Page 18 of Viking
“But they’re not as good as we are,” Atlas said, a rare hint of confidence in his quiet voice.
Wire smiled, a flash of pride crossing his face.“Damn straight, son.”
I watched them turn back to their screens, father and son working in perfect synchronization, two parts of the same formidable machine.Whatever Kris had been involved in, whatever had gotten him killed, Wire and Atlas would uncover it.And when they did, I’d be ready to deal with anyone who threatened Karoline and Athena.
“I need to check on them,” I said, heading for the door.“Let me know as soon as you find anything else.”
Wire waved a hand without looking up.“We’ll find it.Just keep them close.”
As I left the tech room, the weight of responsibility settled more firmly on my shoulders.Karoline and Athena weren’t just my best friend’s family anymore.They were mine to protect.And I would do whatever it took to keep them safe.
* * *
I opened the front door to my house as quietly as possible, the weight of what I’d learned from Wire and Atlas sitting heavy in my chest.The house smelled different now -- a hint of something warm that made the place feel less like a crash pad and more like a home.I heard soft murmuring from down the hall, Karoline’s gentle voice singing something low and sweet.Without thinking, I found myself moving toward the sound, drawn like a compass needle finding north.
The door to Athena’s room was partially open.I paused in the hallway, watching as Karoline tucked the comforter around the little girl’s shoulders.Athena’s eyes were heavy-lidded, fighting sleep as children do, one small hand clutching her blue rabbit while the other held onto Karoline’s finger.
“Just a little nap,” Karoline was saying, her voice soft as she smoothed those copper curls back from Athena’s forehead.“I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
Something twisted in my chest at the tenderness between them.They’d only been in each other’s lives for a few days, yet the bond was already forming -- fragile but real.Athena’s eyes drifted closed, her grip on Karoline’s fingers slowly relaxing as sleep claimed her.
Karoline stayed a moment longer, watching the child sleep with an expression that mingled love and fear in equal measure.When she turned to leave, she spotted me in the doorway and pressed a finger to her lips.I nodded, stepping back to let her pass before she gently pulled the door nearly closed, leaving it open just a crack.
“She’s finally asleep,” Karoline whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.“It took forever.New place, new sounds.”
“Sorry if the compound noise bothers her,” I said, following her toward the kitchen.“The guys try to keep it down near my place, but…”
“It’s not that,” she said, moving to the coffee pot.“She’s just… hyper-vigilant, I guess.Doesn’t want to miss anything.The social worker said it might be a trauma response.”
I leaned against the counter, watching as she went through the motions of making coffee like she’d lived here for years instead of a single day.“From losing Kris?”
“Maybe.Or whatever happened before.”She glanced at me.“Did you find anything?With your computer friends?”
I chose my words carefully, weighing what to share and what to hold back.“Some.Your brother was good at covering his tracks, but Wire and his kid are better at uncovering them.”
The coffee machine gurgled, filling the silence between us.Karoline turned to face me, arms crossed over her chest in a posture that mirrored my own defensive stance.
“And?”she prompted.
“And it looks like Kris was involved in something complicated.Government work, classified operations.The kind of thing that creates enemies.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.“You’re editing.Giving me the PG version.”
Damn, she was perceptive.Just like Kris had been.“I’m giving you what we know for sure,” I countered.“The rest is still coming together.”
“Lief,” she said, my real name sounding different in her mouth than when anyone else used it, “I need to know what we’re dealing with.All of it.I’m not some fragile thing that needs sheltering.”
The coffee machine beeped, but neither of us moved.I studied her face -- the determination in those blue eyes, the stubborn set of her jaw that reminded me so much of Kris.She wasn’t the little girl I remembered, looking up at me with hero worship.She was a woman facing danger with more courage than many men I’d known.
“Your brother was running some kind of covert operation,” I said finally.“The kind that officially doesn’t exist.Something went wrong, and it looks like he might have uncovered information that made him a liability.”
Her face paled slightly, but her voice remained steady.“Information that would make them come after his family?”
“If they thought he might have shared it, yes.”
She turned away, busying herself with pouring the coffee into mugs.I watched the line of her shoulders, the tension held there and had to fight the urge to cross the distance between us, to offer physical comfort I had no right to give.
“Here,” she said, holding out a mug.“You look like you need it.”
