Chapter 1
Toni took a deep breath. Hell, this was the worst possible time to chicken out. A woman’s life was on the line, and Toni had promised she’d bring Sydney home. She had no idea what sorts of things Frederica Grimm had in store for Sydney Saeter, but it couldn’t be good. The woman had turned her back on her grandchildren, had refused to acknowledge her son’s lover or his pregnant wife—which sounded bad until you realized that Kir, Logan, and Jordan were all three lovers and adored one another—and had also refused to completely turn on her ex, Oliver Grimm. That Sydney was at Frederica’s mercy made Toni’s skin crawl.
There were times when she wanted to board the Nope Train to Fuckthatistan, but the others would only find her and drag her back into their weird-ass funhouse.
Unfortunately, she’d been pulled off an important homicide case to babysit Sydney and Sylvia, two Norse goddesses who’d somehow gotten on the wrong side of Frederica Grimm. They’d escaped, but Frederica had managed to get ahold of Sydney by somehow luring her out of the magically protected condo complex. How Frederica and her cohorts had managed that was still a mystery. The only thing Toni and Sylvia could think of was that Frederica had threatened Sylvia or one of the others.
Antonia Mancinelli did not go back on her promises. She’d sworn to get Sydney back. That meant knocking on the door of the man who terrified her the most out of all the nut jobs was going to happen, no matter how badly her hands shook.
If she were being honest, they all made her a little afraid at one time or another. They were gods, after all, and could smite her with a single glance.
Finding out that Jordan was not only the granddaughter of Odin and the daughter of Frey, but the lover of both Baldur and Loki—aka Kiran and Logan—had been a shock. More of a shock had been discovering that each of the Norse gods was alive and well and living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or its outskirts.
And they were at war with one another. Oliver Grimm, the ex-leader of the gods, was trying to regain his title from Kir. Frederica and her friends wanted to kill Logan. And Kir’s crew just wanted to live in peace. But with Ragnarrok coming, that wasn’t going to happen. Odin, aka Grimm, wasn’t going to allow that. Worst of all, the prophecy so many of them had lived by had proven to be either inaccurate or misleading. Odin had spoken the prophecy as given to him by someone else. Toni couldn’t remember that part, but it didn’t matter right now. He’d lied to everyone, setting into motion the necessary elements of his own downfall.
She’d gotten involved when she’d been assigned to look into the murder of Oliver Grimm, the same Grimm who was trying to kill Kir and Logan. He’d been in charge of Grimm and Sons, one of the largest, most profitable corporations in America. Since Grimm’s “disappearance”, Frederica was running the company. Many said she did a better job of it than Grimm had done, but she had Henry and Luther Grimm, Oliver’s brothers, to help her. The two had remained loyal to her throughout the whole war, choosing their lover over anyone. Toni hoped she inspired that sort of loyalty in Ni—
Whoever I come to love.
For a while, Toni had been convinced that Mrs. Grimm had offed her husband, but while homicide had been brought in, she’d had no evidence to prove her case other than a large amount of blood that turned out to be non-human, and the simple fact that the man was missing. The spouse was usually the first suspect, but she’d been proven wrong there, too.
She’d sensed something was truly off-center when her partner managed to get a warrant for the arrest of Val Grimm and Travis Yardley-Rudiger without any physical evidence linking them to Grimm’s disappearance. That was when she’d met Vali the Avenger and Tyr, God of Light and lord of the Lios Alfar. They had introduced her to everyone else, and the rest, as they said, was history.
“How long are you going to stand there before you finally knock?”
Toni nearly jumped out of her skin at the soft, deep voice whispering in her ear. She’d been so caught up in her thoughts she’d been standing there, hand raised, for who knew how long. She whirled around, ready to beat the shit out of Nik DeWitt, but no one stood in the corridor behind her.
His chuckles filled the air around her, but the son of a bitch wasn’t there. “Fuck you, Nik. We need to talk about Syd.”
“I told you to back off on this one.” Nik’s tone was grim, but at least the door to his condo had opened. By itself. Gah, she hated it when he showed off.
Toni stepped through to find Nik sitting on his sofa, a mug of what smelled like coffee in his hand. He was studying paperwork strewn about his table while soft music played in the background. “She’s hurt more than you said, and I promised to bring her home.”
