Page 93 of Relentles
“I’m not. You said you’d help me.”
“I’d saidyou’dhelpMegan. I ain’t doin’ shit if she ain’t agreein’.”
“Outlaw—”
“Listen up, you got some fuckin’ choices to make, Torie. I want to help you so your kid have a future. If Megan don’t have a place for you, I was goin’ to try to set you up with a good motherfucker.”
“What? I’m not a whore.”
“Ain’t said you were. I just like to have options. You thinkin’ about tryna fuck over Megan fast limitin’ those possibilities. As a matter of fuckin’ fact, the only reason I’m still considerin’ the shit is for your kid.”
“You’re in pain and in need of a break. We’re friends. I’m not trying to ruin your marriage. I’m just trying to take care of myself.”
Done trying to reason with her, Christopher shrugged. “Megan’s my number one priority. If you can’t handle that, and if you don’t fuckin’ try to stop gettin’ dick from me, you won’t be workin’ here much longer.”
He hadn’t even gotten around to telling her he’d gotten her a pay raise and a promotion at the hospital just as he’d promised last night. He wouldn’t, either. If she didn’t get some fucking sense into her head, he’d see to it that it was reversed.
She gasped. “You know I’m a single mother. You’d have me fired?”
“You fuckin’ with this, Torie,” he said, wiggling the finger with his wedding band. “You fuck with my wife. I fuck up your life. Case fuckin’ closed.”
“I see.”
He hoped she did. He’d have to assign one of the brothers to sit in full view of the nursery. He had two assigned to each hallway that led here, but he didn’t want to take his chances. Spurned girls turned into psycho cunts on a dime.
As fucked up in the head as he was, he hoped he made the right decision to not have her removed immediately.
She had her boy to thank for that. He would’ve given anything to have had someone rescue him and his ma from Logan and Elmira Donovan’s abuse.
No matter what Christopher said about not wanting another baby, she’d heard him in his own words saying otherwise. He’d meant it, too.
The sound of his voice, his tormented tone, on Johnnie’s recording replayed in Meggie’s head in an endless loop.
She hadn’t lied when she’d said she was tired of having babies. She was. Although she’d wanted another daughter and planned to have another baby before she turned forty, she hadn’t meant to end up pregnant with Jo.
Each time she made a firm decision and accepted it, something threw her for a loop, and it usually involved Johnnie.
This time, though, he had irrefutable proof.
Every word Christopher spoke ripped out a part of her soul. She needed a clear head to focus on Jo and the surgeriesshe faced, but knowing how unhappy her reproductive abilities made Christopher absolutely crushed her. One crisis was bad enough. Jo’s medical emergencies and Christopher’s desire for another baby and a normal pregnancy stole her energy, her appetite, and her reasoning.
After she’d listened and stood in Johnnie’s room in speechless horror, she’d sobbed in misery. His reaching for her brought her back to her senses and she’d run from his room. Somehow, she’d managed to wipe away her tears, make it to the bathroom, and throw up.
As she knew they would be, her sisters-in-law were waiting for her. While Christopher was at the club the evening before, she’d called them in a group chat and revealed the news about Jo. She’d asked them not to tell the kids until Christmas night or the day after Christmas.
Roxy hadn’t wanted to leave Molly, promising she’d visit the hospital if Knox got home early enough. Meggie had had it all worked out in her head.
She prayed as hard as she ever had for Jo’s complete recovery. She’d alsoacceptedher decision to have the hysterectomy. It wasn’t only her life and death, but any baby she carried as well.
The children she already had needed her full attention and optimal health. She had a responsibility not to traumatize them. Childbearing didn’t comprise her identity. She had other accomplishments, other interests and, most importantly, the love and support of her family. Especially Christopher. Her decision would relieve him.
It had. Once he had time to himself and returned home, they talked. As they always did. Just him and her sharing secrets and whispering sweet nothings.
Johnnie said that Christopher hadn’t told her the truth because he didn’t want to upset her further. He begged her not to hold it against Christopher since he was only protecting her.
Johnnie shouldn’t have said anything right now. If ever. He could’ve allowed her some peace until after Jo’s surgery. But he wouldn’t even give her peace this evening.
CJ, Diesel, and Tabitha took Axel, Ryder, and Ransom outside because her three younger boys were going stir crazy. Rule decided to go with them, leaving Meggie with Rebel and Gunner.
