“He doesn’t talk about his past. I was told he did something horrible, killing a man with his bare hands. I know you’re my godfather. I know you love me. Shannon loves me, but I do have a very good instinct about people. At least for the most part. I can make decent decisions for myself and there has to be an acceptable reason for what he did. So, please, do me the favor of allowing me to make this choice. I know he needs to come clean and at least tell me about being incarcerated, but we barely known each other. I mean…”
Landen was so quiet, I groaned.
“And I’m rambling.”
“You are, but I know the woman inside of you, Grace. You’ll fight to the death for something, someone, or some creature than you believe in. You were that way about Thor. You were determined he was the horse for you. Sixteen hands high and you were all of four foot eleven at the time. But you wouldn’t let your parents sleep until they promised Thor could belong to you.”
“I forgot all about that.”
“Well, I didn’t and I know the girl and that you’ll do everything in your power to champion Viper, but he needs to do this for himself.”
“So you know what happened.”
As he glanced toward Thor, I could tell he was worried about betraying a confidence, even if only on paper. “Yes. When Stoker mentioned he had a perfect candidate, I demanded I learn what he was in prison for.”
“And?”
“And it’s his right to tell you himself. Now, if he doesn’t then that should tell you something. You can’t fix him, Grace. He’s not a dog with a broken leg or a fawn who’s been hit by a car. He’s a man who went through his own horrific tragedy. That’s something you need to keep in the back of your mind.”
“Until then I should keep him at arm’s length.”
His laugh always made me feel safe. “As you said, you’re a big girl and can make your own decisions. I trust you’ll make the right one.”
When he started to walk away, I was shocked. I’d been loaded for bear, determined to defend myself and a man I didn’t know. With the wind knocked out of my sails, I slunk against the fence. “Wait. That’s all you have to say?”
He waited a couple of seconds before answering, doing so in passing. “Shannon will be expecting that carrot cake and you don’t want to disappoint her.”
CHAPTER 13
Viper
There was nothing like the exhilaration and the feeling of utter freedom when jumping from a plane. I’d gotten hooked the first time years ago, the HALO jump allowing me wallow in my reckless behavior. While the jump had been much more controlled, I was beginning to understand the necessity of smokejumpers being dropped in the middle of a wildfire.
My landing had been close to perfect, coming down first with a controlled fall and I’d started the hike down the mountain well ahead of the others. Within minutes the competition had begun, but by the last mile, it was just Axe and me keeping pace.
He’d glowered at me more than a few times, coming close to pushing me off the edge of the mountain.
As we rounded the last turn, I lunged ahead even though the pack of hundred pounds we were all carrying was a dead weight.
I was suddenly sideswiped and down I went.
“Fuck you,” I snapped.
Instead of continuing on the path, Axe stopped, spinning around with something on his mind. “You got something to say? Viper?”
“Yeah, I think I do. I’m sorry about your brother, but I’m not him and I don’t need your shit.”
That was all it took for his emotions to spin out of control. He ripped his pack from his back, tossing it down and pushing up his sleeves. “You don’t dare ever say another word about my brother. Not one!”
I barely had time to jerk the straps off my shoulders before he was on me, yet I managed to throw a single punch, catching him under the chin. He was toppled backwards by several feet. That didn’t stop him. His entire face was twisted in rage and with two giant strides he managed to throw a punch to my gut.
“Jesus Christ. Would the two of you stop that shit!” The jumper they called Rock was in our faces.
Axe barely threw him a look before moving around me, trying to kick me in the gut. What the hell? I grabbed Axe’s leg, catching him off guard and wrenching his leg. He cried out in pain.
By now, four other jumpers surrounded us, a couple egging us on while the others remained silent.
“For fuck’s sake!” Rock yelled, almost getting himself in the middle of the melee.
