CHAPTER TWO
–NORIE –
Woopsie.No wonder Uncle Swade said to call first before swinging by next time.The only thing keeping me from freaking out is the fact these guys are wearing the same thingies as Uncle Swade.Cuts.He calls them cuts.Though, Swade, and most of the others wear leather ones.The menacing man in front of me?He’s wearing one made from the same denim as his pants.
I’ve known Swade all my life.I call him my uncle, but he isn’t really, not by blood anyway.The reason why I call him Uncle Swade is due to my mother.She was his housekeeper until she died.How did she die?Classic case of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time.I was two months away from my sixteenth birthday when it happened.
Long story short, Uncle Swade helped me petition the court to seek emancipation.He offered me a stable living situation along with a contract as a housekeeper to show I had a steady income.I owe him.If it wasn’t for Uncle Swade I would have been thrown into the system or on the street, who knows?
Anyway, I owe the man and he’s the reason why I was able to get my life on track.He might not be connected to me by blood, but I consider him the only family I have left.It’s why I always swing by every now and then to help him check the books.
His wife, Lace, is a bitch and messes with his company to steal from him.I have a key to this place, and every few months at random I go through the books and call Uncle Swade the next day if something’s wrong.
Something is definitely wrong now.
Slowly, I take out my lollipop and lie, “Uncle Swade lets me use his computer if I need to do homework.”
I could totally still be in college, even if I’m twenty-eight.
“Homework.”The hot bearded dude with nice hair raises an eyebrow and takes a menacing step forward.“Try again.This time give me the truth.If not your pink shit will become the same color as that lollipop you’re sucking on.”
Fuckety-fuck.My lollipop is red, crimson, the color of blood, he oh so obviously hinted at.
I lick my sticky lips, glance at my lollipop, and act as if I have no clue what he’s talking about.“It’s strawberry flavor.I don’t like pink lollipops, they taste funny.I have more lollipops, would you like one?”
My offer is definitely one I won’t be repeating when the hot guy suddenly points a gun in my face.
“Norie.”The hot guy’s voice is a rumble as he cocks his gun.“I was told not to trust you when you start to talk like an airhead.”
I huff in frustration and point the lollipop in the direction of the patch on his denim cut.“Great.Let me guess, Uncle Swade warned you.”
“Norie, behave,” Uncle Swade yells from the stairway.
Rolling my eyes, I mutter, “Speak of the devil.”
“Sorry, Prez,” Uncle Swade huffs, completely out of breath.“I told her to call the next time she came by.Clearly, she didn’t.My bad, though.I should have called her myself to explain it wasn’t necessary to check the books anymore, but she swings by randomly and I totally forgot.”
“She checks the books?”the hot guy grits, gun still aimed at my freaking head I might add.
Uncle Swade steps between us and holds his hands palm up.“Prez, I can explain.Put the gun down.Norie is harmless, I swear.”
Harmless?Hardly.I snort.Hot guy’s eyes collide with mine.Shit.
I shrug and grumble, “No one is completely harmless.Even serial killers are nice neighbors until the cops show up and find bodies buried in the basement, or in your patio foundation he helped build.”
“Not helping, Norie,” Uncle Swade hisses.
Huffing in frustration, I point out the obvious, “I wasn’t trying to help, Uncle Swade.Hot guy with the gun is annoying.Oh, wait, now I get it.They are the new silent partners who bought Bitchy Bitch’s share of the company for a scratch.Wow, smart thinking.How did you get Bitchy Bitch to sign off on that?”
