CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Four days later
– NORIE –
“Do you think Norris made a run for it?” I ask Sevrin who is sitting across from me at the kitchen table.
It’s been four days since Fatal, along with others, went to the Norlick Ways MC clubhouse and wiped them out. Well, from what I’ve heard there were a few prospects at the whorehouse and strip club Norlick Ways owned. They’ve all ditched their cuts. Which only leaves Norris who is still in the wind.
Sevrin shrugs. “If he’s smart, he’ll leave the state. Though, Fatal called Big Daddy to give him an update. Every Kings of Anarchy chapter is looking for the fucker, and the only way he’ll escape our wrath is to crawl into a dark hole and die.”
“Or leave the country,” I add.
My uncle snickers. “Nope, that won’t help him shit either. We’ll get him soon enough, don’t worry.”
I sip my coffee and stare at my uncle. We’ve been meeting here every morning, sharing a cup of coffee while chatting for the past few days now. It’s kinda strange to think of him as my uncle while he looks the same age as me.
“How old are you?” I blurt.
He shoots me a grin. “Two and a half centuries.”
“Right.” I roll my eyes. “Try again.”
He keeps staring at me while sipping his coffee. For a fragment of a second, I swear his eyes flare with a light blue glow, but then it’s gone and I’m left second-guessing myself.
“You’re weird,” I mumble.
Sevrin slightly tilts his head. “We’re related. Which means you’ve inherited a tad of our weirdness as well.”
“Just a tad.” I grin, and feel the need to add, “When my mother died, I thought I didn’t have any relatives. My uncle turned out to be my father, and I gained an uncle all on the same day.”
Sevrin reaches out and covers his hand with mine. A warmth spreads up my arm and it feels like a full-blown platonic friendly hug.
“When Fatal brings you to our clubhouse you will meet your grandparents, along with some of your other family members. Not all of us are still living in Lexmore Beach. Some have moved to other places along the shore due to arranged marriages.”
My eyebrows head for the ceiling. “Arranged marriages?” I wonder out loud. “Wait, is that why my mother left, and why I had no clue you guys existed?”
“Every family has issues. What happened between us and your mother is in the past. Besides, nothing we discuss would change any of it.” Sevrin places his mug back on the table.
I narrow my eyes. “Well, if the past isn’t up for debate, how about the future? You’re grouchy every time someone mentions you getting a woman. Do you have an arranged marriage set?”
He stares at me for a few heartbeats and releases a deep sigh. “Fine. Your mother chose the only way out possible by getting pregnant by an outsider.”
“And this doesn’t make me an outsider?” My voice is a mere whisper.
Sevrin’s smile is genuine when he says, “You’re our blood, Norie. The only issue we have is the fact that we can’t share all the family trades and secrets since you didn’t grow up with us and Fatal has claimed you.”
“No arranged marriage for me,” I state.
“What the fuck?” Fatal rumbles as he steps into the kitchen. “The only marriage in your future is with me.”
Sevrin, the idiot, laughs out loud while my eyes practically pop out of my head.
“When are you going back, Sevrin? I think you’ve spent enough mornings with my woman. Fuck. If Norris wasn’t still out there, I’d take you to the courthouse right now. You’re not going anywhere, you know that, right?” Fatal’s narrowed eyes land on me.
I purse my lips and think things over. Why does it seem like every man around here has lost his freaking mind?
“Could you stop hitting the throttle? Mentioning the courthouse is a tiny bit insane when we’re just getting started.
There’s enough time for whatever comes our way.
So, no...I’m not going anywhere, but it has nothing to do with you whipping your dick out to pee a circle around me to make sure everyone knows I’m yours. ”
Sevrin leans back and watches us as if we’re his entertainment while Fatal looks pissed and says, “So, you’re sayin’ you won’t marry me?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I mutter and rub a hand over my face.
“Give my niece some breathing room, Rhymes Coburn. You might process her words clearly if you do.” Sevrin shoves his chair back and stands. “I’ll be leaving in two days. Well, I hope to if the lawyer has the papers ready by then.”
