“That’s funny. I would have liked to have seen that. Were you this tall at ten?” I motion upward with a sweep of my arm.
“God no, I was a head shorter at least. I grew to the height I am now at age fifteen. Come, are you hungry for some traditional Norwegian food?”
“Yes, I can’t wait!”
We take our seats at a twenty-foot-long table with low benches on either side. We are right in the middle with a clear view of the show taking place on the packed-earth floor.
A young girl with gorgeous blonde braids adorned with lilac-colored dried flowers pours our drinks into stunning sea glass green, cone-shaped glasses that have swirls of smooth pewter twining around them from base to top.
“Have you ever tried mead?” he leans in to ask me.
“No, I haven’t. Is it beer?” I look down at the interesting amber-colored liquid.
“No, it is honey laced wine. It’s served during special occasions. Try it.”
I take a generous sip and smile at him. “It’s delicious!” A tad sweet and smooth.
He gives a low grunt of approval and drinks deeply from his cup as we listen to a storyteller regale us with tales of Viking lore. The storyteller stands beside the blazing fire and sweat pours down the side of his face as his tale grows more animated.
A generous bowl of lamb stew arrives directly after the mead and I enjoy its rich flavor. It’s hard to put my spoon down as I savor bite after bite of the tender meat surrounded by succulent vegetables.
“More mead, miss?”
“Oh, yes, please, it’s wonderful!”
She smiles politely and pours more mead into my cup. Just as she is moving away, I catch Alreck grinning and turn to him.
“You are enjoying yourself, then?”
“I am. This is quite the experience. Thank you, Alreck.”
“It’s my pleasure, Vail. Would you like to visit the gift shop before we go out to view the longboat?”
“I would, yes. I’m hoping they might have one of these exquisite glasses that I could ship to my mom.”
“I would think so. Let’s head over there.”
We head through the dim space and find the little gift shop area nestled discreetly into the back of the longhouse. There are wide glass cases that display a variety of handcrafted pieces of art, along with beautiful jewelry, all created by regional artists. I immediately spy a display case of the mead glasses and walk over to choose one. I decide to pick up an oversized coffee table book about The Lofotr Viking Museum to accompany the mead glass.
I ask the female attendant if they ship to the States.
“Yes, of course. However, it may take up to three weeks to arrive. Would this be all right?”
“Yes, that’s fine. I would like to put in a note in as well.”
She hands me a piece of paper and I bend on the glass case to write: Mom, we will have to come here together one day. All My Love, Vail.
The pen hovers over the piece of paper as I hesitate. Should I tell her what is going on? Alreck is distracted by a display case, for once not watching me like a hawk. If I’m still here in three weeks, she would be able to contact the embassy and get help.
But do I want her to?
Slowly, I set down the pen and slide the note to the waiting cashier. I reach into my purse to hand her my credit card.
“No need, miss. Your companion has paid already.”
I turn to look at him. He has a hip against the glass case and is smugly grinning at me as he shoves a black velvet pouch into his jacket pocket.
“I don’t know what to say, Alreck. Thank you.”
“There is no need to say anything. Come, let’s go, I’m eager to see the Viking longship.”
“So am I!”
***
Standing on the windy bluff, we stare down at the expanse of sea harboring the proud vessel.
“Come, let’s make our way down to it.”
He takes my hand as we carefully descend the wooden steps to the rocky cove. As we walk up the dock, I’m mesmerized by the regal ship.
“This one is named ‘Lofotr.’ It is nearly eighty feet long and is made of pine with iron nails.”
“I’ve read the Vikings were excellent sailors and could navigate the seas with surprising ease, but still, the thought of heading out to sea with nothing but a sail above you seems brazen.”
“Yes, but the ships were sturdy. The craftsmen were skilled back then to create a ship that was so strong yet sleek.”
The curved, smooth lines of the sides flow upward on either end into almost fanciful points. The design is so distinct that it easily conjures images of the Viking raiders in action.
