Page 203 of Relentles
“I swore heknewme, even though I’ve never seen him in my life.”
“Don’t worry, Kendall,” Johnnie said quietly. “If you see him again, call me and I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
“It was odd that he didn’t have a name on his cut. OnlyPresident.”
Definitely motherfucking Bash.
She stopped in front of him and lifted a brow, waiting for Johnnie to elaborate.
As much as he’d tried, Johnnie couldn’t figure out how to unentangle Megan—and thus Kendall—from the machinations of their fathers. Because, fuck it all, Big Joe put everything in Megan’s name, knowingly placing her in danger.
No wonder the motherfucker stayed one step ahead of death. He knew how to run the club and bring in tons of money, whilekeeping fuckheads in line. And, yet, he’d owned not a goddamn thing.
Everything belonged to Megan.
Sliding back onto his lap, Kendall brushed her lips over his. “I’m hungry, baby,” she said softly. She kissed him again. “If you haven’t joined us by the time we’re finished, I’ll bring you a tray.”
Taking her face between his hands, he stared at her, searching her eyes, studying her mouth, absorbing her scent. He kissed her again, never wanting to let her go. “I love you, Kendall. So much. More than words can ever express.”
Her smile tender, she thumbed his lips. “I know, Johnnie, and I love you. You and our children are my world. I would be so lost without you.”
His days away proved that. His heart hurt at just how fragile she looked and sounded.
He stole another kiss. Kendall could still beKendall. During those times, he lost his fucking mind, wanting to shake sense into her. Since the Naked Incident, she’d behaved. Sometimes, it was still hard for him to wrap his head around that fucking day.
Two days earlier, he’d met Brooks at the airport for a red eye to Salt Lake City to hand over another exorbitant amount of cash to Bash. He’d returned in the middle of Kendall rushing to get to Megan and Christopher to deal with Rebel.
As much as Kendall appreciated Megan, deep down she was still vulnerable because of the way Johnnie once felt about her. Back home after Mattie and Rebel’s fight, he’d purposely made out-of-pocket comments about Megan. Once, Kendall would’ve gotten angry at her. This time, her fury had been directed at him. She hadn’t appreciated the pressure he put on Mattie, and she wanted to fuck him up for telling her if Megan was his wife, he would’ve found a way for her to stop having babies.He’d mentioned something about being Rebel’s father as well,but it was the comment of him being Megan’s husband that set Kendall off.
She hadn’t spoken to him for the rest of the evening. Then, as they’d driven their three oldest kids to school the next morning, they’d gotten into another argument.
He still wanted to praise Mattie for giving Rebel a much-deserved beatdown. He wanted to tell her how gorgeous she’d looked at the dinner party Megan held the other night.
If he survived, one day he would. He wanted to apologize to Rory for taking him into the meatshack as a tenth birthday present. That obtuseness had nothing to do with Bash. Just an overeagerness to teach his son the ways of the club.
Just as before, he’d gone to Bash. Today, Bash came to him. Either before he met with Johnnie in Portland or after, he’d decided to fuck with Kendall.
He was so fucking sorry he hadn’t gone to Christopher. If he could turn back the hands of time to when Brooks first called him about Bash, he would.
Regret was miserable company.
Johnnie tucked hair behind Kendall’s ear. His brown eyed girl. His gorgeous wife. The vulnerability in her gaze made him feel even lower.
“The kids can eat together and I’ll bring our food in here,” Kendall offered, wrapping him in her arms and resting her head on his shoulder. “We don’t have to talk. We can play your favorite Country music station and eat in companionable silence. There’s a new red wine I bought that I’m dying for us to try.”
Tangling his fingers through her hair, Johnnie grinned. “How can you eat poison, but still drink alcohol, gorgeous?”
She laughed. “There are medicinal properties in wine. Besides, alcohol is made from harvested crops. No animals suffer.”
He nosed her hair. “Did you purchase vegan wine, sweetheart?”
“Vegan wine?”
“Unless your wine is vegan, most wines are processed using animal products.”
“No!” She tipped her head back to narrow her eyes. “You’re fucking with me.”
“Am not!” Johnnie countered. “Look it up.”
