CHAPTER EIGHT
– LINA –
I feel myself smile before I open my eyes. Without looking I know Heart isn’t lying beside me and I reach out anyway. A content sigh flows from me as I push up and swing my legs off the mattress. Without a care, I stroll naked into the bathroom and get a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
The smile I felt when I woke up is still in place, and so are the bruises where I felt Heart biting down. Felt. This may not be the correct term. Yet, the man releases so many emotions and feelings inside me...the vibe and energy it creates between us is exceptionally unique.
I quickly handle my business and then walk back into the bedroom to grab some fresh clothes and get dressed.
A few minutes later I’m strolling down the hall and follow my nose to get to where the scent of coffee is coming from.
When I step into the kitchen, I find Norie sitting at the table with a huge pink mug in front of her.
“Are there more pink mugs in this biker joint? Or are you supposed to bring your own?” I wonder.
Norie grins. “They come in pairs. I had four, but Fatal broke one. It might not have been accidental. They’re in the cabinet on your left. Yes, that one.”
I open the cabinet and take one of the mugs. After adding a few spoonfuls of sugar, I add coffee and take a seat across from Norie.
“Where are the guys?” I ask.
Norie shoves her empty mug away from her and grabs a lollipop from her pocket.
She pulls off the wrapper. “Church. Sorry to say my uncle and your half-brother got here bright and early. I’ve taken them coffee twice already. They’ve been in there for almost two hours.”
Karev is here? I take a sip of coffee while Norie shoves the lollipop into her mouth. A hint of panic hits me. What if he’s here to take Heart away from me?
“Everything okay?” Her words come out a little muffled and she pulls the lollipop from her mouth to add, “You look really worried. I’m sure whatever it is, the guys will handle it.”
I stare into my mug and murmur, “I just don’t want Karev to...”
“What don’t you want me to do?” the man in question grits, making me jump in my chair.
“What the hell, asshole?” I snap and want to hurl the mug including the coffee at his head.
Sadly, I can’t because it’s Norie’s mug.
Karev narrows his eyes at me. “Not my fault you’re not paying attention to your surroundings. Didn’t you learn shit from yesterday?”
“Sounds like someone didn’t get his beauty sleep,” Norie remarks. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be acting like a dick.”
Norie pulls another lollipop from her pocket and holds it out to me. “Want one?” She glares at Karev. “None for you.”
I take it from her and Karev rolls his eyes. “Don’t want one, sugar. I came here for coffee...and to see my sis.”
He glances at my neck, leans in and inhales deep. I turn to look at him and suddenly he’s wearing a huge damn grin. Totally creeping me out.
“What?” I snap, quickly downing the last sip of my coffee.
He simply shrugs and says, “Just making sure I made the right decision. Though, I’m sure you already knew Heart was different, didn’t you?”
The fucker tussles my hair as if I’m freaking four, making me curse as he pours himself a coffee. Then he leaves as if he didn’t just act freaking weird.
Norie waits until he’s gone before she says, “Maybe it’s a Lexmore Beach chapter thing because Sevrin always smells me too. As if our stink rats out our well-being or something. He did seem happy, though. So, he made Heart claim you, right?”
“Yeah,” I murmur and without thinking I blurt, “He should have given me a test run first...then I wouldn’t have objected at all.”
My eyes go wide and I slap a hand over my mouth. Why the hell did I say that? Norie throws her head back and barks out a laugh. She almost chokes and pulls the lollipop from her mouth to cough.
“Dude, I can guarantee that wouldn’t have made a difference.
I took Fatal for a ride first, but he was still a dick.
A dick that did offer me a deal to become his old lady, solving the issues I was facing.
I guess it was different since he offered while Karev went over your head...
in the end it did work out for all of us.
” She tilts her head. “Wait. You two had sex...your reaction. Ah, yes...the sweet chemical messengers sending signals and shit. Works different with pain and pleasure with you not feeling shit when you get stabbed... all while getting stabbed with a cock is a whole different...pointy tip.”
