Don't you know who I am?

Your body began to be aware of your surroundings again. You tried to open your eyes, but a twinge in your head caused you to close them involuntarily. Slowly you opened them again and realized that you were sitting on the floor. When you tried to move your hands to push a lock of hair away from your face, there was a sudden metallic sound, "Perfect, tied up with your own handcuffs," you thought. You felt the place you were chained to and realized that it was a pole.

How could this happen? You've been working on the case for so long.  Your sixth sense began to get that feeling of failure in the last few days. You knew for sure that something was going to happen, and it wouldn't be to your liking. Maybe it was all your fault, maybe your attitude had dragged you there, maybe you deserved it. Your mind brought back those reassuring words from Heahmund, where were they now? You needed them again, where was Heahmund, and your colleagues? You only hoped they weren't dead.

Someone delicately removing that lock of hair from your face, erased your thoughts. You looked up and found yourself with two light blue eyes that belonged to the eldest of the brothers. Short dark blond hair, with some platinum highlights, and all messy, giving him a seductive look... What the fuck (Y/N)? - you thought. Not long ago, he almost killed you by choking you.

He reminded you a lot of someone, at that moment you remembered the man in the painting, he looked like him. Could it be his father? You had no idea, but there had to be some kinship between them because the resemblance in their features could not be pure coincidence.

     -      “How are you feeling?” - asked the boy, in a firm voice, but unable to avoid some concern.

     -     “Come on, brother, let's stop with the formalities," said Ivar cynically, crawling up to his brother and positioning himself in front of you -  “Start spilling everything you know about these people out of your little mouth”

You were silent, not knowing what to say. Those people? What people? The police? They were all there, waiting for your answer. The four brothers looking at you from different angles. Also, with them was the man from the warehouse. He was very tall and thin, with a slightly unsettling look.

     -     “What the fuck is wrong with you, are you deaf? Or didn't your mother teach you that when someone asks you, you have to answer?”- he said in a mocking tone, raising his voice.

The moment you heard your mother mentioned, the rage took hold of you. You couldn't stop yourself, and you snapped:

    -      “My mother did teach me how to answer, but it seems yours couldn't teach you how to walk”

And then you witnessed the moment in slow motion, you saw how his face from being raised with pride was falling slowly, his eyes bluer than ever, were piercing you. One second later, he was on top of you with a blade at your neck, staring straight into yours, clenching his mouth and breathing heavily because of the fast and sharp movement he had made in order to reach you crawling.

     -     “Ivar! Easy, kid, she' s just doing it to deflect the conversation. Don't do something you might regret later," said the only man whose identity you didn't know.

You saw how little by little the anger grew; he pulled the blade away from your neck and held it in his fist. He raised the arm on which he was holding it above your head, and with a quick, powerful movement he pulled it down.

      -     “No, Ivar!” - said the man and Ubbe in unison, which was all that was heard in the room.

      -  “Floki, I should cut out his tongue, don't you think? So that she learns who she has to threaten," he said hatefully as he unlocked the knife from the post where he had sunk it, a few inches from your head.

With the other hand he grabbed your face, squeezing your cheeks tightly, causing your mouth to open involuntarily. His glance passed from your eyes to your mouth and looked at you again. This time he caressed your face with his knife, came to your ear and whispered:

       -   “I don't usually spare lives, even pretty faces like yours. I hope you're good for something, don't waste my time again”. - he said, pressing the blade gently, as several drops of blood began to trickle down your face.

He walked away from you, and reached the chair on which Hvitserk was leaning, and with surprising agility and strength he climbed up and sat down.  Both looked at each other and Hvitserk nodded, passing the crutch to him and he stood up with it

       -  “Get up!” - He ordered you

You did it, with a little difficulty because you were handcuffed but without hesitation, after the little scene you were no longer able to play with his patience.

       -  “Take off her blouse" he said to Ubbe, who looked at him with open eyes.

       -    “Ivar... I don't think”.

       -    “Do it! It's not like it's the first time you've done it, brother” - said Ivar holding back his smile

Ubbe approached slowly, you stare at the ground. When he came to stand in front of you, you looked at each other. He stood for a few seconds waiting for some kind of approval from you. You could only blink, closing your eyes for a moment, to tell him to go on, you had no choice. Although you covered it up quite well with your hard countenance, he noticed your shame, and to make it easier he simply held your gaze all the time. He finished unbuttoning it and turned to face his brother, covering you in front of all those eyes.

       -  “Now what, Ivar?” - He asked slightly irritated

       -  “Get out of the way" Ivar said.

       -     “No” - Ubbe said firmly

       -  “Brother, get out of the way – he said, pointing out every single word.

       -  “Ivar, I don't play by anyone's rules, least of all my little brother's. What you're doing is pathetic and childish... undressing her to shame her, for all the gods Ivar, not like you were in high school!” - Ubbe said as Ivar clenched his mouth and passed by his side, bumping his arm against his brother's and reaching out to you.

