Page 139 of Relentles
His heart sinking, he yanked open the bathroom door. It was clean and spotless, too.
“No, no, no.” Turning, he ran to the nurse’s station.
Nell smiled at him. She was in her mid to late twenties, with big brown eyes and a heart-shaped face. When Mom was in the hospital, she was one of the handpicked nurses to look after her.
“Hey, CJ—”
“Where’s Molly?” He hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye or to tell her he’d call her as much as possible and text her every day. “I didn’t know they were planning on transferring her to LA today.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I can’t believe my aunts just took her. Does Ryan know? Did he—”
The confusion on her face shut him up.
“I haven’t seen Zoann, Bailey, Kendall, Bunny, or Ophelia.”
Bewilderment slid into him. “My mom or Lolly?”
“No.” Nell sat in her chair and typed on her keyboard, looking at the screen. “A man named Tom Harris checked her out early this morning. Her father took her.”
Chapter Twenty - CJ
Two days before Dad’s birthday party, CJ waited in the meatshack with Rory and Ryan. CJ sat in a chair with hand and ankle restraints, while Ryan sat on the opposite side of the room in front of a wall of doors, cabinets, a sink, and a counter. Rory leaned against the autopsy table, almost giddy with anticipation.
The meatshack, more like an outbuilding with windows, ventilation, AC, ceiling hooks, and seats, had loomed large for CJ’s entire life. Its existence was a fabled part of Dweller lore. The privileged few allowed to interrogate and punish in heredidn’t give away the secrets of these four walls. One had to be deemed “ready” to even set foot inside the building.
But how could anyone prepare for torture and death?
For the past week, he’d been in on more club life than he ever had. The women who wanted bikers despite their old ladies. The schemes those same bikers engaged in to prevent disaster. The power the club had to move mountains and quell fires.
The ability to avenge wives and daughters. Most of it revolved around intense strategizing.
Part of the reason CJ was allowed in on the plans was because it was more personal than club related and Mom still wasn’t happy with him, so Dad brought him to the club whenever he went.
He’d tried to talk his father into letting him accompany the men on their mission to scoop up Brett, but he declined.
“One wrong move gettin’ us killed or arrested, CJ,” Dad said. “You got to have a clear head.”
At the moment, CJ certainly didn’t. He couldn’t stop thinking of Molly and worrying about her safety. He feared receiving news of her death. He hadn’t even gone to the New Year’s Eve party. He didn’t want to do anything other than find Molly.
Dad awakened him this morning and told him today was the big day. Brett would be put out of his misery. CJ hadn’t thought beyond avenging his mother and his little sister. Now, he didn’t know if he was mentally prepared for this.
“Here.” Rory handed CJ a cigarette, then turned and gave another one to Ryan. Once he got one for himself, he lit all three. “I would give anything to be there.”
Ryan glanced between him and Rory. “Do you think…” He swallowed. “Do you think there’ll be a lot of blood?”
“If he’s still alive, they’ll make him bleed before he dies,” CJ reasoned. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the chair, hoping the cigarette calmed him.
“They could…they could poison him.”
CJ popped an eye open, took a drag on his cigarette, and exchanged an amused glance with Rory. “You sound scared, Ryan,” he observed, searching for an ashtray, but not finding one. He flicked ashes on the floor. “A big man like you should be used to blood.”
Ryan stiffened. “I am, cuck. I was just worried about you. I don’t want you fucking fainting. My pops knew I could handle it, so he insisted I come. You’re just here because your old man didn’t want to look bad.”
“Believe whatever the fuck you want,” CJ responded. “I don’t give a fuck.”
“That weirdo pretends he can handle it.” Ryan nodded to Rory. “I’ll bet he’s going to cry like a pussy.”
“At least I won’t fucking faint like one,” Rory said with a snort.
“Shut up, beta boy!” Ryan cried, throwing the cigarette to the floor and jumping to his feet to stomp it. “A fucking head with open eyes staring at you would’ve freaked you out, too!”
