Sinister (Raiders of Valhalla MC Book 2)

by Elizabeth Knox

  “Seriously!? Get a fucking room!”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Runes

  Leaving Fern at the house, I use Tor’s car, and the two of us head to GameStop. There’s a game that just came out, and he’s dying to play. I figure after the day he’s had, he could use the distraction. I’m sure as much as he claims he doesn’t care his mom is dead, a part of him does. Monster or not, she was the woman who gave birth to him. Fuck, I can remember there was a time where she was a great mom to him. I just don’t know what went wrong in her life. What happened to make her parenting change so much? What turned her into such a foul beast?

  “Dad, I don’t mean to be a certain way, but do you think next time you and Fern can, you know. . . keep that shit in your room. Fern’s hot and all, but I don’t need to be imagining her in her maid get up. Fuck. I bet no other kids see their stepmoms in maid outfits. Can’t you two be normal or something?” Tor grumbles as I pull out on the road.

  I chuckle at the reminder I didn’t need. It’s bad enough she and I have to sneak around like teenagers, let alone my teenager walks in on us. All through lunch, I teased her with the toy she gave me the control of. I didn’t stop there, though. Fern’s joining me for the first time in a group setting tomorrow when the club goes for a ride. We’re spending all day on the road, savoring the wind therapy being on a bike gives us.

  “I’ll try to remember that, but I gotta say she’s got a smokin’ body,” I state truthfully.

  I love seeing her come out of her shell and not worry about her scars. I don’t want Fern to feel discouraged in her path to come back to herself.

  “You really like her, huh?” Tor asks knowingly.

  I’ve never been one to lie to my son, and I’m not about to start now. “No, Tor, I don’t like her. I fuckin’ love that woman.”

  “Isn’t it too soon?”

  “I’ve known Fern for months. Before the day she was burned, she and I were startin’ something. I backed off when I shouldn’t have. It resulted in me losing time with her, time I could’ve used to help her heal. Instead, Fern went into her own head.” She shut down and didn’t want anyone near her.

  “So, now what are you going to do?” Tor asks while I pull into the parking lot of GameStop.

  I park his car and turn to him. “I’m going to find a time when I can tell her I don’t want this to end.”

  “Good, ‘cause I like her.” Of course, Tor does.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, Fern’s funny and caring. She listens and doesn’t turn into a bitch at the drop of a hat.” I listen to my son talk, continuing on about Fern.

  Now, Tor hasn’t said anything to me about the obvious age difference Fern and I have, so now’s the time to ask him. “Does the age difference she and I have bother you?”

  “Why would I have a problem with y’all’s age difference? I mean, as long as she’s not my fuckin’ age or younger than me, we’re cool.” He shrugs.

  Well, okay then.

  Dropping the subject, the two of us get out of his car and walk into GameStop. I enjoy spending this time with my son, even in a gamer’s shop, picking out a video game for him to play. With his life being turned upside down and twisted around, Tor needs these times to be a kid and not the adult he’s turning into.

  Tor scans the shelves, and I look around. I spot the new Xbox he’s been talking about since he came to me. I pick it up, look around, and then over to Tor. He’s reading the back of a game case, so I take the box over to the cashier and hand my card over. It’s time Tor got a new Xbox anyways. I tell the cashier to hold the bag back there while I go back to my son, and I check out the game he’s looking at.

  “This the one you want?” I ask him.

  “Yeah, the game just came out with a new expansion pack, and I hear you have to fight Fenrir at some point in the game. It’s cool as shit,” he says, talking about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

  Grinning, I shake my head at him. “Don’t tell Fenrir that. He’ll want to play it, and then Charm will get pissed and put something in his food again.”

  “Seriously?” Tor quirks a brow.

  “Oh yeah, you’ve heard the stories.” I chuckle.

  Tor laughs and moves on to look at other games. I look at the headsets meant for gaming. Tor has one, but it’s not the best. I pick up one I think would be better and notice a gaming chair that’s cool as shit, and it sits on the floor with armrests on either side. The chair even has Bluetooth compatibility. He could use that in his room at Fern’s house.

