Kara climbed up on the counter and looked out, squinting to see through the blowing snow. A handful of streetlights were on, a trail of full moons in the distance, but there was no sign of activity. They might as well have been on Mars instead of a mountain town in Colorado.
Liam came out from the hallway, clutching a plastic bag in one hand and blankets in the other. “Raided the vending machine—don’t worry, I left an IOU. We should bunk down out here—the only other option is the cells, and I really don’t want to be behind bars, even voluntarily.” He shook his head. “Come on down and be careful.”
She followed him behind the makeshift barricade where he set down the blankets as a floor covering.
He sat down and opened the bag. “Got a whole lot of chocolate here. Fresh pot of coffee in the break room, and we can always bust the soda machine open if we need to.”
Kara moved in on his left side, careful not to jostle her injury. The knife cut might be healing quicker than what she’d expected, but she didn’t need to strain it. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light coming in from outside, the entire station taking on an unworldly appearance.
She leaned in, pressing her ear to his chest as he curled his arm around her.
“Tell me…” She paused, a burst of shyness overcoming her.
“Tell you what?” He murmured.
“Tell me how you became the man you were. The man before you met me in that bar, before you came to the Ridge.” The warmth from his body soothed her, calmed her nervousness. “Who are you?”
He shifted against her. “That was a bad man. I’m not sure I want to introduce you to him.”
She pressed her hand against his chest. “It’s your past. I want to know how you became Jack Hammerson.”
He let out a sigh. “I was born, went to all the regular schools and decided to join the military when I graduated. It wasn’t a family tradition, but my father was adamant I not follow him into the coal mines. He’d seen too many good men die before their time, wanted better for me. My mother was a good woman, a tough lady who took care of all the kids in the neighborhood when she wasn’t working retail. When they both died in a car accident, I was overseas on my first deployment. I came home and buried them, sold the house, and went back to work.”
She kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“We couldn’t afford for me to go to college, so my dad told me to join up. Get in, do your duty, learn a skill, and leave to make money. I took his advice to heart and when my instructors found I had a natural aptitude for killing, I followed the road laid out in front of me. I accepted the training, worked the black ops, taking out the enemies as dictated by my superiors, and when it was time to re-enlist or leave—I left.”
“And they let you?”
“Couldn’t stop me. Except the only real work skill I walked out with wasn’t really compatible with what society needed. Well, not this one.” He gestured at the windows with his free hand. “Tired of taking orders—wanted to decide for myself what I was going to do.”
“But killing for money…” She pressed her face into his neck, searching for answers. “That wasn’t what they taught you.”
“It was.” He didn’t look down at her, focusing on the blowing snow outside. “Some of the missions I went on… I can’t tell you about them—I swore an oath. But I can tell you that the people I killed, they weren’t all evil. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught up in circumstances and political crap that put a bullseye on their foreheads. So, when I got out, wasn’t hard to keep on going.”
His grip on her tightened. “I was known as ‘The Hammer’—I’d bring it down on anyone for the right price. The only rule I had was no work within the United States. I wouldn’t spill blood on my native soil.” He let out a laugh. “Might sound strange, but that was the line I wouldn’t cross. Other than that, no restrictions, no holding back.”
He paused. “Until I got to that village and spotted the battle angel, I’d never regretted any of my decisions. But after seeing her…” He exhaled, his broad chest rising and falling. “I knew if I didn’t change my ways, it’d be a one-way trip to the Bad Place for me.”
“Liam.” She waited until he turned to face her, the dim light from the outside casting part of his face in shadow. “That was a Valkyrie.” She touched her lips. “Like me.”
He frowned, eyebrows drawing together. “No, no. That’s a fantasy you pulled out of that children’s book from the library. You latched onto the pretty picture, that damned amnesia letting you take hold of the idea ’cause she appealed to you.”
