Son of Thunder (9 page)

Tears shimmered in her eyes, and she shook her head slightly. He didn’t need her to reply—he needed her to believe him. And from the slightly shocked expression on her face, he could see she very much wanted to believe what he’d said.

He would prove to her that his words were true, if it was the last thing he did on Earth.

“Wrap your arms around me.” She did, and when he had a firm grip on her ass, he stood. “Which way is the bathroom?”

They’d shared a shower. He wasn’t ready to let her out of his arms—or his life. It was that simple. But as much as he hated to release her, they had a job to do. He left her in the bedroom to dress and call her partner. He stood at the window in the living room, the one that faced the direction of Erik’s cabin. Night had fallen, and stars were starting to twinkle in the sky. Liv joined him at the window, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a long-sleeved V-neck shirt. But it was her smile that captivated him, brightening the room with its intensity.

“Ready to hunt?” she asked as she grabbed her boots and started to put them on.

He folded his arms. “Yes. More than ready, actually. What did your partner say?”

“He’s about thirty minutes out, but I told him we were going to head over to Erik’s cabin now.” She looked up at him as she tied one boot. “The barrier could harm them if it’s at full strength, right?”

“Yes. As long as Erik is distracted, or his power focused on something else, he’ll ignore the defenses he erected.”

She nodded, finished tying the other boot, then stood up. “I know you’ll be close by, but is there anything else I should know about his powers before we head over there?”

“Yes. Two things, actually. First, when his power is at its height, you’ll be able to see a glittery, diamond aura around him. It’s very important that you remember that, because it could help you know when to attack and when to hold off.”

“I’ll remember,” she said firmly. “What else?”

“The second thing is that as long as you keep your fear in check, he
cannot
use that against you.”

She cocked her head, considering his words. He could see the information clicking, and a Plan B forming in her mind in case something should go wrong.

“So as long as I don’t show him my fear, and don’t let myself believe he’s stronger than I am, that power can’t harm me?”

“No. Not with
fear
, anyway. And if he somehow gets you behind a barrier, try not to touch it. Sometimes they can burn; sometimes they can shock, or freeze. So be very aware of what’s around you when you go inside his cabin.”

“I will.”

He really did not like that she was going to interact with his nephew first, and it wasn’t that he thought she couldn’t handle herself. He hesitated to tell her so, but something must have shown on his face because her hand went to her hip and she sighed, her expression soft.

“What is it?”

“Nothing,” he lied, which was stupid considering she’d already sensed something was wrong. “I just don’t like you going first, because of his powers.”

“We’ve been over this, Rune—if he sees you first, he’ll know he’s in deep shit, and we don’t know what’s in that house that could harm us. You have some idea of what he can defend himself with. You said it yourself.”

Yes, he had, but that didn’t make the displeasure of the situation fade one damn bit. “I will be
right
behind you, though.” He narrowed his eyes. “It’s not because you can’t take care of yourself, Liv. He’s a godkin—you aren’t equipped to fight him. I am.” His voice had a hard edge to it, but he had to make sure she was aware of the scope of the dangers.

She put a hand on his chest. “I know. That’s why I’m trusting you as my first backup. Cory won’t be able to reach me first—you will.”

There it was—
trust
. She trusted him as backup.
I can work with that
.

“I’m going to get my gun,” she said, walking away from him. She stopped after a half-dozen steps, turning back to him. “Can he kill you?”

“No. Godkin can’t kill a full god.”

“Really? Why not?”

“I can’t get into the why of that—Odin would truly kill me for sharing that information with a human. I’m sorry.”

She took a deep breath. “It is what it is, Viking. We don’t have time to argue. All I needed to know was if he could kill you. Now that I know he can’t, I’m not quite as worried.”

No, they did not have time, but he knew she still had questions. He wished he could give her the answers she so desired.

“Be aware,” he began, “that Erik can
wound
me to the point where I am unable to stop him from fleeing, or unable to help you.”

She grimaced then nodded. “Okay. Just so I have this straight, he can’t kill you—for reasons you can’t tell me—but he
can
hurt you?”

