In that brief, terrifying second where her toes clung to the edge of the rocks, Dom knew she’d let everyone down, including the world and, worse, she dropped MC.
As if Og himself had picked the exact spot she’d dropped MC, the hammer fell directly at his feet.
Her last thought was about how she might as well have just handed him over.
“MC!”she cried in horror.
But then there was a roar—a primal howl—well, two howls, actually.One from midair and one from behind her, before she heard, “Dom, no!”
One minute she was free-falling and Nina was swooping up from beneath her, slamming into her as the vampire caught both Dom and her grandfather.The next, Harvey was grabbing MC by the handle seconds before OG could make a futile attempt to pick it up himself, bellowing, “Thor!”before he pointed the hammer at Og and let ’er rip.
The resulting explosion nearly knocked them over when Nina landed on the cliff, but she managed to hang on to them both and break their fall as the sky cracked with ear-piercing thunder and lightning.
Og howled his anguish before catapulting off the cliff in a cloud of rocks and screams.
Dom crawled across the rocks, reaching for her grandfather who was, of all things, smiling.“You did it, Shish kabob.Good girl!”he said, spitting the dust from his mouth to pat her on the back.
Dom fought a sob, brushing his thick hair away from his face.“I didn’t do it, Papa.Harvey did,” she said, with a weary, tear-filled chuckle.
Nina helped them both off the ground, wrapping her arm around Stavros’s waist before she chucked Dom under the chin.“I think you both fucking did it.”
Dom threw her arms around Nina’s neck.“Thank you.Thank God for you,” she whispered, so grateful.
Greer peered over the vampire’s shoulder with a smile streaked with soot.“I think Nina’s right.It was a combined effort.”He winked at her.“Well done, warrior.”
“Thank you, Greer.Thank you for helping.”
Then she heard Marty and Wanda picking their way through the debris OG had left in his wake, chattering excitedly.“Dom!Well done, you!”They encompassed her in their special brand of hug, their clothes tattered and torn, dusty and streaked with dirt.
But she didn’t deserve this praise.It was all Harvey’s.“It wasn’t me,” she told them, pulling back from their embrace.“It was Harvey.Harvey picked up MC and took out OG.”
Harvey still stood at the edge of the cliff, his hand wrapped around MC’s handle, looking out at the carnage.
Approaching him carefully, she gave him a gentle nudge with an elbow to his ribs.“What’cha got there in your hand, Thor’s weird offspring?”
Harvey did something unexpected.He tipped his head back and laughed before he held up MC, his entire face filled with confusion.“How the hell did that happen?”
She threw her hands up, waving them at him.“I’m not worthy, but apparently you are,” she said, with a chuckle of her own.
“He was always worthy.He simply didn’t know how much until your pending doom was in the offing,” MC said, joy littering his tone.“But you, Dominique?We must offer you our deepest gratitude.You were fierce, madam.Fiery and fierce.”
She tapped his handle.“But I didn’t exactly slay the dragon, buddy.First, I begged that bag of granite, then I dropped you.That wasn’t very warrior-like.”
“Might I remind you, I told you to drop me.I gave you the choice.A way out.A way you refused.”
Tears sprang to her eyes.“You’ve come to mean as much to me as my papa, MC.I… I didn’t know what to do.”
MC’s tone was hoarse when he said, “Do know, I reciprocate, Dominique.”
Harvey turned to look at her, brushing a sweaty tendril of hair from her face.“It doesn’t matter now.Og is dead.There’ll be no Fraggle Rock today,” he said with a smile.
She smiled back…then she remembered something.“Does this mean MC is now yours?Because you can wield him?”
He brushed a light kiss over the tip of her nose.“I think so.How does that sit with you?”
She let her head fall back on her shoulders, allowing a ragged breath to escape her lips.“Oh, thank Odin.I’m exhausted, and I don’t care how sculpted my arms look.There are plenty of other ways to achieve the same results without having to set things on fire.Also, I miss cute outfits that aren’t exactly meant for battle, but make a statement.”
Harvey laughed, pulling her close to him, resting his cheek on the top of her head.“But gods, MC’s right.You were fierce.”
