Page 65 of Relentles
Becauseeverymotherfucker wanted to talk to him, it took them almost twenty minutes to reach the table, where Johnnie already sat. The motherfucker looked pale and lonely.
Christopher didn’t give a fuck. “Let’s go in my office, Skip.”
“You got it, Prez.”
In his office, with the door closed and beers in hand, Christopher leaned back in his chair. “I got a job for you and your boys.”
Skip gulped beer, then set the bottle on the desk, and folded his arms. “Hit me.”
“The motherfuckin’ Scorps have a chapter in Utah. It’s like they’re in the middle of a fuckin’ desert out of range of GPS because Stretch can’t fuckin’ find them anywhere.”
Christopher couldn’t wait for Riley to get the fuck home.
“We have deserts close by, Outlaw. I can definitely look. If we find something, what do you want me to do?”
Christopher finished his beer. “Fuck, surveil, as long as you got cover. I don’t want to alert them to our presence or lose anybody. If it’s too fuckin’ dangerous to keep a fuckin’ eye on them, map how the fuck to get there and send me the information.”
Digging into his cut, Christopher got his set of keys, found the one he needed and unlocked the big drawer on the left side. He pulled out a wad of hundreds, set it on the desk, and slid it to Skip. “Yours.” He pulled out two more. “Divide amongst however many motherfuckers you put on the job.”
While Christopher secured his desk drawer, Skip stood and stuffed the cash into the interior pockets of his leather jacket.
“Me and the boys who made the trip here with me, planned to leave New Year’s Day. Should we change our itinerary and hit the road tonight?”
“It can wait,” Christopher said. Jo’s heart surgery would be done by then. They’d know… “Keep me updated,” he said in dismissal, nodding toward the door.
A minute later, he was alone. Before he could enjoy it, the opening door brought in Johnnie.
“Get the fuck out,” Christopher ordered.
Of course the motherfucker didn’t fucking listen. Heneverfucking listened. Kendall’s psycho cuntness had jumped from her to Johnnie.
“Kendall doesn’t want me to come home,” he said morosely. “She’s angry with me.”
“I am, too, so shut the fuck up and get the fuck out,” he repeated.
Arm in sling, Johnnie trudged to the chair Skip had sat in and plopped into it.
“How the fuckget the fuck outturn into yousittin’ the fuck down?”
“We’re family. My injuries should be a concern.”
“To me or her?”
“Both. Everyone. Only Rory and JJ have come to see me. No one else. Not Mattie. Not Kendall. Not Meggie.”
“It’s up toyourbitch whether she want to visit you.Mybitch at home sufferin’ cuz Jo’s real sick and need two surgeries.” Clenching his jaw, Christopher willed the sick feeling to go away. Hewilledthe fear and the wetness in his eyes to leave him. “Of all the fuckin’ news I was expectin’ during her update, it wasn’tthat.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his heart broken. “She’s such a small girl.”
A moment passed. Johnnie fucked with his cell phone and set it on the desk. Not that Christopher cared.
“I’m so sorry,” Johnnie said finally.
“Me, too,” Christopher admitted, his heart twisting in his chest. “I wish I could stay away from my wife. Do the rhythm thing ‘cuz if one fuckin’ thing come up, she forget her pills or to go in for her appointment for her shots when she switch to them.” Resting his elbows on his desk, he covered his face. He drew in another breath, dropped his hands and hung his head. “This shit tearin’ my heart the fuck out. I wish she never got pregnant again.” The admission made him feel like a fuckhead. His next left him feeling ever lower. “Or I wish she could have a normal pregnancy. Her complications not her fault. Neither are her pregnancies. That’s all on me.”
“She’ll be fine. She’ll have a hysterectomy; Jo will survive.”
He wanted to believe that so fucking bad. Megan and Jo had to come out on the other side of this. However, he could get them he didn’t care. As long as they were alive.
Johnnie leaned back and glanced toward the hallway, toward the open door. Insulation in the walls protected them from most of the noise, though a small amount still filtered in.