  Putting the headset box on top of the chair’s box, I bend and lift the big box into my arms. I carry it over to the counter with a beaming smile on my face. He’s going to love this. I just know it.

  “Dad?” Tor calls my name.

  “Yeah?”

  “What are you doing?” he asks, coming to the counter.

  “What’s it look like?” I grin.

  Tor’s eyes scan over the box as the cashier scans each item. When she’s done, she tells me the total, and I pull out my card. After I finish paying, the cashier places the receipt into the bag and hands that one and the one with Tor’s new Xbox to me.

  “Have a good day,” she says sweetly, eyeing my son.

  “Thanks, you too. Tor, grab the boxes, will ya?”

  “Sure,” Tor utters in complete shock. His eyes on the bags, and he sees the one with the new gaming console.

  I grin at my son as his eyes come to mine. Seeing the way they light up, I know without a doubt getting him this shit means something to him. He’s never gone without but only because what he has, he’s always asked for. And this stuff right here I knew he wanted and was waiting for Christmas to ask.

  Now he doesn’t have to, and he can spend time being a kid for a little while longer before it's time to go out in the real world. If you ask me, he needs to make up for growing up too quickly.

  Fern and Charm are taking Saraya to a friend of theirs who’s a midwife and can confirm she’s pregnant or not. Not that I don’t believe the girl, she’s got a face that you can see once held pure innocence but had it taken from her. The way Saraya is around Tor, I know something else happened between them. Only neither has said what it is yet.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Fern

  I’ve been in a lot of embarrassing circumstances throughout my life, but that was the absolute worst. Now I’m sitting in front of my best friend, who’s currently red-faced, laughing her ass off at me. Charm has her hand in front of her mouth and inhales deeply through her nose before laughing again, and again, and ultimately repeats the process.

  I cross my arms and sit back further on the recliner in her house. “If this was going to happen to either of us, I figured it would be you. You have triple the risk.” Charm and Fenrir have three kids in their house, while Runes and I only have to worry about Tor. I don’t know how the hell those two have any sort of sex life with all the kids they have. “Where are the kids, anyway?”

  “Fenrir took them to the clubhouse. They wanted to go and see it for themselves. He asked me if I wanted to go too, but I needed some bestie time. It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve actually sat down and talked.”

  I nod, agreeing with her statement. “It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

  Charm widens her eyes. “Obviously, if I chose your ass over my hot as hell ol’ man. Ooosh, he’s a walking piece of art. I swear. I could just stare at that beard, those abs, and my eyes could linger down his—”

  “Whoa! Enough!” I holler, holding my hands up in a desperate plea. I don’t need to know where her mind’s going. I really don’t.

  Charm throws her head back and chuckles, smirking at me. “Okay, okay, so how have you been? The sex incident took over our conversation.”

  She isn’t lying. I think I might’ve been here five minutes. Runes took Tor out with him to GameStop, and I quickly changed, then ran next door. It was pure luck Charm was here. A lot of the time she’s out with Fenrir and the kid
s. I’m glad she’s here, though. I’m so glad.

  “I’m good, just . . . busy, I guess?” I say it like a question, but I don’t know what to call this. I’m either with Runes, with Runes and Tor, or I’m at the spa. I’ve been there a few times over the last couple days, making sure everything is in tip-top shape for re-opening, and I think we’re more than ready.

  Charm gives me an understanding nod and grabs the hot coffee she has on the table beside her. “Yeah, life has a way of getting busier when you let people into your inner fold. You basically have a family now, just like me.”

  As she says ‘family’, my heart drops into my stomach, and I don’t know what to do. I know why I’m feeling this way. I’ve never kept anything from Charm, and the one thing I have is marrying Runes. Charm even knows about Tyler and my little girl I lost. She knows all of my deep, dark secrets, yet the mere thought of opening up about this terrifies me.

