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Julian shut off the water and heaved a relieved sigh. He might live in the Arctic, he might be a Viking by birth, but no man enjoyed ice on his genitals for very long.
Julian donned a fresh pair of jeans and a minnesota vikings sweatshirt that someone had given him for Christmas as a joke—really, who wore purple and yellow on purpose—and stepped onto the porch.
His snowmobile sat at the north end of the house. Minutes later he raced toward Awanitok where Jorund the younger told him what had happened to Dr. Cosgrove.
“When he didn’t come to work, his assistant went to the house. She found him—” The old man sighed. “—or what was left of him in the backyard.”
“The first body was discovered several yards outside of town,” Julian clarified, and Jorund nodded.
Which meant the rogue was becoming bolder.
“No one saw anything this time?”
“No, Ataniq.”
The two of them stared down at the bloody blotch in the snow. There were no tracks. The snow was like ice. A common problem around here.
“Order everyone to stay inside after dark,” Julian said.
“There is a lot of dark at this time of year.”
“Then there will be a lot of staying inside until this is over,” Julian snapped, and went home.
Ella stood on his porch wearing a concerned expression. “Have you seen Alex?” she asked.
He’d thought she would go back to Ella’s that morning, but if she hadn’t…maybe she’d stayed with Cade just to piss him off.
Julian’s blood pressure rose at the idea of what else she could do with Cade that would piss him off. “She wouldn’t dare,” he muttered.
“Dare what?” Ella tilted her head. “Your face is getting red.”
Julian imagined steam coming out of his ears. Big mistake because the next thing Ella said was: “There’s steam coming out of your ears.”
If he wasn’t careful he was going to melt his brain into gruel.
“Faet!” Julian said. “Faet. Faet. Faet.” Anything to keep himself from imagining something he might not be able to recover from.
“Calm down.” Ella opened the door to his house and stepped inside, drawing him along with cool, slim fingers on his arm. “I’m sure she’s around here somewhere.”
Julian was sure she was, too. Because if she’d gone too far he’d be gripping his gut and wishing for a basketball-size Tums.
And that thought had him sitting in the nearest chair and putting his head between his knees. Idiot. How was he ever going to get rid of her?
Ella bent down, put a hand on his leg, and peered into his face. “Maybe you should tell me what’s going on.”
“I wish I knew.”
“She bothers you.”
“Bother.” He laughed. “Yeah. That’s what she does.”
“She seems angry. Like she doesn’t want to be here. Like she despises you. I can’t believe—” She paused. “You wouldn’t—I mean you didn’t—”
Julian’s patience snapped. “Just ask me what you want to know, Ella.”
“Tell me that you didn’t make her like us against her will, Julian.”
He remained silent. She had said not to tell her.
