CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The next night, I hesitated outside my apartment door. I was beat from working another double shift—thankfully, not fired for not showing up yesterday—but I wasn’t hesitating because of that. “Are you sure you want to do this tonight?”
Rune rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes closing. “It’ll keep my mind off God and the funeral tomorrow. I need the distraction.”
My brows pulled together. “Our first date is just a distraction for you?”
His eyes snapped open, quickly backtracking. “No, no. I meant the distraction is in duping your father. Not spending time with you.”
“Are you sure Finn knows what he’s doing?” I questioned, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. “Seriously, he told us we should go out and do what we want to do together. Neither of us has sweet, happy ideas. Don’t people go to movies or something like that?”
“He knows what he’s doing. I trust him.” Rune nabbed my hand and held it gently in his as we strolled side-by-side to the elevator. “And we are going to dinner. I know a lot of people do that.”
“We’re going to a high-end strip club.”
“Where they serve dinner,” he added.
My attention flicked to him. “You know this place is mainly male strippers, right?”
He nodded, his eyes narrowing a smidge. “Not exactly perfect, but it’s where your father will be tonight—if my men told me the correct information.”
I snorted. “Your men?”
His brows rose, and he stared down the tip of his nose. “I’ve had my men following you anytime you were alone. Did you even know they were there?”
I jabbed my finger against the elevator button. “You did what?”
“For protection. I didn’t want you getting kidnapped again.”
I waited. My blue eyes blazed with unnerving heat.
He ran his fingers through his hair, grumbling, “I should have had them follow us the whole time.”
The elevator door opened, and I dragged him inside. I pressed the button for the bottom floor. “That’s not really the point. You had people watching me.”
“Would you rather I spy on you?”
“Well, no. But isn’t it the same thing if they’re your men?”
“It was their eyes. Not mine. They only report if there’s an issue.” He shrugged.
I sighed and rested the side of my head against his bicep. “I guess I understand why you did it.”
“Good. That’s something I won’t apologize for—if you had wanted one.”
I snorted. “Anything else you want to tell me?”
He hummed. “I can go invisible.”
My head jerked up, and my eyes found his. “Really?”
He nodded, a pleased smirk stamped on his face. “Yes. The guys and I each have a unique ability since we were born in a fucked up time. My special talent is invisibility.”
I bounced on the balls of my feet. “Show me.”
He glanced at the elevator screen. “Damn, this thing is slow.”
Then he disappeared. Poof. Gone…
Except his warm hand was still holding mine.
I merely couldn’t see it.
“Oh, my goodness!” I shrieked, patting thin air until I found his invisible chest. “That is awesome!”
A snicker came from above me. “It does have its advantages. Like, I’m looking down your top right now, and you don’t even know it.”
I smacked his chest again—a little harder. “Play nice. I’m just immortal.”
His body returned into my vision, tall and muscular. A god-man. With eyes the color of the sun.
My cheeks pinched from smiling so much. “That is really neat.”
“And useful. I’ll probably use it tonight.” He bent and kissed the top of my head, the elevator door finally opening. “It’s amazing what people discuss when they think no one is around.”
Our joined hands swung back and forth between our bodies while we strolled to the glass front door. My eyes were caught on his, and I allowed myself to fall into them—a little. I asked candidly, “Do you have a plan for how you want to take him and his businesses out?”
“I do. I just don’t know the location yet.”
“We’ll figure it out. His boxing rings are all over the city. Just figure out the time and which place, then we’ll tempt him.”
“That’s the idea.” He smiled down at me and opened the front door. “Ladies first.”
I giggled and hopped out onto the sidewalk. I glanced at him over my shoulder, winking and showing my minimal curves to their best advantage. “You’re such the gentleman.”
He growled playfully deep in his throat and lunged toward me.
I shrieked with laughter as he caught me around the waist and lifted me off my feet. I swatted at his shoulders, staring down into his face. “Let me down! Let me down!”
“Megan, is that you?” A voice from my past interrupted.
Rune froze with me in his arms, his impish grin falling from his face like whiplash. He turned his body gradually, and we both peered at the man standing next to us on the street—outside my apartment building. From my lifted height, I could clearly study the bald spot on top of his head that he had forever been trying to hide. My fingers dug into Rune’s shoulders. He wasn’t letting me down. Rune knew who the man was, but he asked with complete casualness, “And you would be?”
“Will Marshall,” he stated, a friendly smile on his face. “Megan’s father.”
The edges of Rune’s eyes crinkled in happiness, and he smiled full out. He lowered me slowly, my body sliding down his until my feet touched the ground. He held his hand out to my father, stating cheerfully, “I’m Rune Mason. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Marshall.”
My dad shook his hand, his blue eyes glinting in the light. “Call me Will.”
“And you can call me Rune.” He snapped my father’s shoulder with excitement. His arm slid around my waist and pulled me against his side. Rune glanced down at me, admonishing, “You didn’t tell me your father was coming by for a visit.”
“It must have slipped my mind.” My lips barely moved. The heart inside my chest was beating in a frantic rhythm, all my senses screaming at me to run. Fear and anxiety made my hands shake, and I quickly crossed my arms across my chest so my father wouldn’t see it. My blue eyes, identical to his, turned to stare him down. “What was the reason for your visit again?”
This man… This horrible man ruined everything. He was always one step ahead.
“I’m taking you to dinner. Don’t you remember, hon?” My father motioned to the private train a block down the street. “I’m sure your friend can come with us too.”
Rune’s brows rose. “Where did you have in mind? I’m sure it beats where we were headed. The scenery there is appalling.”
I shut my mouth and attempted to calm my nerves. Rune was rolling with this change in plans, obviously eager to see what kind of scheme my father was up to. I needed to do the same.
But, damn, it was so hard when he had always won.
It was a kick to the vagina every time.
You think you know what you’re doing?
Kick.
You think you can run away?
Kick.
You think you can battle the man?
Kick.
My father smirked. “We were going to have dinner at a little pizza shop across town. Dormi’s Pizza & Coffee. Megan loves the service there.” He glanced at me, still grinning. “Don’t you, hon?”
I wanted to rip each tooth out of his mouth with brutal delight. “Yeah. I do.”
“Pizza sounds fantastic.” Rune chuckled. “And I have eaten at Dormi’s before. Megan and I ate there the other day. Their food is amazing.”
“Let’s go then.” My father motioned to his train. “They’re closed now, but the new manager is a friend of mine. He’s keeping the doors open for us.”
“Wonderful,” I mumbled, trudging along beside Rune. “I can’t wait.”
This was not our first date. I would never count this catastrophe as anything other than a nightmare, one more to add to the list my father has given me. But I was onboard with Rune, my protector keeping me close to his side. I just hoped I wouldn’t have to rescue him if he fell down into my father’s long line of beaten foes.