Page 26 of Viking
His hand moved across the cushion toward mine, fingers just brushing my knuckles.The touch was electric, sending a shiver up my arm.I held my breath, waiting to see what came next, afraid to move and break the spell.
His phone buzzed loudly from the coffee table, the screen lighting up with Wire’s name.Viking hesitated, clearly torn, then sighed and reached for it.
“This better be important.”He scowled even though Wire couldn’t see it.
I watched his expression change as he listened, the warmth draining away, replaced by the hard vigilance I’d seen when we first arrived at the compound.My stomach tightened with dread.
“How many?”he asked, standing from the couch.“When?”He paced toward the window, pulling back the curtain a fraction to peer into the darkness.“No, keep them on it.I want to know every move.I’ll call Tempest.”
He ended the call and turned to me, his face grim in the lamplight.“We’ve got trouble.Wire’s spotted suspicious vehicles nearing town limits -- unmarked SUVs with government plates, moving in a convoy pattern.”
Fear replaced the warmth that had been building between us.“The people Kris warned about?”
Viking nodded once.“Possibly.Too coordinated to be coincidence, and we don’t get many vehicles like that around here, not unless it spells trouble.”
I glanced toward the hallway leading to Athena’s room.She was finally sleeping peacefully, clutching her stuffed animals, oblivious to the danger closing in.A fresh wave of protectiveness surged through me.
“What do we do?”I asked, rising to my feet.
“I need to call an emergency meeting.”Viking was already dialing, his movements precise and controlled.“You stay with Athena.Keep her close.”
“Should I wake her?Get her ready to… to run?”The thought of fleeing in the night with a sleepy, confused three-year-old made my heart race.
Viking paused, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder.“Not yet.We’ve got time.They’re still at the town limits, and we’ve got men watching.They make a move toward the compound, we’ll know.”
I nodded, trying to draw strength from his certainty.The intimate moment we’d shared just minutes ago felt like a dream now, replaced by the harsh reality of our situation.
“Karoline,” Viking said, his grip on my shoulder tightening slightly.“I meant what I said.I will keep you both safe.”
“I know,” I whispered, and I did.Whatever was happening between us -- this tentative, fragile thing -- would have to wait.But I believed with absolute certainty that Viking would protect us with his life if necessary.
As he turned away to make his calls, I sank back onto the couch, fear a living thing in my chest.The barbecue seemed a lifetime ago now, that brief respite of normalcy swept away by the approaching storm.I wrapped my arms around myself, listening to Viking’s low, urgent voice as he organized the club’s defenses, and prayed we’d all live long enough to finish the conversation we’d started.
Chapter Seven
Viking
I made my way across the compound.The night air had cooled, carrying the scent of motor oil and distant cigarette smoke -- familiar smells that usually settled my nerves.Not tonight.Tonight, my skin prickled with the certainty that trouble was barreling toward us, toward the woman and child sleeping in my house.The same woman whose fingers had brushed against mine just moments ago, sending a jolt through my system that had nothing to do with danger and everything to do with feelings I’d been trying to ignore.Feelings that might get us all killed if I didn’t handle this right.
The compound was unusually quiet.Most of the brothers were either on watch at the perimeter or crashed for the night.Only a few lingered outside the clubhouse, their cigarettes glowing in the darkness.They nodded as I passed, their expressions guarded in a way that made my stomach tighten.News traveled fast in the club -- they already knew something was brewing.
Tempest leaned against his bike, phone pressed to his ear, his massive frame tense as he listened to whoever was on the other end.He caught my eye and gave a short nod.“On his way now,” he said into the phone before hanging up.“Savior’s waiting for you.Doesn’t sound happy.”
Shit.I’d known he would tell the Pres, but still…
“When does he ever?”I tried for levity, but it fell flat even to my own ears.
“You sure about this, brother?”Tempest’s voice dropped, making sure we weren’t overheard.“Bringing that woman and kid here without permission… I think you bit off more than you can chew.”
“I made a promise,” I said simply.
Tempest studied me for a long moment, then clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder.“Then you do what you gotta do.Just don’t expect Savior to roll over on this one.”
I nodded, appreciating the support even as dread pooled in my gut.The clubhouse door felt heavier than usual as I pushed it open.Inside, the typical chaos was subdued -- a few brothers playing pool, a Prospect wiping down the bar, another brother checking his phone while nursing a beer.They all looked up when I entered, conversations faltering.The silence hit me like a physical thing, full of questions no one was asking out loud.
“Look who decided to join us,” Sticks called out, breaking the tension.“How’s domestic life treating you, Viking?Little woman got dinner waiting at home?”
A few chuckles rippled through the room.I kept my expression neutral, though my fists clenched at my sides.“Fuck off, Sticks.”
