Misrule

by Kelly, Kathryn C.

  “Kendall is fucked up and I can’t stand her fucking ass most of the time,” Zoann spat, her eyes shooting daggers at him, “but, taking up with this woman is the worst fucking betrayal there could ever be, fucker. This is Kendall’s sworn enemy and you’re fucking her.”

  “I haven’t touched Emily,” Johnnie stated.

  “Of course not,” Zoann sneered. “You had to bring her and compare her to Meggie first. Right, motherfucker? You couldn’t see Emily and Kendall side-by-side, so Meggie it was.”

  Anger flashed through Johnnie. He couldn’t believe Zoann had the gall to believe Megan had anything to do with this. Didn’t she know Christopher? Wasn’t it clear that Johnnie meeting Emily had been orchestrated?

  “You’re overstepping your fucking bounds. Watch yourself, Zoann,” Johnnie warned coldly.

  Zoann snapped her brows together and barreled to him. “Or what? If you value your fucking dick, I’d shut the fuck up.”

  “I’m not Val,” Johnnie returned.

  “No the fuck you’re not,” Zoann answered. “Val is ten times the man you are. He doesn’t make me live up to the standards of other women. He doesn’t let me do shit that’s way off the deep fucking end. We respect each other. I can tell him to stand down and he can do the same with me. You’re nothing but a piece of fucking shit, making Kendall miserable because she isn’t Meggie. You’re the stupidest motherfucker alive. All the fuck you wanted was a woman to stand in for Meggie. You wanted what Christopher has, so you chose the first bitch that crossed your path after you lost Meggie to Christopher. You never loved Kendall. You couldn’t have. If you did, you wouldn’t have fostered her fucking jealousy. You wouldn’t have tolerated her bad fucking behavior. Who the fuck cared what the fuck we did? It was up to you to tell her that wasn’t fucking acceptable, you miserable motherfucker.” She pointed to Emily. “Now, get this bitch the fuck out of here before I use her to fuck you up.”

  Humiliation roared through Johnnie and he gritted his teeth. He took a step toward Zoann, noting how she held her ground, dared him to come any closer, when all he wanted to do was grab her and shake the living fuck out of her.

  Before he reached her, though, Val appeared at her side. “You put a finger on my woman, and we got problems, Johnnie.”

  “Johnnie, bruh,” Digger called. “Take your bitch and get the fuck out my house. Don’t fucking feel like cleaning blood splatter. We got a lot of wood in this motherfucker. Shit would be hard as fuck to clean up.”

  Johnnie blinked at Digger’s words. “You’re putting us out?”

  This was spiraling completely out-of-control. No one saw what he saw. Instead of questioning the coincidence of how Johnnie had met the one woman who’d tortured Kendall, they were maligning him.

  Digger shook his head in disapproval. “Did I fucking stutter. If I did, my bad. Maybe this better: Get to fucking stepping and take your bitch with you.”

  Johnnie looked at each of them—Cash. Stretch. Val. Digger. Mortician. Knox. Roxanne. Fee. Zoann, Bunny, and Bailey.

  “You’re Kendall’s fucking friend, too, huh, Bailey?” Johnnie demanded, needing to lash out at someone. Besides Megan, he considered Bailey one of the sweetest girls in their group. “What do you have to say about me having Emily as my date?”

  “Son, you lost your motherfucking mind coming down on Bailey like I’m some type of fucking bitch?” Mortician growled.

  Johnnie rounded on Mort. “Fuck you. You’re Kendall’s friend. What do you have to say, Mortician? You think I’m a piece of shit too?”

  “I think you’re a dumb motherfucker,” Mortician said without flinching. “Red did some fucked up shit, but you helped her along. If you divorcing her that’s between you and her. But I wonder how the fuck you would feel if Red started dating a motherfucker you couldn’t fucking stand.”

  Somewhere in the midst of the argument, Megan had gone to her seat. She sat, silent and sullen, throwing side-eyed violent looks at Christopher, who didn’t flinch. Much to Johnnie’s frustration. Still, he had his own methods.

  “Are you jealous over Emily, Megan, or are you angry with Christopher because he put her in my path?”

  “What the fuck you say, motherfucker?” Christopher snarled. “Why the fuck you think Megan jealous?”

