I jerked in my chair. “What? You found him?”
He nodded slowly. “It didn’t turn out as you wanted, though.”
“What do you mean?” I glanced at the small blood splatters on his clothing. “It looks like something happened.”
“I lost control, Megan. Your father, he started telling us the horrors he did to you as a child…” He ran his fingers through his fine, black hair. “Anyway, I lost it.”
My eyebrows furrowed deep over my eyes. “Meaning?”
“I didn’t bring him in alive as you wished.” He cleared his throat and twisted in his chair to duck his upper body under the table. When he lifted, he set a black plastic bag on the table in front of me. “I did bring you proof that he’s dead. Finn managed to stop me from completely chopping him to too small bits.”
“Wait. You thought I’d be upset because you killed him?”
He nodded. “You said you wanted to be the one to kill him.”
“It would have been nice, but ultimately, I don’t care. As long as he’s dead, I’m freaking ecstatic.” My wide eyes turned to the black plastic bag, and I bounced my legs to release energy. “There’s proof in here?”
“Yes.” One simple word. It meant a lot.
I grabbed the opening of the black plastic and pulled it apart. My resulting grin was magnificent as I stared into its depth, a weight of terror vanishing from my shoulders. I felt like I could breathe again, my chest pumping swiftly in excitement.
I stuck my right hand into the bag and grabbed a handful of hair—bald spot included.
Then I lifted the decapitated head from the bag’s depths and held it high in the air. My father’s lifeless eyes stared out at the room. I turned my elation on Rune, bubbling with joy. “This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten in my entire life. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
Finn placed a fist in front of his mouth and started having a coughing fit. He quickly excused himself from the room, leaving Rune and me alone.
Rune’s eyes ran over my features like a predator hunting for weakness. But his lips eventually curved up with an impish grin. He flirted, teasing, “So you love my gift, huh?”
“I do!” I squealed. I sat my father’s head down on the table and grabbed Rune’s cheeks, pulling him closer. “You deserve a reward, stud.”
“Do I get it now?” he whispered.
“Yeah, you do.” I pressed my lips against his, and thoroughly kissed him. His tongue and mine met in the most sensual of teasing. I bit his bottom lip, pulling it between my teeth until it released from my mouth. “But your real reward will have to wait until tomorrow. I would be utterly useless to you tonight. In fact, I may let you carry me out of this dungeon like a babe. That’s how pooped I am.”
Rune brushed his lips over mine again, hovering over my mouth. “Are we going…home?”
My blue eyes pinched at the corners in contentment. “So it’s our home?”
“If you want it to be,” he whispered, his finger sliding over the neckline of my filthy shirt, running his finger back and forth over my skin. “Is that what you want?”
Gradually, I nodded. “I think I’d like that.”
He stood and turned around, bending. “Jump on. I know you don’t want me carrying you out like a babe in front of all the soldiers.”
That would be very true. “A piggyback ride again?”
“Fuck yes.”
I jumped onto his back and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.
He grinned at me over his shoulder. “Finn, get rid of the head. We’re leaving.”
“All right. Leave me with the disgusting shit.” Finn twisted into the room, and as his eyes traveled over us, he smirked in hilarity. “Go home and wash up. Right now, you’re both parts of the disgusting shit too.”
“A shower does sound divine.” I peeked at the side of his face. “You do have hot water there, right?” Because my apartment never had it.
“You’ll see.” Rune tightened his hold on my thighs, bouncing me as he walked out the door. “I think you’re going to like our home.”
