Son of Thunder

by Libby Bishop

  “And why is that?”

  “You know why, and don’t pretend that you don’t,” she said sharply. “You knew what Erik was, what he was doing, for who knows how long. And you waited to claim him until Rune nearly killed his brother. How dare you, a king of gods, step back and let one of your own butcher so many innocent women?”

  No. Not going to go well at all.

  He flicked his gaze to the two other men—Adamson had moved closer to Liv’s right side as Bass shuffled slightly closer to her back, ready to push her out of the way or fight to keep her safe. Though Bass didn’t know her personally, he was obviously a man of honor, who wouldn’t let a fellow law enforcement officer suffer at the hands of a stranger—god or not.

  That took bravery.

  “You don’t fear me?” Odin said with wonder, as he ignored all but Liv. “How strange…”

  Liv laughed at him—at Odin. And it was not a pleasant laugh. No, it was filled with anger.

  “You allowed innocents to be slaughtered by your blood, Odin. You are as guilty as Erik is, if not more. So no, I won’t bow to you, I won’t worship you, and I sure as hell am not going to forgive you for the fifty-three deaths that you allowed to happen.”

  Odin cocked his head, studying her. He sighed.

  “I regret not moving when I noticed Erik over twenty years ago, but something…wasn’t right. I couldn’t see him properly.”

  “And yet you sent no one to look in on him?”

  Oh, she was pushing it now. Rune moved closer to her, knowing better than to act as a shield, but unable to stop himself.

  Odin narrowed his gaze at her. “I chose to wait, that is a truth that I can’t deny. And it is a mistake I will not repeat. Rune’s brother will be punished for this. I promise you, child.”

  Something in his tone made Rune very wary. Odin did not admit to mistakes easily, or without reason—he was planning something.

  The All-Father’s gaze swept the crime scene, then the four people in front of him. “There are more godkin like Erik roaming the Earth, though no more of them are Reign’s offspring—of that I am certain. You are able to hunt them, Agent Winter, as can your friends. So I am going to propose a deal.”

  “What kind of deal?” Adamson asked.

  “We—you and the gods—form a team. You hunt down the godkin I’ve let…wander, then you hand them to one of us to defuse.”

  “Defuse?” Liv asked.

  Rune looked at her for a moment. “He means to strip them of their god power so that they can be punished by your courts and safely locked away here on Earth.”

  “That’s right, great-grandson.”

  “What’s the catch?” Bass asked, deep voice rumbling with suspicion. “I’ve met a god or two in my life—there’s always a catch with your kind.”

  Unfortunately, the detective was not wrong. Rune wished he were, because whatever his great-grandfather was getting at, many strings were going to be attached. He was concerned, also, because gods had always hunted their own—why was Odin including humans now?

  Odin grinned then let out a bark of laughter at Bass. “Smart man. The catch is that we are on your team.”

  Liv folded her arms. “You mean you’ll send some of yours down here to work by our rules?”

  “For the most part, yes. It’s good human relations.”

  Liv chuckled, shaking her head. Whatever she’d picked up on, Rune wasn’t seeing it. Not that he was terribly surprised by that.

  “You’ve already spoken to someone about this,” she stated.

  Odin smiled, amusement dancing in his expression.

  “Yes. Your president. You’ll be hearing from him soon. You and Adamson, that is.”

  “And what will he say, All-Father?” Adamson inquired.

  Odin turned to him. “That you and Ms. Winter will be changing departments. And”—his gaze met Rune’s—“that you, great-grandson, are to stay here on Earth and head the team with Ms. Winter and Mr. Adamson.”

  Rune’s breath caught in his throat. “You wish me to stay here on Earth?”

  Odin shrugged, nonchalant. “You are free to travel home, Rune, anytime you please. We will welcome you with open arms. But, you are the best for this position—a legendary hunter of gods and men, with or without your full power.”

  Pride pulsed through Rune at the compliment, and joy circled his heart at the thought that he’d be able to stay close to Liv—that was, if she chose to have him as more than a work partner.