  I don’t know why it does. Maybe it’s because I promised Runes I wouldn’t tell anyone about us, or rather about what we’re really doing. But now, things are so much more different. They’re complicated. They’re . . . not like I thought they’d be. I figured we’d just fake it ‘til we made it, but now I’m falling head over heels in love with him, and I’m terrified he won’t feel the same way.

  Tears well behind my eyes, and I look at my best friend with a desperation unlike ever I’ve felt before. “I’m sorry for not telling you this, just promise you’ll forgive me,” I blurt out. Goosebumps rise over my skin, and I clear my throat, but Charm cuts me off.

  “What’re you talking about?”

  “I . . . I married Runes.”

  Charm’s mouth forms into a small ‘o’, and the reality of what I’ve said hits her like a ton of bricks. I know her better than anyone else, and she’s processing what I’ve just said. I can guarantee right now she’s letting my words run around in her mind on repeat.

  “I . . . I don’t know if you heard what you said, but um,” Charm swallows hard and moves her hands around while speaking, “you said you . . .” She stops speaking, looking right at me. She’s waiting for me to tell her this is some sort of joke, but it isn’t. It’s not a joke at all.

  “I married Runes. I did it to help him get custody of Tor, but in the process, I’ve fallen in love with him, and I’m scared. Charm, I’m terrified he doesn’t feel the same way.”

  Charm waves her hands around in front of her. “Okay, you can’t just start a conversation like that! What the hell!? Holy crap. Holy freaking crap! You’re married?!” Charm puts her coffee down on the table, spilling it over the side of the cup. She jumps up and down and claps her hands together as if Runes and I have been in love for years.

  “What’s with the spectacle?” I question Charm, and she grins from ear to ear.

  “You have to be kidding me. You just said how you were falling in love with the guy! Don’t act like you aren’t. Of course, I’m going to be excited for you!”

  While I might not look like it from the outside, on the inside, I’m happy she’s happy for me. I’ve had friends get angry with me if I’ve kept something from them, but I got a piece of advice from a good friend not too long ago. Her name’s Heather, and I haven’t known her long. I met her right before I opened up the spa with Charm, and she told me it isn’t my job to let everyone know every aspect of my life. It really hit home with me, and I wish more people understood this.

  “I don’t know if he feels the same. He might not. Maybe he just wants this to be a paper thing, to not mean anything emotionally.”

  “Bullshit!” Charm quickly replies.

  “Sorry, what?”

  Charm cackles and looks right in my eyes. “If the man only wanted this to be a paper thing, he never would’ve fucked you in the first place. If it meant nothing, he would’ve never taken it a step further. So, I’m gonna make this simple for you, lady. You need to tell him how you feel.”

  As much as I know she’s right, it doesn’t mean this will be easy. I’m just as terrified as I was when I started this conversation with Charm. Runes could tell me he doesn’t want any of this, and if he does, well, it’ll break my damn heart.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Runes

  It’s been a few days since the judge granted me full custody of Tor. Not only is it something we’re celebrating at home, but the club wanted to throw a party too.

  Sitting in my chair at the table for kirkja, I wait for the last of my brothers to take their seats. Charm and Fern are in the kitchen prepping for the party. Gods, Fern: The mere thought of her makes me remember what we agreed to. This could all be over soon, but I’m praying it won’t be. I’m contemplating the conversation I need to have with Fern. We haven’t talked about it yet, but now the court case is done, if she wants, she can ask for us to have our marriage annulled.

  I don’t want to lose her, I’ve had feelings for Fern from the start. She’s not like other women who want to bitch and groan about everything you do. Hell, the woman didn’t even blink when she found out my ex was dead. Everything I’ve ever said to Fern about protecting my family is accurate. I made sure Hillary would never touch him again. Fern just doesn’t know the extent of what I did.

  The door closes, and I slam the blunt tip of the axe to the table. “You all have heard already, I got custody of Tor and I moved into Fern’s house to get him out of the club,” I say, starting the meeting.

