Chapter 39 – Rebel #2
“She’d be very upset to hear you say that and to think you need to alter the trajectory of your life because of how hers is. Or isn’t.”
“I don’t want her to be upset. I’m trying to protect her.”
“Aunt Meggie didn’t fight for your equality just so you’d feel as if you were required to do anything to protect her at your own expense. She wants you to be free to live your life as you see fit. Just like the boys.”
“I know. As for what I want to be? Uh, I-I want to be a-a-a, um, socialite. Have a schedule filled with, uh, social stuff. Shop. Travel. Have a beautiful house and throw lavish parties.”
Mattie sighed.
Rebel tipped her head back, her real true desire bouncing in her head.
“I admit I’m a little thrown by your new dream for your future.”
“It’s better than saying I want to be a party girl who spends her time shopping and traveling to exotic locations and going on adventures.”
“That sounds truer to who you are. An adventuress.”
Rebel agreed, but many socialites had a purpose, donating time and money to charitable causes.
“I once dreamed of owning my own bike shop, where I created custom rides. However, it’s been almost a year since Daddy brought me a fixer upper.
I don’t even know what happened to the one I’d been working on before me and him went to war. ”
“You were very good at rebuilding bikes,” Mattie said, ignoring the other part.
“Daddy taught me a lot.” She’d been quite young when he’d began his lessons. “I miss that.”
“I always thought he was so cool, letting you get all dirty and encouraging your ideas.”
“He was.” Uncle Mort and Harley sometimes joined them, but Uncle Johnnie and Mattie never did. “Maybe, we’ll start again.”
Mattie nodded. “You aren’t the only one who wants to be a part of the club, Reb.
I do, too. Just because we’re girls doesn’t mean we didn’t live and breathe the club every day.
It gets into your psyche. But I’m good with computers and cyber.
The club needs that. The boys have told CJ what he should and shouldn’t do. Why can’t we?”
“I know you want to do surveillance and hacking.”
“I have an entire plan now. We have to get some of the boys onboard because they’ll be the club members.
Cyber is different from investigations and background checks, and very hands on.
The brothers might not want anyone but club members surveilling and hacking, so I’ll own the company and head everything and I’ll have some of the members work for me. ”
“I like that idea.”
Mattie squirmed. “My first recruit will be Ryan.” At Rebel’s lifted brow, she flushed. “For obvious reasons.”
Yep, none of which they needed to get into since he’d used his skills to fuck them over. “What does he plan to major in, though, Matt?”
“Dunno,” Mattie admitted. “But as far as I know only Axel has college plans. All the other boys are focused on joining the club.”
Her plans were well and good, but Rebel worried that her cousin was evading what happened to discuss stuff that was months, no years, in the future.
Putting an arm around Mattie’s shoulders, Rebel said, “Tell me about now. How are you?”
“I’m fine,” Mattie insisted.
“Do you just not want to talk about it?”
“I’ve moved past it. I always do. For me, there’s no time to dwell on that stuff, Reb.”
“Okay.” She dropped her arm. “If you need to talk, I’m here.”
“Same,” Mattie said quietly. “You aren’t alone.”
“Okay,” she repeated and pursed her lips, thinking of someone who was alone. “Have you talked to Harley?”
“She’s inside,” Mattie said. “I asked her to come outside with me, but she knew where I was going and figured you wouldn’t want her company.”
Rebel didn’t necessarily want Harley around but they needed to band together to help each other.
“The idea of death…I never considered it. I’m young and healthy, which is a completely wrong way to look at life.
You let dumb shit interfere with forgiveness, kindness, and fairness.
I’m human, though. I loved Harley as much as I love you.
We were friends. More than cousins, we were sisters.
I don’t want to trust her again and she stops caring. ”
“The three of us have been through so much. I know how much Harley hurt all of us, but we need each other now,” Mattie insisted, echoing Rebel’s thoughts, just as she once did. So had Harley because they’d been so in sync with each other. “She needs us now. She looks so, so sad, Reb.”
“Fine, Matt. Text her and tell her to come outside.”
“I left my phone at home.”
“I want a cigarette, so I’ll get her and borrow one from CJ or Ryan.”
She started to stand but Mattie grabbed her hand.
“I’ll go. Winnie is looking for you and if she sees you, you’ll have to bring her with you. This is big cousin talk.”
Rebel groaned. “Just more evidence that I shouldn’t have children.” Besides her fear of pregnancy. “Boys are monsters and girls are crybabies.”
