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“I’ve made sure Anna has stayed busy, physically,” he says.
Grandmama turns to him while I fight laughing. God. He’s so bad!
“Good. And she hasn’t been an annoyance?”
“Our paths hardly cross. I work long hours, as you know, and go right to bed when I get home.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. The same bed we’ve been sharing for the past month…
“I don’t miss the long hours.”
Odin smiles, but it’s more icy than friendly. “Is that so? From what I’ve heard, you’ve been plenty busy and keeping extra long hours.”
Grandmama stares at him for a moment. “Keeping tabs on a little old lady, Odin? I never pegged you as paranoid.”
“One would be foolish not to keep tabs on the person who used to run the city, Elsa. Especially when said person has made some interesting moves.”
Grandmama’s cheeks turn a light shade of pink. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this woman flustered before.
“What I do is none of your concern.” She sniffs, as if she’s smelt something bad. “For your information, I’ve been reaching out to other families to make an appropriate match for Anna. Selma helped me come up with a list while we were in Rome.”
My lips part. “You have?”
She turns to me, reaching for my hand. “I have. With any luck, a contract will be drawn up soon.”
I should be happy, right? I definitely shouldn’t want to burst into tears at this news.
Odin breaks the silence by asking, “Which Family?”
Grandmama answers, “You know how these things go. It’s best not to say anything until the contract is ready.”
“As the head of this family and as Anna’s stepfather, I beg to differ.”
Grandmama scoffs at that. “You aren’t the child’s real father, Odin.”
“No, I’m not,” he agrees. “But I vowed to keep Selma and, by proxy, her daughter safe.”
“You think I would send my granddaughter somewhere that wasn’t safe?” She sniffs the air again. “You insult me.”
“Just as you’ve insulted me. I want a name, Elsa.”
She stands. “You may run part of this city, boy, but you do not control me. Anna, collect your things. You’re coming with me.”
“Like hell she is.” He stands, too. “She may visit you when Selma returns and not a moment sooner.”
Both stare each other down, making me want to run and hide. Finally, Grandmama nods.
“Fine. I will reach out to Selma tonight.”
“You do that.”
Grandmama leaves, leaving an icy chill in her wake. When she’s gone, I exhale shakily.
“Well, that wasn’t what I expected her to be here for.”
Odin says nothing and walks out of the room, his phone pressed to his ear. I wait a beat before following him. He’s in his office, speaking in Norwegian to Heimdall. When he sees me, he switches over to English.
“I don’t give a shit if she’s the Queen of England. I want to know who in the fuck she’s in talks with.” He pauses. “Fuck. Are you sure?” Another pause. “Reach out and tell them there’s been a mistake, and that Elsa does not speak for me or Selma.”
