Page 218 of Restless
Unbelievably, Rack nodded. “When Joe returns, you’ll tell him I ordered you to ready Holmes for disposal and you disobeyed me.”
“But Boss won’t let me patch in when I’m old enough,” Christopher said on a sob.
“Stop putting on airs!” Rack snarled. “Talking all proper. Trying to sound like Johnnie. You’re not him, idiot.”
Joey laughed, the sound echoing in the falling dusk and drowning out Christopher’s tears.
“Now, get in there like the fucking dog you are.”
Rack’s blow to Christopher’s gut sent him reeling backward.
“In the morning, let that miserable fuckhead out,” Rack instructed once the shed door was locked.
“What about Holmes?” Joey was having second thoughts about disposing of him.
“Just let Christopher out, fuckhead. Don’t look in. I’ll deal with Holmes myself after lunch. I’m visiting my woman.”
At dawn, Joey walked a whore to the gate and let her out himself. Talbot was on gate duty, but accepted Joey’s bribe to look the other way.
Instead of going back inside, he veered off down the pathway and headed to the meatshack. Once he removed the padlock, he pushed open the door. The smell walloped Joey.
“You shit on yourself?” Joey asked, sniggering and covering his nose with his hand.
Christopher staggered out. “Go in and find out.”
“I’m smarter than you’ll ever be. You won’t get me in there and lock me in.”
Instead of answering, Christopher bowed his head and started off. Joey locked the door and rushed behind Christopher, who walked to the gate and asked Talbot to let him out.
As the first rays of sun broke through dawn, Christopher shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, bowed his head, and started toward the main thoroughfare, a solitary figure with no friends and no home. Joey laughed in glee.
Hours later, Big Joe and K-P returned, intercepting Rack on his way to the meatshack. Unfortunately, he’d appointed Joey lookout since members were already asking about the whereabouts of both Holmes and Christopher. Rack worried if someone discovered Holmes’s body, they’d assume Christopher was dead and call Big Joefirst. His disappearance would be considered club business because Big Joe had taken responsibility for him.
Big Joe snatched the padlock key from Rack, handed it to K-P, and nodded toward the shed.
A moment later, K-P entered the metal structure. “Holy fuck. Joe!”
Grave blue eyes watered, and Big Joe heaved in a breath. “Christopher is missing—”
“Joe!”
Swallowing, Big Joe made his way forward. “Wait here.”
Since he didn’t give the order to either Rack or Joey, they both froze. When Big Joe walked out, he held a note in one hand and a head in the other. Joey might’ve been frightened at his father’s fury, if he hadn’t screamed at the sight of Holmes’s head.
“Joe, I can explain—” Rack started.
Ice froze Dad’s gaze. “I’d shut the fuck up if I were you, Rack.”
He slammed the head against Joey’s chest. Rearing back, Joey allowed it to fall to the ground. He vomited.
“Get rid of the fucking body, Joey. Thepiecesof the fucking body. Holmes was a good man!”
“Dad, no! Please!”
“If you don’t find Christopher and get him back to the club, you’ll be in smaller pieces than Holmes, Rack,” Big Joe snarled, holding up the piece of paper, then shoving it in the pocket of his cut.
Smaller pieces?“Holmes’s body was intact, Dad,” Joey said. “What—”
