The Valkyrie Read online

  "You are a cautious one, aren’t you?" he said with a smile. I nodded and he laughed. "But not so cautious as to not attack me when you obviously thought I was a killer."

  I closed my eyes and felt my face go bright red. I willed myself to disappear. Unfortunately, when I opened my eyes the only thing that had disappeared was the film crew. That left Guytano and me alone. I knew from hearing Molly’s endless ramblings that he was a heavyweight in the world of Hollywood, but that didn’t make me any more comfortable around him. Something was different about him, that much I was sure of. He approached me quickly, stopping just shy of touching me, which was good because I think I would have screamed.

  "Valerie Falkyr, tell me how it is that you learned to fight like that." The way his voice rolled over me was unnerving. It was sexy, yet scary all at the same time. I made out the faintest of accents, Italian perhaps. He had gone to great lengths to perfect his English, but it was obvious that it was not his first language. I looked at him. I’d never actually seen one of his movies, so I didn’t really have a comparison, but the man was gorgeous. If the magic of the movies made him look even better, it was easy to see how women around the world worshiped him. "Cat got your tongue?" he asked.

  I had to think for a minute about what he had asked me. I hated to admit it, but his beauty caught me off guard. It wasn’t every day that you found a man beautiful. Fighting, that’s what he had wanted to know. "I don’t know," was all I came up with.

  "You do not know? You take me on with a speed and strength that rivals my own, and yet you claim that you don’t know where you learned this from?" He sounded amused with me. He walked around me slowly, sizing me up.

  I nodded my head. "It’s the truth. I don’t know how I did it. I just did."

  He looked over me. I had the urge to look behind me, but resisted it. He smiled and flashed me his pearly whites. A tiny piece of me melted. "I know it’s the truth." He said it so matter-of-factly that he left little room for questions.

  Great, psychic and a superstar. Didn’t they have nine-hundred numbers for those people?

  His hand flew up. I thought he was about to hit me, so I immediately dodged out of the way. The look in his eyes told me that I’d been baited.

  "I guess we could stand here all evening saying nothing, or we could walk together."

  "Walk together?" It came out so much faster than I wanted it to. This made him smile even wider.

  "Would you like it if I joined you? You were headed somewhere, correct?"

  My jaw dropped open. Fear of looking like I was catching flies didn’t bother me. The nerve of this guy did. "Join me? Umm ... no, I don’t think I’d like that very much, but thanks." His jaw tightened. Man, he was not used to rejection. With a body like his, I could see why. I think he was about to make a snappy comeback when the sound of clicking feet caught our attention.

  We both turned to see a freakishly tall red-headed man standing near us. He tapped his foot on the concrete and gave us a wicked grin. He looked like he’d just caught us having sex. I turned to Guytano. He stood perfectly still. The static energy that I’d felt earlier slammed into me again. I made a small noise and tried to keep my footing. This caused the tall man to look at me. His eyes were a deep Kelly green, and his face was perfectly square. The only thing that softened his hard look was the head of hair that fell straight and to his shoulders. I think it hid some of his massive neck. If it did, it meant the guy’s neck was as wide as his head. The body that it was attached to was just as overwhelming. He had to have been pushing the mid to upper two-hundreds. There didn’t look to be an ounce of fat on him. He looked like he was about to compete in a strongman competition, and win.

  "Guytano, it’s been a long time old friend." His voice was so deep and full of bass that it seemed to vibrate the ground around me. Coolness combined with static danced near me. It played at my back and danced along my bare arms. It was smooth. I felt no need to panic.

  "Torin, it has indeed been awhile," Guytano said. "What brings you to these parts?"

  The muscle-man, Torin, made a move toward us. I fought the urge to step back. He wore a dark blue dress shirt that was barely buttoned and a pair of light tan slacks. He looked like he could go from the office to a nightclub and not miss a beat. I didn’t know that they made clothes that big, but apparently, they did. He was handsome, and he knew it. The closer he got, the more I was able to make him out. His skin was a few shades darker than Guytano’s, and that wasn’t saying much. I’d been blessed with a creamy-tan skin. It always looked sun-kissed even though I rarely saw the light of day.

