Page 204 of Restless
“They—”
“You also need to tell Uncle Chris the extent that, er,theytalk to you,” Diesel suggested.
“No, it’s a secret.”
“Fine,” CJ said before Diesel could argue. “We’ll deal with one thing at a time. Tell Dad about Bash and Ryan.”
Rule thought for a moment, then nodded. “Can I come to the dinner table?”
“The night is fucked anyway,” CJ grouched, “so it won’t matter if you get in Rebel’s crosshairs, and she decks you again.”
“I’m not a freak!”
“No, just a possible fucking murderer,” CJ said.
“You’re making me angry, CJ,” Rule cried. “And you don’t want to do that.”
CJ grabbed a handful of Rule’s shirt and snatched him off his feet. “Listen, you little motherfucker, would you like to see what I’ll do to you if you make me angry? I’m not your enemy. You need help.”
“No, I need peace and prayer.”
“Prayer is supposed to bring peace, but I’m not getting into a religious debate with you, Rule. Stop with your fucking threats and tell Dad what the fuck you did.”
Without warning, CJ released him and folded his arms as Rule landed on the floor.
“I’ll see you both at the dinner table,” CJ said, and walked out.
Diesel held out a hand to Rule. “Come on, brother. Let me help you clean up your face.”
“Okay, Dee,” Rule said miserably, accepting Diesel’s help as he got to his feet.
“I’ll sit between you and Rebel tonight.”
Rule touched his bleeding lip, though it was a trickle now. “She must learn chastity. If Mom can’t rein her in and Rebel won’t comply to me, I’ll have to take matters into my hands.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“In my home, I sit at the head of table, opposite my husband,” JaZuria said, halfway through their salad. She sat on the lefthand side of Christopher, directly across from Meggie. Cutting into a piece of lettuce, she nodded to Roxy. “I especially wouldn’t cede my spot to another woman.”
“Luckily this aintcha fuckin’ table,” Christopher snapped. He allowed his utensils to clank against the Santa plate as he released them. As usual, he ate the bare minimum salad to appease Meggie. “Megan put motherfuckers where the fuck she want, and if you don’t like it, get to fuckin’ steppin’.”
All things considered, it surprised Meggie how well things seemed to have gone between Christopher, CJ, and the rest of the guys. When they came to the table, Mr. Davis, CJ, and Rory were laughing and talking.
However, Christopher barely spoke, and he seemed to have taken an extreme dislike to JaZuria. Other than the fact that Mattie had yet to make an appearance, everything else was going fine. CJ sat between Jaleena and her mother, while Diesel placed himself between Rule and Rebel.
Rule’s injuries and agitation concerned Meggie, but he’d declined a private word with her, and she had her hands full with the formality of the dinner. In all her memory, she didn’t think she’d ever stuck to strict social mores such as the proper placement of forks and glasses. It was more a loose interpretation rather than rigid adherence, so she’d ceded to Roxy and Kendall’s knowledge.
Yet, JaZuria still found a problem.
“I think too highly of myself, Christopher,” JaZuria sniffed, ignoring Christopher’s darkening glower. “And it behooves me to guide any woman who doesn’t know her place.”
CJ laid his fork aside. “With all due respect, Mrs. Davis, only my mother, Uncle Johnnie, Aunt Ophelia, and Aunt Zoann are allowed to call Dad by his Christian name. Everyone else refers to him as Outlaw.”
“That’s ridiculous,” JaZuria said. “I won’t address him at all if—”
“Ain’t no skin off my fuckin’ teeth,” Christopher interrupted. “You’d do my ass a fuckin’ favor if I ain’tevergotta see you or your fuckin’ man again.”
“CJ’s right, JaZuria,” Meggie said diplomatically, trying to catch Christopher’s eye and silently remind him, they were doing this for CJ. “It’s an unwritten rule.”
