All Over Again (Sequel to Wanted Man)

Chapter Forty-Three

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

She shifted to sit back against the wall and stared at Coulson as if he'd suddenly sprouted another head. "Bait?"

He nodded as if they discussed nothing more serious than the weather. "That's what I think. You're the one person they can use to get to Loki and Loki is the one person they know has a connection to the Tesseract."

"What about Thor?"

Coulson shook his head. "No. To get to Thor, they would have to infiltrate Asgard and H.Y.D.R.A knows the futility of that. There is no way the gatekeeper-"

"Heimdall," she said without thinking.

"Heimdall," Coulson smiled at her, "is far too perceptive. Only one human has ever been granted access to the Bifrost and that is you, McKenna. And if you suddenly started showing interest in the Tesseract, it would definitely set off Odin's warning bells."

McKenna groaned, leaning her head back against the wall. "The Tesseract isn't in Asgard, Phil."

"What?"

Her head still against the wall, she turned toward him and opened her eyes. "It almost sucked him in again and I almost found out how cold the Asgard Sea is."

"Are you serious?"

She nodded. "Loki spoke to Odin about it, and the Tesseract was moved. I don't know to where and I don't think Loki knows either."

Coulson's face fell as hard as her spirits sank. "Are you certain?"

"I think so." A weak laugh bubbled to her lips. "So what happens to me now?"

He didn't answer, which was an answer in itself and her blood ran cold enough to make her actually shiver. "That's what I thought," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Coulson shrugged out of his suit jacket and moved to drape it around her shoulders. "Try not to worry, McKenna." Once more, he sat beside her, this time easing an arm about her shoulders. "Once they contact Loki, he will move heaven and earth to get you out of here."

"I'm not so sure that's better. That thing is so damn dangerous where he's concerned. And he is dangerous when it influences him."

He gave her a gentle squeeze. "You have to hope that his love for you is stronger than the Tesseract's pull."

Remembering how close she'd come to dying in Asgard, she shivered again, even as she said, "It was before. He couldn't do it."

"Couldn't do what?"

Glancing up at him, she said, "Throw me into the Asgard Sea. He came close, but couldn't do it."

"Tell me the children are in Asgard, McKenna."

She nodded, her eyes tearing up. She missed them, wished more than anything she'd moved just a little faster in the woods. Had Heimdall seen her, she had no doubt he'd have sent Thor or Odin himself down to prevent her from being snatched.

Swiping at one eye with her hand, she said, "They are. I hounded Loki into letting me stay, whined about how tired I was of always waiting for him to come home and how I'm not nearly as helpless as he thinks." A dry, bitter laugh rose to her lips. "And what happens? I prove him right again. I am helpless. A helpless wreck who just gets in the way. May was right. My only skill is marrying well."

"What?"

"She's pretty blunt."

Coulson nodded. "That she is."

"And she told me exactly what she thought of my being there with them and then asked me what skills I had, aside from marrying well." She sighed, wiping her other eye. "And I had the nerve to be offended. She was right. That's all I'm good at. I'm a damn bartender."