Page 30 of Viking
“If those men find us…” I started.
“When,” Viking corrected grimly.“Not if.When.”
I nodded, the reality settling cold in my stomach.“When they find us, what happens then?”
“The club protects what’s ours.”His voice hardened, a glimpse of the man I’d seen that first day at the gate -- dangerous, capable of violence I couldn’t fully comprehend.“All of us.To the death if necessary.And before you ask, yes, it’s come to that in the past.”
I thought about the men I’d met during my time here -- Tank with his booming laugh, Wire’s analytical mind, Thunder’s kindness.They’d all die for me, for Athena, if Viking claimed us as his?The weight of that responsibility pressed down on me.
“That’s a hell of a choice to make in one night,” I whispered.
“I know.”Viking’s shoulder brushed mine, warm through the thin fabric of my shirt.“I tried to buy more time, but Savior was clear.By morning, you’re either family or you’re gone.”
I stared at my hands in my lap, thinking of Kris’s letter.Find Viking.He’ll protect you.Had my brother known it would come to this?Had he guessed at the feelings that had been rekindling between us since I arrived?Or had he simply known that Viking’s loyalty would extend to his family, no matter what?
“I’ve been attracted to you since I was a teen,” I admitted, the words slipping out before I could stop them.“Following you and Kris around, making a complete fool of myself.”
A small smile touched Viking’s lips.“You weren’t subtle.”
“God.”I pressed my palms to my heated cheeks.
His smile widened briefly before fading back into seriousness.“But you’re not a kid anymore, Karoline.And I’m not the same guy who used to come to your family dinners.”
I studied his profile in the dim light -- the strong line of his jaw mostly hidden by his beard, the tiny scar above his eyebrow from a high school football injury, the new lines around his eyes that spoke of harder years than I could imagine.
“No,” I agreed.“We’re different people now.”
Different, but the attraction remained.If anything, it had grown stronger.The boy I’d crushed on had become a man of fierce loyalty and a gentleness one wouldn’t expect from someone who looked so intimidating.I’d seen how he knelt to speak to Athena at her level, how his gaze tracked me across rooms when he thought I wasn’t looking.
Viking pushed himself to his feet and began pacing the narrow hallway, his steps silent despite his size.The movement reminded me of a caged predator, powerful energy contained by sheer force of will.
“If we leave, they’ll find us,” I said, stating the obvious.
“Yes.”No sugar-coating, no false reassurances.
“And if we stay, we become yours.”I watched his reaction carefully.“Your responsibility.”
He stopped pacing, turning to face me fully.“Is that what you think this is about?Responsibility?”
The intensity in his eyes made me look away.“I don’t know what to think.A week ago, I was teaching preschool and planning summer vacation.Now I’m hiding in a biker compound, being told I need to become someone’s ‘old lady’ to stay alive.”I swallowed hard.“How do I know this isn’t just you keeping your promise to Kris?Duty instead of… instead of something real?”
He crouched down in front of me, bringing us eye to eye.His hand reached out, hesitated, then gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.The casual intimacy of the gesture made my breath catch.
“Ask me again what I want,” he said, his voice low and rough.“If there was no danger, no Savior, no ultimatum.”
I searched his face, looking for any sign of hesitation.“What do you want, Viking?”
“You,” he answered simply.“You and Athena.In my house.In my life.In my bed, when you’re ready.Not because of Kris.Not because you need protection.Because in a life full of wrong turns and bad choices, you feel like the one right thing that’s happened to me in years.”
My heart hammered against my ribs, and I forgot how to breathe.The raw honesty in his voice stripped away my defenses, leaving me exposed and vulnerable in a way that had nothing to do with physical danger.
“So if I agree to this,” I said carefully, “if I become your… old lady, it’s more than just for show.”
Viking’s eyes never left mine.“It would be as real as you want it to be.As real as we make it.”
I thought of Athena sleeping just feet away, of the government operatives in town hunting us, of the club waiting for Viking’s decision.I thought of my brother’s final wish that I find this man, and the feelings I’d been fighting since the moment I saw him standing at the compound gate.
The question now wasn’t just what Viking wanted, but what I wanted too.
