Page 5 of Nines's Time

“So, what do you want to do today?” I ask Gavril as I lift my coffee mug to my lips. He’d come in last night and taken me out to dinner.

I didn’t realize how much I missed him until he got here. He reminds me of one of my favorite actors, Ryan Hurst, but I wouldn’t let him know that. He’d scoff at the idea. Still, he has the graying beard and all. I don’t understand why he’s never been married or ever has a woman with him, though that’s not to say I haven’t seen women leaving his office when working at the bar.

“We’re going out this afternoon,” he declares, eyes leveling a knowing look on me.

“Where?” I cock a brow in curiosity.

“I have business to attend to and will be meeting my cousin, Dorin Dragomir, at the Devil’s Riot MC clubhouse. I’ve been invited to stay for the cookout to spend time with him and his family. I would like for you to join me as well.”

At his announcement, I spew my coffee back into the mug, thankfully not spitting it all over the table, and stare at him with wide eyes. “You want me to what?”

“You’ll join me at this cookout,” he says, furrowing his brow.

“But I never go with you to attend business.” I set my mug down and sit back in my seat unsure if I should drink more out of fear of possibly choking.

Gavril sits forward, sets his own mug down, and reaches out to cup the side of my face. “You’ve been through a lot,fiica mea frumoasa.”

What does that mean?” I blurt out. It’s not the first time he’s said it over the years.

Smiling, Gavril drops his hand. “It means ‘my beautiful daughter’. I’ve seen you as such from the moment you gave me those eyes asking for a job. Since then, I’ve taken it upon myself to treat you as one.”

My heart stutters a beat, then another, before regaining composure, but it doesn’t stop the tears from welling up in my eyes. “I wish you were my father as well,” I inform him, my breath hitching.

“So, say you will come and meet the rest of your family then,” he declares.

“I have a confession to make,” I say shyly.

“And that is?”

“I was already invited to this cookout.”

“By whom?” he demands, slightly stiffening.

“Two women that I’ve become friends with. They wanted me to come and hang out with them.”

“Then you’ll be able to spend time with them then.” He grins and taps the table.

I nod, not saying anything further. I guess it looks like I’ll be going to this cookout. Suppose I could make a couple of desserts or something. I used to make them all the time and take them to the pool hall. It got to the point that Gavril demanded I sell them if I was going to make them.

I haven’t done any baking since being here. I could whip up some cupcakes or brownies, maybe even a pie or two.

CHAPTERFOUR

NINES

“We still don’t know who we’re dealing with,” Lucky says, releasing a harsh breath. “I’ve been working with Keys around the clock to figure out what the hell is going on.”

“Everything we’ve found so far leads us back to Storm’s biological father,” Keys adds.

I grind my teeth together and ball my hands into fists. I’d like nothing more than to beat the hell out of something . . . anything. Since being released out on bond, I feel like I’m walking on a tightrope unable to do anything without my every move being watched. Hell, I’m damn lucky to even be out right now. From what the police have it definitely looks as if I’d done it, but I’m being set up and we all damn well know it, including the detectives doing the investigating.

“We need a fuckin’ break in this. First, the damn sleazy lawyer ends up in the ditch with my woman’s name carved into him and then the sperm donor shows up dead outside our gates. And to top it all off, Nines is arrested for a crime we all know he didn’t fuckin’ commit,” Blow growls, sounding close to as if he’s about to blow his lid.

“We also have Rain’s father and brothers coming in today to meet with us,” Sniper reminds us.

I’d forgotten the Dragomirs were coming. I knew my father was cousins with Dorin, but he’d kept a lot of information about the family a secret. I only learned most of it when he’d been diagnosed with lung cancer. He didn’t want me to be blindsided and said that it was imperative that I not speak with anyone other than those who know the truth.

“I know,” Blow grunts. “Dorin spoke with me yesterday of his cousin joining us with information that might help us in figuring all of this out.”

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