Page 253 of Duty and Desire

Ivar turned the page over and frowned. “Worst part of hell dimensions wasn’t the fire or monsters or even the loneliness,” he muttered, almost to himself, flipping the menu back around. “Was the lack of good food. Man, I missed cheese.”

Abby swallowed. Was he crazy? Truly insane? “Do you hear voices?” The question popped out before she could stop herself.

He looked up, pinning her with that electric blue gaze. “Aye. I hear the screams of the people I haven’t saved.” His eyebrows rose. “Do you hear voices?”

Gulping in air, she slowly shook her head. “No,” she whispered. This was so weird.

Noah gathered the menu and handed them to Abby. “We’ll order a large meat lover’s pizza, two salads with ranch dressing, and an apple pie for dessert. A whole one.”

Ivar made a noise that sounded like a grateful puppy. An oversized one.

Abby took the menus. “Sure.” She turned away, her heart thumping and her head reeling. What was going on? She was halfway to the kitchen when somebody sat at her one remaining table. Her stomach sank. What was Monte doing there?

Noah watchedthe fragile human’s body language go from wary to defeated in an instant, and he didn’t like it one bit. She disappeared into the kitchen with their order, and while she was gone, two more men joined her ex-husband at the table farther down the way. One wore a sheriff’s uniform. Interesting.

“What?” Ivar stopped staring at the sports tickets glued to the table beneath a glass top and turned to look over his shoulder. “Huh.”

“Yeah.” Noah made a mental note to figure out the players in this town. “Not sure I like the sheriff with the ex-husband.” The sheriff looked to be in his mid-thirties with buzz cut hair, sharp green eyes, and the beginning of a beer belly over his brown pants.

“You know, she never did say she hit him with a pitcher,” Ivar said, turning back around.

Yeah. Noah had noticed that fact already. Of course, she also hadn’t denied the charges. “I also don’t like that the ex was at the grocery store and is now here, where she’s working.”

“So are we,” Ivar said.

Well, that was true. “She’s intriguing,” Noah admitted.

“Agreed,” Ivar said. “But she’s not the type you can date while you’re tossing bodies in ravines and looking for vengeance for your brother.” Just fact existed in the Viking’s unconcerned tone. “Just saying.”

Noah focused back on him. “Why are you so calm?” If the guy wanted to go back and save his friend, he should be chomping at the bit.

Ivar shrugged. “The researchers are looking into how to get my job done, and I also have feelers out for human physicists who might help me. As soon as I find the right one, I’m back on mission. Right now, I’m just doing Benny a favor by staying out of the way temporarily. I owe him, just like you.”

“You seem okay,” Noah murmured. But the night before, when Noah paced the floors like usual, he could hear Ivar pacing downstairs. Apparently neither of them enjoyed the peace of sleep.

“I’m faking it,” Ivar returned. “Trying to act normal for now. Every inch of me wants to go rip the head off of that Monte guy just because he made Abby sad, who I see true vulnerability in. But that would be bad.” He paused. “Right?”

Noah wasn’t entirely sure. “I may take him out if necessary. You just hold tight until it’s time to go back to work.”

“I knew you liked her,” Ivar returned.

“Not like that,” Noah said, his body heating with the mere thought of the female.

“Right,” Ivar said, flashing another rare smile. “Keep telling yourself that.”

He would, because the last thing he had time for was a human female. Even one with pretty greenish brown eyes and an ass made for a man’s hands. Curvy and perfect.

She emerged from the kitchen and walked toward the other table, her eyes blazing and her shoulders back. Good for her. Reaching the table, she pulled out a notepad.

Noah tilted his head to hear better. While a human couldn’t hear the conversation at this distance, he’d have no problem with his enhanced hearing.

“What can I get you gentlemen?” Abby asked, her voice ultra-polite.

“You in jail,” the sheriff said, flashing his teeth.

Noah stiffened and started to rise.

Ivar shook his head. “Let it go, buddy. We don’t want to mess with the human law here unless it’s necessary.”