Chapter 2
Hope
I can't believe I just said that. This warrior Viking God must think I'm a total freak. Way to go, Hope.
But he grins and grabs the ratchet.
"Deal." He says in his deep panty-melting voice. I could listen to this man read a dictionary.
I watch him get down on his knees and can't help but bite my lip but shake myself out of my lust. He has the damn thing off in a matter of seconds and carries it under one arm as he scoots out. His arms are thick and tattooed. It was hard to walk away from him in the produce section when he was arguing with his friend. He had all my attention instantly.
My Viking hands me the spare like he knows I can handle it. Ooh, baby.
"Thank you. I'm Hope by the way." I say taking the spare and kneeling to take the lug nuts off.
"Lev." He coughs.
"So, when are you free for dinner?" Ballsy, Hope. He's probably just being nice.
"I'm free tonight." I keep my eyes on the task as I finish changing the tire so I don't make a fool of myself.
"Sounds good." I rattle off my number expecting him to leave. I stand up brushing the dirt from my stockings. These are ruined. I turn and find he's still here watching me. I smile and release the jack.
"Would you like me to put the old tire in the back?" He offers.
"That would be a big help. Thank you." I watch his arms bulge as he places the tire in the truck bed carefully avoiding my groceries. I pack up my tools and he puts them in the back too.
"Will I see you soon?" He asks as I get into my truck.
"Of course. We have a date. I don't just let anyone touch my undercarriage." I smirk. He throws his head back in a booming laugh that gives me goosebumps. It's a very good sound.
"You're not what you seem, Hope." He says his green eyes sparkling. Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea.
"You're not either." I smile. "Text me with your address. Be ready for six."
"Yes ma'am." We stare at each other for a bit when his friend honks the horn. Ass. Let me look at him! "See you in a few hours."
"Bye." God, I am worse than a lovesick schoolgirl. I need to go home and see if Bear got the information.
I head home to the "ranch". It's not a ranch it used to be but my dad bought it and now it's more of a bunker/safe house. I enter the code and make my way through the gate.
I find Bear on the front steps looking ill.
"You didn't get anything did you?" I ask. He shakes his head. Man, dad's going to kill him. I like Bear. "Take care of the groceries. I'll take care of him." I walk into the house and down to the basement. It's three now, so I have two and a half hours to get this guy to talk before I have to get ready. I look at the sorry excuse for a man tied to the chair in the middle of the room. Easy peasy.
Usually, I would get changed into something more practical but this dress is ruined anyway from dragging across the ground. It's a shame, I really liked it. At least I can use it to my advantage. I still look the part of the sweet wholesome church-going girl. I had a job before shopping and needed to look the part.
I sneak down the steps trying the honey approach first. I sneak over to him and get to my knees in front of him.
"Oh my gosh... what did they do to you?" I whisper. The man raises his head to look at me. Bear didn't do a goddamn thing. I'm going to kill him. Dad can wait his turn.
"Who are you?" He asks I see the lust in his eyes. No pain, no fear, nothing. Goddammit, Bear!
"I'm here to help. Are you ok?" I make my eyes wide with concern.
"I'm fine. They have some chicken shit guarding me. He hasn't even come down here." They have indeed.
"He looked pretty big to me," I whisper.
"Big, yeah. But a pussy. Can you cut me loose?" He asks.
"I'll try." I get up and head to the table and start looking for a tool. "Why are you even here if they're not doing anything?" I ask and this idiot tells me. I may have to get another one of these dresses.
"I stole from this guy and may have threatened his family." He admits.
"Well, that's not nice. Why would you do that?"
"I'm not a good man sweetheart. I thought if I threatened him he would leave me alone."
"What did you steal?" I ask still looking for an imaginary tool.
"A password."
"Well, that's a silly thing to steal." I giggle. Ugh, kill me now. I can feel my self-respect evaporating.
"Well, this password can get me a lot of money. It's to a special computer that has all sorts of information on it." Great now he's talking to me like I'm a kid. I bet this guy has some weird daddy kink. Well, lay it on thicker.
"Wow, that's a lot for just a password. I suck at them. My phone is 1234." I giggle again. He chuckles.
"Well, this one is a bit different." Oh, come on, so close.
"Different how?" I turn to him and tilt my head looking confused. Come on show off. Tell me how smart you think you are.
"Well, this is a date in a cipher. Do you know what a cipher is?" He says in a playful voice. Definitely a daddy kink.
"Not really, isn't it like a puzzle?" Of course, I do. What kind?
"Kind of. It's like a secret language. That you need a key to figure out. So this password is the birthday of his son on a ROT13 cipher." He explains. Got it.
"Wow, you're so smart," I say walking slowly towards him. "I love smart guys." God, I want to vomit as I sit on his lap. I feel his... excitement on my leg. Ew.
