Page 56 of Viking

“Then you tell him what I do to fuckers who think they can take what’s mine.”

“Come on, Vike. He don’t mean no harm,” Wolf says. “You gotta admit, he’s closer in age to your lady than you are.”

“Viking is my old man,” Arie proclaims, shocking the shit outta me for actually talking in front of strangers, but I don’t miss the subtext.

The others laugh, the punk kid included, and I clench my jaw until the muscles in my cheek pop.

“Jailbait has a point,” Wolf says and slaps me on the back. “Come on boys, let’s go meet our host.”

“Did I say the wrong thing?” Arie whispers, watching them go.

I turn her to face me, and she wraps her arms around my neck, her mouth turned down in a pout. “No, darlin’. I’m proud to be your old man.”

“Then take me to bed,” she whispers.

I slide my hands down to her ass and squeeze. “With fuckin’ pleasure.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Arie

Ijerk awake and clutchViking’s arms around me.

“Another nightmare?”

I nod, but I know he can’t see me in the dark. “I want you to teach me to fight.”

“What?”

“I’m going to kill them, the brothers, and the mother, and the men and women who did nothing to stop them. I’m going to kill them all.”

“You never even have to get your hands dirty, little siren. I’ll happily kill them for you.”

“That’s not the same and you know it.” she hisses. “Would you have let someone else kill your father?”

He releases a long sigh, and I understand his frustration, but I know what I’m asking. I’ve had a long time to think about all of this, and I owe them pain and suffering. I owe them blood and fear, and my revelry as the life bleeds out of them. I owe them all that and more.