A Viking's Lost Soul

by T. M. Grinsley

  Every foundation I have built was to kill him. Everything I have worked so hard for was for this moment. But just hearing her voice, that isn’t the case anymore. She is my salvation.

  Sam raises an eyebrow and smirks at me before answering Steph. “I can’t wait to hear all about it. I’ll call you later to get all the details. They are calling me back into the office. Love ya, girl.”

  “Love ya, too. Talk soon.” And with that Steph is gone.

  Sam tosses Darren his phone back and glares back at me. “Kill him and toss his body into the ocean. I never signed up to become barbarians like Bjarne. That is not who we fucking are. Kill the target and move on. So, you have two choices. Kill this fucker and get back to Steph and put yourself out of this misery. Or torture him to get your revenge and lose any chance of ever getting the girl of your dreams.”

  “Marry me?” Darren says as he wraps an arm around her shoulders. “We missed you around here.”

  Moving out of his embrace, she smacks him on the chest and puts her attention back on me. “Well?”

  Looking back at the man before me, I notice Christian and Ian’s faces are unreadable. Karl and Darren are silent as they wait for my decision. Take revenge and give this bastard what he deserves, or take back control of my life?

  For years, I have roamed this earth, needing to avenge my family. Being assigned to Steph was just a bonus because I was that much closer to finding my target. But as time went on, she became my goal, instead of him.

  “Finn?” Christian brings me back to the task at hand, and I know what needs to be done.

  Pulling my gun out of its holster, I point it at Asbjørn. “Mark his body and make it so his soul rots in hell.”

  Nodding his head, I pull the trigger and put an end to this manhunt.

  “Sam-”

  “Don’t. You are spiraling down a path that you will never come back from. You value your worth and think Steph is out of your league, that she can’t handle this world. When in reality, you can’t handle hers. You are a hired gun that kills for money, but the thought of betraying Hrothgier and taking back your life scares the shit out of you. So pull your head out of your ass and decide. I won’t defend you anymore.”

  Christian and Ian finish marking Asbjørn’s body and toss it into the ocean. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “It means, she is a tough chick, and you are an ass for stringing her along.” Christian replies as he puts his knife in his boot. “Bróðir, time to make a choice.”

  Clasping his hand on my shoulder, he pulls me in for a hug. “They are at peace. One day, you will see them in Valhalla and drink mead with the gods. But right now, you need to do something you have longed for since you were thirteen.”

  “Fuckers.” Laughing, I hug him tightly as one tear escapes my eye. Closing my eyes tightly, I send up a silent prayer to the Gods watch and protect my mother and sister.

  “Freya is with them, bróðir. You’re Móðir would have loved her.” Darren clasps forearms with me and moves so Sam can hug me.

  “Thank you,” I whisper into her ear.

  “This means you owe me.” She says as she pulls back and starts to walk away. “Oh, and since I will be joining this party of yours tomorrow at Gudvangen, I had the pleasure of picking out her outfit and will make sure she kicks your ass at the Mock Battle.”

  Skit.

  “What the hell did you do, Sam?”

  Chapter 20

  ~ Stephanie ~

  Hundreds of tents fill the open field. A few massive white tents stick to the outskirts of the area as people mill about. Fires roar to life with fresh meat roasting for dinner, as children chase each other around.

  The guys piled into the SUV early this morning and as usual, refused to tell me anything. Luna is tucked away in a warm bed, all to herself, while I am left once again, with a man who is starting to make me go crazy.

  After the caves, I figured things would change between Finn and me, but alas, I was wrong. Gone is the man who held me in his arms under the stars and fulfilled my fantasies that night, causing havoc on my hormones, and in his place is the stone cold ape-man, back again. Yes, we never had sex, but having a sex god sprawled all over you is enough to make your hormones go nuts.

  “What is this place?” I ask the guys as we step out of the car.

