Page 104 of Scornful

"Already done," Oskar confirms. "Foundation's got a new permanent resident."

Runes nods.

Nobody mourns a child bomber.

Runes clears his throat. “Good work tonight, brothers. Go get some rest, we’ll need it for what’s coming.”

I head upstairs and go straight to our room.

Astrid’s curled in bed, but awake.

She sits up when I enter, taking in how I look I guess.

I still have blood on my clothes from being downstairs, shit I need to wash off. I’m too tired to, though.

"You okay?" she asks softly, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah." I sit heavily on the bed, suddenly feeling every one of my thirty-six years. "We were close. So fuckin’ close, Astrid."

She doesn't ask about Marcus, doesn't question the blood.

This is who we are now—she accepts it completely.

No judgment, no fear, just understanding what it takes to be part of this life.

She grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze, "Why’d a couple brothers rush over to the spa earlier?"

"There was a bomb. Hakon handled it. You're safe. All of you are safe."

She nods, processing this calmly, proving how far she’s come. "And the Patriot?"

"Still out there, but we're closing in. He won’t be able to keep this up for much longer, princess."

She crawls into my lap, arms around my neck, not giving a shit about my blood-stained clothes. "You'll get him. I know you will."

"Yeah," I agree, holding her close. "We will."

I tell her about Ortega, about how we created an alliance with him until this bullshit is over with.

She listens quietly, understanding everything. "The Patriot's got enemies on both sides now. Legal and illegal. You’re right, you know, it is only a matter of time."

"Exactly. Between us and the law, he's running out of places to hide."

She falls asleep against my chest as the sun rises fully.

I sit there thinking about the night—Marcus's confession, Ortega's offer, Kraken's breakdown, the empty house, how the women could’ve been killed if that bomb went off.

We might not have the Patriot yet, but we're going to get that bastard and he'll pay for everything he's done.

The war isn't over, but the tide's turning.

All we can do for now is live in the present.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

EPILOGUE

Astrid

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