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THE FIRST SIGN OF civilization reminded me a little of Reyfyre’s cottage in the woods. Sturdy structures started to dot the landscape around us, giving way to denser packed homes as we got closer to the water. These structures were more in line with the villages on Asgard versus the clay and stone structures I had seen in Greece eons ago.
People were bundled up much like Reyfyre and me, and they rode snow machines or big vehicles with large wheels draped in chains.
We followed the road into the fishing village where old fishing boats sat beside sleek yachts. The attire of this age was more practical than the draped fabric of ancient Greece. It was in line with what Reyfyre wore and what he had outfitted me in. Denim and fleece reigned in this town, along with woolen hats, mittens, and scarves.
We received a few glances, but that changed as soon as we stopped in front of the marina store, unclipped our snowshoes, and walked into the building. A crew of weathered men leaned against the desk at the back, and they straightened the moment the door closed behind us.
Reyfyre removed his gloves and unzipped his jacket, reaching inside to pull out a piece of paper. He scanned the men and then zeroed in on one closest to the edge of the counter. “I’m here to bring my client’s boat to New York,” he said with almost a questioning lilt, as if he wasn’t sure which man was in charge.
The man closest to the edge of the counter put his hand out and Reyfyre extended the paper to him. He perused the instructions and pursed his lips as he raised his eyes from the paper before rolling around to the computer on the other side of the counter, typing like a madman possessed.
His gaze came up, locking on Reyfyre. “Passcode?”
Reyfyre pulled out a folded paper and looked at the typed word inside it. “Gold nugget.” He slid the paper back into his coat pocket.
“You sailed a rig like this before?”
“Yes, sir.” Reyfyre pulled out another slip of paper. “My boating license.”
The man snagged it from Reyfyre’s fingers and narrowed his gaze. “Ray Davis.” His eyes moved over the information and gave a curt nod before handing it back.
The other two men continued to leer at me and didn’t give Reyfyre as much as a glance until their boss snapped, “Get bay 235 ready for boarding.” Then they left through the side door, leaving us alone with the boss.
“I’ll need gas and rations to get to New York City,” Reyfyre said.
“Gas, I can do. But for rations, there’s a grocery store around the bend that can help you out.” He typed on his computer and then looked up at us. “That will be five hundred even.”
Reyfyre blinked and then reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of plastic as if this were standard, but his strained smile announced to me that this wasn’t what he expected. His gaze slashed to mine in warning.
I hadn’t even opened my mouth, but his shut the hell up attitude got my britches all in a bother. Instead of flapping off at the mouth, I chose to walk outside and see what the others were doing before I said anything that would jeopardize our situation. I had yet to encounter the type of men Reyfyre had mentioned on our way in, though. So, I could only surmise things had changed since his last visit to this quaint coastline.
I crossed the small, paved lot to the railing that surrounded the water access and glanced down at the docks below. The crafts were actually in the water and not hovering over it like they did on Asgard.
“What have we here?” a voice drawled from behind me.
I turned and paused at the five men fanned out around me. They wore ratty pants and thick shirts broken by straps that rolled over their shoulders. I pulled my hands out of my pockets and stared them down. Their interested leers told me these were the men Reyfyre had warned me about. I wondered whether it was because I was unaccompanied like in ancient Greece.
“I am with someone.” I scanned each man, but that statement didn’t seem to penetrate their feral gazes. “He’s just inside the building.” I pointed at the structure behind them.
“Yeah, but he’s not here now.” They stepped forward, grinning. “And you are.” One of the men reached in and snatched my hat.
“Hey!” I tried to grab it back, but that just got me within their reach. Hands seized my arms and spun me around, pushing me against the barrier between me and the water below. My brain stalled for a moment as hands grasped at me in ways that made my teeth clench. Fury burned in my core, and I swung my elbow back, connecting with the soft flesh of someone’s stomach.
The oof of pain was satisfying, but then instead of grabbing my hands, a fist hit my lower back and my knees buckled from the instant pain. I hung onto the railing to keep from falling.
“Get away from my girlfriend.”
Reyfyre’s voice carried over us, colder than the wind on the tundra, followed by the cock of a gun.
The men around me froze and put their hands up, backing up a few steps. One of the idiots had the nerve to say, “We didn’t know she was with someone.”
I turned slowly, facing their backs. “I told you assholes I was with someone.”
Reyfyre’s eyes darkened from the stunning aquamarine blue to almost a deep navy, announcing his displeasure. “Come here, love.”
I swiped my hat off the ground and slammed my shoulder into one of the men as I passed. It was an aggressive move that pushed him off-balance, and he had to sidestep to catch himself. I crossed to Reyfyre’s side and then glared at the five men who had decided I was their private toy to play with. I reached for one of the swords on his backpack to dole out some much-needed justice.
Reyfyre shook his head. “They don’t deserve a death sentence for being morons,” he said softly to me and then sent a deadly glare at the men. “Unless they are stupid enough to try to attack us both. Then we’ll gladly remove their heads from their necks.”
The men paled at the threat.
“Right, love?”
The use of that nickname did things for me that I couldn’t have anticipated. Heat scraped my cheeks; my heart fluttered and wetness coated my panties. I licked my lips. “Right.” My breathy voice betrayed the fact I was turned on by his protective possessiveness.
His lips tilted up in a ghost of a smile at my response. He held his elbow out and I looped my arm in it. “Come on. The boat is almost ready.” He took a few steps backward toward the boat launch area behind us, never letting the barrel of the gun waver.
It wasn’t until we were parallel to the launch ramp that he turned enough away from the men that he no longer presented himself as a possible danger. Luckily, the men took off in the opposite direction once the gun wasn’t pointing at them.
“Why did you leave my side?” Reyfyre’s sensual voice had disappeared into the one of annoyance that I was used to.
“Because I was tempted to say you had been wrong about the men in this town.” I glanced down as more heat filled my face. “At least not inside the store.”
“We need to work on your observation skills before we get to New York City.” He led me down to a large yacht that was moored by the gas pumps.
“Weren’t we going to get supplies at the store?” I asked as we approached the boat.
He huffed a laugh. “Not with what just happened. We’ll use the fishing poles for our food when our rations run out, and we have a full tank of water. We can stop at a port on the coast of Maine on the way for supplies if we need to. People there aren’t as feral as here.”
I grunted. “Daisy Mae?” I asked as I scanned the name scribed on the back of the ship.
“She’s beautiful. Isn’t she?”
He didn’t really answer my question, but the way his eyes caressed the boat, I could tell this was one of his first loves.
“Yes, she is.”
He stepped onto the plank and offered me his hand to help guide me aboard. I took it and when his soft palm met mine, I swore I felt sparks between us. But as soon as we were up a small set of stairs and out of sight inside the vessel, his hard look returned.
“You need to stick with me when I tell you to and not make any waves going forward. I know how to hide in plain sight. Situations like that never should have happened. Now stay put while I unlatch our moorings.”
“I did not instigate that mess.” I slammed my fists into my hips and stared him down. “And I don’t like your tone.”
“Fuck my tone, Kara. If you were to fight and kill those men, it would bring Odin right to us. Do you want that?” He hissed low enough for me to hear but not loud enough for anyone outside the room to pick up. And then he stormed out on deck.
Shock rattled through my bones, and I shook my head. I did not want Odin’s fury aimed at us. I might survive, but Reyfyre wouldn’t. And then I’d be imprisoned back in that godforsaken cave again. If they didn’t kill me first.
My mind would fracture if that happened.
The thought sent a chilling shudder through me.