CHAPTER TWELVE
– NORIE –
My lips stay sealed while Swade paces back and forth. Every once in a while, he stops, glances at me, looks like he’s about to say something...and then the pacing starts again.
When he stops again, I blurt, “Did you know someone else other than Bitchy Bitch tampered with the books?”
His head rears back and he clearly wasn’t expecting the question. “Why did you always use that name instead of Lace?”
“Because she’s never been nice. Now I understand why, even if you can’t blame a kid the way she clearly did.
And why did you offer my mother a job as your freaking housekeeper in the first place?
To rub it in? Your marriage to Lace while my mother turned down the offer?
You didn’t acknowledge me as your daughter, so why the hell keep me in your life at all?
” It takes effort to clench my jaw shut.
Shit. The last line in my ramblings makes me sound ungrateful.
Especially with my mother dying and him helping me stay on my feet instead of going down whatever “down on my luck” I might have had to face.
Ugh. I didn’t even know I wanted to confront him this way, but my mind clearly has unfinished business.
Swade grabs a chair and drags it back to take a seat.
“Your mother didn’t have any feelings for me.
She explained it very clearly, and like you, it was always easy to see the truth in her eyes.
There was no jealousy or rubbing salt in open wounds to inflict pain.
Your mother was a stunning, unique woman I harbored an unknown love for.
I couldn’t let her go and she needed to keep your existence hidden from her family.
Living in my pool house gave her the perfect opportunity to live her own life. ”
“Why would she want to keep me hidden from my family?” I wring my hands. “Was Sevrin going to take me from her the way he demanded I should come with him?”
Swade sighs. “I have no clue. Like I said, there was something about your mother that didn’t make me ask questions but trust her and help instead.
Now we’re in the same mess with you because Sevrin will come for you.
I can’t ask my Prez to step in because there’s no link between you and the club, other than me.
And I really don’t want you anywhere near Sevrin, but sneaking you out of the clubhouse and helping you escape?
” Swade swallows hard and whispers, “It would betray my club brothers. They’ve always had my back. ”
He stares down at his boots and silence wraps around us until he finally states, “I should have done a lot of things differently in my life. Though, I’ve never regretted the one night I spent with your mother, and even more, have you as a glorious reminder.
I was there the night you were born. I think that was the most memorable moment in my life. Holding you, all wrinkled and icky.”
“Icky, great,” I mutter with a smile on my face.
Swade snickers. “Yeah, fuckin’ gorgeous.”
“You were there all my life, even if I never knew you were my father.” I swallow hard and admit, “I’ve wished many times that you were my father.”
“Fuck,” Swade chokes and takes his head in his hands.
His shoulders shake and I can feel my eyes sting while my throat closes due to the overwhelming emotions. He suddenly gets to his feet and pulls me into his arms. My emotions get the better of me, and I start to sob into his chest.
He gently strokes my head and mutters, “What the fuck are we going to do? I can’t lose you, not now you finally know the truth.”
It’s unfair to keep the fact that Fatal found a solution to myself. Pulling back, I glance up at Swade when the door opens and Fatal steps into the room.
“Why the fuck have you been crying?” Fatal rumbles.
He closes the distance between us and curls his arm around my waist to tug me flush against him. “What did you say to her?”
I take a deep breath and rub my cheek against Fatal’s chest. “It’s all good. We talked. Swade doesn’t want to lose me, and he mentioned how he couldn’t betray his brothers by helping me escape.”
Fatal presses a kiss on the top of my head and murmurs, “Understood.”
“Mind stepping away from my daughter, Prez? I know you two have been intimate, more than once, judging from those bruises. She might be a grown woman, but I won’t let you take advantage of her or turn her into a...”
“Best to shut your damn mouth before you say something nasty about my old lady. Brother or not? I will put you down on your motherfuckin’ ass,” Fatal grits.
Swade rears his head back and muses slightly stunned, “Old lady...old lady?”
I glance up at Fatal to see the smirk he’s giving Swade. “Shall I call you Dad since this little lady is my wifey?”
