“Finn.” Karl and Ian jump out of their seats and help him to the sofa.
I want more than anything to run into his arms, but this elephant in the room needs to be addressed. Taking a deep breath, I tell them about Kari and what Eira said.
“I wanted to tell you all of that the other night, but Finn sort of got me distracted, and she is like family, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just seeing or hearing things. Then when you guys told me everything, and I saw the symbol, I knew I had to say something.”
“Hold up. You remember the night your mother was killed? And then the crotchety old windbag told you, you never should have been born? That doesn’t sound like Eira. She was frantic when she found out about Cameron and that you were still alive. She did everything she could in order for us to bring you home.” Ian smacks Darren on the back of the head and calls him an idiot.
“Seriously, asshole. That is the first thing you say to her. I swear, did all your brain cells die during the last mission? No wait, it was the chick-”
“No. I know Eira, and what Steph is saying has to be wrong. I remember talking to her when all this shit went down. She would never-”
“GUYS!” Christian shuts them up immediately and brings his attention back to me. “Please excuse my worthless, piece of shit brothers. Eira is a piece of work, and I have never trusted her as far as I could throw her. She reeks of vengeance and greed.”
“Speak for yourself. If it wasn’t for Eira, I would be dead on the fucking streets because of Bjarne. And when the fuck did you start defending Steph? We weren’t the ones who thought she was the devil’s child and was leading us to our deaths when this mission started. We actually liked the girl, you still hated her guts.” Darren shoots Christian a murderous glare and then directs his eyes back at me. “You better have cold fucking proof before you make accusations against one of our own.”
“Darren, I swear to God. Put a fucking muzzle on and shut your damn trap.” The edge to Etienne’s tone is on the verge of murderous. “Just hear her out.”
“For the record, I never hated your guts. I’m just a dick, and I don’t like anyone.” Christian chimes in, feeling the need to justify himself. I notice he takes a few steps toward me and glares at each of his brothers. Why is he acting like my shield?
Finn has been silent this entire time, but his eyes never sway from mine. The gears in his brain are turning, but I can see hurt in his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“And what? Tell you that the woman you worship, treated me like shit and made sure to make my life a living hell? Every chance she got, she would keep me away from you guys. Kari was my only saving grace at that place, and if it wasn’t for her, God only knows what would have happened.”
“Little overdramatic, don’t you think?” Lifeless. No love. Nothing. His cold mask bores into my soul, and I feel my heart crumble. “Come back home to the family you always wanted, but they aren’t to your liking, so you accuse them of the unthinkable?”
His words are like a stab to the gut. How could he think that about me? The man who held me at night and made love to me every chance he got. The man who took me all over this damn place and never once criticized my word vomit, and just laughed when I was a klutz. He even made me a replica of something I have cherished since I was a child and carved a home for Luna.
“You really think that low of me?”
“I should have left you at the cottage next to your mother. Saved us all from this war that you have brought upon us. Cameron was wrong about you. You are not worthy to bear his name, and you will never amount to anything. I never loved you. I just used you to pass the time, to gain your trusts so I could deliver you to him myself.”
If looks could kill… Finn grunts as he stands, doing everything he can not to open his stitches, and takes a few calculated steps towards me.
“Níðingr. You don’t mean that.” Christian clenches his jaw and takes a step closer to me.
“She is a veslingr, and nothing more.”
How dare he? Taking what few steps there are left between us, I stab him in the chest with my finger, not giving a damn if I open his stitches back up. “I would never say or do anything to hurt you. You are just too clouded and lost in your pagan ways to see the truth. Not my fault you are one of her bitch boys.”
Towering over me, he grips my biceps hard, making me almost cry out in pain. “You are just like the rest of them. Enter our world and accuse the first person who doesn’t bow their head or treat you like a queen. Our world is full of fucked up people, and you accuse the only person who took a chance on us and raised us as her own. Get the fuck out of my sight. Let Bjarne have you, for all I care. I am done.”
Christian rips me out of Finn’s grasp and stands between us. The last string holding me together shatters, and there is nothing left inside me. “Finn, I would never do that. I am just telling you what happened, and what I saw. For Odin’s sake, you know what I do for a living. It is my job to study every object, to find its value. I am not wrong in this. If Bjarne has taken over Hrothgier, then Eira is working with him.”
Christian’s hand starts to slowly reach behind him and wrap around his gun. I gently lay my hand on his, silently telling him it’s no use. You can tell them the truth, but they are too blinded by their allegiance to see what’s right in front of them.
I look around the room and watch every brother turn their backs on me. Darren gives me a cold look and goes to stand by Finn. “If you send her out there, she will die. We need to wait this out and see what happens.”
“No,” Finn growls. “Bjarne is after us now. Send her back home where she belongs. It’s time to end this once and for all.”
“We need to get out of here.” Christian whispers in my ear and pushes me out the door. I look back behind me and see a sad look cross Etienne’s face. Why didn’t he stop them from doing that? He just stood there, letting him say those things to me. He is not my brother, he never was. And I was foolish to think they would ever see me as more than a waste of space. No one ever chooses me. They choose power, wealth, and sexy women. They never choose me. I am nothing but a vagina to fill their needs, then cast aside like I am last night’s leftovers.