“Yes.”

“Torture?”

“Yes.”

She exhaled slowly. “That’s good to know.”

Her rigid stance told him she wouldn’t elaborate on how she felt on the subject. The conversation was undoubtedly closed.

“All right. I’m going to get my gun, then we can go.” She took one step forward, and the floor opened up beneath her. “Rune!”

The end of his name cut off as she disappeared and the hatch—just large enough for an average-size human to fall through—slammed shut. He quickly bent down and tried to punch through it. On the third full-powered punch, he felt it—a pulsing beneath the floor, repeating in rolling waves, never ceasing.

Damn it.
Why hadn’t he checked inside the cabin when he’d arrived?

That oversight could cost Liv her life.

He pounded his fist on the trap door once more, then he stood, racing out the door and breaking into a full run once he was off the porch steps.

He was going to put a stop to Odin’s mistake. And if the godkin harmed her before he could reach her, the Son of Thunder would rise, and no god would be able to help Erik…or the god helping him.

…

Liv landed on a hard dirt floor. A shuffle to her left was the only warning she got before Erik slammed his fist into her cheek.

Pain burst through her skull. The world spun, and it took all she had not to pass out.

He yanked her up and tossed her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing, then he raced through a dimly lit tunnel.

Nausea churned in her stomach as he ran, and she tried not to toss her cookies. Although it would serve him right if she puked down his back.

Erik had set the rental cabin up as a trap, just as her gut had told her when she’d entered it. Was it meant for every person who went in? Probably not, but she was right all the same.

He slowed and opened a door, stepping through and slamming it shut behind them.

Thunder rolled above the cabin as Erik dropped her into a cage. She hit the ground and grunted. That would leave more bruises on top of the bruises from the first fall. He grabbed her shirt and yanked her upward, forcing her to her feet. Then he bent down and leaned his face close to her neck, inhaling deeply.

When he met her gaze, his were blazing.

“Mating with a god, are we, Agent Winter?”

She smirked, pushing her fear down deep. “Just a fun roll in the hay, Erik. Don’t you know it’s good stress relief?”

He grabbed her throat, slamming her back into the steel bars. An electric shock ran through her, stunning her for a moment, knocking the breath out of her. He grinned at her reaction then pulled her off them.

She fought past the electric current running through her, feeling as if her nerves were shredded. She’d been tased once by a fleeing suspect, but this was far worse. The man who’d tortured and killed Soosie now had his hands on her. Now it was far more intimate and close to home.

Narrowing her eyes, she said, “I don’t fear you, godkin. Just like Soosie didn’t truly fear you.”

His fingers wrapped around her neck, and he lifted her off the ground—a good foot or so—and her hands went to his wrists as she fought for breath.

“They
all
feared me.”

She ground her teeth, realizing that her knee was almost perfectly aligned with his family jewels. With all the force she could muster, she rammed her knee into his groin—he dropped her immediately. She steadied herself quickly, her heart racing. Anger pulsed through her, and she wanted to kill him, right then and there, with her bare hands.

She grabbed a fistful of his thick hair and yanked back before he could fully recover from the impact of her knee.

“Oh no, they didn’t, Erik,” she seethed. “You just refused to see it.” She punched him square in the jaw, and he went to his knees. She kneed him in the face, and he fell back.

He rolled away from her before she could grab him again. He was now outside the cage, but she didn’t follow, remembering Rune’s warning.

Erik chuckled as he stood. He shook his head, then wiped the blood from his nose. “You aren’t stupid, Winter. But I knew that.” Smirking, he straightened his clothes. “Though, I was rather hoping you’d be so angry you’d run through the barrier, and I could watch you fall to your knees, fighting for breath. Mouth open…” He licked his lips, not seeming to mind the blood that was there. “I bet those lips of yours are quite talented—wouldn’t be able to please a god elsewise.”

Fucking little bastard could kiss her ass. She narrowed her eyes. “So sorry to disappoint you, Erik.”

Another frightening crack of thunder.