Rhymes Coburn. The sound of Fatal’s legal name makes me pause, until my mind gets snagged by the lawyer part.
“What papers?” I ask and bounce my gaze between Sevrin and Fatal.
Fatal leans in and places a kiss on the top of my head, a frequent move of his these past few days. “We’re opening a new brewery together. Which means we’ll have to head beachside for a few days at a time each month from here on out.”
I can feel a smile sliding across my face. “Really?”
Sevrin’s face softens when his gaze lands on me. “Really. It’s a good investment, and with our chapters linked through you it’s also a way to strengthen our ties.”
“Which basically means we’re bound by contract to keep face-to-face interaction with you listed as the contact person.” Fatal takes a seat in the chair next to me. “A condition your uncle made.”
My smile turns into a full-blown grin, knowing I’m the one who tied these two chapters together like superglue. This past week has been a havoc of events, but I feel as if my life is finally back on track and I’m liking the destination it’s heading for.
Sevrin’s phone rings. He glances down and mumbles, “Gotta take this. See you guys later,” and disappears out of the kitchen.
I turn to Fatal. “Coffee?”
“Yeah, sweet thing,” he rumbles and covers the back of my neck with his large hand and places a kiss on my forehead. “Keep that fine ass of yours seated. I’ll get it myself. Would you like a refill?”
“I never say no to coffee,” I admit.
Once we both have a steaming cup sitting on the table in front of us, I ask, “With what you mentioned earlier, I’m not allowed to leave the clubhouse until Norris is found?”
“Found and dead,” Fatal grunts.
I gape at him. “So, you’re saying I could be locked up for all my life?”
Fatal reaches for his mug and calmly takes a sip while my anger is getting close to boiling over.
Turning to face me, he says, “Wesson hacked into his financials and made sure to transfer all the money the club had into Norris’s account.
Then we had someone made to look like him withdraw every single dollar.
The fucker doesn’t have a dime, and we made it look like he’s the one responsible for the shootout in his clubhouse, and making it blow up with a gas explosion.
Which means cops are looking for him as well.
We’re closing in on him, sweet thing. Won’t be long until we can go out anytime we want. ”
“Good to know.” I reach for my coffee and feel better knowing some more details.
I knew they made it seem like Norris was responsible for the deaths and blown-up clubhouse, because they moved Huck’s body there as well.
This way they could blame Norris for his death and give him a proper funeral.
My gut clenches at the thought of Huck’s death.
We had a wake and funeral for Huck. He was young and had his whole life ahead of him.
“Mornin’,” Swade rumbles as he shuffles into the kitchen.
Jumping to my feet, I order, “Sit. I’ll get you some coffee.”
“Thanks, Norie,” Swade says and slowly sinks down onto one of the chairs.
He’s still sore from getting beaten to shit, but at least he’s still alive. We only have one life, and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to enjoy mine to the fullest. Remember the losses and celebrate life by living.
Once I have his mug filled, I place it in front of Swade and whisper, “Here you go...Dad.”
His hand freezes midair and once our eyes lock I can see them well with unshed tears.
He’s about to say something when Sevrin bursts into the kitchen. “We got ’em. Norris. One of my men caught him when he tried to get into the brewery. He was out of bullets and tried to fight, but they overpowered him.”
“Where is he?” Fatal grits while Swade gets to his feet as well.
Sevrin gives a feral grin. “Bound and gagged in the trunk of a car. Let me know where you want him delivered.”
“Keep him there,” Fatal rumbles. “We have a special room at the back of the brewery for the things I plan on doing to that motherfucker.”
The men are about to leave the kitchen when I ask, “Can I come? I mean, with Norris captured I’m allowed to leave, right?”
“No,” Sevrin and Swade grunt in sync.
I narrow my eyes at Fatal, who is grinning and says, “Sure.”
Sevrin and Swade both try to talk Fatal out of it, but Fatal sticks to his words and grits, “My woman, my territory, my decision.”
If I wasn’t already falling for this man, I would be tumbling down the rabbit hole of adoration right this instant with a huge damn smile lighting up my heart.