Nik didn’t even glance her way. “Keep out of it.” Finally, those brilliant silver eyes landed on her, sending shivers down her spine. The bastard was too handsome for his own good. Dark, almost black hair framed a face kissed by the angels. Others thought Kir the epitome of beauty, with his glowing blond hair and bright blue eyes, but to Toni, Nik was the perfect one. “I mean it, Toni. Things have to move in a certain pattern or we’re all lost.”
She snarled, trying to ignore the effect his gray eyes had on her. Part of her wanted to run away screaming. The other, larger part wanted to watch as they warmed with passion. Just thinking about it made her heart race. She had to get her head back in the game and out of his pants or she’d never make it out without the information she needed. “Let me guess, this has something to do with the Fates.”
Nik went back to his paperwork. “If that’s what helps you sleep at night.”
Ugh. So stubborn. Toni remembered the first time she’d met this particular member of the freaky funhouse. She’d helped rescue Jamie Grimm from Odin, almost losing her own life in the process. She’d lived only because Logan shared his blood with her, giving her the ability to heal and ultimately activating her super-powers.
She was still asking herself how a simple homicide detective from South Philly had found herself surrounded by living legends. Norse Gods? Jotuns? Valkyries who took the deserving dead to Valhalla?
And she was one of them?
Oh hell no.
Perhaps she needed a CAT scan to check her brain, or some serious drugs, but the truth was she really was one of them. She’d proven that when she healed Jamie and when she’d gone all badass Lara Croft on a bunch of assholes who thought they could come in and kill her newfound friends.
Ugh. Friends. She’d become part of Kiran Tate-Saeter’s over-inflated God Squad, and strangely enough, she was enjoying the madness. At least she wasn’t bored.
Toni crossed her arms over her chest, well aware she’d taken on her stubborn cop stance. She’d get answers or Nik would regret it. She tried not to shiver as the image of him tied down to her bed, at her mercy, flooded her senses with desire. “Tell me about those patterns.”
Nik rubbed his hand over his eyes. He looked tired, and for a moment concern outweighed aggravation and desire. “If I could, I would, but to do so could possibly change the pattern, allowing Grimm to win.” He put his mug down on one of the only clear spots on the coffee table and stood. He faced her with an expression she’d seen more than one perp wear. Nik wasn’t going down without a fight. “You know what happens if he does.”
Yeah, she did. Oliver Grimm wanted to take command of the Aesir and Vanir back from Kiran. He’d used the apples of Idunn to control them all, turning them into his puppets, leaving them vulnerable to whatever he pleased. Now that she was one of them she was at risk as well.
Toni shivered in disgust. Grimm had disguised himself as her partner, Daniel Solberg, and almost destroyed her life and career. He was the one who’d tried to kill her. He’d also made it more than clear that he’d love to fuck her if she were open to it.
She wasn’t, not even the tiniest bit, not that it would matter to Grimm. She shivered in fear and disgust. If Grimm got his hands on her she’d be raped, tortured, and killed. There was no sense in glossing over what the man would do to her. She’d seen it in his eyes. He’d take her, willing or not, and he’d make sure she had no way out. What he’d done to Slade, Logan’s son, was an abomination. Slade would take years to get over the abuse he’d suffered. Grimm had skinned him, whipped him, beaten him, and tortured him to within an inch of his life, allowing him the chance to heal before starting all over again.
And he’d done it for centuries. Slade still woke in the night, screaming himself hoarse from the nightmares he’d never be completely free of. And Grimm had never tried to rape him. She was pretty sure Grimm would have done all he’d done to Slade to her, with the added advantage of forced sex. With her Valkyrie nature awakened there was no way to tell how long he would have held on to her.
Thank goodness Idunn and her husband, Bragi, had chosen to be on Kir’s side. They were now guarding the apples fiercely with a little help from some of the Valkyrie who’d chosen to fight against Grimm. If Grimm got ahold of the apples…
“Toni?” Nik took a step forward. “Who do I have to kill?”
She took a step back, startled at the fierce anger in Nik’s tone. “No one. I was just thinking about Solberg.” She scowled. “I can’t explain why, but he felt slimy. Wrong. I could tell he wanted to do things to me, and it grossed me out.”
