Page 37 of The Devil's Viking

Iris bit her lip, then realized that actually, she wanted to tell this man something. It felt like a gift, but an odd one… like even as she gave it to him, she received something back ten-fold. Like maybe this was the way to start feeling strong, and open, and free. Maybe she could be understood, maybe she didn’t have to feel so alone or ashamed. Maybe she could even like herself.

Just one true thing.

“OK,” she said, calling on all the courage that she had in her body, reaching all the way down to her toes. “The truth is that I like it when you call me ‘baby’.”

Surprised at that, he grinned, his brown eyes flickering with warmth. “You do, huh?”

“Yes. Very much. And…” She hesitated.

“And what, baby?”

“Could you please – could you not – I don’t want Wolf or the guys –”

“I won’t tell anyone about what I saw,” he said quietly. “That’s something that people should only know if you decide to tell them, and I’m so sorry that I violated your right to choose. That was wrong of me.”

“You think that I get to choose?”

“Yes, Iris. Youalwayshave that right, in everything to do with you. At least, you should. It seems that you’ve had your choice taken away for a good long while, but I hope that can start to take it back now.”

“I hope so too. I’d like that, I think.”

“OK, then.” He cocked his head at her. “So, let’s get to work before Wolf starts howling for his goddamn coffee and chocolate chip muffin, huh? He’s in early today to do the books, and he’ll need the caffeine and sugar like you won’t believe.”

Despite herself, Iris felt her face split into a massive smile. “OK.”

“OK.” Viking swung open the door, gave her a small bow as he ushered her through it. “After you.”

Her chin up high, as regal as a queen, Iris sashayed through it, then she laughed from deep inside, a real belly-laugh.

It was the first time that she’d done that in a long time, so long she couldn’t remember…and she suddenly knew that she was happy.

**

Viking swore when he dropped the box of gloves, swore again when he bashed his elbow on the table on his way down to pick it up.

“Fuck,” he muttered. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“What’s happening over there, big guy?” Saint asked him from a safe distance across the room as Arrow looked on with a puzzled expression. “You suddenly forget every word in the dictionary except ‘fuck’?”

“Fuck off,” Viking growled.

“Good to see that you remembertwowords,” Saint said brightly. “I’ll stop worrying about you then.”

“Well, I won’t,” Zoe said tartly. “You’ve been in a foul mood all morning, Viking. What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, you and your ‘fuck’ and ‘nothing’ can get yourselves to the storage room and do the inventory,” Zoe told him. “Come back out when you can have a civil tongue in your head, and not one second before.”

Viking stomped off to the backroom, not even all that concerned that he’d pissed off Zee. She was tough but forgiving, so he’d just hide out for a couple of hours and then go back out and apologize. Meanwhile, he’d have time to come up with a good reason for his shitty mood, since telling anyone the truth was a non-starter. He’d promised Iris he wouldn’t tell.

Unbidden, the tattoo on Iris’ back flashed up in front of his eyes again, and his hands tightened into fists. In his life, he’d seen a lot of ugly things that people could inflict on each other, and in some ways, he’d thought that he’d seen it all. But that tattoo, that word in jet-black ink, stretching from shoulder to shoulder across Iris’ delicate back…

CUNT

God, hehatedthat word, hated it worse than any other he could think of. It was demeaning and degrading, it was a verbal kicking of a woman when she was already down. It was cowardly and vile, and it told him everything he needed to know about Gideon.

Like I needed another reason to beat the living shit out of him, if our paths ever cross.

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