Son of Thunder (12 page)

“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 fullest. 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.

No other choice existed for him.

Now, as they lay in bed, curled together, he tried to ignore his dread of leaving her.

“Stop it, Rune,” she ordered, slowly turning onto her back.

His heart ached when she winced in pain as she settled herself again. He lifted up on his elbow so he could look down at her. Although the lights were off, the faint glow of moonlight through the window allowed him to see her face.

“Stop what?”

She raised an eyebrow, and quirked her lips at him.

He couldn’t help the small smile. Even in pain she could be exasperated with him—he found that surprisingly endearing.

“Feeling guilty about leaving me. I can practically taste it rolling off you.”

He snorted. “And what does my guilt taste like, Valkyrie?”

She looked away for a moment, but he could see her eyebrows drawing together as if she were thinking.

He gave an exasperated sigh. “Liv Winter.”

“Your guilt kind of tastes like a mix between battery acid and dish soap.”

The laugh burst out of him, full and from deep. And with it, the world lightened for a brief, bright moment. Because of
her
.

“Laugh all you want—it’s the truth.” Her voice sounded sleepy, and she yawned.

That determination calmed the laughter, and brought his attention back to why she’d made the comment in the first place.

“So,” she continued when he met her gaze, “are you going to stop with the damn guilt or not?”

He caressed the soft skin of her shoulder with his fingers. “I cannot help it.
You
are hurting and in need of a good,
long
sleep. I don’t feel right leaving you.”

She sighed. “We’ve discussed this. I’m surrounded by people who love me and who will make sure I have everything I need while you’re away. There’s nothing to feel guilty for.”

He brushed a strand of hair away from her eye. Her beautiful sea-blue gaze caught the words in his throat.
I want to spend a lifetime holding your gaze.

“Have I told you how mesmerizing your eyes are?”

She laughed softly. “No, actually, you have not. Nice try with the change of subject, by the way.”

“It’s simply the truth.” He leaned down and carefully kissed her lips.

“Rune, you need to tell me what exactly you feel so sorry for.”

The determination was back in her tone, strong enough that he knew he was going to have to answer.

“Tell me. Right now, or neither of us is going to rest.”

He’d already known she wasn’t going to drop it, and she was right. Not telling her would eat at him, and she wasn’t going to rest until he confessed.

“I failed you at the cabin.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, but he placed a finger over her lips before she could speak.

“I should have checked the cabin
thoroughly
when I reached you. If I had, I may have found the trap door.”

“
I
searched the cabin, Rune, and found
nothing
. My eyes are trained to find anything abnormal or hidden.” She stroked the side of his face. “I’m just as much to blame for falling through the door as Erik is for using it. Your guilt is misplaced.”

No, it wasn’t, but she wasn’t going to believe that. He realized in that moment that she would never hold him responsible for his nephew reaching her, but she
would
berate herself internally for missing the signs of danger because she thought she didn’t look hard enough.

We make quite the pair, don’t we?

“I
should
have looked, and there’s no excuse for not doing so.” He’d be angry with himself for the remainder of his life, whether that was one day or six thousand years—the average lifespan of an Asgardian. “I think you already know you can’t change that.”

Her hand slid from his face and settled on his arm. “I know. We’re much alike in that regard.”

“Yes, we are.”

She was about to reply but a yawn came instead of words. Pain pinched around her eyes and forehead.

“Gods,” she said. “That was unpleasant.”

Anger welled at that last word, at the bastard that had caused the unpleasantness. His jaw clenched as his gaze moved to the dark bruise on her cheek, and it took great effort to unclench it.