  “I will return home briefly, to make certain of Erik and Reign’s fates, but it would be an honor to liaison between humans and gods. And to hunt the lost ones.” While that was true, his thoughts were on his close friends. “My loved ones, great-grandfather. Has Reign—”

  Odin raised a hand to silence him. Rune obeyed, even though the need to know of his loved ones’ safety was pulsing through him as strongly as the last beat of the Gate. It took a great deal of willpower to shut his mouth and wait for Odin to speak.

  “No. As soon as you were safely on the ground of Earth, we detained Reign.”

  Relief flooded him, his shoulders relaxing at the news.

  Odin stepped close, giving his shoulder a good, hard pat. “I will take the godkin now, then take my leave. Will you return home soon, Rune?”

  “Yes. Within a day or two.” As soon as I see Liv to the hospital, then safely in bed to rest. Odin gave him a nod then locked his gaze with Liv’s. “I will be in touch…Valkyrie.”

  Rune fought not to reach for Liv and hold her to him at the honor Odin had just given her. The All-Father had acknowledged her as a warrior, as a woman, and as a possible mate for his great-grandson. Rune could not ask for a more powerful blessing. But Liv didn’t know what that last word truly meant. He was thankful beyond measure that she didn’t reply to Odin, just inclined her head.

  “Make certain that Erik gets his due in your Hel, King of the Asgardians.”

  “Oh.” Odin smiled wide, mischievousness clear in his gaze. “I will.”

  Bass took Odin over to the car that held an unconscious Erik. Every human bowed to the King of the Gods then got back to work. Once Odin had a hand on the godkin, the pulsing of the Gate returned. A moment later, the two were gone.

  “Go to the hospital now, Liv,” Adamson said, his tone allowing no arguments. “Then get some rest.”

  Yes, let’s get you to bed, beautiful flame.

  But Liv shook her head, her arms unfolding as Rune slid one of his around her shoulders.

  “I need to get to Boston first, Cory. I need to tell Soosie’s parents that her killer has been caught and is being punished for his deeds.”

  That need radiated off of her, and he understood it well. That didn’t stop him from wanting to get her to a bed and resting…so she could heal faster and he could thank her—for saving him, for saving other women from Erik, and for, well, for being her.

  “I can do that,” Cory said, tone softer, his expression understanding.

  Rune knew that wouldn’t be good enough, and from the tone of Cory’s voice, the human knew it as well.

  “I need to do it. But because I know you’ll breathe easier, I’ll go to the hospital first, get the x-rays and all that, let them patch up what they can, then Rune and I will head to Boston.” She looked to him. “You do know how to drive, don’t you?”

  He smiled, amusement sweeping through him. “Yes, I know how to drive.”

  She rolled her eyes, her gaze returning to Adamson.

  “We’re staying here to process the cabins,” Cory told her, “but I won’t be far behind you, especially if what Odin says is true.”

  Rune sighed. “He meant it. Whatever Odin desires, he usually gets.”

  Cory nodded, then Liv yawned, the end of the hunt starting to wear on her.

  “Let’s get going. I have unfinished business to attend to before I can sleep,” Liv said.

  He put a hand on her lower back gently—she’d told him about the broken ribs.

&nbs
p; “Make sure she at least rests on the drive to Boston, Son of Thunder.” The warning in Cory’s voice was clear, and the fierce protectiveness in his gaze matched that warning. It was clear that Cory loved Liv like a sister.

  “I will. That’s a promise.”

  And he was damn well going to keep it.

  Chapter Twelve

  She tried to ignore the pain in her ribs, the bruises on her face, the ache in her muscles. But as Rune drove she realized she couldn’t, not even with the extra-strength Ibuprofen the doctor had given her at the hospital. She settled herself against the seat and leaned her head back. Rune’s hand took hers, and she relaxed as best she could.

  The warmth from his touch, the comfort, was most welcome. At this moment, after what they’d been through together, him holding her hand felt like the most natural thing in the world as she tried to process the last few days.