  The last few days have been a blur. Finn went MIA three days ago, saying he needed to do something back home, which left Etienne and me to travel to Gudvangen alone. Sam called me a few times to see how the trip was going and ask if anything changed between the ape and me. I filled her in on everything that happened, and wished more than anything, she could be here with me. I could use a dose of estrogen to help me out with the sea of testosterone I’m stuck in.

  Sam has been in the middle of a massive shoot in New Zealand for the past few months, and she even tried everything in her power to get to the funeral, but her boss was a dick and didn’t let her come. The likelihood of her joining us now is one in a million.

  With Sam making promises to see me real soon and being adamant we will find a guy who isn’t a complete asshole, I feel rejuvenated and less like I am losing my mind over a guy.

  Etienne asked about Sam a few times but made sure to keep things short. A few years ago, something happened between those two, and both refuse to tell me what happened. The mere mention of her name sets him on edge. So, to change the topic and make it entertaining, we talked about the good ol’ days and had a few laughs.

  We stopped at several towns along the way, but last night was probably one of the best nights I have had since coming to Norway. I thought it would be the caves, but reality shattered that.

  Just outside of Gudvangen is a killer town called Mavahlio. The population is vast for a small town, but the scenery is to die for. This ‘small’ town, with over one hundred thousand people, reminded me of home. Cobblestone roads, several bars, restaurants, shopping centers, even plaques on the brick walls, telling us what happened long ago. Several companies that I am familiar with are stationed there, but that’s not why I love this place.

  A club called Hvall was the icing on the cake. With its familiar designs, it is almost an exact replica of the first bar Etienne ever built. Little did I know, Etienne branched overseas to his hometown and built this beauty here. Memories started to flood my brain as we spent hours meeting the locals and getting to know the staff.

  I made a promise to the staff that I would come back tonight to watch the local bands and see what else that place has to offer.

  So fast forward to this moment, I notice six men who look like they walked out of a military magazine. No, I won’t say fashion magazine, because these men are way hotter, and they are staring at me.

  I did walk out of a van and see a large number of white tents, right? Or am I dreaming and completely lost my marbles? Could be a little of both. Wait a sec; they are the men from the funeral. What are they doing here?

  A familiar arm wraps around my shoulders and gestures towards the men in front of me. “Steph, meet my brothers. Brothers, this is my little sister, Steph.” The edge to Etienne’s tone makes me snicker.

  A man with bleach blonde hair and blue eyes, and a smaller build than Etienne, feigns insult as he takes my hand. “Don’t insult me, bróðir. We all know who’s staked their claim.” Placing a gentle kiss on my hand, he winks at me before taking a step back. “Glad to finally meet you. I’m Ian. The other surly bastards are Darren, Karl, Iyrik, Daniel, and Dimitri; the grumpy bastard over there is Christian.”

  The grumpy bastard, I mean Christian, grunts at me as his eyes take me in, before he bolts down the hill, making his way towards the tents. Umm… Nice to meet you too.

  “Ignore him; we don’t let him out much,” Darren says as he pushes Etienne’s arm off my shoulders and takes my hand. “Just say the word, and we will kick Finn's ass for you. Mom doesn’t let him out to socialize much, so when he shows any sign he is human, I know hell has frozen over.”

 
“Watch it, Darren. He looks like he is ready to kill you.” Dimitri warns before following Christian to the tents.

  Waving off Dimitri’s warning, the rest of us follow suit. “He would never hurt his baby bróðir. He loves me too much.”

  “Mother?” I ask in confusion. Finn told me his parents were dead.

  “Yeah. Eira took us all in and made us a family. We call her mom, and it drives her nuts.” Iyrik answers.

  Finn scoffs behind us, and I hear him mutter, “Slápr fífl.”

  I try to turn to see him behind us, but the massive wall of muscle around my shoulder makes that impossible. He mutters a few other words I can’t make out, before plowing through the guys and bolting after Christian and Dimitri.

  “Ha! Pay up.” Darren waves his hand in front of his brothers, as several bills start to pile up.

