by PJ Friel
Behind them, in the dimming light, squatted the large warehouse we were there to tour. Black as crude. Menacing. Hungry. Sucking me into the past.
What are you most afraid of, little Brynja?
Why had I been in such a rush to get here? I shuddered and pressed back against the seat. My gun dug into the small of my back. Its solid presence comforted me, helped me to stay present.
I wasn’t a little girl anymore.
Dezi offered me an encouraging smile. “Ready for this?”
I pulled out my .40-cal Smith and Wesson, checked the mag, and then tucked the gun back into the holster. “Yep.”
“I don’t think you’ll need—”
I slammed the door on her words. My .40-cal was the bare minimum of what I needed. When I got to her side of the car, she was just dragging her mammoth briefcase out of the back seat and into her lap.
I eyed the men. Nothing special about the Hinterlands. Big bodies in tailored suits, but no suspicious bulges. Relaxed poses. Benign smiles on both their lips. There was no I wanna lick you smile from DG, like he’d worn the last time I saw him.
The non-Hinterland guy, though...the hair dancing on my arms warned me not to look away from him or I’d be sorry. I squinted at his aura.
Flashes of orange and green exploded around the edges of the pale blue. He wasn’t pure Jotun like the Hinterlands. Somehow, his DNA carried Vanir and human as well. I didn’t even know that was possible. The mixing of two races was rare, but three...that was alarming. Each of the Outlander races had different abilities. What would the power of two net him?
Even more alarming was the juxtaposition of his composed expression with the silent screams of his aura. My skin wanted to crawl away and drag Dezi with it, but we were here now. It was too late.
I cocked my head and his six-plus feet of pure muscle mirrored me. His loose stance and not missing a thing gaze said he wasn’t a mere friend or business partner.
Bodyguard?
He twisted his torso just a little and moved his right hand to rest palm up on his side. If he wasn’t packing a gun I’d eat Dezi’s stilettos. Yeah. Definitely bodyguard. If something went down, that guy would be at the center of it, either starting it or finishing it.
His forest-green gaze snared mine. Those eyes. God, those eyes. Warmth flooded my body, washing away my tension. I forgot about the hardware he was packing, forgot he was an Outlander, even forgot I stood in the middle of a parking lot beneath a setting sun.
Instead, I took a scenic tour of his hard body. He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. Not pretty like an underwear model. Beautiful. He was growly, but graceful. Like my motorcycle. And powerful. Bet he went from zero to sixty just as fast, too.
Knock, Knock.
Black wavy hair begged for my fingers. That granite jaw taunted my fist. I bet he’d give even me a run for my money in the stubborn department. My muscles coiled, ready to pounce. Instinctively, I knew he could take anything I’d dish out, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to test him, challenge him.
And then maybe just touch him.
Knock, knock, knock.
His nostrils flared as he sucked in a deep breath. A look of confusion flashed across his face and he opened his mouth as if ready to ask me something. I waited.
Knock, knock, knock, knock. “Bryn!”
I spun around and looked at my best friend. She cocked her head, raised brows so high they disappeared into her hairline. And that smirk.
I groaned.
“Mind letting me out?”
I opened the door and stepped aside. “Just checking everyone...uh… everything…out.”
“Oh, I’m well aware.” Dezi hopped out of the SUV and wiggled her brows. “He’s hot.”
“Not my type.”
“Pshh.” She didn’t argue the point. We both knew I was full of crap.
But he was an Outlander. Besides, that level of gorgeous always came with a craptastic personality.
As Dezi moved forward and greeted her clients, I hung slightly back, eyes scanning the lot and surrounding area. Beside the building, the ground dropped down into a valley, filled with brush and trees. I didn’t like it.
“This is my friend, Bryn Ullman.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Ullman.” The senior Mr. Hinterland offered me his hand.
Not gonna lie. I hesitated. It was only a split-second stutter and neither Hinterland seemed to notice. Both of them greeted me—DG surprisingly professional—and then turned their attention to Dezi.