“It did. But not because I smacked my head.” She gripped his hand, entwining her fingers with his. “I am a Valkyrie, Liam. Not the one you spied on the battlefield, but I am.”
He shook his head.
“Listen to me.” She tightened her grip. “That woman—she wore a breastplate, reflecting the colors of the rainbow. And a helmet.”
Kara continued on, describing the woman’s attire from top to bottom, the greaves on her shins right up to the lance and the way the Valkyrie landed on the field, how she approached each dead and dying soldier. She’d done the same thing thousands of times—the Valkyrie would have followed the same training.
“Each of the spirits rose in turn, and at the end, she drew a glyph in the air—it’s how we send them to Valhalla.” She choked on the word. “The last one, the dark Valkyrie… She wasn’t taking the soldier to Valhalla. She was taking him to Helheim, where he will suffer for eternity, freed only by his death at Ragnarök, where he will fight for the Fenris Wolf to try and defeat the warriors in Valhalla, backed by Odin and the other Gods.”
It was hard to continue, the bitter taste in her mouth making her want to spit. “We ferry them one by one to Helheim—the evil in their souls makes it impossible for a Valkyrie to gather more than one at a time. After we deliver them, we return to Valhalla. It’s a heavy weight to bear, so many women burn out over time. But we rest and recuperate, and when Odin calls, we head out again to the next battlefield.”
His jaw tensed, his eyes narrowing as he heard the truth in her words. “You’re one of them? One of those creatures who send men and women to Hell or Heaven? Are you demons or angels?”
“Neither.” She swallowed hard, pulling the painful memories up from her core. “You have to understand—Valkyries aren’t born out of nothing. We were recruited as young girls, offered a chance to join our Mother Freyja on her mission to recruit worthy warriors for Valhalla, preparing for Ragnarök.”
“The end of the world,” he whispered.
“Yes.” She pushed through the mental barrier, ready to speak about it. “In my case, it was a blessing to be chosen. Mother Freyja came to me one night when I lay in the hay, sore from yet another beating.”
“What?” The anger packed into the single word both comforted and terrified her.
“You have to understand—this was long ago and far away, in Europe. My parents had many children but couldn’t afford to feed and clothe us all. As a girl, I was unable to work the land as hard as my brothers. So I was sold to a traveling merchant.”
“Sold,” Liam repeated. “A slave.”
“Yes.” She let her breath out slowly. “He treated me well at first, along with his other possessions. But as time went on he became cruel, taking his anger out on me when his business deals didn’t go well.”
“Did he…” Liam drew a deep breath. “Did he hurt you?” He pulled his fingers into fists. “You know what I’m asking.”
There was no lying now. “Yes. But as I got older he lost interest. But he still beat me when he needed an outlet for his anger. That night…”
She swallowed hard. “He was mad because a deal fell through. When he left me there in the hay, I thought I was going to die. I knew I was going to die,” she corrected herself. “I’d given up on life, on living.”
His arms went around her, pulling her closer, if that were possible. She felt the dampness on his skin and realized sh
e was crying.
“A bright light filled the room, and she appeared. So beautiful…”
“Freyja.”
“Yes.” Kara sniffled. “She was so beautiful. She asked me if I wanted to come with her.”
“And you said yes,” he finished the sentence.
“No.”
“No?” He pulled back to stare at her. “You refused her?”
“At first.” She smiled. “I thought she was an evil spirit, trying to trick me out of my soul. I might be prepared to die, but I wasn’t stupid. But she kept talking, explaining what she wanted to offer me.”
“What worked?”
“The idea of helping collect women and men for Valhalla—I’d heard about these women warriors but didn’t think they really existed. It sounded…glorious.”
“You took her up on her offer.”
“Yes. I healed, and I grew older, stronger. I trained, and I fought, and I went and collected souls for the Great Halls.” The remainder of her memories came back in a rush. “But I never forgot who I’d been.”
“The merchant. Your owner.” Liam growled.
