Sinister (Raiders of Valhalla MC Book 2)

by Elizabeth Knox

  As much as I’m going to help her, she pissed me off earlier. I doubt she’d even know it. When I told her how her burns are superficial and don’t mean a damn thing, I meant it. The fact she thinks her physical appearance counts more than what’s on the inside . . . Gods, I’ll never understand it.

  “Fern, tell me if the roles were reversed, what would you do? Would you really care about the way my skin looked?” I demand, awaiting an answer, watching her features closely.

  I don’t miss the way she flinches or the way she gnaws on her bottom lip.

  “I . . .” she stammers, not finishing her sentence.

  “You’d refuse to back down and give up on your friends. Am I right?” I demand, already knowing I am. Fern would be in your face telling you she’s not going anywhere and she’s got your back. She has a strong spirit like that.

  “Runes,” she murmurs nervously. Fern’s expression is one of apprehension. She seems like she wants to run away and lock herself up so no one else can get close enough to hurt her again.

  I’m not about to let that happen. I felt something with Fern when we first started talking. She makes me laugh, and I haven’t felt like I do with her in many years. And in order for my plan to work to face the judge, I need her. I can’t see myself allowing just anyone—even if I’m only pretending. Though with Fern, I can see us making this work because deep down, she has a heart of gold.

  “Don’t ‘Runes’ me, sweetie,” I grumble, keeping my anger in check. I know I’ve got a temper. But I’m not an asshole, I understand Fern’s got an attitude, and it goes straight to my cock. I’ve never been much for a woman with an attitude. Then again, those women aren’t Fern. She’s different and doesn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of my anger. The only tongue lashing I want to give her is one where I’ve got my face buried between her legs, and she’s panting my name while I make her come.

  “I meant what I said. I came here to ask you to marry me,” I mutter, taking a step forward and getting in her space. “And for the record, you’d never be treated like one of the hóras.”

  Fern parts her lips, and I hold myself back to keep from pulling her into my body and making her mine.

  “Why?” she asks just above a whisper.

  “Why?” I arch an eyebrow in question.

  “Yeah, why? Why did you come here to ask me to marry you? Is it because I need to be your alibi? To not be able to testify against you for some reason?”

  “I don’t need you to testify against me for shit,” I snarl, curling my lip because that’s the first thing to pop out of her mouth. Granted, the alibi question does hold merit, but it’s not quite the reason.

  I only want my son with me, and I don’t think it’s selfish to not want to worry about him going back to his mother. Hillary is a monster. It’s why I call the bitch Hellary most of the time. Since Tor got here, he’s opened up even more about what’s been happening at home. I asked him why he never told me before now. I would’ve taken him from that environment. His excuse is he didn’t know how to tell me without me thinking less of him.

  How can this kid believe that I, as his father, would think less of him? No, I think less of myself for not being there when he needed me the most. He deserves better, and I know he’ll be eighteen in a year, but I’m still going to be there for him in whatever way I can. Tor will know I’m not fuckin’ around. If I’d known what’d been going on and for how long, I would’ve come off the road and made a home for him years ago.

  “Runes—” I hold a hand up, stopping her from speaking further.

  My phone rings in my pocket, and I pull it out to find Tor calling. I immediately answer, putting it on speaker. “Hey, son, what’s up?”

  “I wanted to see if you’re cool with me ordering a pizza?” Tor asks.

  “That’s fine. You’re staying in your room at the clubhouse, right?” I meet Fern’s wide eyes. She’s shocked and rightfully so. She hasn’t been around lately to know I’ve got a son. I haven’t told her about him yet. I don’t put that shit out there unless I know a woman is going to stick around. Since there haven’t been any I wanted to keep around, it’s never come up.

  “Yeah, Dad, I’ve been chilling out playing Call of Duty with Nate and Trevor,” Tor says, mentioning two of his friends.

  “All right, text Rati and let him know you’re ordering a pizza. Tell him I said he needs to bring it to your room. I don’t want you in the main room tonight,” I state firmly. He doesn’t need to see the shit that goes down in the clubhouse when there’s a party, and the guys need to unwind.

