“Of course, I do, but I feel horrible, Runes.” Everything I haven’t told him is eating away at my insides, and I need to make this right. I need to tell him the dark parts about my past so he can see me for who I really am. I’m not as untainted and innocent as he thinks.
“I don’t like the way you’re talkin’. What’s botherin’ you? Do you not wanna be with me?” He narrows his eyes while he awaits my answer.
“No, that isn’t it at all. Of course, I want to be with you. I love you so much. I can’t ever imagine a life without you or Tor in it. You’re my family now, okay? We’re a family.” I take my hand and brush it against his cheek, feeling the soft hairs of his beard.
He smiles lightly and nods. “Then what’s the matter? I can tell somethin’ is on that beautiful mind of yours.”
There’s no other way to do this than to go straight for it. “I’ve kept two things from you, and since we’re on the same page about continuing our relationship, I have to tell you.” I pause for a moment and suck in a deep breath. “I was in a similar situation to Tor when I was a teenager. Only, it was my stepfather who was responsible for it. I got out of it after a while and I ran, which landed me in a relationship with the guy we saw at the restaurant. Well, that guy, he didn’t abuse me or anything in a physical way, Runes. He was just your typical narcissistic asshole. I got pregnant, and when I told him I was pregnant, he said he didn’t want it. Long story short, I left his ass.”
Runes furrows his brows, and I’m watching him trying to put the pieces together. He knows I don’t have a child, so he’s probably thinking I put her up for adoption.
“What am I missin’ here?” Runes questions.
“I lost my baby. I . . . there’s something wrong with me. It was a rare case where she became trapped between my pelvic bone, and I lost her. My doctors told me it was extremely rare, but I didn’t care. I never wanted to experience that pain again, so I asked them to tie my tubes. I love you, Runes, but if you want more kids . . . I can’t give that to you.” Tears well behind my eyes and slowly slide down my cheeks. There’s nothing I’d love more than to be a mother to his kids, but I won’t ever go through that pain ever again. I almost didn’t survive it.
Runes wraps an arm around me and pulls me close against his chest. “Sweetie, I want you. Would I love more kids? Yeah, but we can adopt. We can look into surrogacy if it’s something you want to try. There are so many options these days, and I love you. Nothin’ in this world will ever change that.”
I hold onto Runes and my tears coat his chest, but more than anything, I know we were made for each other. He’s everything I’ve ever searched for in this world.
Epilogue
Runes
Four Months Later . . .
“Tor, I’m going to kick your butt,” Fern squeals from across the yard. I turn from manning the grill to find her chasing after my son, her shirt is covered in silly string.
Grinning at them, I shake my head. Tor, Emil, and Oskar were having a Nerf gun war a little bit ago, but I’m assuming it turned into them playing with silly string. Logi bought them that stuff a while back, and I told him they’d pick the worst moment to play with it. It seems I’ve been proven correct. Seeing the three of them run around with the cans, spraying the ol’ ladies is funny as shit. Doesn’t matter how old my kid is, for now, he can at least be one for the time being. Even if he’s grown up faster than he should’ve in a lot of ways.
Over the past months, Tor has really started to heal. I see it every day, and he’s making great advancements. The mercenary I hired found out who the other victims were, and she discovered Saraya is the only one who ended up pregnant. Skadi made sure justice was brought forth for those who hurt my son and Saraya, plus the many others who were in the ring as well.
Skadi took out the women but left the men who hurt my son for me. Skadi didn’t have a problem handing them over to me after I promised they’d die slowly and painfully. With each one of them, I cut their cocks off and shoved the minuscule part down their throats. I duct-taped their mouths shut to keep them in place. I used clamps to keep noses pinched and watched as they literally choked to death on their own cocks, while bleeding from between their legs.
Today we decided to have a cookout before the weather changes with the hurricane blowing in. It’s the end of summer, kids are back in school, even Tor. We did everything we needed to lock down the houses and the clubhouse for the wind we’re supposed to be getting, and now we can sit back, relax, and have a good time for the rest of the evening.
“Runes, I swear I’m going to get that son of yours back one day, and it’s going to happen when he least expects it,” Fern huffs as she comes to stand by me. She’s breathing heavily after chasing after Tor. The way she looks at me with her face flushed and her chest rising goes straight to my cock. I wonder if my brothers will be pissed if I leave the grilling to them while I take my woman into the house and fuck her nice and hard. I can make her catch her breath for another reason altogether.
“Sweetie.” I chuckle, wrapping one arm around her.
“Don’t ‘sweetie’ me. I love you and Tor, but if you’re going to play around and hit me with silly string, payback will be coming your way,” she declares, meeting my gaze.
“Whatever, woman.” I grin, lean down and press my lips to hers. “Love you, Fern.”
Fern sighs, parts her lips, and I take the advantage to kiss her even deeper. Turning her fully to me, I tighten my grasp around her waist, holding her flush against my chest. My brothers gathered in the backyard start to whoop and holler catcalls.
The squeal of tires interrupts Fern’s and my moment. I break my mouth from hers right before the first shot is fired. Taking Fern to the ground, I cover her with my body while bullets spray around us. I lift my head to scan the yard. Logi and Kraken rush through the fire. Fenrir is covering Charm, Tor has both Fenrir’s boys behind the swing set. And Rati has his body over Astrid.
My eyes do a double-take at Rati and curse. Blood. There’s so much blood.
“Dag,” I holler, calling my brother. He and Rati are both certified volunteer firefighters, and both act as medics when we need them.
Dag’s eyes follow mine, and he rushes to our brother. The gunfire comes to a halt, and the sound of spinning tires fills the air.
Hopping up off the ground, I help Fern to her feet and rush over to my brother. “We need an ambulance,” Dag yells, and at the same time, Fenrir roars Astrid’s name. The little girl is covered in blood, but thankfully none of it’s hers. Fenrir takes his bawling daughter into his arms while I drop to my knees next to my brother. He just saved my VP’s daughter’s life, and now we have to make sure to save his.
Helping Dag, I look over to Fenrir’s fierce gaze and nod. Whoever just decided to rain bullets on us started something.
Something I’ll see finished.
War.
No one fucks with me or mine. And the Raiders of Valhalla MC will take down anyone who thinks they can come at us.
Logi and Kraken come back to the backyard, and sirens can be heard in the distance. “Sorry, Prez, we didn’t catch them,” Logi snarls while blood streams down his arm.