  “Is that the only thing you’re concerned about?” Johnnie said, meeting Megan’s gaze and gauging her reaction.

  But her expression went maddeningly blank. “I’m not jealous, Johnnie,” she said calmly. “Furthermore, I have no idea what you’re talking about. How did Christopher put her in your path? More to the point, why would he do such a thing?”

  “Don’t play fucking stupid, Megan,” he ordered. “To get back at Kendall.”

  “Really, jerk?” Megan retorted. “Even if he had put Emily in your path, which I don’t think he did, she wouldn’t have gotten here without your involvement. Again, why would my husband pull such a stunt? Kendall isn’t around anymore. Besides, if you’re so worried about Kendall’s reaction, you wouldn’t have made a move on Emily to begin with.”

  No one said anything in the wake of Megan’s heated words. They all stared amongst one another, but Emily seemed to fixate on Megan. Unease slipped into Johnnie and he took Emily’s hand in his own.

  “’LAW!” CJ screeched into the silence, running into the room and skidding to a halt. He looked at Emily, gazed at her hand entwined with Johnnie’s, then he turned to Megan. He focused on Emily again. “Who you?”

  Emily smiled at him. “I’m Emily.”

  “Miss Emily,” Megan inserted.

  “Emily,” Emily insisted. “Miss-ing and Mister-ing went out ages ago.”

  “When you have children, you’re welcomed to tell them how to address adults,” Megan said coolly. “CJ is mine, so you will not overstep my authority.”

  “Whatcha want, boy?” Christopher asked, sounding both annoyed and tired.

  “Oh!” CJ said, running to his father. “Diesel humping Lyndsey in the bathroom. I watcheded him, ‘Law. Just like you told me when him did that to her in my treehouse.”

  “WHAT?” Megan screeched, her face going sheet-white. Horrified, she looked between her husband and son.

  CJ stayed focused on Christopher. “Him and her went to the bathroom and I look-ted under the gap between the door and the floor. Him bent that girl over and started doing this.” He pumped his hips back and forth. “Then her say, ‘ohh,’ and him did this to her.” He slapped a hand over his mouth. “Her dress wayyyyy up and his pants down, ‘Law.”

  “How the fuck long you watched them fuckin’, boy?” Christopher demanded.

  “Omigod, Christopher,” Megan gasped in outrage.

  “That’s what they was doin’, baby.”

  “Diesel getting ass,” Digger said with a grin. “That’s a cool little motherfucker.”

  “No, he isn’t,” Megan protested.

  “He certainly isn’t,” Bunny agreed.

  “Miss Emily, why you holding Uncle Johnnie hand?” CJ asked.

  “Because we’re dating,” Emily answered with a smile.

  CJ nodded, then turned and started out of the room, yelling, “Ro! You got a new Ma.”

  “Let’s go,” Johnnie said. Without waiting for a response, he guided Emily toward the door, nervous that Rory would see him with a woman who wasn’t his mom.

  Neither he nor Emily spoke as they walked along the forested path that took them past Mortician, Val, and Christopher’s houses. Behind Digger’s house stood Johnnie’s property as well as Cash and Stretch’s. They’d created a nice little enclave for themselves and their women.

  “That was interesting,” Emily said once Johnnie had left the property. “Are they always so colorful?”

  “Always,” he confirmed. “It surprises me how much we look forward to the weekly dinners, considering they almost always turn into a free-for-all.”

  Emily chuckled. “Perhaps, that’s the fun in it right there.”

  “Maybe,” he ag
reed, hoping she stopped her small talk so he could think over the evening’s events.

  Every now and then, streetlights lit the inside of Johnnie’s Navigator, and Emily saw his handsome profile with unerring clarity. Ever since she’d met Outlaw, her luck had changed for the better. Such as now. At that moment, the light glimmered into the car, allowing her to see how he was closing up. He gave her the merest of glances, then refocused on the road ahead, but it was enough to know if she shut up now, her fortunes would head south again and she’d be paddling her canoe in a sea of shit once more.