The bodyguard’s lips flattened into a thin line and he thrust his hand at me like a knife-hand strike. I wanted to sweep his legs, pin him to the ground.
Then his fingers wrapped around my outstretched hand.
A frisson raced up my arm. Gasping, I just barely kept myself from leaning toward him. His lips parted, moved. Formed words, though the blood rushing through my ears made me deaf to them.
What are you most afraid of, little Brynja?
“Trygg Mackenzie.” My heart stopped for a beat as his husky voice filled the space between us.
Dark, it was so dark. I was trapped in a warehouse. Bound hands. Blood, wet and sticky, tickled my belly, dripped down my sides. I hurt. Mommy, I hurt. The monster whispered in my ear, stopped my pounding heart.
“Are you okay?” His warm, comforting voice swayed me closer on locked knees. His grip tightened.
Snap out of it!
I jerked away from him, muscle memory steering my hand towards my gun. Then neurons fired and came back online. I reversed the motion, jammed my hands into my pockets.
What the heck just happened?
Panic attack. Had to be. We needed to get this appointment over with before I completely lost it.
“I’m peachy, Trygg.” I meant to infuse his name with all the sarcasm in my snarky little heart. Instead, I sounded like a 1-900 operator talking to her favorite caller. A part of me didn’t mind. I gave up on words and showed him my teeth, hoping the look was feral, not frisky.
I forced myself to do my job—protect Dezi. Assess the situation, identify the threats, plan for anything. Trygg’s aura was like the finale of a fireworks show. Blue, green, and orange starbursts all around him. There was no reason for it.
Unless he knew who I was? Had somehow manipulated this meeting with Dez and the Hinterlands? That was pushing the bounds of paranoia, even for me, but something about this guy pinged my radar.
I sized Trygg up again, this time as an enemy combatant. He was armed. Considering he worked for the Hinterlands, he would also be well-trained and have tactical experience. If something went down, he would use Dezi against me. I had the Hinterlands to counter that move, but their pretty manners would drop when things got ugly, making them harder for me to control than Dezi would be for Trygg. Three against one skewed the odds in his favor.
I eyed him.
He actually looked like he wanted to run.
Maybe I really was being too paranoid.
We’d find out soon enough.
Confrontation inbound to Trygg Town, population one.
CHAPTER 4
TRYGG
Growling coming from inside your own head would freak out most people. That was just a normal Thursday evening for me. I’ve heard people talk about that voice inside their head that guides them or warns them about dangerous situations. Some people call it instinct. Others call it divine intervention.
I called mine Monster. A destroyer. Everyone I’d ever loved was a victim of that thing.
The Monster laid waste to my life and it almost wrecked me, until Hinterland stepped in and helped me put it in a cage.
Now it rattled the bars of its cage, desperate to get its hands on the woman in front of me. She was so gorgeous. Tall—just a few inches under my six foot three—body fit and toned. She wore her hair in a blonde pixie cut that my fingers itched to touch. But it was her eyes that rocked me.
I thought my lungs had spontaneously collapsed when she turned th
ose bright blues on me. I fell into them and it was like being transported home, to Scotland. I hadn’t seen that place in three hundred years. The thought of stepping even one foot on the land of my birth made me want to weep, but looking into her eyes gave me all the pleasure of a clear Scottish sky without any of the pain.
Until a moment ago. She’d looked at me like she wanted to slit my throat. Not sure what the hell that was all about.
“Ms. Simmons, before we tour the building, I’d like to hear more about the premises and its owners,” Mordechai said.
“Of course. Let me grab the paperwork I have. And, please, call me Dezi.” The realtor passed by me and reached into her SUV.
Her scent tickled my nose. Under the various layered smells on the woman—body soap, lotion, makeup, hair products, perfume, not to mention her laundry detergent—a single scent remained. Human. Earthy and pure. Total no-brainer.