“That’s Grimm all right.” Nik relaxed, settling on the arm of the sofa, but his shoulders were still tense. “He’s always had a thing for his Valkyries.”
“Ew.” The ex-queen of the Norse gods was a bitch, from her perfectly coiffed head down to her designer stilettos, but maybe Grimm had made her that way with his carousing and scheming. “I bet Freddie just loved that.”
“Freddie?” Nik smirked. “I dare you to call her that to her face.”
“Challenge accepted.” She’d probably piss herself, but she’d do it just to for the look on Nik’s face. Besides, Frederica deserved it. She was the one who’d kidnapped Syd, after all.
“Frederica will more than likely squash you where you stand, if I allow you close enough to call her that, of course.”
Allow?
Allow?
Who the hell did he think he was? She took a deep breath to calm her rage, hoping he wouldn’t pick up on it. She needed his help if she were to get Syd free. “I’m going to go after her.”
Nik grunted dismissively. “I don’t think so.”
“I made a promise, Nik. If you won’t help me, I’ll have to find out shit on my own.” She’d do it, too, despite his interference. There was no way she was letting Sydney sit in Frederica’s place any longer than she had to. The woman was injured and being held against her will. She doubted Frederica would be giving her first aid.
“I don’t care.” He took a step toward her, his expression changing when she took a step back. He was all predator as he pinned her to the door of his condo with his body. His thick length pressed against her. Damn her traitorous body for responding. Her nipples hardened at the pressure of his chest against hers. He smiled, then pressed his cheek to hers, his breath warm against her ear. “Don’t think I won’t tie you to my bed to keep you safe.”
The echo of her own thoughts made her shiver. “You can try.” She forced herself to shove him back, glaring at him when he merely laughed. “Now, help me or keep out of my way.”
His eyes changed, going from human silvery gray to pure, shining silver. “You think I can’t find you if you run?” He tapped the side of his head, near his eye. “I can watch you wherever you go.”
“That’s not creepy at all.” When he chuckled, she tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Besides, who said I’d be running? I’ll be strolling, bitch.” She opened the door, conscious of the fact that Nik wasn’t going to help. If anything, he’d try and stop her, and now he was aware that she’d go all out getting Sydney back.
This was bad. She needed to get to Sylvia and Val and figure out their next move. She kept pushing against him until the door was fully open, but it wasn’t easy. The son of a bitch barely moved even when she used her full strength. And his chest felt wonderful under her palms. She wanted to stroke him through the thin material of his dress shirt. He’d left the top two buttons undone and she spotted the edges of his collar bones.
When the fuck did collar bones become sexy? And why did she want to lick them?
She finally managed to slide out the door. She pointed at Nik, who’d stayed inside the condo. “Sit. Stay.”
His brows rose. “That only works on Fenris.”
She bit back her smile. “I mean it, Nik. If you’re not going to help, then stay out of my way.”
The look she got back did not bode well for her continued freedom.
“If I find out you went to Frederica’s I’ll bring your ass back here and paddle it.”
Now that did nothing but piss her off. She was a fucking homicide cop and a Valkyrie. She could take care of herself. “You and what army?”
His door slowly shut, but his voice still whispered in her ear. “I mean it, Toni. Don’t go after Frederica.”
“I mean it, Toni,” she mimicked, her voice high and squeaky as she stomped back to the condo she shared with Sydney. “Testa di cazzo. Ti metto un remo in culo e ti sventolo per l'aria.”
Nik’s rich laughter floated in the air just behind her.
“Where the hell did you learn that one?”
“Learn what?” Toni jumped as another voice joined Nik’s. She turned to find Jeff, Fenris right on his heels.
Neither seemed surprised to catch Nik’s disembodied voice responding, “Ti metto un remo in culo e ti sventolo per l'aria. It means ‘I will stick an oar in your ass and wave you like a flag’.”
Jeff laughed so hard he had to lean against Fenris.
Fenris chuckled. “What did you do to piss Toni off that much, Nik?”
The silence was deafening. Had Nik finally stopped it with the creepy god-stalker thing?
“He told me not to go find Sydney. I’m going anyway.” And she was going to be pissed about his attitude for a long time, no matter how hot his ass had looked in those dress pants.
