Page 14

FLYNN

G unnar and I both loaded our plates with pizza, breadsticks, and chicken wings while I forced myself not to look at Vince. It had been a while since I’d seen him but if he was back in town, trouble wasn’t far behind. He was my mother’s brother and was always out of the country on some big mission. Most of which included him hunting creatures he didn’t understand and saw only as a target for his hate and destruction.

“Flynn?” Gunnar asked, snapping me back to reality.

“Sorry. I was spacing out,” I lied.

He glanced at Vince and Gene once again and I didn’t have to look over to know they were still looking at us. “Does it have something to do with them?” he murmured.

“I’m just wondering why he’s back in town, and also why Gene is hanging out with him. I didn’t know they knew each other.”

“Is there more to know about Vince Drummond?”

“Yes, but I’ll tell you later. I don’t want to talk about it here.” He immediately scooted his chair back, but I covered his hand and met his eyes. “Not yet. Let’s eat so they don’t think anything is out of the ordinary. We can talk once we’re out of here.”

He nodded and picked up a piece of pizza, eating half of it in one bite. “That would be good.”

“Yes. I think it would be. Gunnar, he’s dangerous. Please be careful around him.”

“What about Gene Redmond? He’s on the crew with us,” Gunnar asked.

“I’m not sure. I’d like to think he’s smart enough to know how horrible Vince is, but the fact he’s with him makes me wonder,” I said and took a bite.

“About what?”

“If he was the one that tried to flatten you yesterday.” I’d tried to make sense of it, but the more I thought about it the more I was convinced it was no accident. A low growl registered from Gunnar and his dark eyes seemed to grow even darker. “Gunnar,” I whispered and immediately his eyes were on me.

“We will speak later,” he said, his jaw tight and his fist clenched on top of the table.

“Yes. We’ll speak later. Let’s get this packed up so we can get out of here,” I said and walked over to the counter to ask for some boxes to take it in. Glancing in the direction of the table Vince had been sitting at I was relieved to see him and Gene were both gone.

“Let’s finish this when we get back to camp,” I said and packed up what we hadn’t eaten. Gunnar was silent and strung so tight I could feel the tension rolling off him. Everyone avoided him as we left the restaurant and when we got into the truck, I turned to look at him before starting it. “Are you okay?”

His lip curled before he huffed out a grunt of frustration. “Did you know there are men who once hunted us?”

“Trolls?” I asked.

“Yes. And if did not matter to them if they killed our young or the old or injured. They only wanted to kill. This is what made us start killing and eating them. When they first arrived in our lands, we thought we could ignore them, and they’d leave us to live as we were. But we were wrong. They saw us as a threat when there was none and would not stop attacking us any chance they had.”

“I wasn’t kidding when I said I don’t know Vince very well. Part of that is because my parents always avoided him, but also like I said he was usually gone.”

“Hunting monsters,” Gunnar said.

“I’m sorry, I had no idea he’d be anywhere around here. Plus, since they allowed the facility to be built near the portal, many laws have changed. It’s not okay for humans to kill or harass monsters the same as it’s not okay for monsters to kill humans.”

“I know the law. They made sure we knew it very well at the institute. But they do not know all the destruction and death that one human caused our species. I will not hurt him, but I will not protect him either.”

“What do you mean?”

“If he hunts as you say, then I’m not the only one who would love a chance to make him pay for all he’s done,” Gunnar said.

“It can’t happen here. You understand that right?” I asked and shook his arm.

“Yes. I understand.” He seethed with anger, and it pissed me off that the one time we had to ourselves had been ruined by someone who was a horrible human and would deeply enjoy knowing he’d gotten under our skin.

I took a deep breath and decided I wasn’t going to waste any more time on the uncle I barely knew. “Come on. Let’s go get some groceries and head back up the mountain.”

“I would like that,” Gunnar said, and settled his hand on my leg. “I am sorry for my reaction. Sometimes my emotions take control of me, and I find it hard not to fall into old habits. I’ll try to do better.” I placed my hand over his and squeezed.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. Are you ready?” I asked and when he nodded, I started the truck and drove to the grocery store.