Page 249 of Duty and Desire
He smiled back.
The sexy guy next to Ivar pinned her with a look. Noah. Such a nice name for somebody so obviously dangerous. What was it about him? Heat climbed into her face, and she turned toward the shrink. “I’m not sure what all to say.” Nobody believed the truth. Except maybe the cop.
“Just tell us what happened,” Mariana said, clutching her files.
“Well, I agreed to a plea bargain for throwing a pitcher at my ex-husband’s head during a domestic dispute that the asshat started and finished.” The judge had warned her, very sternly, about slander charges if she said anything bad against Monte, so she stuck with the judge’s final Order. It didn’t matter that she’d never even had a chance to throw a pitcher before he’d hit her. She still had bruises on her ribs from that last fight. “The prosecutor was going for a jail sentence, and I took a plea deal that Detective O’Connell made sure I could get.” Abby sat back.
Mariana blinked. “Your file shows several arrests and plea bargains.”
“Yeah. I’ve read my file,” Abby said, not expecting anybody to believe the truth. They never did.
Mariana tapped a file. “I can’t help you with your anger issues if you don’t delve into the full truth about where your anger comes from.” Her voice was soft and kind.
“Nobody can help me,” Abby returned, plucking a string on her jeans.
Ivar looked at her for the first time. “I can kill him if you want. Then you won’t have to throw pitchers at his head any longer.” The total unconcerned way he spoke made his words all the more chilling.
Noah chuckled and elbowed him hard in the gut. “He’s kidding. Bad sense of humor. We learned that in the service.” But his gaze stayed on Abby, searching deep. She could almost feel his intent, and it wasn’t an entirely bad sensation. Warning ticked through her head, even as he spoke again. “Can we read each other’s files?” he asked.
“No,” Mariana said. “But this is a safe place, and we can talk about anything.”
“There are no safe places,” Raine returned, almost cheerfully, his gaze square on Ivar.
Ivar rolled his head. “You have no idea, asshole.”
Mariana lifted a hand. “This has to be a safe place. No swearing or name calling, please.”
If that was the voice she used with the kids she normally counseled, it was probably effective. Abby straightened. “Sorry.” She shouldn’t have cursed.
“She meant me,” Ivar said, still slouching.
Mariana turned toward Noah, her hands tightening again on the manila files. “So. Noah. How about you tell us what motivates you?”
“Vengeance,” he said smoothly.
Her eyebrows rose while Abby leaned back in her chair. Vengeance? To just say the word so casually and honestly. The man had some serious confidence, and that should not interest her. Not in the slightest. So why did it?
“It’s like this,” he began to explain. “My brother was killed, and now I have to avenge his death.”
Raine nodded from across the room. “I heard about Clyde. Sorry. Met him once, ah, overseas on assignment. Was a good guy.”
Noah’s chin lowered. “You have any Intel on”—he glanced at the humans—”the insurgent who took him out?” The look on his face promised bloodshed.
“No. Sorry.” Raine’s gaze flickered to Ivar and then back. “I’ve been on a different assignment. Away from the conflict that involved your brother.” He sat back, his gaze serious, the sarcasm and amusement dropped for a moment. “But I can put out some feelers, if you’d like.”
Noah’s back teeth ground together with an audible sound. “I’m thinking you and I aren’t going to work together.”
“That remains to be seen,” Raine drawled, his sardonic expression firmly back in place.
“Try it,” Ivar muttered, not even looking the man’s way.
This was so odd. It was as if the two men were speaking in code. But why? Abby forgot her problems and just watched the two in the hope of gaining more info.
Noah glanced to the side. “I’m not sure you want to be issuing challenges right now, Ivar.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Mariana cleared her throat. “Ivar? What’s your motivation here?”
The Viking straightened and slowly, very slowly, turned his head to face the shrink. “To get right back to hell. As soon as possible.”
