Page 35 of Storm of Desire
"Aye, but are you coming withus?"
A knot of uncertainty lodged in his gut. Haakon dragged his fur-lined gloves off, his breath fogging the cool night air. "I don't knowyet."
"Bloody hell," Gunnar muttered. "There's nothing here for youanymore."
"My head knows that," he replied, tucking the gloves behind his belt. "But my heart is not yet ready to accept it. She's here, Gunnar. A part of me doesn't want to leave. Not until.... Not until I'm certain there's no hoperemaining."
And she'd kissed him, even as she'd told him to go and raise children with another woman. He could still taste that kiss on his mouth. The decision tore him in two. He'd meant to confront her and demand answers, but every answer she'd given him had only roused morequestions.
"I thought she told you there was no future betweenyou."
"Aye." He hadn't mentioned everything to the men, just granting them a curt shake of the head before he sank himself into a night of drinking. Gunnar knew more than most, but not everything. Only Tormund held that honor. "And then she kissed me. If we hadn't been so rudelyinterrupted...."
"She's no good for you. You know the truth. She told you to go with her own lips. And yet here you are, twisting yourself into knots again." Gunnar scowled. "I wish you'd never laid eyes uponthat—"
"Careful." She might be deceitful, but she was still hiswife.
Gunnar sighed, slapping a hand on his shoulder as they turned back to the inn for one last night. "Bloody curseddreki. Life was simpler when we just had to killthem."
Inside the inn, the men were settling in with tankards. Haakon found one shoved into his hand and sipped at the warm beer. He hadn't the heart for it tonight. But Tormund and Bjorn saw him angling across the inn toward the stairs and cut him off before he couldvanish.
"Have a drink with us!" Tormund said, forcing him onto one of the benches, a heavy hand upon hisshoulder.
"I want a clear head tomorrow." There was nothing worse than sailing on a gutful of badbeer.
Bjorn scowled, but Tormund grinned at him through his beard. "Bjorn and I have a bet. I don't think you're going to be on that ship when itsails."
"He'd be a fool if he wasn't," Bjornmuttered.
Tormund ruffled the boy's hair. "You're young. You've not yet known the lure of a woman who's captured your heart. It's a siren song, boy, and once a man hears it, he's more than willing to throw himself overboard for the slimmest chance he'll taste heaven before hedrowns."
"I told her I was leaving," Haakon said sharply, swilling a mouthful of beer. "I meantit."
Tormund marched his fingers across the table idly. "Aye. You meant it. I could see that when she left. I could also see what a man looks like when he's got his hopesup."
"That wasn't what you said," Bjorn added. "You didn't use the word hope atall."
"I didn't want to blister my cousin's poor innocent ears," Tormund shotback.
Haakon rubbed at his eyebrow. "Tormund—"
"She kissed you,aye?"
"She told me to go find another woman and begetchildren."
"That's not fair," Bjorn broke in. "You can't influencehim."
"Didn't hear that rule." Tormund shoved his empty tankard toward Bjorn. "Go fill this for me. And get another one forHaakon."
"Fill ityourself."
Tormund lifted his brows, and Bjorn straightened to his full height, growling under his breath as he stompedoff.
Tormund rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "You're a bloody fool if you get on that ship. I know what the rest of them think—that it's been a long seven years hunting for a bloody ghost. They're weary for home. They don't want to see you hurting anymore. But I know the truth. You'll carry that woman in your heart to the grave. I saw it in your face the second she stormed into your life all those years ago. She might have told you to go marry and breed fat, happy children, but then why is she wearing your fucking ring still? Something made her leave you. Something drove her away. And I don't think she's told you the full truth of thatyet."
Haakon's gaze sharpened on his cousin's face. "She was wearing the manacle. She couldn't lie tome."
"Aye, but did you ask the right fuckingquestions?"