“Seems I’ve angered the Son of Thunder.” He grinned at her. “All because of
you
.”

When it came to her well being, Rune would turn into a frightening storm of Viking wrath to keep her safe, which made Erik partially right. “No, not because of me. Because of what
you’ve
done. Taking me just…sped up his anger. At least he has control over it, godkin.”

That wiped the grin off his face.

“Is your self-control that lacking during sex, too?” she pushed. “Because if it is, you’re not god enough to please any woman.”

Erik walked up to the opened door of the cage. He reached in and grabbed her arm before she could move back. A surge went through her so strongly that it felt as if lightning had hit her. She fell to her knees, and he stepped farther into the cage. He yanked her stiff arms behind her back, causing her breath to freeze in her throat. The familiar clank of handcuffs echoed behind her, then cool metal bit at one of her wrists.

Crap
.

His breath blew against her ear. “You are going to be fun to break, Liv. The most fun I’ve had in years.”

A clap of thunder shook the room, and water from the brook running through the floor of the cage splashed.

He forced her into a chair, then yanked her arms behind the back of it and cuffed the other hand. At least she wasn’t cuffed
to
the chair—thank the gods for small favors.

“I am going to personally see to it that you never harm another woman, godkin,” she warned, her voice low. “I’m going to make you pay for every person you’ve ever hurt. I promise you that, and I
keep
my promises.”

“So it would seem,” he replied.

When he came around to stand in front of her, he punched her gut, sending more lightning into her. A crack sounded, and pain rolled through her. Fucker had broken her ribs. A grunt was all she let out, refusing to give him more than that.

He choked her again, and gave her a Cheshire cat smile. He leaned in close as he increased the pressure, stealing her breath.

“Oh yes, Winter. I’m going to
enjoy
you.” He winked. “You are going to be the most fun I’ve had with a woman in
six years
.”

Just keep telling yourself that, you shit
. His crack about “six years” was meant to anger her, to remind her that he’d had Soosie in the same basement she was in now.

Calling on every ounce of strength she had, and all her training, she pushed the pain and anger down deep. She could bring the anger out later, but right now she couldn’t afford to lose her temper.

Not if she wanted to make it out of there alive.

A loud crash sounded, and the entire house shook so violently that if she hadn’t known Rune was causing it, she’d have thought an earthquake had erupted from directly under the cabin.

When Erik’s gaze met hers again, she said, “I don’t think you—”

An elbow to the face stopped her taunt. The dark abyss rushed toward her.

Coward
was the only word that followed her into the darkness.

…

Rune could feel Erik waiting for him on the other side of the cabin door as he neared it in long, fast strides. Keeping his temper was going to be near impossible, but if he didn’t try, he would get Liv killed, and
that
was not going to happen on his watch.

He’d rip his own heart out before letting Erik torture her.

Pounding up the steps of Erik’s cabin, he stopped in front of the door, inhaling and sensing the power on the other side. He inhaled deep, then slowly exhaled, testing the power as he did so. The power wasn’t pulsing—it was steady and strong, like a thick wall of concrete, built to keep other gods out. Too bad for his nephew it wasn’t strong enough to stop the Son of Thunder.

While it couldn’t keep him out, the barrier
was
strong enough that it was going to hurt. He sensed Erik on the other side, concentrating on the wall he’d erected, putting all his strength into keeping the barrier up. And if Erik was concentrating that hard, it meant Liv was incapacitated. Rage built, and his blood pulsed hot.

Fuck the rules. He’d kill Erik himself for harming the woman he loved. The thought of her hurt—or worse, dead—set an emotional storm raging inside him. The sky above him reacted—rain began to pour down, wind howled, and thunder boomed so loudly Odin and the rest of Asgard could most likely feel it.

He hoped to Hel it would be enough to push Odin off his kingly ass and down to Earth to right the wrong that was his great-great grandson.

Squaring his shoulders, he took a step back and assessed the best option for getting past the wall. Once he’d made up his mind, he stepped up to the door again, took a deep breath, and raised an arm. Then, he brought it forward with all the strength Odin had left him.