Eye of the Beholder (2 page)

Uncle Val walked past Travis to give her a gentle hug. “You ready to blow this popsicle stand?”

She closed her eyes as his warmth seeped into her cold bones. She was always cold these days, except when Travis and Uncle Val were near. They were the only ones who made her feel safe. “Sure am.”

“Good girl.” He brushed his hand through her curls, pecking her softly on the forehead. “Jordan and Jeff will help you get dressed. I’ll get the rest of these yahoos out of here. Want me to put them to work?” He grinned down at her, still gently stroking her hair the same way he had when she’d been a child.

She leaned into his touch. “Nah. Just let me get dressed so we can leave.” She smiled up at him. “The food here sucks donkey balls.”

She heard an amused snort and figured it was her brand new brother-in-law, Logan. “Don’t worry, Pita, I’ll cook as soon as we get back to our place.”

“Thanks, Logan.”

Jordan had told her some of what happened, but not all. For some reason she’d only been able to tell her in bits and pieces, when everyone else was out of the room. So Jamie knew a little of what Logan had done to buy them time to save her. What she couldn’t figure out was why he wasn’t in the hospital bed next to hers if everything Jordan had told her was true. Being beaten with Dad’s favorite walking stick
should
have left him in almost the same shape Jamie was in, but there wasn’t a mark on him. And since Jordan had never lied to her,
something
screwy was going on. Jordan was trying to prepare her for whatever it was. It had to be something big or big sis wouldn’t be dancing around it instead of telling her outright.

It probably involved every single person in the room with her, with the possible exception of Jeff. If Jeff knew something that would make Jordan this crazy he’d have told her by now. They didn’t keep many secrets from each other.

“Wow. You look like hammered dog shit today.” She glared up at Jeff, who grinned down her. “It’s an improvement.”

“I
did
have the shit hammered out of me. What’s your excuse?”

Her brother leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.”

Everyone in the room groaned and Jeff winked, completely unrepentant.

“Okay, people. You heard the lady. Everybody out.” Uncle Val began shooing everyone from the room, pulling a lingering Travis out by the arm. “C’mon, boss, out you go.” Out everyone went with the exception of Jordan and Jeff.

That was taking some getting used to. Grandfath…
Grimm’s
security chief now working for Guardian Investigations. Grammy was probably having kittens at the thought of her hated stepson so close to her grandchildren.

But then again she had to wonder how Grammy felt about anything now. She hadn’t seen fit to visit Jamie in the hospital. Maybe Grammy was under some sort of guard too, because if Grimm could do this to Jamie, he could certainly do this to Grammy. Grammy was sweet and kind, but not very strong. There would be no way she could withstand the kind of torture Grimm had put Jamie through. She hoped those Grammy loved were keeping a close eye on her.

Jamie sighed. It still didn’t make any sense to her. Why had her grandfather done this? The only reason she could think of for Grimm to have done what he had was some sort of tumor, or Alzheimer’s, or
something
that would alter his personality beyond all recognition. Because the man she’d grown up loving and respecting would never have done this to her if he’d still been in complete control of his senses. He’d tortured her with an almost playful ferocity, smiling as the lit cigarette burned into her hip. He’d seemed to enjoy the screams muffled by a gag that buckled at the back of her head. He’d only removed it when she’d been tied to the cross, unable to speak thanks to the broken cheek and the swelling in her face.

The agony of her broken wrist had only been matched by the one in her leg. She didn’t think she’d ever forget what had happened to her, no matter how often she spoke to her therapist. Doctor Burton had told her it would probably be years, if ever, before the nightmares went away.

She tried to hide her shudder as the memories threatened to swamp her. Now that Uncle Val and Travis were gone, the cold was settling in, shivering down her spine in icy waves.

Jeff knew her too well. “It’s okay, little fox. No one’s going to hurt you. You’re safe.” He rocked her, tucking her head under his chin. Just the sound of her twin’s pet name for her helped pull her back from the dark chasm where her nightmares lived.

