Page 140 of Relentles
All CJ’s amusement fled, and he rubbed his brow. “I hope Molly doesn’t end up the same way.” He closed his eyes, his stomach turning at the thought. “At least we found her mom. She’ll be dumped and forgotten.”
“How did Harris even know Molly was there?” Rory’s question cut through the heavy silence. “He had to have been tipped off.”
“By who?” CJ finished his cigarette and discarded it much as Ryan had done with his. “Tom is in Bash’s pocket—”
The moment the words left his mouth, he snapped his gaze to Ryan and jumped to his feet. “You motherfucker.”
“I didn’t do anything, CJ. I’m worried about her, too.”
Ryan never tried to appease CJ. That he did now revealed what the motherfucker did. Guilt written on his face, he scrambled from the stool.
“I’m fucking you up and restraining you in this fucking chair until she comes back,” CJ swore, prevented from reaching Ryan because of Rory jumping in front of him.
“What’s going on in here?” Diesel asked, guiding Rule inside. “There’s no fucking fighting or emotion allowed in here. You have to be focused and dispassionate.”
“Wh-what are you doing here?” Ryan stuttered, staring at Rule in wide-eyed fear.
Rule raised the bible. “I’m here to pray as judgment is handed out.”
Neither Diesel or Rule bothered to close the door behind them, allowing wintry air to sweep through the building. Just as CJ started to remedy that, Dad ushered in a naked man at gunpoint.
The financial advisor was a tall man with a shock of red hair and a face that had probably graced a high school yearbook as Prom King.
Outside, the doors to the van they’d used in this operation slammed, then a moment later his uncles came in. Once Uncle Val was in, he closed the door to the building.
“What do you want now?” Brett demanded.
The belligerence surprised CJ. He would’ve thought anyone in here as an enemy would beg for mercy.
Dad rolled his eyes. “I wantcha to play fuckin’ jumpin’ jacks.”
“Fuck you.”
Without flinching, Dad shot Brett’s right forearm.
CJ and Ryan jumped. Rule began to pray, unbothered by the financial advisor’s screams. They went through CJ and settled deep inside him.
“Brett, Brett, Brett,” Uncle Mort said, shaking his head in mock pity. He accepted a cigarette from Uncle Johnnie. “If I was you, I would be real nice to Prez.”
Brett panted. “What do you want with me? I didn’t do anything. I don’t know you people.”
“Us people?” Uncle Johnnie said, his eyes wide. “Did you hear that Val?”
“Yep, John Boy.”
Rule fell silent, the fervor in his and Rory’s eyes alarming.
Uncle Digger sucked on his teeth. “Motherfucker sound like he think he better than us.”
Diesel lifted a brow, comfortable in this death chamber. Shockingly so. “Is that the case, Brett?”
“Ain’t you met him, Mort?” Dad asked, aiming his gun at various areas of Brett’s body.
Uncle Mort walked over and blew smoke in Brett’s face, then leaned back in squinted. “Not too sure, Prez. Helooklike a motherfucker I warned to stay away from Meggie girl.” He slapped his hand against the financial advisor’s cheek, harder than necessary. “That motherfucker looked like he had a brain.Youjust look like a dumb fuckhead.”
“That was three or four years ago. I haven’t seen her since.”
Dad shot Brett’s right shoulder. At his agonized howl, CJ flinched.
