Don’t Play With Odin by Cynthia Eden
Epilogue
“So…” War sauntered into the office at Trouble for Hire. He had one hand shoved into his pocket. “What did I miss?”
Odin glanced up at him. “I’m engaged.”
War laughed. “Bullshit.”
Odin didn’t laugh.
War’s grin faded. “Are you for real?”
Jinx appeared behind him. “I know. I’m still in shock, too. Our little boy has grown up.”
They were both assholes, but also damn good friends.
“It’s the client, isn’t it?” War cocked his head. “The one you told me about on the phone? I get that you tracked down the killers—good job, bro—but you seriously managed to get her to want to marry you?”
“I can be charming.” Odin frowned at him. “You’re the one who told me that.”
“Yeah, but I was just lying to help your self-esteem!” War appeared dumbfounded. “I have to know everything. Let’s go downstairs and get a drink because this is a story that I have got to hear.”
War was such a gossip. The man always loved the nitty-gritty details. Odin began to rise, but his phone rang. It was the happy ring tone that he’d assigned to Maisey. He swiped his finger over the screen and put the phone to his ear. “Hey, baby,” he said by way of greeting.
“Baby?” War repeated, voice strangled.
“War’s back in town,” Odin continued after he flipped off his friend. “Want to come meet him? Because I swear, he is dying to meet you—” He broke off because Maisey was suddenly speaking quickly. No, frantically. “Maisey. Slow down.”
The two men who’d been ribbing him suddenly advanced toward his desk.
“Say it again, Maisey,” Odin urged her. “Slowly. Baby, I know you’re upset, take a breath.”
She did. And she explained again. Holy hell. “I’m on my way. I will meet you at the hospital.”
Maisey hung up before he could say more.
“What is it?” Jinx appeared to be nearly jumping over the desk. “Is Maisey hurt?”
Odin shook his head. “It’s not her.” He fired off a quick text. A text that he never thought he’d send.
A text to Ramsey. Meet me at Angel of Grace Hospital.
“What is happening?” War demanded.
Odin looked up. “Whitney Augustine has been found.”
“Maisey’s friend?” Jinx pounced on that. “The one Heather and Steve killed? They found her body?”
“Not exactly.” He finished his text to Ramsey.
Whitney is alive.
***
Ramsey shoved two security guards out of his way. “I want to see her! Now!” Ramsey bellowed.
Maisey ran into the hallway. She still couldn’t believe what was happening. It was a miracle. Whitney was back. Alive.
A third security guard was running at Ramsey, and Ramsey was pulling back his fist to punch the guy.
“Stop!” Maisey yelled.
Ramsey froze. The guard scrambled to retreat as he called for more backup.
Maisey rushed toward Ramsey before the scene could deteriorate even more.
He grabbed her shoulders. “Is it her? Is it really Whitney?”
“Yes.” There was so much to say. So much she still didn’t understand. “She was pulled from the water by some fishermen. They were based out of Louisiana, not here, and that’s where they took her.”
A deep furrow tunneled between his eyes. “Why didn’t they take her to the cops?”
“They did, in Louisiana. But she didn’t know who she was. Her prints weren’t in any system.”
“Didn’t know who she was—what the hell?”
“When Heather was describing the attack on Whitney, she told me they hit her on the head. The docs are examining her now, and Whitney said she was examined before. There are signs of severe trauma. The swelling has gone down substantially, and she started to remember who she was…”
He broke away from her. She knew he’d just caught sight of Whitney in the exam room behind her.
“No! Wait!” Maisey called.
He wasn’t waiting.
Footsteps rushed toward her. When she saw Odin, relief filled her. He pulled her into his arms, and she drew in a steadying breath. She always felt safe when Odin was close. “Ramsey beat you here.” She’d asked Odin to contact him, but Maisey wished Ramsey had just held on so she could tell him exactly what was happening. “I didn’t get to explain everything.” She pulled away, but made sure to hold Odin’s hand as she tugged him toward the hospital room. “Most of her memory is back, and the doctors say that is a great sign, but she doesn’t remember everything.” Actually, what Whitney didn’t remember…
Was the last six months of her life before the attack.
Maisey and Odin hurried into the hospital room.