We stare at each other. Blink a few times. Then laugh our ass off.
That’s when Fatal and Heart stroll into the kitchen.
“Good to see the old ladies are getting along,” Fatal states and walks to Norie to give her a kiss.
“I came to get you,” Heart says and holds out his hand.
My palm glides over his and then he’s tugging me to my feet.
I hold up my lollipop. “Thanks, Norie. Talk later.”
She smiles. “For sure, just come find me when you have time.”
Heart and I walk into the hallway and I glance over my shoulder.
“Fatal will join us as soon as he’s had his coffee...and his fill of his old lady which can take a while.” Heart chuckles.
He might seem relaxed but my anxiety is bubbling to the surface the closer we get to church. What if things are about to blow up in my face again? Why did Karev return if he left last night?
We’re standing in front of the door when I turn to Heart and ask, “Is Karev going to rip us apart? Is he going to take me away and demand I leave town and start all over again?”
“The fuck?” Heart snaps and narrows his eyes. “Did he make you do that in the past? How many fucking times?”
My feet are suddenly very interesting to study closely while I keep my mouth shut.
Heart’s fingers wrap around my throat and he pushes my chin up with his thumb. “How many times, Lina?”
“Four,” I whisper.
A muscle in his jaw jumps, and the thunderous look in his eyes tells me he’s pissed.
There’s one thing he does need to realize. “Mostly because I tend to screw up.”
“Mostly,” Heart grunts.
“Mostly,” I echo on a whisper.
The corner of his mouth twitches. “Let me guess...each of those four times involved you getting your hands on a knife.”
I wince because...guilty.
“Thought so. Well, same shit this time with the exception that you’re not going anywhere. You’re my old lady which means you’re my responsibility. Karev only came back to check on you ’cause he had second thoughts about the whole situation.”
Second thoughts. Surprise, surprise. So, he did come back to get me.
Heart sighs. “Not about us, about the guy he buried in the woods.”
The guy he...Rob?
“You guys should be in church discussing this with the others,” Fatal grunts from behind Heart.
Heart ignores Fatal when he keeps his eyes on me and softly says, “It’s not about us, yeah?”
My heart skips a beat and some of the panic fades when I softly reply, “Good.”
Fatal opens the door and guides me inside.
There are some familiar faces I recognize from last night, and also Sevrin and Karev.
Fatal brushes past us and takes the seat at the head of the table.
Heart takes my hand and I walk with him to the empty chair beside Fatal.
A gasp slips from my lips when Heart scoops me off my feet and sits down to place me on his lap.
“There’s no need to stake your claim when I already demanded to make her your old lady, asshole.” Karev shakes his head.
Heart pulls me closer and brushes his lips against my ear. “Mine.”
The tension inside me slowly fades and I relax against him.
That is until Sevrin rumbles, “We get the point, she’s yours.
A Nowalk chapter old lady. Can we get back to the fact that Lina was probably targeted?
We need to find out who the hell was involved, and who gave the order.
Right now, we don’t know shit. Worst-case scenario?
What happened in the woods links straight back to us, and it’s why I need to know what we’re dealing with.
I have a pregnant wife back home and I will not put her at risk. ”
I wince once again for the gazillion time since yesterday.
“Sorry,” I murmur, feeling shitty I’m the reason why they’re all sitting here when in reality I have no damn clue why they came after me either.
“Do you remember any details that might help to find out why they took you?” Fatal asks.
I’ve been asking myself this question over and over since I woke up in those woods.
I shake my head. “Like I mentioned yesterday...we should go to the shop so I can check my logbook. I keep it in the vault with all the details of the people I’ve bought stuff from. The contracts, which storage unit I put the stuff in, what items.”
Sevrin gets to his feet along with Karev who grunts, “Let’s go.”
Heart stands and takes me along with him. I hope the answer lies in the information like they said...because I really have no damn clue why this happened.