Page 25 of Property of Heart

“Leave her alone, Norie,” Swade says from where he’s sitting at the bar.

Norie narrows his eyes at him.“Why don’t you leave us alone, Dad.We’re two old ladies chatting, which means it’s old ladies’ business.”

Swade snorts and I grin because it gets Norie’s father to turn his back to us again.

Lowering my voice, I tell Norie, “Everything is confusing.Heart only claimed me because Karev forced me on him, and...”

Norie’s eyes go wide and she holds her hand palm up to cut me off.“Woah, let me stop you right there, honey.No one forces anything on a member of the Kings, even if it’s another brother doing the throwing and the other one getting a great catch.Seriously, don’t even think Karev forced Heart into something.”

“Did you just call me a great catch?”I murmur.“Definitely something I’m not.”

She shrugs.“You are.”

Now I’m the one shrugging and I can’t help but mutter, “I can’t throw for shit and it might run in the family.Did I mention I threw a dirt clod in Heart’s eye the night we met?”

Norie blinks and then she throws her head back to bark out a laugh.

Brushing away a tear of laughter, she asks, “Why the hell would you throw a clod in his eye?”

I purse my lips when I think back.“Well, I was hiding and he was standing in the middle of a dirt road.I can’t throw for shit, so I tried to aim for his ass.I hit his back and when he didn’t budge, I threw another one, but he turned, and...yeah, I hit him in the eye.”

Swade chuckles and I release a sigh.Maybe one day I might think it’s funny, but it’s not today.Especially when I already feel shitty about the whole situation I put him in.The only good thing he got out of this whole mess was two rounds of sex.Well, it might be considered one time since he was still inside me when we did it again.Ugh.Not a great deal if you ask me.

“You’re stuck in your head again,” Norie states after she snaps her fingers in front of my face to catch my attention.“Maybe we should head out back, get in the ring and slap one another around?”

“Not happening, Norie.She has injuries and doesn’t feel any pain,” Swade states without glancing back.

Norie flips her father off.“True.Hey, let’s get into the hot tub, and...”

Swade cuts her off, “Wounds, Norie.Bad idea.”

“Motherfucker, you’re annoying,” Norie grumbles.

And then it hits me.“Heart gave you the order to keep my ass on this couch, didn’t he?”

That’s why he whispered stuff in Swade’s ear before he left.Swade’s shoulders stiffen, and I have my answer.

Norie takes my hand and tugs.“You know what we should do?”

I turn my head to face her and merely raise my eyebrow as an answer.

She rolls her eyes.“Don’t hurt yourself by being too enthusiastic.Okay, how about this...we’ll think up best ways to torture people.I’m pretty sure we’d get to try our techniques.I mean, you’re the VP’s old lady and I’m the president’s old lady.High ranking ladies and all, so we can do whatever we want.”

“Except fight one another and soak in the hot tub together,” I grumble.

Norie gets to her feet and pulls me with her.“Come on, we’re going to sit in church to have some privacy and come up with loads of violent torture techniques.”

“You girls trying to steal my job?”Remus rumbles, making us both jump.

“Holy crap, dude.Wear a bell or something instead of sneaking up on a girl.I could have shanked you.”Norie glares at Remus.

Remus snorts.“With what?Your lollipop stick?”

Norie turns to me.“Good one.We could poke someone in the eye with a lollipop stick.”

“Replace the candy with an eyeball.”I bob my head.“Nice visual.”

Remus opens the door to church.“Inside you two.I’ll grab a notepad and a pen.”