Christopher hated Kendall a little more. He lifted CJ away from Megan, then put him on his shoulders. “Hang on, boy. We pickin’ up your ma.”
Clutching a handful of Christopher’s hair, CJ tightened his legs around his neck, not releasing his grip even after his ma had been scooped up.
He headed for the bed and laid Megan down, then sat and allowed CJ to scramble down and climb into his lap. Laying down on his side and pulling CJ with him, he then tugged Megan into his arms.
CJ squealed, caught between them, until he sat up and grinned. “You squeeze the jelly outta me, ‘Law.”
“You got a lot left, boy,” Christopher said, forcing enthusiasm into his voice.
“I tired.”
Sitting up, Megan pushed the covers down. “Climb in, buddy. Go to sleep.”
He did as he was instructed, except for the sleeping part. A minute passed before he spoke again. “I hungry.”
“They got a buncha motherfuckers downstairs and a lotta food,” Christopher told him.
“MegAnn cry, ‘Law. I saw her.”
That’s why it had been so fucking quiet when he’d walked in. CJ had found his ma in tears.
“I’ma watch her for you,” he promised. “While you eat. When you finished, come back here.”
“’Kay,” he said, climbing from the bed and hurrying off.
Christopher allowed a minute to pass before he spoke. He couldn’t imagine Megan’s frame of mind and didn’t want to say anything that would fuck up his lie. He heaved in a breath.
“What up, baby?”
“What if I did kill him?”
“What if the motherfucker killed my fuckin’ ass?”
She shuddered.
“In either or situations, you gotta choose the best, baby. Either my ass or that motherfucker. I’m kinda glad you fuckin’ picked either. Ain’t you?”
“Of course,” she whispered. “I…um…it keeps coming up. Like I did something wrong.”
“It ain’t gonna come up a-fuckin-gain, baby.” Not after tomorrow when he killed Kendall. And Johnnie.
“Okay.”
“You know I woulda fuckin’ told you if you killed that motherfucker, yeah? That shit woulda been something to celebrate, baby. I earned my red wings with you, you woulda earned your first kill for me.”
That got through to her. “You’re a psycho, Christopher,” she said with a relieved laugh.
He snickered, heartsore over Fee and Johnnie. Megan needed to know about Fee. Tomorrow was soon enough to tell her the fucking story of how his sister had allowed Kendall to use their marriage for her own benefit.
He’d think of what to tell her about Johnnie after he was buried.
Nausea rose in Christopher and he closed his eyes. Fuck that bitch. He hated Kendall so, so much, but…but he couldn’t kill her. Simply because he couldn’t imagine killing Johnnie.
But Kendall was going to die. He just wouldn’t be the one to pull the fucking trigger.
Although Kendall had caused more problems than he wanted to think about and she should’ve kept her mouth shut, Cash headed straight to John Boy’s to get his wife away from the wrath of Outlaw. He acted out of loyalty to both his president and Johnnie. Kendall might’ve deserved to die, but Outlaw killing her would ruin the family he held so close to his heart and also upset the club.
Thankfully, the rain had stopped. Johnnie and Kendall lived way back in the woods, farther away than anyone else. It would’ve been a wet walk. As it was, damp leaves, mud, and twigs stuck to Cash’s boots.
At the door, he rang the bell, the sound resembling the chimes of Westminster Abby. He pressed the lit button a second time, waiting at least a minute before the door swung open, painfully slow.
Not seeing anyone, Cash glanced down, watching as Rory struggled with the heavy wood. Everyone always commented on CJ being Outlaw’s mini-me, but Cash thought the same about Rory’s resemblance to Johnnie. He had the same color hair, although his eyes were gunmetal gray.
“Hey, kid,” he greeted. “Your dad around?”
“Father’s with Mother. She’s crying.”
Clearing his throat, Cash searched his mind for Rory’s age. Fuck, it didn’t matter. The child talked better than he did. “Would you call your dad? Tell him I won’t take long.”
“Yes, sir.”
Turning and leaving the door open, Rory ran away. Taking it up on himself, Cash stepped into the house and shut the door. He didn’t feel as welcome here as he did at Outlaw’s, so he stayed in the foyer. Thank fuck, it took only a moment for Johnnie to appear, carrying Matilda in a one-armed hold.