“Fuck, no.” Swade winces. “And don’t even think about knockin’ my daughter up either. I’m not ready to become a grandpa any time soon. Damn, my girl just found out I’m her father while I’ve been sitting on this piece of information since months before she was born.”
I can feel my eyes widen. Pregnant? No way. “I’m on birth control and we only just started our relationship. We didn’t even have a freaking discussion about kids.”
“We will,” Fatal grunts.
I bob my head. “See? He just agreed to having a discussion. Like I said, a long way to go.”
“I mean we’d have some kids,” Fatal clarifies.
If my eyes widened at my father’s statement, they are popping out and bouncing on the floor now.
“Could you...ugh, just...zip it,” I sputter.
“This is day one and we’re not discussing kids or whatever lies ahead.
We’re in the ‘right now’ handling shit that’s hanging over our head and might be the very thing preventing us from having a damn future.
Unless you conveniently forgot we were shot at during our ride before we arrived at the clubhouse. ”
“What?” Swade snaps.
“Shit,” I mutter.
In an effort to try and change the topic, I direct my attention to Swade and ask the question I didn’t get an answer to before we started talking, “Did you suspect anyone else besides Lace tampering with the books?”
Swade’s gaze goes over my head to Fatal.
“The only person who’s handled the books, who has keys to the safe I keep ’em in, is Gilpin.
So, the only one who could have done anything is Gilpin.
I don’t know shit about the books, you know that.
Hell, it’s why I asked Norie to check them when I was still married to Lace because my wife was handling the administration side of the business. ”
“Ever noticed anything suspicious about Gilpin?” Fatal asks.
Swade shrugs. “I’ve ran into him once or twice at unusual times in the office. Once Melon was with him, about two months ago. I told you about it, remember?”
Fatal rubs the back of his neck. “Fuck, I forgot. Yeah, you did.”
“Wait. You think Gilpin is involved with the weapons deal Melon made?” Swade shakes his head and mutters, “It makes sense. I knew those idiots were up to something when they were in the office a few months back.”
“Yeah. We’ll get you updated on everything but for now we’re keeping things between you, me, and VP. What happened before we arrived at the clubhouse? We’re discussing it in church within the hour, but I’ll give you some details right now. A Norlick Ways member tried to take out Norie.”
“Like straight-out aimed at her directly?” Swade grits.
Fatal gives him a tight nod. “Heart had our back and blocked the fucker, but he went around and aimed straight for Norie.”
Swade’s hand fists at his side. “She needs to be on lockdown.”
“Fatal already put me on lockdown,” I mutter and feel Fatal pull me closer.
“Good, good. If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know. Oh, and Prez?” Swade holds out his hand. “Thanks for finding a solution to keep my daughter safe.”
Fatal takes his hand. “Purely for my own benefit, Pa.”
Swade rips his hand away. “Cut that shit out, fucker.”
Fatal snickers. “I’m going to get my old lady settled in our room and then we’ll talk some more.”
My father nods and gives me a warm smile. Damn. Calling him father inside my head feels good. I might not voice it anytime soon, but inside my head no one else will know.
We head for our room and Fatal’s lips are on mine as soon as the door falls shut behind us. I groan and sneak my arms around his neck to keep him close. His hands are on my ass to pull me against him, letting me feel how hard his dick is between us.
Fatal pulls away much too soon and places his forehead against mine.
“I’ll be back soon. Gotta talk to the brothers.
Stay here and don’t leave the room. I need you safe.
Fuck. It pains me to know one of our own can’t be trusted so you don’t trust anyone, okay?
Keep that door locked. I’m the only one with a key. ”
“I will,” I promise.
His lips feather over mine and I gasp from the intensity in his eyes. “Be back soon.”
“You’d better,” I urge.
He slips out the door, and I hear him lock it. I grab the remote and move toward the bed when I hear the lock flip again. When I turn to see why Fatal is back so soon, I freeze in place. It’s not Fatal entering the room.