  "New lover? I am surprised. Did you forget Sive so soon? She will be most upset. To share her bed for so long, only to leave her for this." Torin never looked away from me as he spoke. His dark green eyes locked on me. I couldn’t help but to stare back. My body wanted to be near him.

  The longer Torin looked at me, the more I wanted to touch him. I was a believer in love at first sight, but this wasn’t love, this was lust. I drew the corner of my mouth up slightly. Molly had told me once that when I did this I looked like a bad girl fighting to get out of a good one. Torin made a move toward me, and I had to catch my breath. If he touched me, I didn’t think I’d be able to stop myself from leaping on him. I thought I heard someone saying my name. I ignored him. Part of me did want to look toward the voice, but Torin’s gaze held me. He took another step toward me. My knees grew weak.

  "Valerie?" Guytano’s voice sounded in my ear. He touched my shoulder, making the static energy between us intensify. I swayed and turned to look at him. The feeling of being lost in Torin’s trance left as soon as I stopped looking into his kelly green eyes. I put my hand up and touched Guytano’s. I wanted to throw his hand off me, but I didn’t, I just held it. I didn’t need to be told that he had just brought me back from the edge of having sex with a stranger. That won him a spot on my good-guy list.

  "Oh, Guytano. You have been hiding your new toy from us all. She is a beauty, is she not? How is she in other areas?" Torin’s accent was thick and Irish. I had a hard time making out some of what he was saying. In truth, the accent made him even more appealing. Calling me a toy however, did take away from any charm he possessed.

  "Last time I checked, I didn’t have Mattel stamped across my ass." The minute I said it, I regretted it. Typical. Molly’s personality had rubbed off on me. She was the one I’d spent the most time with since my accident, so I’m sure that was to be expected. Heck, I may have been a smart-ass prior to the accident as well.

  Guytano gripped my shoulder tighter, as he tried to shut me up. Torin laughed, with such intensity that it tickled my ribs. "I like her Guytano. Give her to me and I shall consider your debt to my family paid." I flung around and stared at Guytano wide-eyed. Did he commonly walk around trading women? I knew that being rich and famous gave you certain privileges, but swapping chicks on a whim seemed outrageous, even for a star.

  "Torin, this girl simply walked in off of the street. She means nothing to me." Guytano made a motion as if he was tracing my outline in mid air. "Look at her. She is so ... common."

  Common? I fought the urge to kick him in the gut. Calling me a monkey’s butt would have sat better with me than common. Torin let out another laugh. "Oh, you are good. I think that we both know you are lying now. She is exquisite. Look at her silky black hair and the luscious shape of her hips, the way she is slim, yet not lacking in the curves a woman should have... Oh, she is a precious one. Guy, if she means so little to you, then give her to me."

  I’d had enough of this macho junk for a lifetime. I did appreciate the flattering things that Torin had said about me. But I wasn’t a stock--I couldn’t be traded. "I don’t belong to anyone. Not Guytano and not you." I spun around and glared at Guytano. I was so angry that I had to fight to keep my voice from shaking. "Don’t ever talk about me like a piece of property again, or I will ... I will..." I wanted to say, "rip your head off and spit down your throat," but it seemed a bit extreme.
Plus, I was scared that his head might actually pop off. I still wasn’t too sure about the witch thing.

  In an instant Torin flew toward me. If his feet touched the ground, I didn’t see it. However, I did see him. His large hand came out at my throat. I brought my hand up and blocked his. The impact of his body against my left arm caused pain to shot through it almost instantly. I didn’t cry out, instead, I went to strike him with my other hand. A black blur got in my way. I ended up hitting that instead. Guytano stumbled and fell into Torin. The two of them tumbled to the ground.

  I decided to make a break for it. They could beat the hell out of each other all night long for all I cared. I just wanted out. I had no interest in rubbing elbows with the rich and famous if it meant getting my ass kicked on a semi-regular basis or being bartered off like a peasant girl from centuries ago. I heard snarls, and fighting the urge to look back, I increased my pace.