She opened her eyes to find Jordan standing over her, a fierce expression on her face. “No one, and I mean
no one
, is going to get through us to you. Not ever again.” Jamie could swear she saw something…
odd
, in Jordan’s eyes when she said that. Almost like flames flickering.

Man. I have to have another nice, long talk with my therapist.
She was starting to see some really funky things these days, because just before Uncle Val dragged him out, she could have sworn Travis had been glowing.

Antonia “Toni” Mancinelli threw back the shot of whiskey, grinning at her now-retired partner when they both put their shot glasses back on the table. “Kerry is going to drive you nuts within a week, my friend.”

“Tell me about it. She’s already handed me a honey-do list as long as my arm. Then she tells me that’s just the stuff off the top of her head.” Her ex-partner grinned, waving the waitress back over. “Food?”

“Hot wings and potato salad.” She handed the menu back to the waitress. “And an iced tea.” The whiskey was their last huzzah, a final send-off for a good cop who’d never be able to touch another drop of liquor.

“Man, how can you eat those things? They burn a hole in my stomach.”

Which was why Pete was taking that early retirement and laying off the booze. Life sucked, but at least Pete seemed to be making lemonade out of his ulcerous lemon. He was already making plans to take his wife Kerry on a cruise in a few months, a surprise Toni was pretty sure Kerry already knew about. Toni hid her wince as Pete ordered the grilled chicken, hold the peppers. “Man, this reeks.”

He eyed her hot wings. “Not as much as that does.”

She smirked and took a big hot bite, moaning in exaggerated pleasure.

“I hate you so much.” Pete dug into his chicken with a grimace. “I hope the next perp you shove in the back of your car has hot dog gas.”

Toni damn near choked on her bite of potato salad. “Hot dog gas? What the fuck? That’s sick.” Geeze, just one guy who’d had too many dogs and beers at a Phillies game and you never live it down. It had taken her months to be able to eat another hot dog. She’d only managed it after Pete dared her in front of her co-workers.

Man, she was gonna miss him. She only hoped she got along as well with her new partner. At least she’d be able to visit Pete and his wife and kids. Hell, Kerry had practically claimed her as one of the family. They’d become pretty close in the last four years, ever since she’d partnered with the veteran detective. Damn, with the new case that had landed on her desk that morning she could really use Pete’s insights. A prominent businessman disappearing from his offices, his granddaughter hospitalized and claiming he was responsible? She’d shuddered when she first heard of it, but with the accusation that Oliver Grimm might be dead the case had been bumped up to Homicide.

Yippee.
She held up her glass and clinked with Pete’s. “Good luck, my friend.” To us both.

He nodded solemnly. “I’m going to need it. Kerry wants me to paint the living room.” He shuddered. “Lavender.”

Toni smirked, letting go of work in favor of saying good-bye. “Remind me to bring the rest of the guys by for a visit, then.”

He let loose a rueful chuckle. “Toni, you are such a bitch.”

She shrugged and bit into another chicken wing. “Damn straight.”

They were leaving the hospital today. Grimm considered taking his chances, hoping to get them all in one go, but he knew it wouldn’t work. They’d deliberately timed their departure from the hospital to coincide with rush hour. There would be too many people about for him to do what he really wanted to do. Even now he knew better than to try and reveal who and what they were. There were enough people in the world that eventually one of them would figure out how to kill him, and Grimm was nothing if not attached to living.

Getting to Jamie in the hospital had proven impossible. People were in and out of her room at all hours of the night and day, checking her pulse, taking her temperature, bathing her ass, not to mention the damn wards Logan had around her room. It was enough to frustrate even a man as patient as he was. Still, at least he knew now exactly how much Jamie really meant to Tyr. The other god had barely left her side, going so far as to coaxing a nurse to have a cot brought in for him to sleep on.

He sincerely hoped Tyr’s back was killing him.

Ah, well. He had a plan. One that would bring both Tyr and Vali out into the open. Once they were, they were in for a rude, deadly surprise.

He glanced at his watch, grinning.
Speaking of plans, I’m going to be late for work.
He got out of his car and headed into the building, grinning at the thought of what was in store for the fuckers who’d dared to betray him.