“Hey, man, what’s up?”
“John Boy, Outlaw’s on the warpath,” he started, and explained the events that took place after Kendall and Johnnie departed.
“Fuck!” Johnnie snarled. “Follow me,” he ordered, not giving Cash a chance to respond before turning and stalking toward the staircase. “Kendall!”
They didn’t stop until they reached the end of the hall on the second floor and went into the master bedroom, where Kendall lay sobbing on the bed, with Rory sitting next to her, looking worried and confused, tears in his own eyes.
Sighing, Johnnie laid Matilda in the crib near him. From the differences between the items on the nightstands, Cash assumed Matilda was on Johnnie’s side, unless Johnnie suddenly needed fresh flowers and crystal atomizers and Kendall wanted bullets and a billfold…well, maybe she would want the billfold.
“Tell her what you told me, Cash,” Johnnie instructed.
Outlaw was stone-cold furious. But Johnnie was angry, frightened, and hurt, a dangerous combination for a man like him. Cash had no wish to rile either of them, so he did as Johnnie asked.
“Thank you for telling me,” she said, offering him a teary glare.
Christ, but the woman was impossible. How the fuck she looked both hateful and tragic was beyond Cash.
“I have a place I can bring you. A safe house. We have several.” Years ago, he’d been tasked with the purchase, upkeep, and record maintenance of the places. If Outlaw got into any legal problems or there were any raids that took place, their safe houses were still off the radar. “I’m the only one who knows the locations of all of them.”
“I’m not going anywhere. That barbarian doesn’t rule me. Someone needs to remind him he isn’t King Outlaw.” Swiping her tears, she offered Johnnie a sour look. “I insist you stand up to him. He won’t kill me. He knows if he tried, he’d have you to deal with. Besides, who cares if CJ cried. He’s a little asshole just like Outlaw.”
A low sound, much like a growl, emitted from Johnnie’s throat, making Rory jump and burst into tears, which, in turn, caused Matilda to whine. “Go to your room, son,” Johnnie ordered.
Without hesitating, Rory ran out.
“Don’t ever, ever disparage CJ as you just did. He’s a child, just as our son is. I wouldn’t want anyone to hurt Rory, frighten him, or make him cry. CJ is our nephew. I’d expect you to protect him as Megan would protect Rory.”
“Fuck Megan!” she yelled, getting to her feet and shoving Johnnie.
“Take your fucking hands off me, Kendall,” Johnnie said in such a cold voice that both Kendall and Cash froze.
Kendall recovered first. “Fuck you,” she snarled, pushing him so hard he slammed against the wall.
Johnnie bolted toward her, grabbing her hands. Cash wasn’t quite sure how Kendall went from being the aggressor to the bed with Johnnie holding her hands above her head and looming over her.
“You’re not fucking stupid, Kendall. You know what both me and Christopher are capable of. Let’s forget how much you’ve pissed me the fuck off and think of my brother. He’ll have no qualms about blowing me and you away, so you’re fucking doing as I say. More than that, you’re keeping your fucking hands to yourself.”
“Or what? You’ll hit me? I dare you. You can abuse me, your pregnant wife, but you can’t stand up to your asshole of a brother?”
“Abuse
you?” Johnnie echoed on an angry yell. “Before I abuse you, I’ll walk the fuck away from you and don’t look back.”
“Of course you would! That would be so much easier than standing up for me.”
Johnnie shook her. “Shut the fuck up. Being too fucking stubborn for your own good gets you into this fucking shit. I’m sick of your bullshit, Kendall. You’re leaving with Cash, until Christopher calms the fuck down. Until I calm the fuck down.”
“I hate you,” she screamed tearfully. “I’m pregnant and sick, in worse condition than when Megan was, and you’re abandoning me.”
“Megan couldn’t keep anything on her stomach when she was pregnant,” Johnnie said in exasperation. “You’ve never suffered morning sickness, so what the fuck are you talking about?”
“Nothing! It doesn’t matter. If you make me go with Cash, you’ll be sorry! Outlaw will kill me anyway, and then you’ll be crying over my coffin.”
