Page 13 of Anchored to the Storm

“Well, because… to my knowledge, you are the only one of… you.” He smirked. “Google swears there’s no other mermen on the East Coast.”

There was a silence… then a burst of laughter from both of us. It was much needed. The tightness eased from my chest.

Styx even sighed. “I did my best to take care of your Noma, kid. Often from afar, but I did my best to support her.”

Closing one eye, my face cringed. “You’re not the grandpa who loved her ‘putty cat’, correct?”

His eyes went wide as he gawked. “She told you?”

I released his hand and shoved it so I could cover my face and roll away. “So. Fucking. Gross.” Not facing him, I smiled, relieved she had an adult in her life. Then I teased, “Don’t expect me to need the same attention.”

He roared with belly laughter. “How on earth could I compare to your dominant finned beauty?”

Rolling on the smaller bed, it was easy to find the edge and sit up. Hands resting on the mattress on each side of my thighs, I exhaled. “Thank you for being there for Noma.”

“I thank you for the same. No one meant more to her than you. You gave her mad love, kid.”

Mad love. My head lifted to stare at the metal door. Mad. G. “I need to see her, let her know I’m okay.”

“I bet she already senses it. There’s something intense between you two.” He spoke as if that was something he had witnessed before. Noma had said that ‘intense’ was how my mother and father were when together. Were Saleeni and I headed for the same fate? Only to be ripped apart as they had?

I let my heavy head droop again. “How the hell do I make this work? I mean… for real?”

“Seeing how she literally has claimed you in some sort of twisted… scarring, uh, you are kind of, uh, committed to the hot fish.”

Hot fish? I glared over my right shoulder. “I mean so that she doesn’t die like mine and Dad’s mother did.”

Styx grimaced. “I’d say no pregnancies, but the way last night was going—Eek!”

I stood. Faced him. “Are you fucking joking around right now?”

Styx said, “Ease up. Bad timing.”

“Not funny.”

“Noted.” He peered around the room, then pointed. “I brought your bags in.”

My brows bunched. “Thanks? I mean, I guess I could’ve found the time to grab them myself after dying and becoming less human.”

His head bobbled. “Does outweigh my good deed.”

I sulked. “Please help me with how to handle her.”

“Umm, how about starting small with her? Like, on the road. I couldn’t hear my brothers over our HOGs, but we found a way to communicate.” He shrugged.

I hated that he was forced to speak of my uncles in the past tense. I hated that they were gone, even more so, possibly due to me.

Styx continued, “On the road, we used hand signals.” He did simple gestures, explaining each one. “Slow down… Grease in the road… Another club incoming… Stopping for gas… and so on. Saleeni has already proven to be very intelligent—Nothing like The Little Mermaid. That dumb bitch brushed her hair with a fork for God’s sake.” He paused in thought. “Although she even learned how to—well, not talk since the witch took her voice and all that—” He noticed my stare. “What?”

Er… “You watched a Disney cartoon?”

He crossed his tattooed arms over his broad chest. “Research.”

I lifted a brow.

“Pfft,” he brushed me off. “I personally like Hans Christian Andersen’s original better.” Licked his teeth while nodding. “Darker and much more realistic.”

Throwing my arms wide. “Realistic?” Welcome to my life, fucker! I crossed my arms, mimicking him. “Please do explain.”