?” Jennifer asked quietly. “Will she be okay?”

  Not sure how to answer the question truthfully, he gave his wife a worried look. “Hlif is an expert in private security. I’m sure she won’t let anything happen to Bo.”

  “Hlif?” Aeron snorted. “Really?”

  “Oh, yes, Hlif is the CEO of the security firm which is contracted to the dig site.”

  “What an uncanny coincidence.” Aeron sipped from her wine. “You came here to find Hlif the Warrior, only to encounter a living breathing woman called Hlif.”

  Shawn had thought the same.

  Aspen nodded thoughtfully. “Is she a local?”

  “I believe so. Hanna mentioned something about her having several branches across Europe?” He took a bite of his fish. “She is quite knowledgeable about archaeological matters too, which makes her a perfect fit for work on an excavation site. She understands the conditions we need to do our work and is more than willing to work around our schedules.”

  “It’s unfortunate that she couldn’t make dinner tonight. She sounds interesting,” Jennifer said.

  “Oh, she is,” Shawn agreed. “As soon as this thing with Bo’s stalker is dealt with I’ll invite her over so you can meet her.”

  “Poor girl’s already been through so much.”

  Shawn smiled. “She rose about the tragedy.” He noticed a puzzled frown on Aeron’s face. “I’m not sure if you remember Bo Witteman, she was the lawyer who handled the transfer of Aspen’s relics from Ankara to the States for Harry’s exhibition.” He took a sip of his drink. “She immigrated to the States twenty years ago from Iceland after her parents were murdered.”

  Aspen’s brow shot up. “That must’ve been devastating.”

  “She was so young, but she came out on top when she was discovered by a scout and entered the modelling scene. Ten years later she started her company and is making quite a name for herself as an Antiquities and Cultural attorney.” Jennifer grinned. “There is no one who can work through or around red tape like her.”