Chapter 9
“What do you mean they got away?” Frederica glared at the wall in disbelief as she listened to Nadine on her cell phone. She loved humans’ technology more than she was willing to admit. They’d become almost as adept as the Dökk Alfar at producing useful toys. “They who? It should have only been the cop.”
“Heimdall was with her,” Nadine replied. “Between them they took out almost every man I had there except one. I had more on the way, but Nik teleported them both out before we could kill Antonia.”
Frederica was going to fucking kill that bitch. “Why was Nik there? Why wasn’t his involvement part of our intel?”
“Ask your pet computer expert. She’s the one tasked with watching that group,” Nadine replied angrily.
Frederica could understand why Nadine was upset, but could not tolerate the disrespectful tone. “Remember who you speak to, Gna.”
A quick inhale of breath told Frederica that Nadine had realized her error. “My apologies, my lady. I should not take my frustrations out on you. Please forgive me.” Nadine’s tone had become appropriately abashed.
Frederica smiled grimly. “Apology accepted, and I understand your frustration. It consumes me as well.” She tapped her nail against her phone. “Sydney is going to look into this. Set up security exactly as you wish.”
“Yes, my lady.” There was a pause, and Frederica could sense her loyal friend’s curiosity pouring down the line. “And Oliver? Adam seems to have chased the Valkyrie for a short time, and I know he just returned from Svartalfheim for some reason.”
Adam had been in the realm of the dark elves? Grimm must have needed his own toy from the toymakers. That should give Nik something to watch other than her movements. “What of him? Let them watch my ex while we work in the background. If Oliver succeeds, we’ll simply take the spear from him. If he fails, we’ve lost nothing.”
“Yes, my lady. I’ll set eyes upon him just in case, if you don’t mind.”
“No. I trust my safety to you, Nadine.” Frederica gave her good-byes and hung up, turning to the row of computer monitors behind her. “Sydney, my dear? Do tell me why Heimdall is working with Antonia?”
Ah, she loved it when her enemies squirmed, and Sydney was quite good at squirming.
***
Nik quickly carried Toni to the elevator, praying all the while. Blood was seeping from the wound, and Nik had no powers of healing to speak of. He’d have to wait until they got to Kir.
But there was one thing he could do while he waited for the fucking elevator. His nails grew, silver and sharp. He made a cut on the palm of his hand, one that bled freely.
He held his palm to her bleeding side, exchanging blood with her. She would gain one of his unusual abilities, but he had no idea which one, nor did he care. He’d planned to do this sooner or later, and now seemed a very good time.
The elevator arrived and Nik and Toni boarded. He stared at the numbers as they rose, chanting spells under his breath to keep from stopping for anyone else.
Once at their floor he bolted out, bellowing for help. Doors opened up and down the corridor as Kir’s tribe of Aesir and Vanir flooded the hallway, gazes tracking him as he darted for his condo.
Kir was already at Nik’s door, holding out his hand for Nik’s key. Nik handed Toni off to the first person at his side, a person who just happened to be Logan. The three of them got Toni into his condo. Before he could shut the door the others piled inside, all of them asking questions about how Toni had gotten hurt.
Toni roused slightly, enough to mutter the word spear before passing out again.
“Nadine was there with a lot of Jotuns. It was a trap,” Nik yelled as he shut the door in their faces.
Now only Nik, Logan and Kir were in the room with Toni.
“How did you two get ambushed?” Logan asked as Kir began cutting away Toni’s shirt.
“I couldn’t look into the building. Just like with Frederica’s mansion, my powers were blocked. I figured there’d be resistance, but I didn’t think how much until it was too late. And I never expected Nadine to be there, facing Toni one-on-one.”
Logan’s eyes went wide. “Toni can’t do that.”
She can now. Nik tracked Kir’s every move as the man opened the bathroom door and looked around. “He needs a bowl.”
Logan strode toward the bedroom door and flung it open, startling the people still milling around Nik’s living room. “We need a bowl, clean cloths, and something to stitch her back up with.”
The other gods booked it, all except Jordan, far too heavily pregnant to move faster than a waddle. Soon they had the necessary equipment to clean and dress Toni’s wounds. “Here,” Jordan said, the last to bring something. She held a clear bottle in her hand. “Antiseptic. Will sting like a bitch, but it will stop any chance of infection.”
“Thanks.” Nik took the bottle. “Anything else you can think of? I’m not used to treating humans.”
Jordan smiled. “Hold her hand. Even if she’s unconscious a part of her will be aware of your presence.” She waddled away, right out the front door, no doubt heading back to her own condo.
Jordan’s unconcern seemed to ease the others because they slowly followed her out, sending Nik soft words of encouragement on the way. Only Slade, Sylvia, and Magnus remained, refusing to leave even when Nik scowled at them.
Sylvia went so far as to cross her arms over her chest and glare right back. “She’s my friend, Nik. I’m not going until I know she’s okay.”