"Ya?" He asks.
"Ya. When I cut you loose do you have somewhere safe to go?" I ask sweetly nothing but concern.
"Ya. I have a place with my friend Ray." I already took care of Ray this morning. He's no longer with us. "Maybe you could come to visit me?" He asks. I'm done I have the information.
"Nyx! You down there?!" Perfect timing dad. I look at him with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry." And I run up the stairs leaving him still tied up. I shut the door.
"You get anything?" My dad asks.
"Yep. I got it all. Two-man operation. The accomplice was taken care of this morning. Son is back with his dad. I have the password and the correct cipher." I look at Bear who is standing in the empty kitchen. I was down there for ten minutes. Where are the groceries? I walk out to see them still in my truck. I still have to change my tire before my date! His ass is mine!
I walk up and deck Bear right in the face. His nose pours blood as he curses me out.
"You had a job. You do your job." I seeth. "You didn't even go downstairs! I took care of it for you. I ask you to take care of my job in return. And you leave the food out in fucking the sun!"
"You didn't even go downstairs?" My dad growls.
"I'm sorry, ok?" Bear manages trying to stop the bleeding. I leave dad to deal with his employee and start bringing in the groceries and putting them away. My dad and Bear are gone by my first trip in. Dad comes back alone on my last trip. He pulls me in for a hug.
My dad is the best. My mom died giving birth to me. He raised me on his own with some help from my uncles (not really my uncles). It's no surprise that I'm a part of the family business. My dad is a mercenary. His nickname is Death because it's inevitable once he has your name.
"What are you up to today?" He asks. "I was thinking we could spend some time together before I head out on assignment."
"I have a date tonight. When are you leaving?" I ask feeling bad.
"I'm not leaving until the day after tomorrow. Can we do something tomorrow then?"
"Yes. What are we doing?"
"Does Rusty's sound good?" He asks.
"Yes! I haven't kicked your ass at darts in forever!" Rusty's is a bar in town. My uncle Russell owns it. He's awesome. He taught me how to hustle darts, pool, and cards and how to watch people. Surprisingly, a lot of people dismiss me as just a tiny girl who doesn't know what's going on around her or that fell into the wrong crowd. I am not that person but they still spill their guts.
"Starting your trash talk a bit early aren't we?" He smirks.
"Only if we don't play," I reply.
"It's on buttercup." He grins. "What are you doing for your date?"
"I'm taking him to war."
I can't believe I just said that. This warrior Viking God must think I'm a total freak. Way to go, Hope.
But he grins and grabs the ratchet.
"Deal." He says in his deep panty-melting voice. I could listen to this man read a dictionary.
I watch him get down on his knees and can't help but bite my lip but shake myself out of my lust. He has the damn thing off in a matter of seconds and carries it under one arm as he scoots out. His arms are thick and tattooed. It was hard to walk away from him in the produce section when he was arguing with his friend. He had all my attention instantly.
My Viking hands me the spare like he knows I can handle it. Ooh, baby.
"Thank you. I'm Hope by the way." I say taking the spare and kneeling to take the lug nuts off.
"Lev." He coughs.
"So, when are you free for dinner?" Ballsy, Hope. He's probably just being nice.
"I'm free tonight." I keep my eyes on the task as I finish changing the tire so I don't make a fool of myself.
"Sounds good." I rattle off my number expecting him to leave. I stand up brushing the dirt from my stockings. These are ruined. I turn and find he's still here watching me. I smile and release the jack.
"Would you like me to put the old tire in the back?" He offers.
"That would be a big help. Thank you." I watch his arms bulge as he places the tire in the truck bed carefully avoiding my groceries. I pack up my tools and he puts them in the back too.
"Will I see you soon?" He asks as I get into my truck.
"Of course. We have a date. I don't just let anyone touch my undercarriage." I smirk. He throws his head back in a booming laugh that gives me goosebumps. It's a very good sound.
"You're not what you seem, Hope." He says his green eyes sparkling. Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea.
"You're not either." I smile. "Text me with your address. Be ready for six."
"Yes ma'am." We stare at each other for a bit when his friend honks the horn. Ass. Let me look at him! "See you in a few hours."
"Bye." God, I am worse than a lovesick schoolgirl. I need to go home and see if Bear got the information.
I head home to the "ranch". It's not a ranch it used to be but my dad bought it and now it's more of a bunker/safe house. I enter the code and make my way through the gate.
I find Bear on the front steps looking ill.
"You didn't get anything did you?" I ask. He shakes his head. Man, dad's going to kill him. I like Bear. "Take care of the groceries. I'll take care of him." I walk into the house and down to the basement. It's three now, so I have two and a half hours to get this guy to talk before I have to get ready. I look at the sorry excuse for a man tied to the chair in the middle of the room. Easy peasy.
