“I think the time to wait is over.We don’t need to end Gilpin or expose him.The fact that we just got attacked is reason enough to retaliate,” I agree.
Heart jerks his chin in Norie’s direction.“Let Norie chat with Swade and I’ll let everyone know we’re going to need a full table in a few hours.We’ll come up with a plan and draw some damn blood.Those fuckers are going to pay.”
“No one fucks with The Kings,” I grunt.
“No one fucks with The Kings,” Heart echoes.
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.