“If that mattered so fucking much to you, you would stay the fuck out of trouble,” Johnnie snapped. “You’d do what the fuck you were supposed to do. You could very well be crying over my fucking coffin. Or would it matter to you? Don’t turn this around on me to garner my sympathy. You get none from me. For this, I think I might finish Brooks and Charlotte off. They don’t deserve to fucking live. Since this started, I’ve maintained the fact that Brooks needed to fucking die. Christopher gave the order not to kill them.”
“If you kill them, you may as well shoot me, too,” she sobbed.
“Don’t tempt me.” Pulling away from her, Johnnie got to his feet and brought his tearful wife with him. “Pack your things.”
“You’re really making me leave?”
“Yes. You made your bed, now you have to lay in it.”
Kendall released an agonized cry. “I love you!”
“Do you?” Johnnie asked, for once not moved. “If you did, you’d get control of yourself and stop making my life so fucking miserable!”
Grabbing his screaming daughter, Johnnie glared between Cash and Kendall, then stalked out of the room.
Unsure what to do, Cash stood silently as Kendall cried for the next five minutes. He had no inclination to console her. Watching her didn’t move him one bit. He had his own ax to grind with her.
“Go ahead, dance with joy,” she hissed, once she got control of herself.
Cash gave a cold smile. “Once I tell Johnnie your role in getting Fee stabbed, I might.”
Lifting her chin, she folded her arms. “Why haven’t you already, if you think I’m the cause for her accident?”
“There was no fucking accident, lady. You danced with the devil at the club’s expense. At Fee’s expense.”
“You would think that. I’m such an evil bitch I’d betray everything that’s dear to me. Everyone that I love.”
“You love no one but yourself.”
“I get it,” she said bitterly. “You’ve so graciously volunteered to spirit me away, to avenge Ophelia yourself. Star-crossed lovers that you are. When you’re the worst of any of them, including Outlaw. You know Stretch is nothing but a weak little man, who’s more gay than straight and Fee is just a sad bitch who doesn’t have enough self-worth to tell you to go and fuck yourself. Is it any wonder she and Meggie are such besties? They’re pitiful cunts alike.”
Cash balled his fists to keep from rushing Kendall and strangling her.
“The two of them probably put it in your head that I almost got Fee killed.”
“I haven’t spoken to Fee about this in weeks. Same with Stretch.”
“I didn’t mean her and Stretch. I meant her and Meggie,” she sneered. “In case you missed it, asshole, I had no idea Noah and Counts were the same. I’ve been devising a plan to bring Noah out of hiding and into a trap to avenge Fee.”
“Why should I believe you? Besides, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t go through all this fucking trouble.”
Drawing herself up, Kendall narrowed her eyes. “I don’t give a fuck if you believe me or not. I’m not interested in your approval or your absolution. I sure as fuck won’t beg you to trust me.” Her lips trembled and she lifted her chin. “I will, however, apologize to you, since it seems you do want to help me. I’m sorry for the blackmail and for that fucking asshole who hurt Fee. You could’ve left me to Outlaw’s wrath, instead you came here to get me away.” Her lashes lowered, and she looked on the verge of bursting into tears again. “Thank you, Cash.” Shoulders slumped, she started to turn. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready to leave.”
Whether he liked it or not, he had to admit Kendall had a certain charisma that lured people to her. He understood why Johnnie loved her so much. Dealing with her now, he even understood why both Fee and Meggie were so loyal to her.
He sighed. “Fine, Kendall. Do you mind if I go to Matilda’s nursery to talk to Johnnie?”
“Do you ask Meggie if you can go from room to room at her house?”
“Is this her house?”
“Just answer my question.”
“Fuck, fine. No, I don’t.”
“Then, my house is open to you as hers is.”
He wasn’t touching that.
“Cash?”
He paused at the door. “Yeah?”
“You do believe that I wouldn’t betray Johnnie or the club?”
Thinking about it, he realized that he did. Once again, he credited Kendall’s magnetism. Whether she was a lying bitch or not, he didn’t know. She wouldn’t betray them on purpose, but if they got betrayed by her actions, oh well. “I do.”
