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.”