“Yes. I never met him again, but I saw plenty of men like him—those who think they own women and men, anyone below them who can be manipulated and twisted into doing things they don’t want to do. I swore I would never let myself be controlled by anything or anyone.”
“I believe you.” The statement was short and heartfelt.
“You do?” Kara stared at him.
“Yes. Because it’s so crazy it has to be true.” One edge of his mouth twisted upward. “But then how did you fall from heaven and end up in the Ridge? And Las Vegas, before that?”
“I…” She hesitated, her cheeks burning. “I did something wrong.”
“Wrong?” He cupped her cheek in one hand, pulling her up to face him. “I didn’t think angels could do anything wrong.”
“I did. I let my pride, my emotions take over. My need to prove myself better than another woman. My sister, my friend. When we met in Vegas, I was already headed for trouble.” She shook her head. “I hurt people, innocents whose only sin was being in the same place as I was. For my punishment, Freyja sent me to the far side of the barracks, to where the Dark Valkyries are. I changed from collecting worthy, strong fighters for Valhalla to snatching up pitiful, evil souls and taking them to Helheim. The penalty was supposed to humble me, but I just got angrier. I mocked them, told the tortured souls there was no room for change, that they had chosen their fate. Then…” She sighed. “Then I found myself at your door, bereft of my memory and everything gone—except your name on my lips.”
“So…” He moved in closer, his breath caressing her skin. “Was this supposed to be your punishment or mine?”
“I don’t know.” The scent of him was intoxicating, the need to have him growing. “But I’m glad it happened.”
Then his lips met hers, and she was lost.
Chapter Twenty-One
There were only two options here—either Kara was insane, or she was truly what she said, a fallen Valkyrie sent to his front door for some purpose.
His mind said the first, his heart the second.
He didn’t care—he loved her no matter what or who she was.
Liam deepened the kiss, his grip increasing in her hair as she softened in his arms, letting him lead.
Kara pulled back suddenly, staring at him. “You’re going to go after them, aren’t you?”
“I didn’t know Valkyries could read minds.” His smile was forced.
“But you are,” she pushed. “If Marie’s not back soon.”
“Yes.” He couldn’t lie to her, not when this could be their last time together. “There’s no way to avoid this confrontation. I would if I could. Once the sun rises, the Sons are going to be on the move. They’ll interrogate Jamie and Tony—won’t be long before they verify I’m Jack Hammerson. After that, they’ll go to my apartment, see if I’m there and if they can get the jump on me, on us.”
“The rest of the town…”
“Hostages. All of them. And even if Marie brings back the best SWAT teams, the best negotiators, they won’t be able to save them all. The Sons don’t surrender. They’d die first and take as many as they can with them.”
“Are you going to kill them?” There was a note of disapproval in her voice, mimicking the one at the back of his mind.
“I’m going to try damned hard not to. I’ve spent five years trying to clean the blood off my soul, and I’m nowhere near clean. They may be bastards, but they deserve to live like anyone else—and be brought to justice, if possible.” He glanced at the snow-covered window. “But this is on me, and I can’t hand it off to anyone else. And, even though it sounds pretty egotistical, no one else can do it.”
“Take me with you.”
He shook his head. “No. You have to stay here, watch for Marie.”
“And let you go out there alone? I thought we’d already had this conversation.” She stroked his cheek. “I can be hurt. I can also die. But I’d rather die fighting the Sons of Cain than live knowing I hid from doing my duty.” Her hand tapped on the metal badge. “After all, we are deputized. Serve and protect.”
Liam laughed. “Agreed.” He kissed her again, softer and gentler than before. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather die with.”
“I’d much rather live,” she countered.
“We’ll see what we can do.” He pulled her into his arms, relishing the body heat. “Now rest. We both need to be at our peak tomorrow—and you’re already starting with a disadvantage.” He tugged the blankets up around them. “We’ll check that wound out in the morning, then take another look at the situation.”