“That isn’t true,” Mattie disagreed, standing. “Your brothers are creative and Winnie is, uh, emotional. We weren’t crybabies.”
“We have strong mothers, Winnie has Aunt Ophelia.”
Laughing, Mattie shook her head. “Be right back,” she said, darting back into the house and leaving Rebel alone with her thoughts.
A guy using forearm crutches limped from around the side of the house.
The outside was well-lit, allowing Rebel to see his face.
He was handsome with black hair, a swarthy complexion and hazel eyes.
Something about him reminded her of CJ, although she thought her brother was much better looking, even as attractive as the stranger was.
Grunting, he walked closer, halted, and stared at her, his gaze touching upon every point of her face, then studying her lips. She lifted a brow.
“You’re Rebel.”
“Am I?”
A small smile tipped his mouth. “I’m almost certain you are. There’s a blonde inside and you look just like her. Meggie. She has a daughter.”
She had daughters, but Rebel wouldn’t correct him. “Who the fuck’s asking?” she snapped, tired of the game.
Anger swept over his face. “Tio.”
“The moment I saw your broken ass, I should’ve known,” she responded. “You’re my cousin and the dickhead Diesel beat to within an inch of his life.”
“You’re very fucking reckless with your words,” he barked. “I don’t like disrespectful cunts, even if yours is so pretty.”
Rebel recoiled. He’d seen one of her videos. That knowledge stole her voice and deepened her shame, until it became a dull ache, low in her belly.
He grinned, but it was mean and evil. He wanted to make her cry and to humiliate her. “Willard showed me. Do you want me to tell you my favorite video?”
Before Rebel responded, Mattie guided Harley outside, but they both halted at the sight of Tio and the anger marring his face. He stared at Mattie and his breath hitched.
She clutched Harley, who gripped Mattie just as fiercely.
Rebel got to her feet and planted herself in front of her cousins. “Leave us alone,” she ordered.
“Who’s the red head?”
“Uncle Johnnie’s daughter,” Rebel said flatly.
“Mattie?” he breathed.
“Younger than me.”
“Tio!”
At the sound of Mr. Hottie McThottie’s voice—aka Easton DeLuca—Tio growled.
“Get the fuck inside and leave our cousins alone.”
“Make me, Pounder,” Tio spat. “We’re just having a conversation.”
Pounder? Gross. Rebel preferred her nickname to his road name.
“Is that true, Rebel?” Easton asked.
“It was a fucking forced conversation,” Rebel said. She needed to get her bearings again. Just knowing Tio saw her…God, that meant he’d probably seen Mattie and Harley, too. “I didn’t want to talk to him.”
“You’re in my fucking way. I couldn’t be rude.”
“But you can be dead,” Easton snapped. “I saw you walk out. Diesel was otherwise occupied. He will fucking kill you this time.”
Fear and hesitation crossed Tio’s face, before he spat. “Fuck Diesel.”
“I dare you to say that to his face,” Rebel said. Whatever else Diesel was, he had a reputation for vicious brutality.
“I’ll say that and more to him.”
Easton sighed. “Bash wants peace, you arrogant little motherfucker. Don’t ruin it because you end up getting yourself killed. Leave our cousins alone, which, by the way, they all are.”
Tio stared at her, then walked so close to her that his body brushed hers. When he thrust his face into hers, Easton cursed. Behind her, Mattie and Harley squeaked. Rebel lifted her chin and held her ground.
It crossed her mind to shove him and throw him off-balance.
But she didn’t want to find out the consequences of those actions.
Besides, Easton was right. They were there because the two clubs had reached a peace agreement, and Daddy was trying to accept his long-lost brother and sister into the family.
Peace meant life would be good again with no chance of Daddy losing his mind and Momma leaving.
“Get the fuck inside, Tio,” Easton ordered.
He gave Rebel another vicious smile and half-turned. “Until the next time,” he said, and limped toward Easton.
Rebel turned to Mattie and Harley. Not knowing what to say because she was shaken up too, she opted for a group hug. For the hundred thousandth time, she reminded herself that she was fine and that Mattie and Harley had suffered much more than she had.
“Let’s sit.” She pointed to the edge of the landing where Mattie first found her. “I hope dinner is served soon.”
“Me, too.” Mattie cleared her throat. When she spoke again, she almost sounded normal. “I’m hungry.”
Once they sat with Rebel between Mattie and Harley, she grabbed both their hands. “Together again.”
“Yeah,” Harley said. “I know you probably don’t believe me, but I’m so sorry for everything I did.”