  “You got it. Are you coming back tonight?”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon,” I inform him. If I come back tonight, it’ll be late, and I don’t want to wake him up. Finishing my conversation, I slide my phone back into my pocket.

  “You have a son?” she whispers, taking a step backward in surprise.

  “Yeah, I’ve got a son, which is why I need you to marry me. I need your help getting custody of him. You’re the only shot I have at getting custody, Fern, so please hear me out,” I say, praying to the Gods they’ll help me during this trying time.

  Chapter Six

  Fern

  The way he’s staring at me with focused eyes tells me he isn’t kidding. There’s not a ‘got ya!’ moment coming, and I doubt people on Punk’d are going to come busting into the house. I inhale deeply and swallow, trying to form the right words. Why is he asking me this? Me, of all people, really?

  He could’ve gone up to anyone and asked them. An ex-girlfriend maybe, or one of his brothers’ sisters. I don’t see any viable reason he would ask me to be the one to marry him. “What’re you thinkin’ right now?” Runes asks after a few minutes of silence. He takes a seat back on the couch and sits across from me, and while I form my thoughts, I remain quiet.

  Eventually, I open my mouth and my feelings come rushing out. “I can’t make sense of this, Runes. I’m trying, but I can’t understand why you would ask me to do this for you. Of all people, why me?”

  Runes inhales deeply and licks his lip. “I’ll be honest with you, sweetie. There’re not many women I get along with. A lot of ‘em don’t have the drive to be successful in their own right, but you’re not like that. You’re a business owner and want to succeed in life, plus you’re not constantly hangin’ around. Even when we were foolin’ around, you were fine bein’ on your own for a few days. You weren’t naggin’ me askin’ when you’d see me again. None of that shit. You did your thing, and when I hit you up, you were cool with it.”

  As flattered as I am, I’m not buying it. “Runes, what aren’t you telling me?” I sense it in my bones. Something else is going on here. I know he wants to get his son back, how he’s aiming to get custody. He’s already told me that part, but he hasn’t gone on to tell me the reasoning for it, though.

  “My lawyer told me I don’t have a shot in hell if I don’t prove to the courts I’m a stable person. Told me marriage looks good when it comes to custody cases, and I’ll do what I need to get him back. Fuck, Fern.” Emotion floods over this brute of a man, and I can’t help but take his hand in mine. My heart aches for him and I don’t even know why yet.

  “She was abusin’ him, my fuckin’ baby boy. She was . . .” He pauses, and I witness a shiver take over his whole body, but it’s obviously from anger. His eyes lock with mine, and he continues speaking, “She was fuckin’ sellin’ his body, and I’m not gonna go into more details than that. I’m sure you can put the pieces together on what the bitch was doin’. For the love of Odin, the hatred I feel toward her. If I could kill her and get away with it, I would. She hurt our kid, the one she swore to me she’d always protect. She broke every unsaid promise a mother makes. Fuck!”

  I frown, and his words pull at my heartstrings. His pain is evident, but his anger is obvious as can be. I sense the way he’s conflicted in doing this the legal route and taking vengeance into his own hands. Yet, I empathize with the way he’d do anything for
his son. If my little girl was here and the roles were reversed, I’d damn well be doing the same thing to keep her safe.

  “I’ll do it,” I state in the midst of the silence, and Runes’s eyes widen in shock.

  “What?” he says like he’s so shocked.

  “I said I’ll do it, Runes. You’ve already told me you’ll help me overcome everything going on in my head, plus paying for the surgeries to fix what the fire did, and . . . and I want to help you get your son out of this situation. If it means taking him away from his vile mother, I’ll do it.” I’d normally never speak so rudely of a baby mama, but from what Runes’s told me, she deserves to be called so much worse.

  Runes squeezes my hand and nods, emotion overcoming him. “Thank you. From the bottom of my fuckin’ heart, thank you so much. I’ll never forget what you’re doin’ for us, Fern.”

  I squeeze his hand back and look into his crystal-clear blue eyes. Every time I stare into them, it’s like I’m staring into the ocean. “Whatever I can do to help.”