He waited until she relaxed, her breathing slow and steady, before giving into the mind-numbing exhaustion drawing him down into sleep.
She came out of the darkness in pain, her side throbbing. Kara opened her eyes and groaned, hand pressing against the wound.
“Are you okay?” Liam leaned over her, forehead creased with worry. “Did I hurt you?” He shifted beside her. “I tried not to bump you too much…”
“I’m fine. Just a little stiff—been a long time since I had to sleep on the floor.” She smiled and touched his cheek. “Maybe we should change the bandage, check the stitches.”
“Good idea. I’ll go get the first aid kit from the break room. Stay here and don’t move. Keep warm under the blankets.” He stood up. “Be right back.”
Kara pulled one of the thick woolen blankets up to her throat as she waited. The cold penetrated the walls, sending a cool wave along the floor where the insulation had surrendered.
She clenched her fists in the rough fabric, mentally preparing herself for the immediate future. In a few hours they’d rise and fight the Sons of Cain, battling for their lives.
And if they fell…
She didn’t know what would happen to her. Valkyries didn’t die—they retired at the end of their service to live a quiet life in the barracks, either teaching others or keeping to themselves, waiting for Ragnarök.
But she wasn’t a Valkyrie right now. She was fully human, with all the dangers it brought with it.
Including love.
As for Liam…his fate was outside of their control. He’d try to not kill the Sons, but accidents could happen. Would killing for a good cause wipe out the red in his ledger? Or would it count against him?
She didn’t know. And the not knowing made the decision even more agonizing.
Liam came into sight, standing over her. “You’re thinking too much. I can see the frown.”
“Just going over our options.” She glanced at the nearby window. “We don’t have a lot of time left before the sun comes up.”
“We’ve got enough.” He knelt beside her. “Let’s change that out then we’ll get some more sleep. No one’s going to move until sunrise and we can see what’s out there. The Sons might be tough, but they’re not omnipotent—they’ll have to play by the same
rules we do when it comes to dealing with the snow.”
His hands moved over her skin, raising goose bumps in their wake. Liam tugged the shirt up slowly, his concerned look shifting into a mischievous smirk.
“I’d forgotten you were ticklish.”
She blew a raspberry at him. “Keep your mind on the job.” She reached out and drew her nails down his chest, enjoying the way he flinched. “You’re not the only one with weaknesses.”
“You’re the best and the worst one.” Liam pulled the gauze square free, the medical tape already curling up at the edges. He paused, forehead furrowing as she watched. “Whoa.”
She glanced down, a shiver of fear digging into her gut.
The wound was healed, the stitches lying loose atop the skin.
There wasn’t even a scar.
He looked at her and for the first time she saw awe and wonder in his gaze.
“You are…” He swallowed hard. “You are a Valkyrie.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t…” He fell silent. “I thought we’d figure this out afterward, when we had more time. But this…” Liam looked skyward. “Thanks, Freyja.”
Kara stared at the unmarked skin, choking up.
She hadn’t been abandoned.
And if she hadn’t been…
“The Gods are with you.” She gripped his hand tight.
“With us,” he corrected her.
He pressed his lips to the healed skin. Liam pushed the first aid kit to the side and moved under the blanket, pulling her close. “Let’s make the most of it. That may have healed, but we still need to rest.”
She closed her eyes, thoughts racing around her mind as she tried to sleep.
Kara was back in the barracks, the other Valkyries walking by her as they headed out to the walls to leave on their assigned missions.
They never knew where they were going until they were in the air—it was a way to keep their work fresh but also to keep from dwelling too much on what they did, where they went. She’d seen her sisters break over the years, the decades of reaping souls taking their toll. One morning they would be there, the next their room would be empty, and she’d catch a glimpse of them in the gardens, sitting in the shadows. They’d retreat when approached, running into the areas of the barracks that were closed off to all except the other hermits.
Warrior Nights Page 16
