Chapter 13
Bjorn
“I wanted to rip his throat out. Wanted to pull his limbs off and leave him for the wolves. Break every finger that has ever hurt another person. Cut out his tongue so it can never disparage anyone ever again.”
“But what did you do?” Captain Brann asks as he leans back in his office chair. He has is the persona of relaxed.
“I growled a threat and sent him on his way, letting him know that if he bothered August or May ever again, I know where he lives.”
“Sounds decent. But why are you resigning?” He snorts his retort.
“I figure this loser is going to be a loudmouth, and then public opinion will be down your throat about me. First, a supposed kidnapping. Now, threatening an upstanding citizen.”
“I think you’ve got the pulse of this town wrong. You stood up against abuse. I can’t think of any one person in town who will support the other guy.” Brann leans forward now, back into work mode. Boss mode.
“I’m an orc.”
“Understatement of the year. So am I. But I need you to stop trying to resign. Someone’s going to think I’m keeping you here against your will. And I’m not. Right?”
“Right,” I sigh. “I hate how level-headed you are.”
“That’s why I’m the boss.”
“Huh.”
“Is she okay now?”
“August? Yeah, she’s amazing. She—"
“No, the other one, dummy.”
“You can’t call me a dummy. You’re my boss. And yeah, May is okay. Recovering. Moved into the apartment next door. Away from asshat number one.”
Brann nods sagely. “You’ll be on call the day after the spring flower festival, so watch your alcohol intake. Now, you need to finish these training exercises so I can turn in my report.”
I snort, roll my eyes. “I’m always ready for the job.”
“And Bjorn? I have faith in you.”
Turning to walk out of his office, I wave a hand at him. I can’t let him see how those words impact me. My life has been spent as the screw-up of the family. No one has ever had faith in me except faith that I would screw up.
Today though? I have a fulfilling job with meaning that I love. And more importantly, I have a woman who loves me. A woman I would walk through fire for.