We study the ship in silence for a long while before Alreck checks his watch.
“We should head back. Soon it will be fully dark.”
“All right.” I almost welcome the safety of the intimate rorbu, knowing good and well how dangerous winters in Northern Norway can truly be.
Chapter Twelve
***
Intensity
He pulls to a stop in front of the dark rorbu and I assume that we are heading inside. He lifts me down and slings his arm casually around my shoulder.
“There is something I want to show you.”
The snow crunches beneath our boots as we make our way around the left side of the cabin. I slow my steps. It’s quite dark and I’m not nearly as familiar with the terrain as he is. We make our way over the pebbled shore and step onto the dock. I nearly fall because I’m so engrossed in the stunning Northern Lights that flow throughout the night sky before us.
“Oh! They are so much more intense out here.”
“Yes they are. Sit down here with me.”
I lower myself beside him and hang my legs off of the high dock. It is very cold but my adrenaline is flowing. The Nordlys make me feel privileged beyond measure to witness this piece of heaven firsthand. They seem more vibrant tonight as the electric green and purple dances across the sky.
We have been sitting in silence for several minutes when I feel his arm lift and his fingers begin to sift through the left side of my hair.
I turn to him at the same moment he whispers, “Vail.”
His eyes look heated and hungry and my lips slowly part. He leans closer and touches his full mouth to mine.
Soft, oh God, so wonderful.
Thoughts flee my mind as he skillfully opens my mouth to explore it fully, his velvety tongue claiming mine for the very first time. The hand in my hair is pulling me closer, deeper into him. His short beard feels foreign yet soft against my face as I yield to him, allowing him total access to my mouth. The intense contact makes me moan and press tighter against him. Unable to resist, I place my hands inside his down coat and let them drift up the expanse of his hot thermal-shirt-clad chest. Reaching his face, I slip my hands around his smooth neck and clasp them beneath his thick, tied hair. He groans deeply and presses the kiss harder, faster while melding my panting body to his.
My pussy is throbbing intently and I become restless and achy for everything he has to offer. His wide palm reaches under my parka, beneath my layers to glide up toward my pert breast. Yes, this is exactly it! I’m practically out of my mind for him at this point. A needy moan escapes.
Suddenly, several shrill electronic rings bring us back down to earth.
He releases me with a sharp, “Faen!”
Checking the screen, he slides the screen open and says tersely, “Hei Mikkel.”
Rapid-fire Norwegian flows from Mikkel’s end of the phone. I can only make out several standard words, but they are talking at such a fast pace that I can’t put real meaning behind what I’m hearing. As soon as it had begun, Mikkel stops talking and Alreck shuts the phone. He stands and helps me up before swiftly walking back toward the cabin. I watch him scan the area as we move toward the front door.
Why would he be doing that? Animals or another threat, perhaps?
“Is something the matter?” I ask, still shaken from
the kiss of all kisses.
“You should go to bed now. You must be worn out.”
What?
His earlier passion is gone, just like that, and his posture has changed; he seems more alert, on edge.
I blurt out, frustrated, “It’s only five o’clock! I know it’s dark and all, but seriously?”
“You need to be in your room. Go get a book or something.”
What in the world?
“Fine!”
I rush by him to quickly brush my teeth, grab a bottle of water and snag the book I have yet to finish. I’m mortified that I let myself go with him. Surprise, surprise, Vail, look at what you got. His moods fluctuate more than the stock market. This is bullshit!
I slam the door behind me and drop onto the bed before attempting to lose myself in the novel. I hope he’s long gone when I wake up tomorrow!
***
A wave crashes over my feet. I stand in the sunshine, surrounded by glimmering blue waves and tanned bodies. Freshly waxed board in hand, I race into the warm water, ready to catch the next one. As it rolls in, I climb atop my board and wait. I’m ready. But when the wave comes, it knocks me off my ride and water closes over my head. I’m sinking, drowning … A loud roar fills my ears …
Wait … is that rock music?