  Chapter 9

  It didn’t take me long to make it home. I seemed to be in overdrive. Part of me knew that it was from the adrenaline of the night’s events, but the other part knew it was something more. Being around Guytano had lit a fire in me. Maybe I was star struck after all. Who knew? I rubbed a stain stick over the pizza on my sweater and found a few specks of blood on it as well. I hadn’t remembered bleeding, but apparently, I had. I stood before my bathroom mirror in only my bra and black pants.

  I let the cool water run, filling up the sink, and put my face down into it. It was just what I needed. I flung my head up and sent water splashing all around me. I didn’t bother getting a towel. I preferred to just dry off naturally. Opening the bathroom door, I headed up to my room.

  "Oh ... umm, getting ready for me so soon?" I heard a familiar male voice say from the living room. I turned around and looked out. Payton sat on the sofa turning his head to stare at me half dressed. His sandy blond hair was cut closer to his head. The tips of it were blonder and it made his tanned skin come out more. He must have made a stop at the barber before coming to see me. I liked it.

  "Hi Doc, I didn’t expect to see you here."

  "Hey, if you don’t want me here," he said, and headed toward the door with a mischievous grin upon his face.

  "No. Don’t go." It came out louder and faster than I would have liked, but oh well. He stood now, but no longer headed for the door. "I just need to grab a shirt and then we can head out." He smiled. I turned to head upstairs.

  "Do we have to go out?" he asked.

  I walked toward him. He looked so good standing in the warm light of the living room. I thought about what Molly had told me, about him being in love with me. I stopped short of touching him. I wasn’t sure of my feelings for him, and I didn’t want to hurt him. He reached out to me and touched my cheek, bringing himself closer to me. Our lips met, and I let go of any concerns I had. The burning in my body took hold and kept me near him. We pulled away from each other slowly. His hand ran past my arm, and I made a small moan as pain shot through it.

  "Valerie, what the hell happened to you?" The seriousness in his voice made me jump. His eyes were wide, and very blue. He motioned for me to come toward the light. I didn’t question him, I just did. This put me half-naked in front of the living room window. This night was getting better and better. I had half a mind to look for a piano falling from the sky or a meteorite. Yeah, at the rate I was going it’s bound to be that.

  Payton put his hands on my shoulders and drew in his breath. He turned me slightly and looked at my back. "My God, what happened to you? Were you attacked?" He ran his fingers over my skin, and I winched in pain. Apparently, my little rumble with Guytano had left me a bit banged up.

  "It’s nothing." I said.

  He snorted. "Nothing? This is hardly nothing. Shit, your arm." He took my left arm into his hand. Everything suddenly hurt like hell. My legs gave out from under me. Payton’s arms wrapped around me quickly.

  I saw vivid images flashing before my eyes. I was pulled out of the back of an ambulance. I heard the voices all around me. They were talking about how bad I was. They were calling me critical. They had thought me dead at least twice on the ride to the hospital. The cold night air hit my skin as the doors opened. "What do we have?" I heard Payton’s voice ask. There was a women’s voice answering him. She gave him the condensed version, which was, "She’s a mess, and she’ll never make it." I managed to get my eyes open. I could only see out of one, but I saw him. I saw him standing above me. I made out others around me. They all looked at my body with horror and disgust, but Payton held none of that. He looked shocked to see me, and then his eyes filled with care and concern. I knew right then and there that he would do whatever he could to save my life.

  "Valerie?" Payton whispered my name in my ear. He held me tight to him as we stood in the living room. I looked up at him. He had that same look of concern in his eyes for me.

  "I think I remembered something," I said softly. I made no attempt to pull away from him, and he didn’t offer to let me go.

  "Well, that’s a good thing. I told you that it might happen." His voice was calm, and he moved his hand up my back "Do you want to tell me about it?" I shook my head no. He stiffened up. "It’s okay to tell me anything. I keep waiting for you to tell me that you have a husband in Jersey waiting for you."

  I hugged him tight, and took him completely by surprise. I found it funny that he would automatically assume that my memory had nothing to do with him. "Doc."