  “Close your eyes and try to rest before we reach Boston,” he said as she adjusted her hand so her fingers laced through his. “We still have another hour.”

  “I don’t want to close my eyes,” she admitted softly, looking over at him. “Soosie will be there, and I’m not ready to see her, good dream or bad.”

  He squeezed her hand and glanced at her long enough for her to see the care and sympathy in his gaze. Those emotions sent another wave of warmth through her. She wrapped it around her like a security blanket.

  She’d kept her promise to Soosie’s parents, and to Soosie. The killer had been caught and would see a punishment far worse than any human could have sentenced. She still hated that those who loved Soosie would never personally see Erik Rutten meet his well-deserved fate, and that sympathy extended to the families of his other victims. But his end would come, and that’s all that mattered.

  “How long will Erik be kept alive?” she asked.

  “He will live until Hel tires of torturing his body,” he replied. “Then she will get to work torturing his soul.”

  His steely tone left no doubt in her mind that Erik’s fate was in the right hands, and that soothed her anger at not being able to see it personally.

  “But before he’s given to her,” he continued, “he will be questioned and his mind gleaned for all his other victims. I will bring the list of names to you and Cory as soon as I return, so that their families can be notified.”

  Oh, well…that made the search for the other victims much easier. “Do you think he had more than he confessed to? He told me fifty-three women.”

  He sighed.

  “What do you know, Rune?”

  He glanced at her briefly. “I think Erik has far more blood on his hands than fifty-three women.”

  A heavy weight settled into her chest at the news, though she’d half been expecting it. Hearing it, though, was far different than thinking it. Anger stirred in her chest—at Odin, and at Reign. But that was useless anger, for there was nothing she could do to satiate it, or change the past decisions either god had made.

  The fate of those killed had been sealed because of those choices, and she had a feeling that Odin’s decision to form a team with humans in order to hunt down other godkin like Erik was made in part because he was trying to right a terrible wrong.

  Still want to shoot his freakin’ god ass, though.

  “We’ll find all of his victims, Liv. I promise you.”

  She smiled softly. “I believe you, Viking,” she replied, then looked out her window.

  “Good.”

  She laughed softly then asked the one thing she’d been avoiding since leaving the hospital. “When will you be going back home?”

  Just asking it made her heart constrict—she didn’t want him to leave her, and that acknowledgment broke her heart as a wave of tiredness rolled through her.

  “Once I’ve seen you home and we’ve both gotten some sleep. I want to make certain they actually follow through with Erik’s punishment, and that he will no longer be a threat to you or anyone else. And there is the matter of my brother…”

  He’d told her what had happened while she’d been knocked out, before Erik had subdued him.

  Subdued… Even being bound to the chair, Rune had been anything but subdued. She would’ve described him as more the caged tiger.

  “I don’t want to leave you when you’re hurting from Erik’s attack, but I know you have good friends, and family, to watch over you in my stead.”

  Oh, gods. Must you make my insides mush at all turns, Viking? “I do. I hope your friends are truly safe, Rune, and that your brother sees absolute punishment for his part in killing your best friend, and his part in what Erik has done.”

  “Thank you.”

  And she knew, without a doubt, that the loss of his friend was eating at him. Hunting Erik had been a distraction from the pain, keeping him from feeling the full weight of loss. She wanted him to be able to share the loss more deeply with her, but she was well aware that a warrior such as Rune—a god—wouldn’t show the full weight of his emotion with anyone. He’d no doubt lost dozens of friends during battles and wars over the centuries. No matter how similar the emotions of humans and gods, his long life had taught him to handle the loss far differently than her relatively short life of a human had allowed her to process hers.

  She cleared her throat and winced. It was still raw from crying earlier, and from when Erik had choked her. “Will you be gone long?”

  Why did she have to sound so…vulnerable?

  “I will try to be back in a few days, but Asgard is a different… There will be adjustments to be made within our ranks because of my brother, as well as sorting out who else is going to be on the team with us.” He sighed. “If you want me to guess, I’d say expect me to be gone at least a week, if not more.”