  She pretended to put her anger aside. Pretended that she didn’t hate Megan Caldwell as much as she had always despised Kendall. Whereas Kendall hadn’t known the power she had over men, Megan was well aware of her influence. She had beauty and youth and the devotion of Outlaw. Still, in Emily’s eyes, Megan was gorgeous but Kendall, with her natural red hair, was absolutely stunning. Because blondes had a reputation of being more fun, everyone wanted to be blonde. They came a dime a dozen. Redheads, though, were a rare breed, which made them all the more outstanding.

  A country song invaded her thoughts. Johnnie had turned on his radio.

  She blew out of breath, then turned the radio to the ‘off’ position.

  “I was listening to that,” he complained.

  “I love Country music, too,” she said, able to tell this truth. “But I’d prefer we talk.”

  “About?”

  The last person in the world she wanted to discuss. “Kendall,” she said softly. “Your wonderful family.” She’d keep her hatred toward one of them to herself. Well, she didn’t care for Zoann or, actually, none of those bitches that had been present. “I would’ve loved to have been part of such a huge, unruly bunch,” she said in a small voice. She forced herself to sniffle. “You’re very lucky.”

  The silence stretched by for such a long moment that Emily feared she’d overplayed her hand.

  “My family is nosy, noisy, bossy, and more than a little opinionated,” he finally said.

  True, true, true, and true. “They are perfect,” Emily lied. “I’m honored you brought me to meet them.”

  “Yeah, well—”

  “As to what the girl…Joann, was it…?”

  “Zoann.”

  Of course, she’d never forget that bitch’s name. “Oh, what an unusual and pretty name.”

  “She’s my cousin,” Johnnie grunted.

  Emily would grunt that fact, too. Who would want to claim that bitch as family? “It’s obvious she loves you very much.”

  Johnnie sidled a glance at Emily. “She could’ve kept her fucking thoughts to herself.”

  “I know they aren’t the truth, so please don’t be embarrassed on my behalf.”

  “I’m not,” Johnnie said, surprising Emily.

  After all, Zoann called him a piece of shit for a slew of crimes that mostly involved Megan Caldwell.

  “I just can’t believe she had the fucking gall to say that to me.”

  Emily lowered her lashes. “Was it true?” She applauded the meekness in her voice.

  “Does it matter?”

  Not really. Not for her end goal. “Of course,” she said in a trembly voice. “How do you think I felt hearing you brought me there to compare me to another woman? One who isn’t even your wife? Are you in love with that girl or something?”

  “Who? Megan?”

  Duh. Who the fuck else?

  Emily nodded. “Y-yes.” She sounded pathetic.

  Outlaw needed to give her extra money for her performance.

  “I once loved Megan with all my heart,” Johnnie admitted. “But I don’t anymore. It’s Kendall whom I love and miss terribly. She’s just so fucking frustrating, Emily. Besides, Megan, Zoann, all of them were right about you. You’re the bitch who started my wife down that mental path.”

  If Emily had her way, she would put Kendall through much more, and throw Megan in to boot. “We were just children,” she said, feigning regret. “I’m so sorry and ashamed over my actions. You have to know—”

  He rolled to a stop in front of her shoddy apartment building. “I don’t have to know anything,” he interrupted. “Kendall and I have enough between us without adding you, or any other woman into the mix. And I don’t believe you are truly regretful. Something about you screams scheming bitch.” He shrugged. “Whatever the case might be, I can’t see you anymore. I’m not interested in you. I’m not attracted to you.”

  Emily gasped, his words shocking her out of her pretense. Before she lost her temper, though, she managed to rein in her anger and burst into tears. “You can’t mean that, Johnnie!”

  “I do,” he said.

  She reached over the center console and threw her arms around his neck. “No! Johnnie, please. I’ve fallen in love with you. You can’t…just give me a chance to prove how happy we can be together.”

  He disentangled her arms from around his neck and pushed her away. “Quit the fucking theatrics, Emily.”

  “Why are you doing this to us?” she wailed.

  “There’s no us.”

  “Yes, there is!”

  Without responding, Johnnie got out of the car, walked to Emily’s side and opened her door. “Get out of the truck, Emily,” he ordered.

  She hoped one of the crime lords saw Johnnie and confronted him, so she could watch the asshole beg for his life. The men who lived in her neighborhood were real criminals. Even the cops were afraid to traverse these streets at night.

  “Get the fuck out! Now!”

