Page 72 of The Devil's Viking

“Assumin’ that Denton and his fed buddies don’t bust up the cult first,” Wolf said. “So for the first time in my whole damn life, I’m rootin’ for law enforcement.”

“But until then, we’re back on high alert, huh?” Viking said. “On the lookout for guys who come down on moonbeams and worship a dead guy?”

“Backon high alert?” Scars said. “You meanstill. You meanlike always. You mean wenever stopped.”

“Yeah.” Wolf sighed. “This whole gettin’ out of the one-percenter life ain’t goin’ so great, is it?”

They all nodded, then shook their heads; just then, Elle came over to the group. She paused when she saw their grim faces.

“Hiiiiii,” she said. “Everything OK?”

“Yeah, baby.” Viking gave her a reassuring smile. “Just talking about how we have to keep an eye out for Michael and the gang.”

“It will take a while for him to rebuild the Garden,” Elle said. “Briley told me that the Walton cops took in almost all the women, and arrested all the Guardians except four. Michael is starting from almost nothing, so he’s got some work to do before he can mount any kind of attack, and that’s assuming that he evencan. He doesn’t have one one-millionth of Gideon’s charisma, so it’s a long shot and remember, Gideon built things up over fifteen years and across two states. I have my doubts that Michael is up to it, at least not on a large scale.”

“Briley said?” Wolf asked, interested in that part of the conversation. “When did you talk to her?”

“About ten minutes ago,” she said cheerfully. “She called me from the van.”

“She say anythin’ about the boys?” Wolf said. “About how they’re doin’?”

“Just that they’re devastatingly charming and perfect gentlemen.”

“Oh, dear Lord,” Scars groaned. “We all know whatthatmeans.”

“What does it mean?”

“That those two are workin’ their magic on that poor woman,” Wolf said. “She ain’t got a prayer.”

Elle stared at him in utter confusion for a few seconds, then realization dawned as she recalled some conversations that she’d overheard about the twins. “You mean that they want to – that both of them together –”

“Yep,” Wolf said wryly as Scars and Viking laughed, and Ice rolled his eyes. “That is indeed what I mean, sweetheart. I hope Briley brought her gun.”

“Ah.” Elle blinked. “Well… it would spice up the road trip, that’s for sure.”

“No doubt.” Viking kissed the top of her shining head. “Anyway, baby, what’s up? You working right now?”

“Nope. I’m on my lunch break and I wanted to see if you’d like to come over to Blue Dragon with me. Zoe called this morning and told me that the sketch is ready.”

“So soon? You only just talked to her yesterday,” Viking said. “Damn, that woman moves fast.”

“She was working on it all last night,” Scars told them. “Kept throwing balled-up pieces of paper on the kitchen floor for Keira to chuck at me, kept muttering that it wasn’t right yet. I guess she got there in the end.”

“OK, so let’s go,” Viking said, taking Elle’s tiny hand in his huge one. “I’m dying to see what Zoe came up with.”

The other men watched them walk away, then all looked at each other again.

“Ice?” Wolf said.

“I know, boss,” Ice responded. “I’m already on my way.”

He walked out of the bar, headed home to pack. Wolf and Scars exchanged long, hard looks.

“Hard to imagine our man Ice in the desert,” Scars commented. “You think he’ll melt?”

“Nah.” Wolf paused, hoped that he was right, then reminded himself that he’d never bet against Ice Johansson in anything involving life and death, or danger and chaos. “Nothin’ will take that man down, and I meannothin’.”

**

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