Couldn’t say the same for Bryn.
Her scent confused me. Familiar, yet I had no clue why. I had a virtual olfactory library inside my head where I catalogued every scent I’d ever come across. A single sniff was all it took to be locked in my head forever. But I couldn’t place hers.
There were also fewer scents on her to isolate than most women. No makeup smell, fewer hair products, and her perfume must be a body spray of some type because it matched her soap. A whiff of gunpowder? Interesting and worth keeping an eye on, but once I got down to her base smell, nothing made sense.
Spicy apple.
The Aesir and the Vanir races smelled like apples, probably due to the magic of Idunn’s apples that gave them their immortality, but that was more of a Golden Delicious scent. Bryn’s reminded me of a Granny Smith, tart with an underlying sweetness, but there was an aroma mixed in that I couldn’t put my finger on.
I pivoted on my heel, determined to get this show on the road so I could get away from the Ullman girl and the unsettling feelings she stirred in me. The Monster let out a shriek so piercing , I winced.
Mine.
The hissed word echoing inside my head made me rub my temples. Hinterland stopped talking to the realtor—Dezi— and gave me a pointed look. I sucked in a deep breath, dropped my hands. My gut ached like I’d been mule-kicked.
Keep moving. Get the hell away from her before I completely lost it.
Dezi moved up beside me. Thankfully, Bryn stayed where she was. “Are we ready to go inside?” Dezi asked.
She patted my arm like I was a toddler. I should have been pissed, but I’d never been more grateful in my life for the distraction. It gave me the seconds I needed to semi get my shit together.
“I checked the perimeter earlier, but I need to sweep the warehouse.” I steeled my spine and motioned towards the building. “I’ll do a quick run through before you all go in.”
“It’s a big building. That could take a while.” Her gaze bounced from Bryn to the horizon and back again. “Is that really necessary? It’s getting late.”
Hell yes it was necessary. I needed five goddamn minutes to myself so I could get a grip. Maybe figure out how I knew Bryn’s scent.
The Monster purred.
Fuck you, asshole. You’re still in that cage and you’re not getting out.
“I insist, ma’am. I’ll be quick.”
“Dez.” Bryn motioned towards the building with her chin.
“Okay, whatever, but I’ll need to come with you to turn off the alarm.”
“Fine. Mr. Hinterland, please remain by the cars. If anyone approaches, leave immediately and I’ll meet you back at the Theater.”
Mordechai nodded. His personal security was the one subject where he allowed another person to boss him around, and that person was me. None of my guys would ever dream of talking to Mordechai so directly, but caging a monster together built a strong bond between men. As for his son…
“DG, did you hear what I said?”
‘Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I have a quick call to make so I’ll be in the car anyway.”
He didn’t even spare me a glance. Too busy messaging as he got into the SUV. Probably setting up a session with Jalena. I gritted my teeth at the thought. At least he was following my directives. When I turned to give the same order to Bryn, my Scottish sunrise held up her hand. She gave me the dead-eyed look of a shark.
“I’m going with you.”
“Huh?” My conversational brilliance was staggering.
“Why do you want to go, Bryn?” Dezi saved my ass by throwing her friend a puzzled look.
That’s what I wanted to know, too. The Monster tittered inside my head, mocking me.
What is so funny, you son of a bitch?
It smirked at me and drew a clawed finger across its throat.
Just what I needed right now. Mind games with a monster.
“You’ll be safer inside your car while Trygg and I sweep the building,” Bryn said.
The wind blew her scent across my face right as she said my name. I shuddered and drool pooled under my tongue.
Dezi opened her mouth, no doubt to protest. Silently, I cheered her on, hoping for a save.
Nope.
Bryn narrowed her gaze on the poor woman. “Also, it will go much faster with two of us.”
The realtor looked towards the horizon, nodded and threw up her hands in defeat. “Fine.”
“Fine.” Bryn gave her friend a tight smile. “Give me the keys and the code, please.”
