“You’re good.” I grin.
“I see why the Norns picked you for her.” Hel giggles, and damn if it doesn’t sound enchanting.
I wonder if she lures those she wants to kill with that voice of hers.
“It is not my voice that lures those who I take the life of,” Hel says, smiling, watching, assessing. “So long as you do not harm McKenna, you will never find out.” Thank fuck for that.
“Can’t say I won’t fuck up somehow.”
“You’re a man. Men do stupid things, but a smart man knows when to own what he’s done and fix it. A smart man also knows the difference between harming someone andharmingthem.”
I knew exactly what she meant, and I knew the difference.
“You will learn the connection between you is undeniable. You cannot reject it. It will only grow stronger, tugging you together even if you pull away. You are to be the one who protects my McKenna from those who seek to cause her pain.” With that, she looks to her son before vanishing through a black hole.
Silence fills the space upon her disappearance. Her words spin around in my mind, declaring it’s me who will protect my woman. But who the fuck am I supposed to protect her from?
The stalker who is after her? The way Hel stated her last comment, I feel my intuition is correct. Her stalker is after her for her ability and not because they simply want her. They’reobsessed with her because of what she can do if they rid her of her compassion. What better way to lay the groundwork out than to screw with her head. Make her feel unsafe wherever she goes. Destroy her little by little until she loses the trust in those around her.
“You hungry?” I ask. It might be a stupid question, but I need a distraction. Something to get my mind off everything else. Food right now will do that at least for the second.
McKenna nods her answer, and I look to Brimstone. The two of us are close. Have been for a long damn time. We could both easily read each other and know what they are thinking. Brimstone nods and clears his throat.
“Prospect, call in an order at Manny’s.”
“Got it, VP,” Coarse says, pulling out his phone.
The amount of times he’s ordered, he doesn’t have to ask twice what to get.
“Can you ask them for a chocolate cheesecake as well?” Evelin pipes in, her hand on her stomach.
“I’ll make sure to add four to the order,” Coarse answers and looks in my direction. “Is there anything that . . .”
I glance down at McKenna. “You prefer pizza a certain way?”
“I’ll eat anything, but can I also get a salad?”
Salad?
Fuck.
I’m not one for rabbit food. Give me the rabbit instead.
“Yeah,” I tell her and tuck her back close, not ready to let her go.
I didn’t care that she was with her godmother, and Hel was simply protecting everyone. I didn’t want her away from me. I left her for a short amount of time, and the thought of her disappearance doesn’t sit right with me. Anything could have happened.
Coarse heads off to get the order with another prospect in tow. It was gonna be a large damn order.
“Come on,” I mutter to McKenna and look to Leon. “You stickin’ around or heading back?”
“Considering I have to go deal with the nightclub, I’ll be heading out, but I expect a call and updates,” he states, eyes on McKenna. “Mick, think we might be needing to open another nightclub around here.”
“Why?” she asks.
“You know why.” Leon grins and just as his mother did, he vanishes, only he doesn’t open a black hole, he simply disappears.
“Tell me you can’t do that,” I mutter.