Page 116 of Relentles
Rebel knew he’d be pissed. She still didn’t care. Not while her mother was still recovering and so terribly fragile, Uncle Johnnie was a predator, and her father an idiot.
“If I told him, you wouldn’t be so high and mighty.”
Folding her arms, Rebel leaned back in her chair. “Then by all means, call him. Tell him.”
Indecision tore across the nurse’s face. If she’d had any doubts about who her father was texting the other night, she had irrefutable proof now. Torie had Daddy’s private number, proven when she pulled out her phone, turned it to Rebel to reveal the familiar digits and sent a text.
A shitty day turned shittier. Fury and betrayal sliced through Rebel, and she wanted to spit and cry. However, she wouldn’t give Torie the satisfaction.
Torie’s eyes lit up at the alert on her phone. “He’s on his way down.”
Grant bit into his last slice of pizza. “You know, Reb, Torie is Jo’s main nurse,” he reasoned around a mouthful of food. “She probably has his number to keep him updated.”
Rebel knew the exact moment her father walked in. Electricity charged the room and expectation hung in the air. He wasn’t wearing the spurs on his motorcycle boots today, but it didn’t matter. His powerful presence commanded attention.
He zeroed in on her. She lifted her chin. He responded to each greeting; he didn’t stop to talk, however. Reaching the table, he glared at her.
“What the fuck you’re doin’ for Torie to threaten to call in the badges?”
“Dude,” Grant said, lifting a brow at Torie.
“Torie,” Diesel chided.
Like Uncle Johnnie, Torie was another bitch on her kill list. “Bitch,” she snarled.
“Enough, Rebel,” Daddy yelled, bringing the cafeteria to a complete standstill. “I told you you’re respectin’ adults or I’m beatin’ your ass. You’re respectin’meand my decisions.”
Rebel jumped to her feet. “When your decisions are jacked-up, fuck-faced decisions,nothe fuck I’m not, Daddy.”
“Diesel, take her the fuck home before I choke the fuck out of her.” Daddy turned to Torie. “Thanks for callin’ me.”
Diesel stood and smiled at Rebel. “Come on, sweetheart,” he said, not allowing Rebel to hear whatever Torie was telling her father.
No one blinked an eye. Cheaters, the lot of them. It wasn’t up to any of the brothers to stay faithful tohermother except Daddy. Obviously, he no longer wanted that position.
She’d resigned herself to keeping the secret, so she wouldn’t destroy her mother’s little remaining sanity. But this was toomuch. Everyone knew. It was betrayal and mockery at the deepest level.
She stalked past her father.
“Rebel.”
She ignored him.
Daddy caught up to her and spun her around. “Rebel, you not lookin’ at me with such disrespect,” Daddy said. “If you want to keep that fuckin’ debit card.”
Rebel dug in her jacket pocket and yanked out the card, tossing it to him. It bounced off his chest. “I will tell Mommaexactlywhy the fuck you took it from me.”
“For stoppin’ Torie and startin’ your bullshit—”
“For stopping…?” Rebel gasped, suddenly so livid she not only saw red, butbloodred, and all of it escaping Torie’s body. It was the culmination of a devastating month, compounded by a few fucked-up weeks prior.
“Rebel—” Diesel said a moment before she launched herself on Torie and punched that bitch right the fuck in her mouth for spouting such fucking lies.
Torie’s return punch shocked Rebel, but if she wanted a fucking fight, that’s what she’d fucking get. They rolled, knocking over chairs and tables, and throwing punches.
Hands grabbed her and Rebel struck, punching whoever the fuck was trying to hold her back.
“Ouch, fuck!” Daddy said.
