Page 30 of Thor
Felix was right here in front of me, and I was back to feeling like the teenager who left all those years ago. I forced myself to move and stand in front of him. Even though he was a big guy, I was taller and had more beef on me than him. He’d let himself go a little, that much was obvious, but I didn’t blame him. He’d taken Andy’s death hard.
“The murderer’s back in town,” Felix sneered, taking a step away so he could look me up and down. “Glad to see you’re living your best life while my brother’s buried six feet under.”
I clenched my fists at my side, gut churning and heart bashing against my ribs. “Felix, don’t do this, dude.”
“Dude?” He laughed and glanced behind himself, and it took me a moment to realize Dana was there.
She had a toddler clutched at her hip, her face contorted in apology as she stared at me. She looked as beautiful as ever, a gentle round face with kind green eyes and a soft mouth. Her blonde hair was cut in a short pixie style, and that was different than what I was used to. She’d loved her long hair once, finding fancy hairstyles to play with and make herself appear even more ethereal. The toddler was a mini version of her, from the blonde locks to the big green eyes.
“Right. I heard you ran off to California.” Felix’s angry voice reminded me where we were, and I focused back on him. He put his hand in a hang loose gesture and shook it. “Duuuuuude.”
I blinked and sighed. “That’s Hawaii’s hang loose, Felix.”
He grunted and bared his teeth. “Fuck off, you little weasel. Why the hell are you in Wittstock? Didn’t think you’d ever show your face here again.”
Loki shifted and stood beside me, but I held my arm across his chest to stop him from moving. If I gave him a chance, he’d smash Felix’s face against the table for talking to me with disrespect. He glared at me, and I shook my head.
Turning my attention back to Felix, I smiled gently. “I don’t want to fight with you. You know why I’m here.”
He snorted. “Daniel wouldn’t want you to come to his funeral. He’s dead because of you, too.”
“Felix!” Dana stepped forward, rearranging the little girl on her hip, and glared. “Stop it. I told you not to start anything with him.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t fucking tell me what to do.”
I stepped forward until I was in his personal space and shoved him. I’d never expected myself to start violence with Felix because he had every right to be mad at me, but I wasn’t going to let him speak badly to Dana either. “Don’t talk to her that way.”
Felix stumbled back and straightened when he caught himself on a chair at another table. Fury turned his handsome face red as he stalked back toward me, shoving. “Don’t tell me how to speak to my wife.”
I barely moved with his attack, but I grabbed Loki when he went to step forward to slug him. Grasping his shoulders, I dragged him back against me as my eyes widened at Felix’s words. “Wife?” I glanced at Dana. “You married him?”
She winced, her mouth opening, as though she wanted to say something, before closing it again and nodding her head. Her attention returned to Felix. “Can we stop this?Please. Daniel is dead, and Toby’s here for his funeral. Let it go, sweetie.”
“You know who else is dead?” he growled out, stepping closer to me again.
Marion finally made her way around the counter, slapping him with a tea towel. “Stop this right now. Take this outside if you want to argue.”
He ignored her. “Andy. Andy’s dead!”
Loki stiffened. I could see his mind ticking as he put two and two together. The name I had inked on my neck and Felix’s brother—one and the same. He glanced over his shoulder at me, and my arms tightened around him, using him for comfort more than anything. Touching Loki centered me and helped with the guilt and pain that erupted inside me like an exploding grenade. If I could hold him a little firmer, maybe those feelings would disappear altogether. I doubted it, though.
“I know.” I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “I don’t know how many times I can apologize.”
“You should be in prison still,” he continued, his rant not finished. Not even the little girl on Dana’s hip whispering “Daddy” could stop him. “You killed my brother. You’re a murderer.”
Loki wriggled out of my hold and before I could stop him, he had himself between me and Felix, right in Felix’s face. He wasn’t as tall as the other man, even though Loki was average height to begin with, but he didn’t back down, either. He raised his chin and faced off with him. “It’s time for you to go unless you want to deal with me.”
Felix stared down at him, mouth curled in confusion. His attention returned to me. “You think I’m afraid of your little boyfriend?”
“You should be,” I murmured, fear of what Loki was about to do striking me. There was no way I could stop him if Felix kept pushing. I gave Dana a pleading look. Once upon a time, we could read each other through expressions alone and that hadn’t changed because she nodded.
She grabbed Felix’s upper arm tightly, her fingernails digging into his shirt. “Let’s leave. Now.”
He shook her off and pointed to the door. “You go. Get out. I’m dealing with this fucker.”
She gasped and glared. “Don’t curse in front of your daughter.”
Loki had finally had enough. I realized his breaking point when he reached for the gun in his jacket, but much to my relief, he thought better of it. Instead, he stepped up nice and close to Felix, and I did, too, so I could hear what he was about to say.