  “Rotten bastard, you cheated.” Ian groans.

  Etienne rubs his hands over his face, before sliding one into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. “You were supposed to wait until after the mock battle, dunga.”

  “This dunga, just made things more interesting. Besides, I just met the girl and already love her more than our darling brother, who always seems to have a stick up his ass. It’s about time he finally lets someone in.”

  And now I am officially lost. If they are insinuating what I think they are, they are sadly mistaken. Finn most definitely does not have a thing for me. They just made this a hell of a lot more awkward.

  “You think so? Look at Steph’s face and tell me she doesn't doubt our darling brother.” Iyrik quips as we pass our first tent.

  “You fuckers couldn’t have waited ten minutes. Ten mother fucking minutes. Hey Steph, I would like to introduce you to my brothers. Have a good laugh get to know one another, tell her about Hrothgier. Nope. We are going to show her what you assholes are really like and why I kept you hidden all these years.” Etienne grumbles and smacks Darren in the back of the head. “And that is for making shit worse.”

  I raise my hand in the air like this is the second grade and put a stop to all this. “For the record, Finn has made things perfectly clear nothing is going on between us. So, whatever you all just bet on is a farce. Hell, Finn might as well put a sign on his forehead, dick doesn’t get hard for a woman or something. I mean after the caves with him straddling me, you would think something would happen. Nope. He ran like his pants were on fire and couldn’t get away from me fast enough. I am starting to think he is gay or something.”

  The guys all around me start to laugh like I said something funny, but word vomit has struck me again, and I couldn’t stop myself. Tears start to flow freely from a few of the guys, making their laughter even more infectious.

  Ian is gasping for air, but the rest of the guys seem back to normal. “Can we keep her?” Iyrik asks as Darren takes a turn and makes his way towards a large white tent.

  “Odin give me strength,” Etienne whispers as we reach the opening of the white tent where Finn, Christian, and Dimitri are waiting for us outside.

  As we passed several tents on our way over here, several men and women placed a hand over their heart and bowed to the guys in respect, while eyeing me suspiciously. I notice a wooden sign with the name ‘Hrothgier’ stuck into the ground next to the tent.

  “What took you fuckers so long?” Christian grumbles as he looks at us, but his eyes turn to slits when they land on me.

  “Just getting to know Steph and collecting a debt,” Darren smirks as he pulls me in for a tight hug. I feel a small peck on my forehead and see Finn tense out of the corner of my eye.

  Oh, these bastards are going to get me killed this weekend. I already annoy the hell out of Finn, I don’t need his brothers making a game out of this.

  Wiggling out of Darren’s embrace, I hear him chuckle softly before making his way inside the tent.

  Ian, Dimitri, and Iyrik follow suit, casting Finn a look that made his stoic face almost crack.

  My body seems to have a mind of its own as it slowly starts to make its way towards him. Deciding to go with a safe topic because everything else I ask always ends in the silent treatment, I cross my fingers he will talk to me. “What is this place?”

  “Gudvangen, also known to the few as, ‘The Field of the Gods.’ Every year for the last two decades, this town celebrates the Vikings way of life. This place used to be a spot for Viking trade way back when. Thousands of people travel from all over the world to live the life of a Viking; drink the best ale, participate in a mock battle, learn trade, forge weapons from age-old traditions, and eat food made for kings.”

  “These people come here every year and honor their heritage. They live without technology and teach their kids the ancient way of life. Nothing modern, and nothing from the outside world.”

  “So, what you're saying is, when the zombie apocalypse happens, this is probably the safest place to be at?” Christian groans loudly and mutters something under his breath before diving inside the tent. It looks like one brother already hates my guts.

  Darren emerges from the tent dressed like an ancient Viking warrior and claps Finn on the shoulder before giving me a high five. “Yes! Another Zombie lover. I told you guys it would happen one day. Just wait until you see my-”

  “It was nice to meet you, Stephanie. We’ll catch you at the mock battle later today. I need to stop a murder from happening and remind my brother of a few things before we get started.” Ian smacks Darren on the back of his head, but the fool is still muttering about Zombies. “By the way, don’t let the brute run you off. He isn't a complete ass with lack of emotions. Just throw him a bone and make him work for it.”