  "Payton" he corrected me.

  That was at least the four-hundredth time he’d told me to call him Payton. Today I did. "Payton," I said, as his body tightened up under my touch. "What I remembered was you. It was you meeting me at the ambulance. It was the look in your eyes. You made me feel safe, and that was the first time I’d felt safe in a long time." He made a small noise. I didn’t try to pull away. I held him close to me. He would always be there for me. I knew that now. I, hopefully, could return the favor. His fingers ran over my bra strap in the back. I turned my head and kissed his cheek.

  "Thank you for being there for me." I said.

  "I don’t think you could get rid of me even if you tried. Move in with me, Valerie. Live with me and you’ll always feel safe. Marry me and I’ll be here with you always"

  I stared at him, unable to form the answer he needed to hear. I cared deeply for him, but I wasn’t sure if what I felt was love or just lust. I closed my eyes, unable to face the hurt that I thought would show on his face.

  "Hey, sorry, just tossing that out for good measure," he said, his voice cracking from nerves. We both laughed. I leaned into his embrace and a wave of static energy brushed past me. I lifted my head and looked over his shoulder out the window. There on the dark street in front of my house stood Guytano. I blinked, and he was gone. I felt the lingering effects of cold air around me. I knew that I wasn’t imagining him, or was I? No one could have vanished from thin air. It just wasn’t possible. Payton took my pulling away as rejection. His hands fell away from me, as he backed up.

  "I’m sorry Valerie. I thought after last night, that we were ... you know, a couple. I thought that you felt a little more for me than just friendship and an a good screw."

  My attentions were on the darkened street, and not on Payton. I glanced around again, but saw nothing. I looked at Payton. I’d never seen him look vulnerable before. Now he looked young. He looked like I had the power to scar him for life using only my words. I didn’t know what to say.

  "Payton, I ... I ..." my mind was running in overdrive. Words didn’t seem to want to come to me. A nervous habit of mine was to run my fingers through my hair. Doing this brought another sharp pain through my arm. This time I did cry out. Not so much in pain, but in frustration.

  The night had thrown more at me than my brain was ready to deal with. I wanted life to be simple again. School, work, home, rinse and repeat. I didn’t need drama, and since the moment I laid eyes on Guytano Marsarius that is exactly what I’d gotten. Before I was able to mutter another word, Pay
ton was on me. He was in full Doctor Mode. He led me into the bathroom and looked in our medicine cabinet.

  Nothing like a little pain to change the subject.

  "It doesn’t surprise me that you don’t have a first aid kit, but Molly’s a nurse. She should have something around here." A box of feminine napkins fell out of the cabinet and into the sink.

  "Those are hers. Does that count?" I asked. His face lit up as he blushed. I never thought feminine hygiene products would embarrass a doctor, but he was still a guy no matter what his profession was. He had to make do with a bag of ice and a pat on the shoulder. He did make me swear to get some sort of first aid kit in my new house. I promised that I would.

  Twenty minutes later my arm was numb from the ice and turning a pale shade of blue. I had to practically beg him to let me remove the ice bag. It took some convincing before he finally gave in.

  "I feel sorry for any kids you may have," I said.

  He looked up at me as I headed for the staircase. "Why’s that?"

  "Well, they might die of hypothermia from a scrape on their knee." I gave a half-hearted grin and ran up the stairs.

  "Oh no, you don’t."

  I heard him following close behind me. I made it into my room and fell across my bed. Payton followed close at my heels. He stood over me and leaned down slowly. He hovered above me before pressing his lips against mine. I drew his tongue in with mine. We dipped in and out of each other’s mouth feverishly. I pulled the back of his shirt out of his pants and ran my fingers over his smooth back. He pulled back from me slowly.

  "Care to tell me how you got all these?" He motioned to my newly formed bruises. "I think I have a right to know. They’re preventing me from making love to you, so the least you could do is tell me the truth."

  Had he just said making love? I looked up at him. It was true he was hooked. A tiny pulling sensation started in my chest. Did that mean I was hooked as well? I motioned for him to sit down on the bed, and told him about the events of the evening.