Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 185811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 929(@200wpm)___ 743(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 185811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 929(@200wpm)___ 743(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
Noah chuckled and elbowed him hard in the gut. “He’s kidding. Bad sense of humor. We learned that in the service.” But his gaze stayed on Abby, searching deep. She could almost feel his intent, and it wasn’t an entirely bad sensation. Warning ticked through her head, even as he spoke again. “Can we read each other’s files?” he asked.
“No,” Mariana said. “But this is a safe place, and we can talk about anything.”
“There are no safe places,” Raine returned, almost cheerfully, his gaze square on Ivar.
Ivar rolled his head. “You have no idea, asshole.”
Mariana lifted a hand. “This has to be a safe place. No swearing or name calling, please.”
If that was the voice she used with the kids she normally counseled, it was probably effective. Abby straightened. “Sorry.” She shouldn’t have cursed.
“She meant me,” Ivar said, still slouching.
Mariana turned toward Noah, her hands tightening again on the manila files. “So. Noah. How about you tell us what motivates you?”
“Vengeance,” he said smoothly.
Her eyebrows rose while Abby leaned back in her chair. Vengeance? To just say the word so casually and honestly. The man had some serious confidence, and that should not interest her. Not in the slightest. So why did it?
“It’s like this,” he began to explain. “My brother was killed, and now I have to avenge his death.”
Raine nodded from across the room. “I heard about Clyde. Sorry. Met him once, ah, overseas on assignment. Was a good guy.”
Noah’s chin lowered. “You have any Intel on”—he glanced at the humans—”the insurgent who took him out?” The look on his face promised bloodshed.
“No. Sorry.” Raine’s gaze flickered to Ivar and then back. “I’ve been on a different assignment. Away from the conflict that involved your brother.” He sat back, his gaze serious, the sarcasm and amusement dropped for a moment. “But I can put out some feelers, if you’d like.”
Noah’s back teeth ground together with an audible sound. “I’m thinking you and I aren’t going to work together.”
“That remains to be seen,” Raine drawled, his sardonic expression firmly back in place.
“Try it,” Ivar muttered, not even looking the man’s way.
This was so odd. It was as if the two men were speaking in code. But why? Abby forgot her problems and just watched the two in the hope of gaining more info.
Noah glanced to the side. “I’m not sure you want to be issuing challenges right now, Ivar.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Mariana cleared her throat. “Ivar? What’s your motivation here?”
The Viking straightened and slowly, very slowly, turned his head to face the shrink. “To get right back to hell. As soon as possible.”
CHAPTER 3
Abby finished carting her groceries out to her small compact, careful not to break the cage-free eggs this time. The small and only grocery store in the tiny town had finally started carrying organic offerings, and she chalked that up as one blessing. The shrink had suggested they all count little blessings before the next meeting, and so far, she was liking the practice. Maybe life didn’t suck as much as she’d feared. She gingerly shut her trunk and turned, stopping short.
Nope. Life totally sucked.
“Hi,” her ex said, standing way too close, his car nowhere to be seen. She’d checked before leaving the safety of the store for her car.
She took a step back and looked up to his clean-cut face. Intelligent brown eyes, slightly shaggy brown hair, rugged jaw. If he never moved or spoke again, she’d consider him good looking. “What do you want?” she asked, holding her purse against her chest.
His brows drew down in a familiar frown. “Why must you be so rude? I just wanted to check and see how your anger management class went. I’m hoping it does you some good.”
She swallowed, looking around the nearly vacant lot. An unfamiliar black SUV sat near the lone gas station. Had Monte gotten a new vehicle? She couldn’t see any other options. Winter had just turned to spring, and small sprouts showed through the wide planters set around the two street lights. There was nobody around to offer help. “You hoped I’d go to jail, and you know it.” She lifted her chin and met his gaze.
He stepped closer, his eyes blazing.
Her breath stopped. She slid one leg back, even though she’d end up in jail if she kicked him. Self-defense didn’t mean anything in this town. “There are cameras on the storefront,” she reminded him, out of pure self-protection.
His chin lifted. “So there are.” His body visibly relaxed in complete opposition to the anger in his deep eyes. “I swung by your apartment earlier and was surprised by the mess in the kitchen.”
A small gasp escaped her before she could stop it. “You broke into my place?”
His chuckle was chilling. “Of course not. You’re so forgetful, Abby. You left the door open.” He sighed, the sound long suffering and seriously irritating. “You know you can’t survive on your own. Why don’t you stop this nonsense and just come home where I can take care of you? Where you have a washer and dryer, for Pete’s sake?”