But at thirty-‐three, only one woman dominated his thoughts. And it sure as hell wasn’t Cassie Bennet.
It sounded like a gunshot and it stopped all the activity in the room. But being a Raven, Yager knew exactly what that sound was…wings unfurling. Crows wings.
He turned away from the bar slowly and faced the doorway. Didi strutted in first. Like always, classy in her unpretentious way. But he’d known Didi for years. Classy she may be. But when she ripped off that one guy’s head a few years back and “free-‐throwed” it into a basketball hoop…not so classy.
Scary…but not classy.
A small group of Crows followed her. Arri, looking much better than she had the night before. As well as Janelle, Katie, and Connie.
Following right behind them all, looking seriously annoyed…
“Goddamn she’s beautiful.”
It took him a good ten seconds to realize he’d muttered that out loud. Cassie looked at him in surprise, whereas Mike just snorted a laugh. Probably all he could manage since he still held his nose.
No need bullshitting now. Yager shrugged. “Well…she is.”
Neecy stopped in the middle of the room and looked to her left. There he was.
Lounging against the bar and staring at her.
Looking at her the way she specifically told him not to look at her anymore. And, of course, Cassie “my pussy is so well used it’s the size of Penn Station” Bennet stood right next to him. Surprising the bitch didn’t have a leash around his neck.
“This,” she bit out between brutally clenched teeth, “is why you bitches brought me here?”
Didi shrugged. “We don’t know what you mean.”
Feeling her control slip, Neecy walked off. One more second looking at Didi’s smug face, and she would bitch slap the woman all over the room. Still, it took a moment to realize Arri walked right beside her.
“They weren’t being mean, ya know.”
“Arri, I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“I’m just saying.”
Neecy stopped walking and turned to her friend. “I know. I know. It’s just…this is getting complicated. I hate complicated.”
Arri opened her mouth to respond, but she stopped and turned away, her eyes closing like she stared into the sun. Then a shadow covered them and Neecy thought for a moment that maybe it was Yager because of its size. Somehow, though, she knew it wasn’t—the shadow kept growing.
Could this night suck anymore?
Sighing, “Hello, Odin.”
Neecy turned and watched the god’s one eye glance at her chest and immediately lose interest. “Denise.”
It always surprised her he knew her name. Simply because her tits weren’t big enough for him to take any interest. But suddenly…he seemed interested. Not in a good way, though.
“Can I help you with something?” Neecy knew she shouldn’t get what Didi affectionately referred to as “that tone,” but she couldn’t help herself. He pissed her off.
“Just wondering if you’re enjoying your time uptown?”
Actually they where in midtown at the moment. “What does that mean?”
“You and Yager. You must admit this is quite the step up for a one-‐time drug dealer.”
Neecy sucked in air to spit in Odin’s face. But before she got the chance, Arri grabbed the back of her dress and dragged her away.
“Well that was exciting,” Arri muttered as she pulled Neecy into a safe corner behind an enormous potted plant. “I know I like to get into one-‐on-‐one confrontations with gods.”
“Oh, stop whining. It’s not like he would have wiped you from the face of the earth or anything.”
With a sound of pure disgust, Cassie stormed off. Mike watched her go. “I fucked her, ya know.”
Of course he did. “Was she any good?”
Mike shrugged. “Stripper sex.”
“Stripper sex isn’t bad.” Especially when you were only twenty-‐seven.
“Nope. It was fun. I like stripper sex.”
“Well this is a fascinating conversation.”
Yager looked down at Didi. “Hey, beautiful.” He leaned down and gave her a hug.
“If it isn’t my favorite vicious Viking.” She reached up and gripped both of his cheeks. “And what a cutie little vicious Viking you are!”
Yager laughed as she patted his shoulder and turned her brown eyes to his friend. “How’s it going, Michael?”
“Great, now that you’re here.”
Didi rolled her eyes. “You have absolutely no shame.”
“None.”
She turned and leaned back against the bar next to Yager. “So, Yager.
What is going on between you and my second in command?”
“At this very moment? Nothing. But,” he smiled, “give me time.”
“There’s that Viking glint I love. And to think some of the Ravens thought you might be too nice for this job?”
“Nice? I’m not nice. Am I nice?”
Didi shrugged, but before she could answer, Yager cut her off. “Does she think I’m nice?” He felt uncomfortably panicked at the thought. Women never seemed to want a nice guy. They wanted a biker who couldn’t commit. Or the criminal with the heart of gold. Yager never took anything after that bubble gum incident when he was six, he never rode motorcycles because he liked his skull in one piece, and he would fly Neecy Lawrence to Vegas in a heartbeat if she suddenly walked over and said “Let’s do it!”
Shit. Nice was not good.
“If she thinks I’m nice, then she thinks I’m…”
“Boring?” Mike filled in helpfully.
“Shut up,” both Yager and Didi snapped.
Didi touched his arm. “She does think you’re nice, but that doesn’t matter to Neece. Or the fact that you come from money…”
“I don’t come from money.” Every cent Yager had, he’d earned on his own. And he was damn proud of that fact.
“You’re from Long Island.”
“From Levittown. Not exactly wealth capital of the world.”
“Well…compared to the part of Brooklyn or Harlem or wherever the hell she was raised…you guys live in the Hamptons.”
“So what do you suggest I do?”
Didi pushed off from the bar and stepped in front of him. “Do what Vikings do best.”
“Invade in our long boats and steal all your women?” Yager and Didi looked at Mike. “What? That’s what that means to me.”
Didi smiled at Yager as she backed away from him. “You know what I mean, Yager. Persistence is key with someone like Neecy Lawrence.”
She took another step back and slammed into a seven-‐foot, eight-‐inch hard body.
She glanced at it over her shoulder and smirked. “Odin.”
“Darling girl.”
She snorted and walked away.
Odin nodded at Yager and Molinski who nodded back, and then he followed two twenty-‐year-‐old Valkyries who giggled past him.
Mike shook his head. “You know, next to that man, I feel damn-‐near saintly.”
“Bro, next to that man, you’re the freakin’ Pope.”
“You know, you can’t hide here all night.” Arri handed Neecy the beer she’d asked for.
“Why not?”
“It’s a potted plant. You’re a mighty Daughter of Skuld…have some dignity.”
“You know, since we discovered your abilities, you’ve been awfully mouthy.”
Arri smiled in surprise. “Me? I’ve been mouthy? Cool! No one’s ever called me mouthy before.”