  Ian winks at me, as he makes his way around the tent and is out of sight. Dimitri, Iyrik, Christian, Karl, and Daniel say something in their native tongue, which causes Finn to flip them off. They run off cackling like hyenas, and soon it's just the two of us.

  “Ignore them. I don't know why I let them out to play with others. They are a massive pain in my ass.”

  “I don't mind them.”

  Finn turns his back to me and starts to open the flap to the tent, but pauses. “When Etienne told me about your obsession with the Vikings and Rollo, I knew I had to take you here. Figured why not make your fantasy a reality.” He winks before walking inside the tent.

  My mouth hangs open, utterly speechless. Did he just? Pinching the bridge of my nose, I mentally think about castrating him. His whiplash is putting my vagina and heart in eternal hell. Would it kill the man to stop messing with my head, and just fuck my brains out to end this torment? That is a big fat not going to happen.

  “Still pissed I dragged your ass across the ocean to get your vag some action, with the guy who is a perfect match for you in every way?” Etienne pops his head out of the tent and almost scares the ever-loving shit out of me.

  Getting my breathing under control, I let him know he is number one in my book before he goes back in the tent. A few men look at me like I am their next meal and a few women give me looks of pity. Great. Just effing great. Not wanting to be the laughing stock of this entire place because I had to travel to another country to get my freak on, I make my way into the tent and nearly stumble over my own two feet.

  Finn’s back is turned to me, and he has nothing on except a pair of brown cotton pants and leather boots, which are an exact replica from ancient Viking civilization. His body is massive. Muscles that are carved from stone and created for a woman to ogle and drool over. Each movement of his muscles causes my inner self to whimper.

  Finn doesn’t seem to notice me ogling and drooling over his half-naked body, so I take my time eyeing every inch of him. His pants hang low on his hips, showing off the two small dimples in his lower back, and that backside.

  Mentally fanning myself as my eyes continue to soak him in, I have to think of anything but him on top of me, giving me the best orgasms of my life.

  Several tattoos with writing I cannot decipher litter his skin, but it’s beautiful. Intri
cate knots and pictures of Norse history and mythology are scattered about, going all the way up to his neck and wrapping around his biceps.

  I hear someone clear their throat as my eyes devour every inch, causing me to squeal like a mouse and slam my hip into the wooden table. All the contents on the small table clash to the floor, causing everyone’s eyes to land on me.

  Ah hell. I forgot Etienne and Christian were in here too.

  “Smooth move, exlax. Here, you are going to need this to wipe the drool off your chin.” Etienne hands me a small cloth while his mouth is clamped shut, looking like he is fighting an internal battle. To laugh or not to laugh? Asshole caught me red-handed and just made this extremely awkward.

  Christian looks between Finn and me, before darting outside the tent. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him in a black leather vest and cotton pants with two axes strapped to his back. His boots are a replica of the pictures I have seen online, but all I can focus on is trying to not look like a perv.

  My cheeks start to burn, making me fully aware my face is ten shades of red. Finn has his arms crossed over his chest, with his trademark smirk making his muscles bulge and my internal self moan. Sporting an eight-pack, I catch a sneak peek at his V. You know, the V that makes a woman swoon? Yeah, I’m lost to the V.

  As I mumble something entirely unladylike, Etienne points to a side room in the tent, and I run past Finn, wanting to get the hell out of here.

  Sprinting inside the small room, I rip the flap closed behind me, wishing what just happened was a nightmare. That did not just happen!

  Finn and Etienne howl with laughter. I wouldn't mind that as much, but when I wipe my hand over my mouth, I notice a small trail of drool on my chin. Epic Fail. You are supposed to mentally drool over a dude, not literally.