He stood in front of you, looked up and down, and nodded to Hvitserk to come closer. Ubbe frowned without understanding. When Hvitserk reached his side, he approached you and examined you as his younger brother had done before, but with a naughty face.

        -  “In the centre” - said Ivar and you understood what was happening

Hvitserk took the microphone you had hidden in your bra in the centre where the two cups were joined. He passed it to Ivar, and he showed it to Ubbe.

        -  “Pathetic and childish, Ubbe”. - he said tired of his brother's replies, while making Ubbe feel bad about the scene he had made him imagine.

He took the small device and threw it to the floor and stepped on it, then left the room. Gradually they all came out behind him, not before Hvitserk winked at you and you sneered in displeasure. Ubbe stood there looking at them until they all came out. He approached you again and buttoned up your shirt, but this time he could not help but notice the tattoo on your rib, the date of your father's death. He stared at it for a few seconds, but then understood how uncomfortable the moment was and ended up quickly buttoning your shirt. He looked at you slightly blushing and with apologetic eyes. Without saying anything, he turned and disappeared.

Ivar left the room, as fast as his agility allowed him, his look said it all, or he came out of it, or he threw a couple of knives, one at you and one at his brother. What was Ubbe playing? To be your protective man now? Y were a vital source of information to get what they had been planning for a long time.

But besides that, Ivar had something in his head, this clash with you had left him thinking about many things, which were impossible to understand an that annoyed him even more. Amongst all of them, in his mind he was hovering over that moment when he decided not to stab you. At first, he was going to do it, he had no doubt, but he saw how you didn't hesitate, you didn't take your eyes off his blue eyes full of rage and something inside him made him turn the knife away. You were different, you weren't afraid, you didn't care about dying, what kind of person isn't afraid to die... Someone like him... maybe, after all, you weren't so different.

He arrived at the great hall. It was a giant room where there was an oval table made of mahogany wood. Around it were black leather office chairs, all equidistant and one of them was occupied. Ivar entered and without looking up he said:

       -  “Harald” - Greeting the only person in the room

Ivar sat on one at the end, leading the table. He waited for his brothers to settle into their places, he put both forearms on the table, interlacing his fingers, he raised his head and looked at everyone one by one, the last one to look was his older brother:

       -  “Anything to say Ubbe?” - he said in a tense and somewhat ironic voice as he tilted his head slightly to the side and opened his eyes wider.

       - “What do you want me to say, Ivar?” Was it necessary to make a big deal out of it in front of everyone? Was it necessary to make her feel this uncomfortable to get some shit out of her?

       -  “SHUT UP brother!” - shouted Ivar interrupting – “May I remind you that she's handcuffed for something, or have you forgotten the purpose?”

At that moment, the door opened, and everyone was silent, Aslaug closed the door after entering and took one of the empty seats and looked at them with a naive face:

        -  “Go on” - she said, waving her hands.

        -  “Ivar, I will never forget to avenge our father, that's for sure, and don't even think about insinuating it again” - said Ubbe losing his patience.

        -   “I'm glad to hear that, brother, I hope it's true" said Ivar sharply.

        -    “Come on, little brother, don't take it out on Ubbe because the cop put you in your place," Sigurd said in a mocking way.

Floki who was right next to him gave him a slap on the back of the head and then said:

       -    “Next time you're going to talk to the cop and see what clever words come out of your mouth Snake in the eye," said Floki with a characteristic laugh.

       -  “Can you all stop being little kids and explain to me what's going on here?” - said Aslaug in confusion.

       -   “We managed to catch a cop in the last assault, with some information, we can avenge dad”. - Hvitserk said

       -    “You know that since your father died, all I tried to do was protect you, I don't share your decision, but I respect it. The only thing I asked you was not to lose your temper during this mission, not to lose the values that I found so hard to instill in you. - Aslaug said in a calm voice. - Floki, I left you in charge, and I hold you responsible for any consequences. Do not harm that girl. - Aslaug sentenced

Majestically she got up from her chair, went to a bottle rack and poured some wine into a glass.

       -   We didn't say it was a gir... oh, of course, you and your dreams, mother - said Sigurd turning his eyes.

       -   I think I'm done here, I should get back to my stuff - she said slightly nervous

Ivar looked at her and squinted, he knew there was something else behind it, but he let his mother go, he would have time for that later. Again, he focused on what was happening at the table.

       -   “Well Harald, what do you propose? You're an expert at this, you're good with cops, weren't you going to help us? Go ahead! Besides, don't forget my mother's original request” - he said with an ironic smile that lasted only a few seconds on his face.

      -    “Ivar… maybe I could”

      -   “No, forget it. You're not talking to her. We'll be the only ones to have contact with the cop, sorry. Next idea!” - he said effusively

      -    “Well, maybe you should start from the beginning and ask her in a humane way and not by insulting her and pressing her with a knife at her neck” – said Ubbe and everyone looked at him

Ivar clenched his fists and his teeth, marking his jaw, bent his head down and lifted it with impetus and with a fake smile he said:

     -     Good! We'll try it nice and easy.