Page 71 of The Hard Way

“Always.”

“And he’d shoot this thing down,” I said.

Nothing.

“I don’t feel anybody out there.”

He lay there silently.

“You promised.”

He went back to scanning our surroundings and peering through the boards while I stayed small and still. He was in his insurance guy getup, and there was even some of the aging powder in his hair, but he’d taken his glasses off. He looked every inch the warrior now, dark and dangerous.

“Should we climb down?”

“We’d be so easy to pick off. This is my fault, goddess. I should’ve known not to come up here.”

“Should I call Thor and Zeus? They could…” I trailed off. They could come and flank whoever was down there…if they weren’t busy breaking into Hank’s home, probably with their phones off.

“Try. Leave them a text at least.”

I texted to let them know where we were.

“You think somebody could take down this structure?”

Silence. I took it as a yes.

“You see something?”

“Don’t worry.”

I waited, tracing the lines in the wood. “I’m not worried.”

“I mean it. I’ll protect you.”

I curled up and set my ear to the wood. The wood creaked when the wind blew; I remembered that from when I used to come up here. “I know you will. You would bathe in a man’s blood for me. It means everything to me that you said that. I won’t ever let you do that, but knowing you would means everything.”

He turned to me then. “And what do you think Margie would say aboutthisconversation?”

I smiled. “Margie would know it’s love.” Odin’s attention was riveted just then to something below us. “What?”

“Somebody approaching the structure.”

“For sure?”

“Stay small.” He clicked off the safety.

“Odin, talk to me.”

“One person only.”

That wasn’t exactly comforting. And then I heard the soft thump of a foot hitting the bottom rung.

“Somebody’s coming up!” I hissed.

Odin swore softly.

“Who is it?”

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