Nik nodded brusquely and shut the door. He appreciated Sylvia’s concern, but his protective instincts were roaring through him. Only Yggdrasil and the Bifrost Bridge could bring anything close to this devotion in him, and they didn’t even touch the edges.
Nadine was going to die for harming Toni. It was just a matter of time. And he was a very patient man. One day she’d slip up and he’d be there with a sword at her throat and murder in his heart.
“Come here and hold her,” Kir called out, not once turning away from his task.
“What’s wrong?” Nik was by his side in a nanosecond, staring at Toni’s writhing form. The pain pinched her features. She raised her arm and tried to knock Kir away, as if he were the source of her agony.
“She’s stirring in and out of consciousness. Hold her hands down so I can work.”
Nik did as told, climbing onto the bed. He knelt over her, his ass against her hips, his thighs on either side of her, and took hold of her wrists. He looked over at Logan and growled. “Not one word.”
Logan zipped his lips, but they twitched anyway.
Pain in the ass. Logan had always been one to joke when others were serious, and now was not the time to piss Nik off. He held Toni down when she cried out against the burn of the rubbing alcohol, ignoring the dampness in his own eyes. His fingers twitched when she once again grew silent, her skin pale against his white sheets, the color almost a match. He ignored the way she tried to buck him off when Kir was halfway through her stitches.
Soon Kir was done, his forehead dotted with sweat. “That’s the best I can do. The rest is up to her.”
Nik sat up with a sigh, releasing Toni’s hands. He stared at her unconscious form and demanded something that would get turned down—with good reason—but he just couldn’t seem to stop himself from asking. “Share blood with her.”
Kir stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. “I can’t. You shared blood with her not long ago. Wait for at least twenty-four hours, then I’ll do as you ask.”
Nik nodded, but he still wanted, no, needed to do something to help Toni.
Logan clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s never easy watching them suffer, is it?” His sympathetic gaze changed, twisting into a mischievous smile. “You know she’s gonna kick your ass for sharing blood without her permission.”
Nik groaned as Logan chuckled. “Shut up, hot-head.” He climbed off of Toni’s body, careful not to disturb her. The stitches looked nasty, blood seeping sluggishly past them. She was unconscious again, her brows still drawn together in pain. “Got anything we can give her for pain?” He wished one of his powers was healing, but it was beyond him. His own flesh mended faster than a human’s, and he could open a childproof bottle of painkillers, but that was the extent of his curative powers.
“Yeah, I think so.” Logan strode out the bedroom door. A moment later, he brought back some white tablets that made Kir’s eyes shoot up in surprise. “Give her these.”
He was barely aware of Logan coming back. He was transfixed by the way Toni relaxed the moment he touched her hand, the lines between her brows smoothing out almost immediately. He took the glass of water Kir handed him and, with Kir’s help, gently sat Toni up. “Wake up, sweetheart.”
Toni’s lashes fluttered.
“Come on. I’ve got something for the pain.”
She scrunched up her nose and opened her eyes. “Ow.”
He smiled. “Hey there.”
“What happened?” Toni didn’t seem surprised to find Logan and Kir there.
“You tried to pretend you were a pincushion.” Kir held the tablets to Toni’s lips. “Here. Vicodin.”
Toni frowned. “Where did you ge—mph.” She glared at Kir, who was still holding his hand over her mouth.
“Shh. Say ‘thank you, Logan.’” Kir smiled sweetly, his angelic good looks marred only by the storm clouds dancing across his eyes. Kir took his hand away.
Nik held the water to her lips, forcing her to swallow the pills. “You’ve had stitches. You need pain medicine, maybe penicillin in case of infection.”
She hmph’d at him, but it lacked her usual fire. She swallowed the pills and half the glass of water before pushing it away. “Fine. You’re right. And thank you, Logan.”
“You’re welcome.” Logan looked to Kir, who simply raised his brows and shrugged.
Nik helped her lay back down. “I’ll be back in a minute. I’m going to walk Kir and Logan out.”
She nodded, her eyes already drifting shut.
Nik followed Kir and Logan out into the living room. “Twenty-four hours, then you share blood with her.”
Kir nodded, Logan smirking behind him. “I will. Logan already did so, remember?” Kir winked, well aware of Logan’s habits.
Logan’s smirk turned instantly into panic. “Of course.” Logan took hold of Kir’s arm. “Let’s get out of here and leave the lovebirds alone.”
“I doubt they’re going to do the horizontal mambo while she’s got stitches in her side,” Kir argued.
Logan dragged him to the door anyway. “Then let them rest, Blondie. We can grill them about the ambush later.”
Kir allowed Logan to drag him out the door, leaving Nik with Toni. He rejoined her in the bedroom, crawling beside her and curling around her. He would keep an eye out while she slept. Nadine had delivered Frederica’s message to Toni loud and clear: stop looking for Sydney or she’d suffer the consequences.
Too bad her warning had done nothing but piss Nik off. Nik would see both Frederica and Nadine fall.