Page 86 of Relentles
“If they bring those two a fuckin’ six pack, you don’t need a fuckin’ booby trap, Axel,” Daddy said, not pointing out their lives were on the line if they repeated their fuckedupness. To save her nose, Rebel still avoided that area.
Maybe, it was her imagination, but she swore the scent of pig shit wafted to her the moment she touched the bottom floor from the back staircase.
“Uh huh,” Axel insisted. “They are dickheads, Dad. I need the booby trap for the next event.”
Securing Gunner on her hip, Rebel wrapped an arm around Axel and hugged him. The other two put him up to all kinds of shit. Even though he’d kicked her when she’d told him she wouldn’t bake those cookies, she still felt sorry for him.
“Listen, bud. If those two fuckheads kill you, I promise I will behead them and throw their headless corpses in the fucking desert for vultures to pick apart.”
“Fuck, Reb,” CJ said, walking up to her with a beer of his own. “That’s kind of fucking vicious.”
“Didn’t I say that bitch was ferocious?” Ransom glared at Rebel. “Except I don’t appreciate it when it’s directed at me.”
Releasing Axel, Rebel shook her head and shifted Gunner to her other hip. He was a solid little kid, deadweight when she held him for too long. “Listen up, you fucking little felons in the making, stop fucking with me and I won’t fuck with you.”
CJ handed Rebel his bottle of beer, now half full, then reclaimed Gunner and settled him around his neck. “What’s up, Dad? Why are we here? I know the party has been moved to the rooms because Rebel came with you.”
“I’ve been makin’ calls, son. We all spend Christmas Eve openin’ gifts, but I ain’t too sure how happy your ma would be with us at the house and Jo in the hospital. I had to make sure my extra donations reached the board members and shit since Hortensia General not a fuckin’ hotel.”
“Dad, do you know you ramble a lot in your old age?” Ryder called.
Ransom nodded in agreement. “Yeah, dude, what does this all have to do with why we’re here?”
“I can beat them for you, Daddy,” Rebel said gleefully.
“No, baby, you need to stop fuckin’ thinkin’ you can beat every motherfucker around. We’re not always goin’ to be around to protect you.”
“It could’ve turned really bad with Bash,” Rule said, staring at her with meaning.
Rebel drained the bottle of beer CJ gave her. “It didn’t. I promise I will take more care until I have my own gun.”
“You want to shoot a fucking gun, Rebel?” Diesel asked with incredulity. “Aunt Meggie doesn’t like guns.”
His views on women endangered his life. Let him keep fucking with her about a woman’s role.
“Do I look like my mom, Dee?” she asked, slamming the empty bottle on the bar.
“Yes,” her brothers chorused, along with a few of the bikers.
Daddy shrugged. “They fuckin’ right, baby. You look just like your ma.”
“I walked right into that one,” she sighed.
CJ wrapped an arm around her neck and hugged her close to him. “You did, Reb.”
“Reb?” Axel called.
Though he sounded sweet, Rebel was still suspicious. Axel, Ryder, and Ransom were miserable little fuckheads that loved chaos. “What, big head?”
“If another motherfucker ever hurts you, we’ll make them bleed.Wemight want to stomp your stomach, but nobody else can do it.”
“I’m fucking touched, Axel,” Rebel said, laughing in spite of herself because of CJ’s chuckles.
“Efuckinuff,” Daddy yelled, finally reaching the end of his patience. “We spendin’ the night at Hortensia General with Jo. Your ma already there. Diesel, I already sent Tabitha on her way. I forgot the sack of presents at the house, so take Rebel, Rule, and CJ in your Benz.”
“No!” Gunner cried. “Want Web.”
“I’ll ride with you and Gunner, Daddy,” Rebel volunteered meekly. “I’ll go to the house and get the gift bag. Can I have another beer while I walk there?”
