Page 67 of Viking Vengeance Cruise

Freya goes quiet for so long I think she’s decided against answering. Then she pulls in a shaky breath.

“I’ve been having an affair,” she says quietly, staring at the water. “With another book club member’s husband. For two years.”

I open my mouth and absolutely nothing comes out. Honestly, she just knocked me over with a cheating feather. And I once caught my ex-husband mid-buffet with a feast of women, so my feathers don’t knock easy.

“And not just any member,” she continues, her voice dropping a notch. “My best friend in the group. The woman who helped me through my divorce. Who loaned me money when I couldn’t make rent. Who showed up at my apartment with wine and Chinese food every time I fell apart.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes.” She wipes at her eyes, careful not to smudge that dramatic eyeliner. “I’m a terrible person. I know I am. But I didn’t mean for it to happen. Her husband and I were working on a Renaissance faire project together, and we just...connected. And then it kept happening. And I kept lying to her face. She was my best friend. She helped me through my darkest hours and I did the unthinkable. He was warm and funny and, well, he was a jerk too, because apparently he didn’t mind cheating on his wife, who happens to be an amazing human being. But I was vulnerable, and I was addicted to the attention he was giving me. She knew something was wrong. She’s not here, by the way. She’s in the process of moving to another state with the sorry idiot.”

“I don’t know what to say.” I shudder at what a horrible situation this is.

Freya sniffs as silent tears fall. “I’ve already decided that when we get home, I’m going to call her and confess everything. She deserves to know. And I deserve whatever wrath she has in store for me.”

Wrath. Considering how this cruise is going, I’d schedule that phone call for dry land. Possibly from behind something sturdy.

“How did Astrid find out?”

“Someone saw us. They told Astrid. And Astrid confronted me two hours before she died.” Freya’s voice cracks. “She said she was going to expose me at the upcoming costume gala. She was going to make an announcement in front of everyone. And word would get back to my best friend in the most humiliating way possible. Because word always gets back. It’s the one delivery service that never loses a package.”

“That’s cruel.”

“Astrid said I’d violated the club’s values. That I was a disgrace to the sisterhood we’d built.” Freya’s hands grip the window ledge. “She was going to kick me out. This club is the only place I feel like I belong, you know? I do cosplay at Renaissance faires, but those people think I’m weird for being so into Viking stuff. I teach high school, but I can’t exactly discuss steamy romance novels with my students. The Velvet Vikings are my people. Were my people.”

“She threatened to take away her sanctuary,” Magnus murmurs. “I understand that rage. Fury and passion share a bed, and neither one sleeps.”

I’ve been there. And I have to agree, he’s right.

“I’m so sorry,” I say, and I mean it.

Whatever she’s done, this woman is drowning in it, and my heart goes out to her whether she deserves it or not. That’s the thing about hearts. They’re terrible at background checks.

“That’s how the screaming match started.” Freya turns to face me fully, tears streaming down her face. “I told her she was a tyrant. That she had no right to judge me. That she was going to ruin my life over a mistake I’d already made and couldn’t take back.” She gives a harsh laugh. “And then someone poisoned her, and now everyone’s going to think I did it.”

“Did you?”

“No.” She meets my eyes without a flinch. “I swear to you, I didn’t. I wanted to. I thought about it. But I didn’t actually do it.”

We stand in silence for a moment, the ocean rolling past, the murmur of book club chatter carrying on behind us.

“For what it’s worth,” I say carefully, “I believe you.”

“Why?”

“Because if you’d killed her, you wouldn’t be telling me all this. You’d be keeping your mouth closed and playing innocent.”

She laughs, a real one this time. “That’s probably true. I’m terrible at keeping secrets. Hence the affair everyone eventually finds out about.”

“Your friend, does she know yet?”

“No. Part of me still wants to let it die with Astrid.” Freya wipes her eyes again. “What would you do?”

“Honestly? I have no idea. That’s a nightmare situation either way.”

“Yeah. But it felt good to say it out loud. It’s as if a dam broke and all the words came flooding out.”

“I think you needed to get it off your chest,” I offer. “And I’m glad you did.”