  Asshole. “But—”

  “But, nothing. I might still end up divorcing Kendall, however, you’re not going to be one of the reasons. Now, get the fuck out of my truck before I pick you up and put you out.”

  Usually her tears worked. “You’d leave me in this condition?” she got out on a big sob.

  “The only woman’s tears that ever held any power over me is Kendall’s.”

  Hoping her expression was so woeful it kept him up tonight, Emily got out of the Navigator. She thought to kiss him then changed her mind. She’d go ballistic if he spurned her. His rigid stance told her he would. Better to leave that can of worms unopened.

  “Good riddance,” he told her.

  Emily watched as he sped off, vowing to have the last laugh when all was said and done.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  “Megan?”

  “Yes?”

  Christopher considered her response an improvement from the past few hours. After Johnnie and Emily left, Megan got up and called for CJ and Diesel, looking as if she’d turned into a little Tasmanian she-devil, ready to tear them and Christopher up with her bare fucking teeth.

  She’d ripped into Diesel for disrespecting Digger’s house and “having sex” in it. Never mind the fact that the motherfucker—that was, Digger—didn’t fucking see it as disrespectful. Then, she’d punished CJ for being naughty. Whatever the fuck that meant. His boy was only doing what the fuck Christopher had instructed him to do. As for Christopher, besides pinning him with her she-devil looks, she didn’t say one fucking word to him. Not one. She wouldn’t even fix her fucking mouth to utter a fucking sound in his direction.

  Not a goddamn peep.

  So, fuck, yeah, hearing her respond to him was a step in the right fucking direction.

  “We been home for fuckin’ hours, baby. You been hunched the fuck up in those covers, pretendin’ your fuckin’ ears plugged the fuck up with wax or something. Just ignorin’ the fuck outta me.”

  “What do you want?”

  Christopher sighed. It was the middle of the goddamn night, but fuck if he’d been able to sleep. He knew she’d been awake, too. Nightmares didn’t plague them as much lately. Still, he kept a close watch on her, waiting for her to tell him the truth about how far along she was in her pregnancy.

  Unless she was carrying five or ten little motherfuckers, he saw the size of her belly. Maybe, she thought by not confessing how far along she really was, she could
save that incompetent motherfucker’s life. One in two thousand dick snips failed, or some shit like that. It had to do with cock plumbing reconnecting. Still, that didn’t matter. Shouldn’t the doctor-motherfucker have known Christopher had a working dick again to save not only his fucking money but his fucking pain?

  “Christopher?”

  Once she told him she was either delivering another fucking tribe of kids or she was further along than she’d admitted, he’d tell her she didn’t have to worry about the doctor. He was already fucked up and grounded. At the moment, he’d address the matter-at-hand. “First of fuckin’ all, it would be quite fuckin’ helpful if you fuckin’ told my ass why the fuck you a pissed lil’ motherfucker.”

  “You know why.”

  He had an inkling, but he didn’t want to admit that. “Cuz of Diesel and CJ.”

  “Partly. Diesel is too young to be having sex and CJ is definitely too young to be spying on someone to tell you they are being intimate.”

  “Fuck, baby. Diesel got a cock. Whatcha expect him to do with the motherfucker? He gotta use it.”

  “To urinate,” she yelled.

  “What? Urinate? Ain’t no fuckin’ kid of mine urinatin’, Megan. Urinate! A real cock don’t fuckin’ urinate. The motherfucker piss. Don’t ever fuckin’ put the word urinate in a sentence when you referrin’ to any man in this fuckin’ house.”

  “There’s only one man in this house,” she countered.

  “Fuck, baby, then change man to motherfucker. Don’t use urinate and penis about no motherfucker in this house.”

  “Omigodddd, Christopher,” she groaned. “You’re so insane.”

  He smiled at the back of her head, knowing she was softening toward him. Encouraged, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into the spoon position. She held herself stiffer than a mummy, but what the fuck ever.

  He nosed her hair. “Don’t be mad at my ass, Megan.”

  She stayed silent for a moment, then she sighed. “How could you hire Emily to go with Johnnie?”

  And there the fuck it was. The real fucking basis for her anger. Megan had always figured shit out. While Johnnie felt as if meeting Emily was too much of a coincidence, Megan knew it.