  “Yeah, you gonna finally claim the woman?” Logi chuckles.

  “I already have. Fern’s my wife,” I announce, grinning at the shock-filled expressions on my brothers’ faces.

  “You did what?”

  “When?”

  “Why the fuck didn’t we party?”

  “What the fuck?”

  These are all questions thrown in my direction at once.

  “I needed to show the courts I have a stable life for him to be with me.” I shrug.

  “So you used Fern,” Rati states accusingly. His tone makes me think he has feelings for her or something.

  “No, I didn’t use her. She and I talked about it. She agreed because of what was going on. Tor’s mother was abusing him. I’m not gonna go into detail about it, but I’ll tell you this, the bitch was a part of a child porn ring. Any more than that, it’ll have to be Tor who tells you what he went through. It’s not my story to tell. I will say Hillary is dead. Skadi took her out.” I’m met with silence as I finish.

  “Skadi?” Logi’s mouth thins at the mention of Skadi.

  “Yeah, Skadi did it. She had no problem taking care of her. Her only price was a marker for when she needed help. Which I didn’t mind giving to her, since you know she is your. . .”

  “I don’t give a fuck what she is to me,” Logi roars. “You should have talked to me, Prez. I don’t want that bitch anywhere near me. Not after all this time.”

  “Brother, calm down,” Fenrir orders sternly.

  “Calm down? I haven’t seen or heard from that bitch in four fuckin’ years, and now she’s killing bitches for the club. No fuckin’ way. She wants a marker? That marker will come with a motherfuckin’ price.” Logi slams a fist on the table, anger rolling off his body in waves.

  “Already intended to give that marker as you please for when she calls on it,” I grunt, knowing this would be hard on my brother. Skadi isn’t just a mercenary, she’s also Logi’s ol’ lady and disappeared on him four years ago. Logi didn’t take it well and now acts like she doesn’t exist, except for now.

  Finishing up church, we go over the plans for the new bar and garage we’re taking over. Dismissing my brothers, I stay seated since Logi nor Fenrir moved from theirs.

  Logi’s eyes lock on mine. “Skadi doesn’t get to come back into our lives like she didn’t just waltz out of it.”

  “I know that, brother. I simply needed a job done without blowback to the club. She’s good at what she does, and no one will be able to connect her to us,” I explain to him.

  “Right, and when she calls
that marker, it’s mine to see to,” Logi declares. “Now, are you going to officially claim that woman of yours or what?”

  And just like that, Logi flips the switch inside himself, shutting his emotions down, covering them with humor, and acting like a jokester.

  “Yeah, brother, I’m gonna claim her,” I grumble, pressing my hands to the table and pushing myself up from my chair. I stalk out of kirkja with Fenrir and Logi behind me. I find Fern standing at the bar, holding a beer in her hand, laughing with Charm.

  Making it to her, I pull her into my arms and wrap mine around her waist, locking her to me. Fern’s head tilts back enough so she can meet my gaze. She opens her mouth to say something, but I don’t give her a chance. I slam my mouth to hers, forcing my tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss.

  Someone must have taken her beer from her hands since Fern slides her hands up my chest and curls her fingertips against my shoulders. I cup her ass in my hands and lift her until she has no choice but to wrap her legs around my waist.

  I break my mouth from hers and scan the room seeing all of my brothers are in here grinning. Throwing my head back, I make my claim. “Minn,” I roar loud enough for even those in outer space to hear me. Hoots and hollers instantly follow, but I don’t care. I carry Fern out of the room and take her straight to mine, where I intend to show her just how much she belongs to me.

  Inside my room, I place Fern on her feet, but I don’t let her go.

  “What was all that about?” she asks, turning her head back toward the door.

  “That was me officially claiming you as my ol’ lady,” I inform her. I slide my hand up her waist, the sides of her tits, and don’t stop until I’m cupping either side of her face. “I want you as my ol’ lady, my wife, and the woman I hold in the middle of the night. I don’t want to end our marriage. Tell me you want the same as me.”