Christian still has a tight hold on my hand as we run towards the SUV. “Where are you taking me?”
“The poison running through his veins is turning him into a nutcase. Or he finally snapped and has given in to the beast inside him. We know snippets of what happened to him in the past, but he never told us the full extent of what happened. I have to get you out of here before he does something stupid. We are Vikings at heart, and will not think twice about killing a traitor. The endless bloodshed has corrupted their minds, and they aren’t themselves. Fear is a powerful emotion, and it plays tricks on the mind. Don’t take to heart what they said, Finn’s fear is taking over, and right now, he needs to fight his way back.”
The tires crunch the gravel below us as he speeds away from the cottage. “That doesn’t answer my question. Where are you taking me?”
“The only place that is safe right now is Hrothgier. I know underground tunnels, which can get us in undetected. We need proof, so that is what we are going to get. They won’t listen until you show them something. Words mean nothing to Vikings.”
“Why should I do that?”
Cutting a tight corner, someone blares their horn at us as we blow past them. “Because I know deep down, they didn’t mean what they said. You love those boys with every fiber of your being and will die to protect them. Do you want them going to Eira and possibly walking to their deaths? Or do you want to do something to save their sorry asses and make them beg for forgiveness later.”
Damn. When Christian puts it like that, how can I say no? No, I will not get wrapped up in this again. Finn and Etienne made it perfectly clear where I stand in all this. But a part of me is saying something else is going on and they are keeping something from me. Finn and Etienne told me what a vial person Eira can be, why defend
her and chase me out. Viking’s protect their own and will risk anything to make sure they are safe… On snap. “Luna? Where is she?” I ask Christian, mentally kicking my ass for forgetting about her.
He places his hand on my thigh and offers me a reassuring smile. “Sam’s got her. She made sure to get her when all hell broke loose.”
“For a guy who I thought hated me, you are being really nice right now. Your brothers all turned on me, but you didn’t. Why?”
Shaking his head, he maneuvers around a large truck and turns down a dirt road. “Unlike my brothers, I don’t have my nose up Eira’s ass. Something is up, and they wanted me to get you out of there. Etienne would have snapped Finn’s neck and beat the shit out of everyone for acting like that. Finn would never hurt you, but he would push you away to save face. They are rattled, and the only way to get you to safety is to fuck with your head and make you feel as if you don’t belong.”
Slouching in my seat, I cross my hands over my chest and ponder over what he just told me. Fuck with my head to make me run for cover. Break my heart to hide whatever it is they don’t want me to know. Sorry boys, not going to happen. Looks like it is time for me to take matters into my own hands. Time to send grand-mommy dearest a message.
Chapter 34
~ Finn ~
The look Steph gave me the night I told her off, will forever haunt me. She told me something that, in my heart, I knew was true, but I couldn’t believe it was true. All my life, I grew to love Eira like she was my own blood. She took me in when no one else would. But I had a part to play.
Now, my world is shattered. The woman I love looks hurt and betrayed. Her eyes have turned cold, and it’s ripping me to shreds. I promised I would never do that to her, and what the fuck did I do? I fucking broke that promise.
Punching my hand into the wall, I let out all the anger and frustration from the past few days. My stitches are still healing, but I feel better than I have recently. For the past two days, we have been nose deep in books and doing everything we can to hide out from Bjarne.
Fuck, not just Bjarne. But also, Eira. Fuck! When did this shit get so fucked up?
My fists continue to pound into the wall, not caring when my knuckles split open. The shit I said to Steph. I wish I could take it all back.
“Finn?” Ian and Darren start to walk into my room but pause when they see the scene before them. There are several holes in the wall, and my knuckles are split open and bleeding.
“What?” I snap, trying to keep my breaths even and do my best to keep myself from killing them. The beast inside me is roaring to life and demanding blood. We just broke the heart of the woman who means everything to us, all because our pride got in the way, and we didn’t want to admit she was right.
“We tracked Bjarne. He is at Hrothgier headquarters. We also tracked down Eira-”
I pick up the wooden chair next to my bed and throw it against the wall. Pieces of wood fly everywhere, my stitches protesting my actions. “Where is Steph? I need to see her.”
“She is with Christian. He went with her and is keeping her safe. He left coms so we can communicate.”
Crimson clouds my vision and my body starts to shake with uncontrollable rage.
“Easy. Christian would never touch her. She has pushed us all out. He is the only one who can talk to her right now. He is on her side.” Darren puts a hand on my chest, and I look down at his hand, thinking of all the ways I could break it.
“Finn, we said some pretty fucked up shit to her. We were all thinking the same thing she was but were too afraid to voice it. Everything we believed in is a lie. She ended up being the punching bag for all the pent up bullshit we have been through. Give her some time to cool off.”
Pushing past them, I see the rest of my brothers sitting with their heads in their hands. Etienne is missing, but knowing him, he is destroying shit too. “Where is Etienne?”
I hear several pieces of glass shatter to the ground, and I follow the chaos. Etienne curses in our native tongue and punches the wall repeatedly, like I did. Closing the door behind me, I wait until he has let it all out.
