Page 17 of Loki's Luck

I can’t stop smiling as my arms tighten around Loki’s waist. I have no idea where we are going until we pull into a familiar parking lot. One from my childhood. We climb off Kitty, and I turn, giving Loki a confused look.

“The skating rink? This is completely crazy and dangerous?” I ask, trying to mask my smile with a scowl.

“Well, yeah, I used to bring Milani skating all the time. Skating can be completely dangerous. One wrong move and you could break your leg, arm, or neck,” he explains, smirking. I can’t hide it anymore. I let my smile spread so wide I’m sure he can see my back molars.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go! It’s been years since I was at the rink,” I say, laughing and dragging him to the front door.

Best. First. Date. EVER!

He quickly pays for our entry and grabs our skates. I’m practically bouncing in my seat. I can’t contain myself. I get my skates on in record time, and when I look at Loki, I notice he is just now taking off his boot. I sigh and stand impatiently, bouncing on my roller skates a bit. Too much excitement, and I'll be on my ass before I make it to the rink.

“Impatient much, pet?” he asks me, chuckling.

“I’m just excited. Come on already!” I urge him, trying to get him to hurry. There are only two beautiful little kids on the rink right now, and I want to get out there. I wait a little longer and look back at Loki. He still has both shoes untied. Is he going slow on purpose?

“Do you need help tying your shoes?” I ask impatiently. I’m ready to mop the floor with him. He lifts a brow at me, and I huff, crossing my arms.

“Alright, pet, come on. Let’s get you out onto the rink before you have a conniption,” he says, skating to me and grabbing my hand.

“A conniption? What are you, an eighty-year-old woman?” I ask, laughing. He pulls me to him and gives me a hard kiss before quickly letting me go and hopping onto the rink. When I see him expertly turn and skate backward with ease, my eyes open in surprise. This man knows how to skate? And like a damn pro, no less. I’m too busy watching as he takes over the rink, turning forward, then moving his feet back and forth so fast he glides across the floor. I don’t realize he’s about to pass me until he looks up at me and gives me a devious smirk.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asks, quirking a finger at me. I smile and race after him. I loved rollerblading so much when I was younger that I still do it to this day as an exercise. I usually go to the dog park near my sister’s house and skate around their track. That way, I can pet the dogs and exercise at the same time. Win, win, in my book, that’s for sure.

I rush toward him, and he cocks his eyebrows at me.

“Looks like I’m not the only pro here,” he says, and I throw a cocky smile his way.

“Just try to keep up,” I say, starting a race between us. We keep a pretty good pace, but then one of my favorite songs comes on.

“I LOVE THIS SONG!!! Dance with me!” I demand, grabbing his hand and pulling him to me as they play All For You by Sister Hazel. He wraps me in his arms, and we dance together as the song plays, still skating around the rink. When the song ends, Loki dips me low and kisses me hard.

We are lost in our little world until the clapping starts. Loki picks me back up, and we look over at the soft clapping coming from the other side of the rink.

Two beautiful babies, who can’t be more than seven years old, are watching us in awe. I smile and wave to them. They are stunning and obviously siblings. They share so many similarities. The little girl waves back, but the boy looks away. I look at Loki and see him smiling their way, too. I pull him over to them. As we get closer, I see panic flash across the boy's face, but then it hardens, and he looks at us with a scowl before grabbing the girl by the arm and pulling her until she’s behind him. He stands as tall as he can, which isn’t much, trying to block her from our view. Immediately, I fall in love with this baby.

“We didn’t mean to bother you. Rae just loved watching you dance together,” the little boy says, still holding a protective stance over the girl.

He can only be four-foot-tall max, with dark black hair and beautiful dark brown skin matching his sister. Rae is about four inches shorter than her brother, with beautiful black braids that land on her shoulders. They both have light caramel-colored eyes that stare back at us with so much pain and distrust. What have these sweet little babies been through, and who the fuck do I have to chop up?

“We don’t want to hurt either of you. We just wanted to come to introduce ourselves,” I bend, telling him softly.

“Shit, that’s what they all say,” he tells us. And that has me holding in a curse.

“Watch your mouth, son. That’s my woman you’re talking to,” Loki scolds gently.

I smile up at him and then turn back to the kids. That’s when I see it. Across his beautiful dark cheek is an even darker bruise. I gasp and then look at the little girl. On her upper arm are perfectly outlined bruises. You can clearly make out each finger of a hand on her skin.

“Who did that to you?” I ask darkly.

“Why do you care?” the little boy asks defiantly, pushing the little girl further away from us.

“I promise we won’t hurt you, baby, but I want to know who put that mark on your beautiful skin so I can cut their fingers off one by one,” I tell him, looking him straight in the eyes. Those words might be too dark or harsh for any other kid, but I can tell these kids have lived through tougher times and deserve honesty.

“Rome, tell her. Maybe he will finally get what he deserves,” the little girl, Rae, says, tugging on her brother Rome’s sleeve and trying to get past him. Loki bends beside me, slowly so as not to frighten them and smiles at them both.

“And who deserves that, baby girl?” he asks her, and she smiles at him.

“Our foster dad, he hits us all the time. Last time, I kicked him in the balls, and Rome gave him a black eye when he bent forward. We ran away, but that was four days ago,” she says, frowning at the last word when her stomach growls.

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