Usually, I would get changed into something more practical but this dress is ruined anyway from dragging across the ground. It's a shame, I really liked it. At least I can use it to my advantage. I still look the part of the sweet wholesome church-going girl. I had a job before shopping and needed to look the part.
I sneak down the steps trying the honey approach first. I sneak over to him and get to my knees in front of him.
"Oh my gosh... what did they do to you?" I whisper. The man raises his head to look at me. Bear didn't do a goddamn thing. I'm going to kill him. Dad can wait his turn.
"Who are you?" He asks I see the lust in his eyes. No pain, no fear, nothing. Goddammit, Bear!
"I'm here to help. Are you ok?" I make my eyes wide with concern.
"I'm fine. They have some chicken shit guarding me. He hasn't even come down here." They have indeed.
"He looked pretty big to me," I whisper.
"Big, yeah. But a pussy. Can you cut me loose?" He asks.
"I'll try." I get up and head to the table and start looking for a tool. "Why are you even here if they're not doing anything?" I ask and this idiot tells me. I may have to get another one of these dresses.
"I stole from this guy and may have threatened his family." He admits.
"Well, that's not nice. Why would you do that?"
"I'm not a good man sweetheart. I thought if I threatened him he would leave me alone."
"What did you steal?" I ask still looking for an imaginary tool.
"A password."
"Well, that's a silly thing to steal." I giggle. Ugh, kill me now. I can feel my self-respect evaporating.
"Well, this password can get me a lot of money. It's to a special computer that has all sorts of information on it." Great now he's talking to me like I'm a kid. I bet this guy has some weird daddy kink. Well, lay it on thicker.
"Wow, that's a lot for just a password. I suck at them. My phone is 1234." I giggle again. He chuckles.
"Well, this one is a bit different." Oh, come on, so close.
"Different how?" I turn to him and tilt my head looking confused. Come on show off. Tell me how smart you think you are.
"Well, this is a date in a cipher. Do you know what a cipher is?" He says in a playful voice. Definitely a daddy kink.
"Not really, isn't it like a puzzle?" Of course, I do. What kind?
"Kind of. It's like a secret language. That you need a key to figure out. So this password is the birthday of his son on a ROT13 cipher." He explains. Got it.
"Wow, you're so smart," I say walking slowly towards him. "I love smart guys." God, I want to vomit as I sit on his lap. I feel his... excitement on my leg. Ew.
"Ya?" He asks.
"Ya. When I cut you loose do you have somewhere safe to go?" I ask sweetly nothing but concern.
"Ya. I have a place with my friend Ray." I already took care of Ray this morning. He's no longer with us. "Maybe you could come to visit me?" He asks. I'm done I have the information.
"Nyx! You down there?!" Perfect timing dad. I look at him with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry." And I run up the stairs leaving him still tied up. I shut the door.
"You get anything?" My dad asks.
"Yep. I got it all. Two-man operation. The accomplice was taken care of this morning. Son is back with his dad. I have the password and the correct cipher." I look at Bear who is standing in the empty kitchen. I was down there for ten minutes. Where are the groceries? I walk out to see them still in my truck. I still have to change my tire before my date! His ass is mine!
I walk up and deck Bear right in the face. His nose pours blood as he curses me out.
"You had a job. You do your job." I seeth. "You didn't even go downstairs! I took care of it for you. I ask you to take care of my job in return. And you leave the food out in fucking the sun!"
"You didn't even go downstairs?" My dad growls.
"I'm sorry, ok?" Bear manages trying to stop the bleeding. I leave dad to deal with his employee and start bringing in the groceries and putting them away. My dad and Bear are gone by my first trip in. Dad comes back alone on my last trip. He pulls me in for a hug.
My dad is the best. My mom died giving birth to me. He raised me on his own with some help from my uncles (not really my uncles). It's no surprise that I'm a part of the family business. My dad is a mercenary. His nickname is Death because it's inevitable once he has your name.
"What are you up to today?" He asks. "I was thinking we could spend some time together before I head out on assignment."
"I have a date tonight. When are you leaving?" I ask feeling bad.
"I'm not leaving until the day after tomorrow. Can we do something tomorrow then?"
"Yes. What are we doing?"
"Does Rusty's sound good?" He asks.
"Yes! I haven't kicked your ass at darts in forever!" Rusty's is a bar in town. My uncle Russell owns it. He's awesome. He taught me how to hustle darts, pool, and cards and how to watch people. Surprisingly, a lot of people dismiss me as just a tiny girl who doesn't know what's going on around her or that fell into the wrong crowd. I am not that person but they still spill their guts.
"Starting your trash talk a bit early aren't we?" He smirks.
"Only if we don't play," I reply.
"It's on buttercup." He grins. "What are you doing for your date?"
"I'm taking him to war."