Keeping my arms crossed over my chest, I think about everything Steph is feeling. How could I be so stupid? I just ruined the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Several minutes pass before Etienne slumps to the ground and clutches something in his hand. Sliding down next to him, he hands me a small box. Opening the lid, I pull out a black t-shirt and a small note.
Unfolding the black shirt, my heart breaks when I see what’s on it. The classic S symbol for Superman has been cut out, and in its place is a custom wolf’s paw. To some, it would seem silly and ridiculous. But not to us. Etienne’s love for Superman and wolves has been tied into one solid symbol. Putting the shirt on my leg, I read the note that has Etienne on the verge of tears.
To the brother who I wish was blood,
You are my real life, Superman. Wolf and god wrapped into one. Kind of funny when you think about it. I just called you a wolf god. HA! Sam and I came across this custom shop, and I couldn’t think of anything else to get for your birthday. To me, you are the perfect brother, and nothing will ever amount to how much I care for you. I still want to kick your ass for bringing me across the ocean to meet a guy. But I guess I can let this slide. Happy Birthday to the best brother in the world. I love you.
Superman and Xena forever <3
“Where is she?” Etienne says as he bangs his head on the wall behind him.
“Christian is with her right now.”
We both sit in silence, until Ian barges in the door with his phone in hand. “You might want to take this.”
Etienne and I jump to our feet and rip the phone out of his hand. “Finn, it’s Christian.” I put the phone between me and Etienne and press the speaker button.
“Before you assholes go off again, hear me out. You are not going to like this, but seeing as you all dug yourself a grave, I don’t give a shit.”
Christian starts to tell us Stephanie’s plan and the killers we keep hidden now support a grin that would make most people scream. Too long have we waited for our revenge. It’s time to take back our lives and beg for forgiveness from Steph.
Chapter 35
~ Stephanie ~
Tonight is the night this is all going to end. The Hrothgier brothers are loyal to a fault, and right now, the only person willing to help me is Christian. The night we met, I thought he hated me, but, he never did. Seeing Finn, the way he is with me, made the Brotherhood begin to love and trust me.
But when I confronted them about Eira, they exploded. Etienne was dumbfounded. All his life, he lived by a vow, but now, everything he knew was shattered, or so I thought. Christian says it was all just a front to get me away from them and run for cover. Good thing I never follow the rules.
The moment I saw that book with the symbol resembling the necklace Eira wears, it all started to make sense. Why she hates me. The cryptic words Kari kept saying. Everything.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Christian has been asking the same question over and over since we got here.
“I know the risks,” I reply, trying to keep my fear at bay. We are outside the Hrothgier headquarters, waiting for the right time to strike. Bjarne and his men are inside, and Eira just arrived a few moments ago. It’s been two days since I last saw the guys, and right now, I am about to do something stupid. We’ve been staked outside Hrothgier, watching everything from afar, to plan our next move.
“Stephanie. They didn’t mean what they said. Finn adores you, and you are kin to Etienne. We should wait until backup arrives. Walking right into the devil’s hands is not the best plan.” Christian lays his hand on my shoulder, trying to plead with me. But it is useless.
“When people are hurt, they say things that they mean. They may regret it later, but they meant every word they said. I get it. Just tell them I am sorry.”
Christian’s eyes soften. We have had the same argu
ment, over and over, and each answer is always the same. “Fine, but it’s my hide if something happens to you.” Reaching behind my ear, he places a small device against my skin. “This is undetectable and will allow me to hear what’s going on when you go in. If things get out of control, I will come for you. Just do me one favor?”
“What’s that?”
“Gut the bitch. I have hated her since day one. My brothers refuse to see her for who she is, but I always saw through her bullshit. Let’s end this and deal with the idiots later.” He’s trying to make me smile and give me hope.
Giving him my best smile, but failing miserably, I walk with a purpose towards the front gate. Christian will stay outside the gate and wait until I give the signal. People would say having one man with me as backup is suicide, but they don’t know him.
On our way here, he told me what he does for a living. If he wasn’t on my side, I would be terrified. He makes your worst nightmares seem like nothing. I am safer with him than anyone else in the world. Well not true, I felt completely safe and whole with Finn. But now? Now, I feel empty and utterly broken.
As my steps approach the front gate, several men swarm me with guns raised.
“Stay calm and don’t show them any fear. You got this, Steph.” Christian’s voice rings in my ear through the small device. I am not going to lie to myself, having his voice in my head calms my nerves a bit, and allows me to play out the charade.
“Who are you?” One of the men demands behind his gun, which is pointed at my heart.
Raising my hands in the air, I prepare for the best performance of my life. “I am Stephanie Marie Iseley. I am here to see my grandmother, Eira Iseley. Now lower your fucking guns and take me to her, you piece of shit. NOW!” I command and send a silent prayer to the gods that my voice didn’t waver.
I hear a few clicks, and rough hands grope all over my body, to make sure I have no weapons on me. When his hands start to graze my vagina, I bring my knee up and slam it into his groin. “If I wanted someone to take care of my business, I would get someone. Get your fucking hands off me.”
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