  Runes clears his throat and runs his thumb over the back of my hand. “You wanna know why else I asked you to do this, why I chose you?”

  I give him a curt nod and wait for his answer.

  Runes snakes a hand around my waist and ends up pulling me closer. He stares into my eyes and looks at both sides of my face, the untouched side and the scarred. “It’s ‘cause you have one hell of a heart. I swear you have the soul of a Valkyrie. From the moment I met you, I knew you went through some shit, and just like the day of the fire, you survived.”

  Runes’s words hit me deep. He doesn’t know anything about my past, yet it’s like he can see the pain I’ve been burying for years. I doubt he knows I’m able to empathize with his son, but I am. My ex-boyfriend, the father of my daughter, put me in situations where he acted like my pimp. He filmed it and put it online, made a sickening profit off it, and degraded me at every opportunity. Hell, I don’t even know if he was my daughter’s father. That’s how often he had me ‘work’ for him, as he called it. Shaking my thoughts back, I focus on the man in front of me.

  Runes brings his hand up my marred cheek softly and looks me over. “You’re healin’ well on your face. I’m glad.”

  I offer him a soft smile before I go back to my stoic expression, and he tips the bottom of my chin up. “Don’t do that. Don’t look away from me when I’m complimentin’ you, alright?” Runes licks his lips and his eyes drift down to my lips. Goosebumps spread across my chin, and before I know it, he’s wrapping his other arm around me, pulling me in close. His rough lips hit mine, and the same electricity we’ve always had comes in heavy and hot. He kisses me like we’re long-lost lovers seeing each other for the first time. I kiss him back with the same ferociousness, aching for more. He’s the first person I’ve kissed since the fire, and if I was going to kiss anyone, I’m glad it’s him.

  For a brute of a man, he’s so gentle with me, and I love it about him. Out of instinct, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself closer. Something about being with Runes speaks to me, makes me feel like I’m not the damaged, broken woman I feel like most of the time.

  He groans against my mouth and pushes his tongue past my teeth, kissing me with a roughness I’ve missed. In fact, I’ve yearned for it. Our lips collide for so long I can’t tell how much time has passed.

  Runes lightly trails his hand up my spine until he has a grip on the back of my neck. It’s rough and demanding, yet gentle at the same time. He holds me close to him, not forcing me to do a damn thing. Truth be told, I’ve never been with a man like this. Most only care about getting their rocks off, but Runes’s shown me time after time how my pleasure means more than his own. He’s the type of man who never goes too far and watches for my signals.

  Pulling his lips away from mine slightly, Runes is breathless. “Fern, I fuckin’ want you more than I ever have, and sweetie, I need to be inside you.”

  All I say is one word while I stare into his captivating eyes. “Please.”

  Runes wastes no time peeling my tank top off and freeing my breasts. My nipples are hard, and he immediately grabs one, capturing it in his hand. For a woman with an hourglass figure, I’ve got a nice pair of tits. They’re Ds, but man, they make my back hurt most of the time. That being said, I’m not a super thin woman. I’ve got a fair share of meat on my bones and my hips are wide. I’m a size twelve in jeans and fill them out well, but he’s always made comments about how he loves a woman who knows how to eat. “Fuck, I’ve dreamed of this day,” Runes growls, capturing my lips once again.

  He releases my breast and pulls at the elastic of my yoga pants. I match his pace, and together we strip myself out of the confines of my clothes. I slide my hands under his cut and carefully take it off and set it on the coffee table behind me. His cut means so much to him, so I would never disrespect it. He’s already peeled his shirt off by the time I turn back to face him, and I pause, completely in awe of . . . all this hotness. I feel like one of those TikTok videos where the woman has water pouring out of her mouth after seeing a sexy man or woman.

  He lifts a corner of his lips. “See somethin’ you like, sweetheart?”

  “Don’t get cocky,” I chastise him and chuckle.

