Page 158 of Restless
“Yeah,” CJ said, bending and kissingHarley’sgrandmother as if he had the right. “Dad’s with her right now.”
Rebel mimicked her brother. It was only then that he looked at Harley and offered a greeting.
“How are you feeling, Harley?” he asked softly, his face unreadable when once he was an open book. “You don’t have any broken bones, do you?”
“Would you care? You’ve been with Molly all day. Maybe, if you’d been at school, Erin and Ariana wouldn’t have jumped me.”
Annoyance crossed his face. “I don’t go in the girl’s locker room, Harley.”
“You were there today,” she charged.
“I was called there…” He stopped and drew in a deep breath. “I came to check on you, not argue with you.”
“I don’t need your pity, CJ.” Angry at the world, she glared at Rebel. As long as CJ was happy, he could use and abuse her in any way he pleased, while she and Mommie were the villains. “By the way, I didn’t need your interference.”
“So you said earlier, Harley,” Rebel said with a shrug. “My brain and your face feel otherwise.”
Harley gasped. “You’re making fun of my injuries?”
“No. I’m making fun of your stupidity. Next.”
“Get out.”
“I’m not here for you. I’m here for my brother. I’ll wait outside, CJ. Don’t be too long. I’m sure Molly’s waiting for you.”
CJ scowled at the back of his sister’s head as she marched out. The amusement on Lolly’s face outraged Harley, snatching away the last of her reason.
“You’re a fucking liar and a snake,” she snarled viciously.
“Harley,” CJ started, “listento me. I’m so exhausted from today. I didn’t come here to argue with you or to hurt your feelings. I wanted to check on you.”
“You left me to return to Molly’s side, which is where you’ve been all day.”
“I left you because my mother is coming home.”
“I don’t care! She’s on the mend. I’m the injured one. If you’ve been with Molly, you didn’t care that Aunt Meggie was being released so stop with your lying.”
CJ glared at her, then bent and kissed Lolly’s cheek again. “I’m going back upstairs, Lolly.”
Mommie walked in and he paused long enough to greet her.
“Weren’t you leaving, CJ?” Mommie asked coolly, warming Harley’s heart.
He walked off without commenting.
Glowering at Lolly, Mommie took one look at Harley and burst into tears. “My baby,” she wept.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The club’s rowdy giddiness seemed like a foreign world to Mortician. His earlier plans to blaze to Nevada City, an hour northeast of Sacramento, to collect a debt from a smalltime dealer who’d gotten credit from the Dwellers to expand his enterprises fell though. He was a lucky asshole. After repeated promises to pay up, the motherfucker was evading all attempts by Stretch to contact him.
Mort had intended to take his time, spend a couple days roughing it and returning to his roots. Time away would help him put shit into better perspective, instead of staring at the walls in his old room at the club. It was a constant reminder of the state of his marriage.
After finishing up at the Harris house, he’d called Bailey to tell her his plans. She’d gone silent before finally telling him to be safe. Neither of them mentioned love. Usually, he ended most of his calls with, “I love you, pretty girl.”
While he’d fueled up, contacted Lou and Kaleb, who were at lunch.
Before all the chaos began, the boys would’ve been eating in the upper cafeteria with Harley and the rest of the biker brood. CJ would’ve kept them in line with his baby girl’s help. Now, everything was upside down.