The noise pulls me out of the dream and I clutch frantically at the dense down comforter. The bed seems to be vibrating from the sound. The lamp beside the bed is still on; I must have fallen asleep while reading. I check my watch to see that it’s two-forty in the morning.
What in the hell is he doing?
I hop out of bed and throw open the door to confront him, but what I see stops me dead in my tracks. Alreck is sitting in one of the oak chairs at the dining table. He’s facing me and his long legs are crossed at the ankles, resting on a chair pulled out across from him. His wide hand is wrapped around a bottle of Jagermeister and the expression on his face is unfathomable.
Metallica’s “Fade to Black” flows through the living room and the intense, somber tones give the scene a frightening quality. His eyes take their time traveling down the length of my body as I realize I’m wearing my black silk nightie. It has ivory lace trim on the edges and I wanted to put it on tonight because I was feeling down earlier with what happened. Sexy nightwear always cheers me up after a bad day. But now, with his powerful eyes on my body I feel exposed, naked. Like his prey.
His eyes travel back up my body from my toes to my stomach and quivering breasts, and then finally to my face. Involuntarily, my anger begins to morph into something different, something primal.
His rich rumble cuts through the air.
“Go back to bed.”
I stare at him as if he’s just spoken an alien language. I’m tired, so tired of the uncertainty of the past five days. Tired of the adrenaline spikes and the foreign feelings he draws out of me.
“Woman, do as I say.”
Quietly, almost imperceptible through the solemn music, I respond, “No, you won’t tell me what to do anymore, Alreck. I won’t have it. If Mikkel told you something important on the phone concerning my welfare then I have every right to know about it. Tell me.”
Like a snorting bull, he stands so abruptly that the chair is knocked backward with a cracking thud, and he wastes no time powering his way across the room to stand before me.
I should be petrified, yet I know that he would never hurt me. Dominate me? Possibly, but harm me? Never. I don’t know how. It’s just an innate certainty.
I brace for him to yell but instead he leans down, very close to my face, and in a scary whisper he asks, “Are you certain that you want to test me again, Vail? Is that it? You had better be certain because, woman, I’m at the very edge of my control with you and I’m about to let it go.”
I blink once and then again as his words sink slowly into my brain. I smell the black licorice scent of the Jager on his hot breath. I don’t know how long he’s been up but he appears quite sober, despite the bottle he was clutching when I walked in. His eyes are clear and his speech is sharp. I wonder if he’s about to kiss me again because his eyes are already devouring my lips. I’m taken aback as he cups my cheek like fine china and groans so low that it seems as if he might be talking to himself.
“Why do you have to be so fucking beautiful? Why, Vail, tell me? I live my life by complete control and rigid rules, yet with you it’s all fucking chaos. Do you know that, woman? Do you have any idea what you do to me?” His eyes are pained and questioning.
Shakily, I clasp the outside of the hand that rests against my cheek and whisper, “Alreck, Alreck, please, this is no good for either of us. You have to let me go. Please.”
With brows drawn he asks, “Why won’t you allow me to protect you, Vail? Are you so headstrong it borders on recklessness? You are safe here, yet you’ve almost killed yourself trying to get away. Can’t you see I just want to protect you?”
“What? P-protect me?” I stammer out in a shocked voice. “What are you talking about, Alreck? You, you kidnapped me against my will.”
Dropping his hand from my face, Alreck’s guard goes right back up like a shield. I can actually see it happen, in his posture and the frigid glint in his eyes.
“Is that how you see it? I was trying to protect you from the truth, from yourself, but I can see now that you’re like a pit bull, woman, so stubborn that you’ll never let this go until you know all of it.”
My breath catches in my throat as I sense that I’m on the verge of finally finding out what in the hell I’m doing here with him in remote Norway.