Without waiting for her response, he walked out of the room and followed the sound of a fussy baby, straight to a room with a baseball theme. Rory’s room, where Johnnie paced with Matilda and fed her a bottle, while Rory sat at a small table, coloring.
“Is she okay?” he asked the moment he saw Cash.
“She’s packing.”
“Take care of my wife, fucker.”
“You know I will.”
“Where are you taking her?”
Cash hadn’t decided yet. He shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. Outlaw won’t get over this soon. He’s pissed. If he didn’t want to see to Meggie, he probably would’ve come here for Kendall tonight.”
“I’m sure. Megan’s owed a great deal of gratitude by many of us.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think she can save Kendall right now. Outlaw was angry enough to kill Daphne in front of Meggie. After this afternoon, he’s just as angry with your old lady.”
“Can I go with Mother?” Rory asked softly.
Johnnie turned to his son. “No, but I promise we’ll see her as much as possible.”
“Yes, sir,” he said in a sad voice, and went back to coloring.
“If you can, bring her to one of the nicer places.”
“You got it,” Cash agreed.
Ten minutes later, Kendall was ready to leave. Since he didn’t own a vehicle, he used Johnnie’s Navigator to bring Kendall to a small house, located in the middle of nowhere, halfway between Oregon and California.
Hopefully, too far away, for Outlaw to leave Megan to get to, in the event the man tracked her location.
Fee shuffled into Zoann’s kitchen and sat at the table in the breakfast nook. She’d spent most of the night in tears, making her throat hurt and her head ache. Kendall’s betrayal sucked everything from her, leaving her empty and ashamed. She almost wished Noah had finished her off. The family she’d so cherished, her beloved brother and sister, had disowned her, thanks to her misguided trust of a woman whom her brother had warned her about.
“Fee?”
She flinched at the sound of Val’s voice. He’d checked on her throughout the night. His kindness deepened her guilt.
“I’m going to make coffee,” he said gruffly. “Would you like a cup?”
Sniffling, she shook her bowed head, feeling like hell, tired and in pain. Emotionally and physically. She wanted to sleep forever.
“Fee? Have coffee with us.”
Zoann? Afraid to believe the gentle call came from her sister, Fee looked toward the doorway. Dressed for the day, Zoann’s eyes were as red as Fee’s. Unable to control the river of tears that kept flowing like a waterfall, she looked at her big sister.
“I…thanks, no, Zoann. I don’t think I can keep it down.” She drew in a sobby breath. “Please don’t hate me. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt any of you. You, Christopher and your families are all I have left in the world. Please, forgive me.”
Zoann rushed to her and drew her into her arms. “Stop it. I’m very angry, but I could never hate you. That bitch took advantage of your trust and fucked you royally. I understand the dilemma you found yourself in.”
Not really. She’d just guessed that Kendall would’ve just as easily screwed with Val. She hadn’t known for sure. “Then…then you forgive me?”
“Yes. I love you. You’re my baby sister.”
“Do you th-think Christopher hates me?” The thought devastated her. She’d been so focused on Cash and Stretch, so wrapped up in wanting to believe Kendall, she’d given a cursory consideration to the consequences of her actions. “Will he ever forgive me?”
“He’s pissed beyond reasoning,” Zoann admitted. “You let that bitch fuck with his marriage. That means you fucked with Meggie.”
Fee bowed her head. “I’m so, so sorry,” she whispered, tears cascading down her cheeks.
Val walked next to Zoann. “Don’t cry, babe. Outlaw will get over it. Meggie will make him understand your side.”
Nodding in agreement, Zoann bent to hug Fee. “My God! You’re burning up.”
“I don’t feel so good.”
“I guess not,” Val told her. “Up all night crying doesn’t do anybody good.”
Zoann hugged her again. “I’m cancelling my appointments for the day and getting you in to see your doctor. You’re still recovering and this can cause a major setback.”
“I’ll be fine,” Fee responded. “Stick to your plans. If I rest, I’ll feel better.”
Zoann’s brow furrowed.
“I’ll watch over her, Puff,” Val said, ending the indecision. “If she gets any worse off, I’ll call Outl…I’ll get her to the hospital myself.”
Death Dwellers Motorcycle Club:: Fifteen Bad Boy Biker Books Page 358