  She didn’t like that, and she tried to swallow the sigh of discontent creeping up her throat.

  “I know you are not ready to love me, Liv,” he said, meeting her gaze for a brief moment. “But I know I’m under your skin, and you don’t completely like how deeply I’ve burrowed.”

  Squeezing his hand, she replied with tears in her eyes. “No, I don’t like it, but I will confess that I need you with me right now. Need your arms around me, the warmth of your touch.” And she hated admitting it, no matter that her actions and reactions gave her away. Saying it out loud was something else entirely. “But I also need to know that Erik is receiving his punishment—that bastard. I need to know he’s truly gone, and you’re the only one I trust to make certain that happens.”

  “We can work from that.”

  Part of her hoped so. The other part knew that even with him at her side on Earth, she’d still age, and he wouldn’t. Sooner or later, he’d lose her, and that pained her just as much as the thought of losing him.

  “Are you sure you won’t close your eyes, even for a few minutes? I did promise Cory that I’d see you get some rest on the way back to Boston.”

  The mention of Cory brought a small smile to her lips. “He sized you up.”

  He chuckled. “I know. I would expect no less of him, as your partner and friend.”

  “We’ll be getting to Boston around seven in the morning, but our first stop is still Soosie’s parents’ house.”

  “I know.”

  She sighed. “Despite not being able to lay eyes on their daughter’s killer, they’ll be content knowing that he’s paying for his deeds with the gods.”

  She remembered, as if it were yesterday, how she’d promised them she would catch Soosie’s killer. They’d been like a second set of parents to her. They’d professed their trust in her, and confidence that one day she would succeed.

  Tears stung Liv’s eyes just thinking about the exchange, made the day of Soosie’s funeral. Edgar, always the calm one, took her in his arms shortly after his wife let her go. He held her as if he didn’t want her to walk out of their sight.

  “Don’t forget to live,” he said, voice shaky with his own emotions. “Soosie would be most unhappy if you forget to live life to the f
ullest. You know that. Be a part of this world, Liv—we don’t want to lose you, too.”

  Those words…they still made the breath leave her lungs, and she could still smell the light scent of Old Spice that lingered around him. She saw them every chance she got, and tried to continue the weekly dinners with them, as she and Soosie had once done. They used to have dinner with her own parents at least once a week as well.

  Her hand suddenly ached. Looking down she saw that she had a death grip on Rune’s hand. She forced herself to relax again, and it took some effort to do that.

  “Sorry. Memories.”

  “I understand.”

  “I think…I think I will close my eyes for a few minutes. Don’t let me fall asleep,” she ordered as she leaned her head against the seat. “I need to see her parents before I sleep. Need.”

  He let go of her hand and gently ran his fingers over her hair, brushing the loose strands out of her eyes.

  “I will not let you sleep—I swear it.”

  And she believed him. But that didn’t stop her from teasing him. “I’ll kick your ass if you’re lying to me.”

  He chuckled, settling his hand on her thigh.

  “Of that, I have no doubt, Valkyrie.”

  …

  As he’d expected, the meeting with Soosie’s parents was very emotional. Also as expected, they weren’t pleased that they would never lay eyes on Erik Rutten in the flesh, that they wouldn’t see him put behind bars, but they were happy that he would never harm another woman again. The mix of pain and relief in their eyes hit him hard. He still hadn’t dealt with his own pain…or the anger at his brother and Odin…or his longing to stay near Liv.

  While he’d watched her comfort them, he saw just how much love surrounded her from the parents, as if she were another child. That would make sense considering how long the families had known each other, and how close Soosie and Liv had been. But there was something in the way she welcomed it that caused jealousy to jab his gut. He selfishly wanted her to trust him that deeply, to love him that unconditionally, and to welcome him into her soul unflinchingly.

  He’d swallowed that jealously so she wouldn’t see it when she finally turned to him as it was time to leave. Her love and her soul would make their way to him in time, at her pace. He would happily settle for the trust that she’d already given him and the deepening connection they shared.