“Don’t hold back on my account, big guy. Lay it on me!” I’m so mad and tired. I desperately want the truth and for all this to end.
With hands locked onto his hips, he leans in and roars, “If we hadn’t gotten you out of Oslo when we did you would have been dead by nightfall.”
“What?”
“Did I not speak in clear English, American? The Russians don’t fuck around and they certainly don’t ever leave sloppy messes like witnesses. You, Vail, are nothing but a liability to them and they want you stone cold dead in a shallow grave so no shit from Ragnar’s assassination can blow back on them. Now do you understand? Now can you finally get it through your beautiful, proud head? Mikkel is our club president and he made the call on this, but I was thinking it from the moment you stumbled screaming into the club that night. Ragnar dying sealed the deal. They’re looking for you right now. We have sources in Oslo who have told us the Russians know your name, where you live. Lisetta can’t even be in the apartment right now. Someone broke in while she was gone and she had to go stay with Mikkel.”
I’m beyond speechless.
Alreck pauses and takes a deep breath before he continues. “We’re hiding you and in return it buys us time to keep the cops away. See, we like to dish out our own justice far different from the police, and they are most likely looking for you as well. They’ve heard there was a witness that night but to date nobody has come forward to say it was you. The Russians, however, have a more persuasive influence. Money. They paid somebody off to find out who you are. Maybe some bitch girlfriend who was there that night, doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you’re staying here, safe with me, until Mikkel and the boys find the two guys you described and give them the same treatment they gave Ragnar.”
My head is whirling as I reach out to steady myself against the smooth wall next to the fireplace. “You’re trying to protect me? From those men? That’s what the call with Mikkel was about? Are we in danger?”
His expression softens a bit. “Yeah, baby, I’m protecting you. Why else would you be here? It’s selfish on our part because with your description and their previous intel, the cops would quickly have the two guys in custody and we would never be able to get our hands on them. So we agreed that this was the only option. We thought by keeping information from you it would be less traumatic, considering what you went through, watching Ragnar die that night. Mikkel is workin
g day and night on getting this wrapped up. He called tonight to tell me that one of our guys lost track of the three Russians we had a tail on, so he was concerned. Don’t worry, though, I’ll protect you with my life. Just be patient and accept that this is happening. I’ll get you out of here and hopefully back to your normal life soon. All right?”
All of the pieces fall into place and everything starts to make sense. Lisetta didn’t give me up. She was trying to save my life. She could likely be a target as well. I hope Mikkel and Bern are watching her closely in Oslo. Alreck was sitting up tonight, watching out for us.
There is one last thing I need to know. “Tell me why they murdered Ragnar.”
Alreck blows out a long breath. “They came to the garage downtown about a month ago. Mikkel was off and I was out meeting with a client on a new design. Ragnar was there and they approached him about running drugs through our garage and the clubhouse, saying it would be worthwhile for both sides. Nasty shit—crack, heroin, you name it. Ragnar played it cool because it’s common knowledge that Russians aren’t fond of hearing no. He politely blew them off but they kept coming back, more forceful each time. Finally Mikkel put a stop to it, or so he thought. He told them that we are a clean club and they should go elsewhere because the cops are always on us for no good reason anyhow, just because we’re bikers. I remember when they left the garage that day, Mikkel thought that was the end of it, but I saw the gleam in the lead guy’s eyes. He was pissed and I knew that we would have problems from them. I just had no idea it would include a bullet in Ragnar’s face. They don’t realize it, but they’ve started a war and it won’t stop until they’re run out of Oslo or buried in our soil. Fucking Russians.” The disdain in his voice is crystal clear.
“Oh God, Alreck, this is a whole other stratosphere from normal, you realize this?”
“Yeah, Vail. Believe me, I know. I want you more than fucking air in my lungs, but I equally wish that you never would’ve walked into our party that night. You’d be safe now.”
Naughty in Norway Page 11
