Page 56 of Relentles
Johnnie hadn’t noticed Tabitha leaving, but she was gone.
“Uncle Christopherwill kill youif you help Tabitha and she’s setting up a trap for Aunt Meggie.”
“Tabitha is harmless, son,” Johnnie said gruffly, wishing he could turn back the clock and undo all the damage he’d inflicted on Rory.
“Aunt Meggie doesn’t like her.Aunt Meggie. Let that sink in. She likes everybody.”
“Megan is territorial. She probably dislikes Tabitha because of Diesel.” Johnnie struggled to his feet. Instead of helping, Rory merely watched, arms folded. “I need to piss.”
“Uncle Mort sent morphine and an antibiotic. He told me how to administer it. But you have to eat.”
Johnnie nodded. “Tell Mort I’ll pay him.”
“Mom already did.”
A smile curved Johnnie’s mouth.
“Don’t, Dad. You’re putting Mom through a lot. When Diesel brought Brooks to the house last night, it pissed her off so much, she didn’t even want to come and check on you. Stop. Okay? Just fucking stop! You are going to get fucking killed and it’ll devastate Mom. Despite what a fucking dickhead you’ve become, it’ll destroy me, Mattie, and JJ.”
“Son,” Johnnie said quietly, “you don’t understand—”
“I understand perfectly,” Rory said bitterly. “Go take a fucking piss, then come back and tell me when you intend to tell Uncle Christopher about Aunt Meggie owning this fucking club and Bash wanting her dead.”
Chapter Eight - CJ
He’d just recently started shaving on a regular basis.
CJ had known the basics by watching his father countless times over the years, but Dad still assisted him on his first shave a few months ago and stood guard for several weeks as CJ performed the task himself.
Now, he knew what to do, so after eating breakfast with Grant, Lolly and Pop and briefing them on Molly’s current state, he went home to shower and shave before heading to the kitchen for a glass of juice.
Ryder, Ransom, and Axel stood in front of the island. At first, their wretched bodies blocked his view. Seeing the ketchup bottle, he stepped next to Axel. The moment he did, Ransom slammed his hand on a puddle of ketchup and sent it flying in all directions. A good bit landed on CJ’s white T-shirt. A dollop landed in his eye, and he snapped both shut.
“You little fuckheads!” CJ yelled, blindly reaching for one of the clean napkins he’d seen.
“Here, bro,” Ransom said.
The soggy napkin landed in his hand. “Give me a clean one or I’m fucking all three of you up.”
“It is clean, CJ,” Axel said. “That’s water.”
Not trusting the little motherfucker, CJ opened his good eye. He had a fucking quirk about his ears and eyes. He couldn’t tend to one without seeing to the other even if it was unnecessary, so he closed his good eye again. The moment he did, something splatted against his cheek and stuck to his skin.
His brothers roared with laughter.
He didn’t want to lose his temper. It wasn’t their fault he wasn’t in the best mood. Juvenile delinquency shone on their horizon, so this behavior was par for the course.
Huffing and reminding himself how heartbroken Mom would be if he fucked up three of her sons, CJ swiped the napkin over his eyes. Immediately, the heaviness of the oil coated his eyelids and forehead.
Growling, he swiped his eyes with the backs of his head. He was a fuckhead for not doing that in the first place. He could’ve just blinked the rest of the shit away. The ketchup eye stung, but he’d survive. When he peeled away whatever was on his cheek, he realized it was the napkin that Ryder had pounded.
Ignoring his glare, his brothers laughed harder.
The door slammed open, revealing Rebel covered inflour. “I’m fucking you three little motherfuckers up,” she snarled, but Mom’s scream halted her advance.
Forgetting everything, the five of them raced out of the kitchen, turning right to run deeper into the house and down the east hallway, arriving at the end just as Dad found her in the breezeway toward that branched off to the central hallway and outside.
The horrendous smell hit CJ first and he halted. Next, he stared at Mom, dripping…shit. She was so covered in it, CJ didn’t recognize either her face or her blonde hair.