“You can’t be here,” the nurse was telling Ramsey. “The patient needs rest, and unless you are family—”
“I am her fucking family,” he snapped as he leaned over the bed. His fingers were shaking as he reached for Whitney. “Sweetheart?”
Her head turned toward him. Her green eyes were full of confusion.
“I missed you,” he breathed.
She blinked. “I’m sorry.” Her head tilted. “Do I know you?”
He jerked back as if he’d been stabbed.
“She doesn’t remember,” Maisey rushed to say. “That’s what I was trying to explain. Whitney has no memory of the six months before her attack.”
His head turned. He stared at Maisey. “Those were my months.”
She knew that. She could feel his pain.
Whitney fisted the sheets. “I don’t…am I supposed to know you?”
He looked at her again. The torment on his face was clear to see. After a long moment, he pushed away from the bed. “No. No, I’m no one that you should know.” Then he turned and walked out of the hospital room.
***
Odin followed Ramsey to the parking garage. “What the hell are you doing?”
“For the first time in my life, the right thing.”
Odin grabbed his arm. Spun him around. “The woman you love is in a hospital bed. You’re leaving her. Maybe I’m just slow today, but I don’t quite get how that is the right thing.”
“She was too good for me.” His voice was savage. “She should never have crossed my path. Now, she doesn’t know that she did. She can be safe. My world won’t touch her.”
“You have a chance here. You can be happy.”
Ramsey stared back at him.
“You asked me once why I got to be happy. You want the answer?”
“I want you to take your hand off me—”
“Because I’m willing to fight for my happiness. I will fight, I will steal, I will kill. I will do anything to make sure that I get to have Maisey at the end of the day. You want to be happy? Then stop being a coward. Do whatever the hell you need to do in order to protect the woman in that hospital bed.” He shoved Ramsey away. “You just got a miracle. Those don’t happen often.” With that, he marched away.
Jinx waited until Odin was in the elevator, then he let out a long, low whistle as he stepped away from the stone column in the parking garage. “Someone just put you in your place.”
Ramsey’s hands fisted. “I am not in the mood for your shit right now.”
Jinx took his time sidling from the shadows. War had already gone upstairs—he was no doubt in a rush to meet Maisey and find out what in the hell was going on. Jinx, though, he had a pretty good idea what was happening… “Your lady love is back from the dead.”
“I told you to stay away from me. Warned you not to come close—”
Jinx threw an arm around Ramsey’s shoulder. “But you’re my brother, Ram.” No humor filled his voice. Not this time. Because he wasn’t kidding. He was dead serious. “And you need me right now.”
The reason he’d been in Ramsey’s the night Odin had found him? He’d been paying a visit to his older brother. The brother no one knew about.
“I’m doing the right thing,” Ramsey rumbled.
Jinx shook his head. “After the life you’ve led, why the hell would you want to start doing what’s right at this point? Makes no sense to me.”
Ramsey’s brows flew up.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.” This time, he did. “I’ll hang around town. I’ll help you out.”
“I don’t want your help,” Ramsey snarled.
“Of course, you do. Everyone wants my help. Haven’t you heard? I’m freaking amazing.”
“Jinx…”
“One day, you’ll thank me for what’s going to happen next.”
“I doubt that.”
Jinx smiled. “How about you just wait and see…?”
***
“She’s alive.” Maisey stared out at the blue waves of water. “I’ve got Whitney back.” It was a miracle that still had her head spinning.
Odin’s hands wrapped around her waist. He pulled her up against the strong warmth of his body.
“She’s scared and she’s lost,” Maisey continued, “but she’s back.”
“And you’re going to help her.” His breath blew lightly over her ear.
Maisey could feel a tear sliding over her cheek. But—it was a happy tear. She still couldn’t believe it. “I am going to help her.” Maisey turned in his arms. Stared into Odin’s beautiful eyes. “We’re going to help her.” Because she wasn’t alone any longer. She had Odin. They were a team.
She searched his eyes. “Thank you for taking my case.”
He smiled at her. She loved his smiles. So rare and so beautiful. “Maisey…” He said her name as if it were a caress. “Thank you for changing my whole damn life.”
He bent his head and kissed her.
The End
