Page 16 of Chasing Kit

The Norse Lords MC didn’t hold back when it came to beer. They lived off the stronger drinks.

Kit raised his thick eyebrows at me. “Twenty-two is more than barely legal, and since when have you cared what’s legal and what isn’t? You’re a criminal.”

Loud laughter filled the barroom. I scanned the faces of the Norse Lords, a mix of men and women, all watching the show. It was a detail I’d always noted about Odin’s chapter—he was inclusive in a way most clubs weren’t.

“He’s got you there.” Odin raised his glass of amber alcohol at me. “What do you say, War? Want a drink?”

“No.” I gripped Kit’s shoulder, a light but firm hold. “I want to do business so we can leave. Derek needs his son at home.”

“Right.” Odin leaned forward and waved a finger at me, a gesture that made me want to break it. “Why didn’t I know Derek had a son?”

“Sons,” Kit piped up. “I have a brother, too.”

“Kit,” I snapped. “Stop sharing information.”

“Why?” He huffed, gesturing to Odin. “You seem to know him.”

I leaned in, my mouth brushing his ear. “These aren’t good people, Kit. They’re not our friends,” I whispered.

He shivered, a small, shaky breath escaping his lips. As much as I wanted to pretend I didn’t notice his reaction, I had. My mind latched on to the fantasy of stepping in front of him, drawing my gun, and giving the Lords a reason to remember why they feared me—something bloody enough that no one in this room would ever look at him again. But I didn’t. I forced myself to straighten.

“Odin, shall we talk in your office?” I didn’t smile. No one but those closest to me ever earned the right to see me smile.

Odin, taking a drink of his alcohol, merely shrugged. He answered when he’d swallowed. “Now?”

“You brought us here because you wanted answers. So, we’re here when we should be on our way back to New Gothenburg. So, yes, now.”

Odin sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He crooked his pointer finger at me to follow him.

I gave Kit a sharp look. “Don’t take one sip,” I warned, but his gaze flashed with a defiance I both liked and hated. As much as I wanted to stay behind and watch out for him, I had no choice but to walk with Odin. We left the barroom and turned left, heading toward his office.

Odin slumped into his leather office chair, his tumbler of alcohol still clutched in his hand. He toasted me as I stepped inside and closed the door. “To good health and a great sex life.” He drained the tumbler in one big swallow before slamming it on his desk and waving his hand at the seat opposite him.

I had a job to do, and Odin and his Norse Lords were putting me behind schedule. Sooner or later, Derek would call, demanding to know where we were. This meeting needed to be swift.

I strode across the fancy office and dropped into the chair. “Like I said, I don’t know who those guys were.”

“Right.” Odin leaned back in his seat, unfazed. “Yet you came into my city without so much as a phone call. I’m disappointed. I thought we’d become good friends after that incident a few years back.”

The incident had involved a thief, a manhunt, and a tense negotiation right here in this office. Odin had never liked Derek’s methods, but he liked Derek’s money. We’d left with our target and a fragile you scratch my back, I won’t shoot you in yours alliance. I didn’t trust him, but Derek never turned down a chance to have more assets at his disposal.

“Like I said, it wasn’t supposed to get messy. I was only here to retrieve Derek’s son.” My fingers twitched, but I resisted curling them into fists on my thighs. I kept my back straight in the chair, a soldier always at attention, just as I’d been taught.

“But it did, and now we have two dead men in a motel room. The cops will come to me for answers. They’ll ask if a friend of mine did it.” He tapped his fingers on the desk. “Usually, I need to warn them before something happens. I pay them good money to look the other way, as long as it’s a crime they can brush under the rug.”

“Even if I told you I was coming into Pleasant Beach, I wouldn’t have known I’d have to kill two guys.” I tongued the inside of my cheek, tasting blood. The urge to solve this with my fists hummed in my bones. Talking was Derek’s game. Breaking things was mine.

“How do we resolve this matter, hmm?” Odin smirked.

I growled in frustration. “What do you want?”

“Compensation,” he said easily. It was clear he’d been gunning for this from the start.

I laughed, unamused. “Well, that’s something you’ll need to talk to Derek about, not me. He’s the boss.”

He nodded thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “Until I get what I want, you and little Derek stay here.”

I tensed and gritted my teeth. I should’ve expected this from him. Odin wasn’t an idiot, but keeping us here only put Kit in more danger. Whoever had convinced him to come here was somewhere in this city.