They might have Gungnir, but damn it, he was
still
Odin.

Chapter Two

Travis pushed Jamie’s wheelchair out of the hospital by himself, refusing all offers of help despite his handicap. He’d glared at Jeff, daring the man to say anything about it, but Jeff had merely grinned over his oblivious twin’s head and backed off. No one but Travis was going to tend to her if he could help it.

Pushing the damn thing one-handed was more difficult than he’d thought it would be, but he’d learned over the long centuries to compensate for his lack of a right hand. He’d thought once or twice of getting a prosthetic but he’d become so used to doing everything without it he wasn’t certain if he wanted to try and adjust to one. He made do, barely bumping her into any walls at all, using his right forearm to push and steering as best he could with his left hand.

“And they say
women
drivers are bad.” Travis grinned at the mumbled words. It was so good to see Jamie’s quirky sense of humor resurfacing.

Logan was waiting for them with the SUV in the front of the building, leaning against the passenger side door with a dark, brooding look. People went out of their way to move around him. Val had already left to go back to the office, unwilling to keep idle while Grimm was out and about.

“Gee, Logan, lighten up. You’re scaring the straights.” Jamie’s still-slurred voice sent rage down his spine every time he heard it. The weary pain she spoke with was eventually going to drive him mad.

But she was alive. He had to keep telling himself that. She was
alive.
Grimm hadn’t taken another one of his loves from him.

He’d never get the chance to either, if Travis had anything to say about it.

Logan snorted, a half smile gracing his lips as he stared down at his petite sister-in-law. “You ready to leave, Pita?”

“Why do you keep calling Jamie Pita?” Travis frowned at the man opening the back door.

“Because.”

Kir was shaking his head as he put Jordan in the front passenger seat. Jordan, grinning, didn’t protest at all.

Travis’s frown turned into a glare. “Does Pita mean what I think it means?”

Jamie rolled her eyes as Travis helped her from the wheelchair. “Tell me
you
haven’t thought of me as a pain in the ass sometimes.”

“Yeah, I’m just honest enough to admit it.” Logan put his arm around Jamie, gently assisting her into the back seat before Travis had recovered from his surprise.

Travis relaxed and walked around to the other side of the car, letting Kir hand the wheelchair back to the nurse. “Well, if anyone knows anything about pains in the ass that would be you, Logan. Hell, from what I’ve seen—and still have nightmares about, by the way—you’re a damn expert on it.”

He snickered as Logan flipped him the bird. He turned to get into the car, only to find Jeff had settled into the seat next to Jamie. He almost protested, but when he saw the relaxed look on her face he kept his mouth shut. He settled in next to Jeff, clicking his seatbelt on just as Logan started the car.

He didn’t miss the smirk on the younger man’s face, either. Jeff knew
exactly
how Travis felt about Jamie. Apparently he was planning on having a little fun with that information, but if it made Jamie trust in him Jeff could tease him to hell and back and Travis wouldn’t say a word.

Logan pulled out into the early Philly traffic, heading for the condo they’d all be sharing for the duration. He had no clue how the three of them planned on accommodating twice their number in two bedrooms. He had no doubt they’d somehow manage it, because he had no intention of leaving until Jamie wanted to.
Ah, the joys of sleeping on a futon.
He looked over Jeff’s head to the curls that haunted his nightly dreams and hid a smile.
The things I do for love.

He sat back and thought about the first time he’d seen her. It had been like a fist to the gut. She’d come in, asked him if he was Jordy’s new boss, glared at him when he said yes, and told him his tie was crooked. Jeff had just stood there and nodded before telling him that his shirt didn’t go with his eyes.

They had been all of sixteen at the time.

He’d been fascinated by a pair of big green eyes that seemed to see right through him and a pretty, determined face in such a small body. He’d been curious to see if the twins would show signs of power. Usually the union of Aesir and human was fully human, if a bit tougher than normal, but on rare occasions an exceptional being was born. He’d told himself that was the source of his obsession with her. But part of him, even back then, had known it to be a lie. He’d avoided the Grimm household after that, disturbed on several levels by the desire to spend time with what amounted to a child.