What could she say? She was a sucker for a man in a well-tailored suit.
Fenris immediately glowered. “That’s dangerous.”
She tossed her hair back dramatically. “Danger is my middle name.”
Jeff chuckled and shook his head. “Let us know if you need any help.”
“I will.” She slammed into her condo, more eager than ever to find Sydney and bring her home.
***
“Welcome back, Adam.” Oliver Grimm nodded his greeting to the man standing before him. Adam had become his right-hand man since Vali’s betrayal and Thor’s death.
Adam was no longer under the influence of Idunn’s apples, but he’d chosen to follow Oliver, despite being Vanir. As Frey, he still led the Lios Alfar as far as both he and Grimm were concerned. Adam’s hatred of the Dökk Alfar and his love of the beauties of Alfheim blinded him to everything else, leaving him easy to control so long as Grimm left him as the Lord of Light.
Unfortunately the Lios Alfar had begun once again to listen to Tyr, enraging Adam. Grimm intended to set them to rights soon, apples or no apples. Tyr had been allowed to live as the leader of the Vanir. To take him down too early would have been far too suspicious, even with Idunn’s apples. Under the apples he’d been a loyal lackey, and over time people forgot he used to be the leader of the Lios Alfar. Now they were once again refusing to listen to Adam, pledging their lives and swords to Tyr.
As for the Dökk Alfar, they still refused to reveal who it was who’d sat on the Ebony Throne in the Palace of Shadows before Adam. For that, Grimm allowed them to suffer under Adam’s rule. Their defiance would not be tolerated.
The Lord of the Dökk Alfar would have been simple to eliminate, if only Grimm had learned his or her identity. The Dökk Alfar had kept their lips sealed. Worse, the Lios Alfar seemed to have forgotten who the leader of the Dökk Alfar was, leaving Grimm with no option but to place them under Adam.
“It’s good to be back, my lord.” Adam bowed low, his hand to his breast, a warrior greeting his liege. He straightened up at Grimm’s signal, his hand falling to his side. “I have what you wished for.”
Grimm sighed happily. “Excellent.” He took the object from Adam, caressing it lovingly before putting it into his pocket. This was certain to ensure his victory over Loki and Baldur. The Dökk Alfar were excellent at their craft, and Einar was among the best, and the most discreet. Unfortunately, he had no loyalty to anyone. He’d reveal Grimm’s plan if sufficiently worried for his hide. Luckily, Frederica had also used Einar’s services. No doubt the fools would be so busy chasing down Sigyn they would never learn of his plan until it was too late. “And Frederica? She’s taken Sydney hostage?”
Adam nodded. “Yes, she has. I wasn’t able to ascertain what she’s forcing Sydney to work on, however.”
Sydney Saeter was actually Sigyn, Loki’s ex and one of his many weak points. He might no longer love her, but he would save her, of that Grimm had no doubts. They were friends, and Loki was surprisingly devoted to those whom he cared for. Frederica’s little venture would profit Grimm nicely. “Do nothing, but set watchers on them for now. As for you, I want you to start reaching out to Jordan. If we can throw her off balance, we can get to Logan and Kir.” Hearing from her biological father should do that nicely. Jordan still had a warm spot in her heart for her father, despite his allegiance with Grimm. “Take it slowly at first. We don’t want to set off alarm bells.”
Adam bowed. “She’s pregnant with their children. Her hormones should make her an easy target.”
Grimm nodded. “Yes, indeed.” He stared out the window of his new penthouse condo, one that he’d purchased not that long ago under an assumed name. It was right across from Logan and Kir’s building, making it convenient for watching his enemies’ movements. “If Antonia makes a move to look for Sydney, chase her down. Make them wonder what we’re up to.”
“Yes, my lord.” Adam moved to stand beside him. “Should I kill Einar?”
Grimm shook his head. “No. Let them question him about Frederica.” He fingered the little golden ball that would finally lead him to Jörmungandr. “We’ve got our own work to do.”
Once the Godspear was his again, all of this nonsense would stop. Baldur would die, Loki would die, and all those who thought they could betray Odin would learn that they’d been sadly, fatally mistaken.
In the meantime, he had travel plans to make. It was almost time for the last of Logan’s children to make an appearance, and Grimm intended to be the first one to welcome him home.