  Runes smirks, unbuttons his belt, and stands to rid himself of his jeans and boxers, tossing them on the floor with my clothes. He sits back on the couch, and I stare at his throbbing cock. It’s wide and long, so I can bet I’m gonna feel it afterward. I lick my lips, and Runes starts to move forward, but I place my hand on his chest.

  “Lean back and enjoy,” I tell him, and his eyes flash with excitement. He leans back against the couch, and I lower my head between his legs. Palming his balls with one hand, I press soft kisses up his shaft until I’m near his head. I open my mouth, wrap my lips around the head of his cock, and he moans in pleasure. But I stop, take my mouth away from him and glance up to see his needy eyes.

  Smiling, I wrap my mouth around his cock and bob my head, deep throating him. “Fuck, I forgot how you go far real fuckin’ quick,” he hisses, not prepared for the pleasure I’m about to bring him. I tighten my hand around his balls and suck as I go down on his cock. I’m sucking his dick like it’s a straw, and his moans confirm I’m doing a great job.

  “Stop that and get up here,” Runes grumbles after about ten minutes of me blowing him. I can tell he’s keeping himself from releasing, so I release his cock from my mouth with a pop.

  I rise onto my knees and start to turn around when I’m grabbed by the wrist. Runes pulls me back to him and forces me to hover over his cock. I was going to ride him reverse cowgirl, but I guess he has other plans.

  “Don’t do that shit with me, sweetie. I know what you’re doin’. I’m not blind to it and I won’t let you shield yourself from me.” Runes leans up, wraps an arm around the nape of my neck, and plants the other on my hip. “I will tell you this however many times you need to hear it, I promise you this.”

  “Tell me what?” I ask as he pushes down on my hip, sinking me down on his cock in the process. He thrusts lightly and hisses as I roll my hips over him. He pulls my neck forward and brings his face right up to mine.

  Looking into my eyes, he tells me. “You’re fuckin’ beautiful. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Runes kisses me with the most passion I’ve ever felt from him. I roll my hips against his cock, and his thrusts grind his dick against my G-spot. I moan into his mouth, and his lips form into a smile, breaking our kiss.

  “I can feel you tightenin’ up around me, sweetie. Come all over my cock. Give me what I want.” His grip grows more intense, and he brings his lips next to my ear, whispering, “I want you, Fern. Give me your sweet nectar.”

  I combust around him, and he groans as I dig my nails into his shoulders, losing complete control. Runes increases his thrusts until he’s ramming his cock up and down, slamming himself inside me. He extends my orgasm until I’m left breathless and shaking on the couch.

 
; Once we’re done, he rises, covers me with a plush blanket, and looks down at me. I rake my eyes over his muscular body and my eyes focus on his semi-hard cock. Goodness, I feel like I was just fucked by Godzilla.

  “Where are you going?” I question him as he walks toward the kitchen.

  “I’m lookin’ for your lotion. I wanna make sure you take care of yourself, sweetie. It’s not just your responsibility anymore, it’s mine too.”

  After the shock wears off, I tell him where to find the lotion, and once he’s gone, I allow tears to slip down my cheeks. I need this, and maybe, just maybe, I need him too.

  Chapter Seven

  Runes

  I don’t have a lot of experience waking up in the morning with a beautiful woman in my arms. I’d like to say I have, but I’m not gonna lie. My motto’s always been fuck ‘em and leave ‘em. I’ve had very few women I’ve allowed to sleep by my side, and none of those women have ever felt as good as Fern does.

  Fern agreed to marry me, and this morning, once she wakes, the two of us are heading to the courthouse where I intend to make us husband and wife without delay. We both agreed late last night the marriage would be temporary. After what she’s endured, I doubt she wants a man tying her down. After things are settled with the courts, we’ll let things go back to normal, and maybe a year or so after Tor’s legally in my custody, we’ll go through divorce proceedings. I know that’s what she needed to hear at the moment. I bet she thinks I didn’t see the fear in her eyes when I asked her to be my wife, but I did.

  Throughout the night, between sliding inside her, we talked about a lot of things. I told her about Tor and his bitch of a mother. Fern’s first question is why I don’t kill her and get it over with. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at her question.