This was so not fine.
“Do you even know how to sweep a building, Ms. Ullman?” I asked.
Like calling her “Ms. Ullman” was going to offer me some distance in how I was feeling.
Fucking hell.
“I was trained by a former LEO, so yes, I know the process. Let’s move.”
“I would prefer it if you—”
“Mac, let’s get on with it.”
Shit. Mordechai calling me Mac meant I better get my ass in gear.
“Yes, let’s,” Bryn said.
She arched her brow and somehow looked down her nose at me even though I topped her by about five inches. Normally, that kind of attitude would piss me off, but with this woman it just turned me on.
Dezi shook the keys at us and Bryn insinuated herself between her friend and me. Her stance loose and turned a bit to the side, she offered me the smallest target possible. Her cop stare told me she’d go down fighting if I tried to get around her to get those keys.
I would never lay a violent hand on her over a difference of opinions. It bothered me that she thought I would.
“Forgive me if I offended you. I’d be happy to have your assistance.”
Bryn’s puzzled look said she wasn’t convinced. That made two of us. Good to know the girl’s bullshit meter was on point. I’d have to up my game.
Dezi gave her the code. Bryn snatched the keys and held them up at me in a talk to the hand pose. Her other hand was fisted, ready to plow me in the face. The way her gaze darted to my lips, I figured she planned on using my mouth as a bullseye.
I might actually let her if she promised to kiss it better afterwards.
She watched Dezi lock herself in her SUV.
“It’s fine. Lead the way.” Her voice, colder than a Highland winter, instantly iced over the heat coursing through my body and drove away the filthy images running through my head.
For fuck’s sake.
I ran a shaking hand through my hair. It didn’t matter who or what Bryn Ullman was. I didn’t allow anyone to distract me from my job.
The Monster howled and tore at its hair, but I was finally pissed off enough to ignore it.
“I’ll just be a few moments, sir.”
I waited for Mordechai’s nod, for him to dismiss me like the incompetent idiot I was. When it came, I stalked towards the warehouse to do my job. Bryn’s gaze burned a hole into the back of my neck. If she wanted to stare at me, fine, but if she ran her smart mouth while we were alone inside that building, I wouldn’t be held responsible for my actions.
CH
APTER 5
BRYN
If someone had told me ten minutes ago that I would be accompanying an Outlander into an empty warehouse, I would have reserved them a padded room. Turns out I’m the one who should be packing her bags.
What was I doing?
I had no clue, but I still motioned Trygg out of the way so I could unlock the door and get him alone inside the warehouse.
Step into my parlor...but was I the spider or the fly?
I motioned at him to go first. At least I’d retained enough sense to keep my enemy in my sights. Beyond that, my big plan was to make him talk.
I was a tactical genius.
“Yeah, let me lead.” His husky voice washed over me.
My heart sped up and my breathing sounded rapid and harsh in the silence of the warehouse. He slipped through the open door, gun in hand. The alarm beeped. I rushed in behind him. The last thing I wanted was for the cops to show up and complicate things.
“Need to turn that off.”
The setting sun through a smattering of high windows offered very little light in a space spanning thousands of square feet. My skin crawled. I froze, tucked my elbows against my sides. My eyes wouldn’t open wide enough. I couldn’t see. I needed to see.
Flashlight!
With numb fingers, I reached down to my side. The metal tube that should have been clipped to my waist wasn’t there.
Oh, god. I’d left it in the car.
Rust, oil, and a lingering smell of gas choked me. What had made me think I could just strut into a dark warehouse? I backed against the wall and tried to breathe.
You’re okay. Breathe. Shake it off. Just shake it off.
Shadows darted in front of me. Real? Imagined? I couldn’t tell. Claws dragged up my spine and wrapped around my throat. Rational thought dove into that inky hole inside my head. I was trapped in a warehouse. Again. Never going to get out.
Nineteen years of shoveling dirt into that well and I still couldn’t climb out on my own.
