Chapter Eight—CJ #5
“I’m going to move my hand. Okay? Get hold of yourself. You can’t blurt club business. I made a mistake when I did it. You don’t want to–”
“Don’t explain to her, CJ,” Diesel said flatly. “You’ve given your order and leave it at that.”
As upset as he was with Fia, he’d only wanted to let her know he’d made a mistake too. She deserved to know why he’d placed his hand over her mouth so rudely.
He dropped his hand from her mouth. “But–”
“Diesel’s right, CJ,” Ryan told him. He held no censure or animosity. “It’s how Outlaw keeps control.”
“Rebel might be on to something,” Mattie said in that timid tone she used when she feared rejection. “She can be the special enforcer for you. To take care of the club girls.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “That will be his old lady’s job, Mat,” he snorted.
“Not necessarily,” Mattie argued. “If Aunt Meggie had a special enforcer, things wouldn’t have progressed as far.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “You wouldn’t have to, er, whatever happened to Nyx if Rebel was there to beat the brakes off of them for their infractions.
“We’re getting off topic, sweetheart,” Diesel told Mattie. He transferred his hard gaze to CJ. “Again, discussions like these are done in private. No weakness and no surrender.”
Dejected, CJ sat down. He’d think about all the advice later, so he addressed Nyx’s friends. “I don’t know if Mom will trust any of you enough to accept your help,” CJ said, ignoring the chatter rising up.
“Meggie’s a good, kind, sweet woman.” Tauriel sniffled and wiped her cheeks. “We love her to death.”
Mattie snorted. Fia rushed around the table and threw her arms around his cousin. Usually, the club girls didn’t acknowledge Mattie.
“We love Meggie, Mattie,” Fia cried, blubbering like a baby and losing all her fucking dignity, tightening her hold on Mattie. “If Outlaw heard that snort, he would’ve killed us,” she said wildly. “He would think we don’t like his woman.”
“Bro,” Mattie said with disapproval, extricating herself from Fia. She leaned over and stole CJ’s napkins, then dabbed Fia’s cheeks. After, she stuffed the wet napkins in the pocket of Fia’s jacket.
“You’re so pretty, Mattie,” Tauriel said.
“Thank you,” Mattie responded with a regal nod of her head.
Tauriel, Fia, and Tennysee’s fall back to earth from their high horses amused CJ.
Tennysee grabbed Mattie’s hands. “We love Kendall and…and you, Mattie. You’re such a lady and you have the most magnificent red hair.
Just like Kendall. And…and…and b-beautiful skin.
And…and…and warm brown eyes. And…and…and we just adore Meggie and Rebel.
Just as much. Not more than you and Kendall.
Maybe, a little more but just because…We’re obsessed with Kendall and—”
“I’ll tell my mom.” Mattie yanked her hands away. “Although the best way to show how much you love and adore us is to stop talking about us behind our backs.”
“We never!” Fia gasped, paled, swayed, and hiccuped. CJ prepared himself to catch her if she fainted. “We don’t talk about any of you.”
“Not anymore,” Mattie said.
“Never!” Tauriel swore.
“Meggie is an amazing woman,” Tennysee swore with stout conviction. “She’s graceful, stylish, gorgeous, amusing, dependable, independent, feisty, uh…uh…”
“Would you like a thesaurus to throw out more adjectives?” Mattie asked sweetly, Aunt Kendall’s mini-me in more than just looks.
“Tell her, CJ!” Fia cried.
“Nope! I want the thesaurus,” Ryan said, amused. “See what other terms of admiration your fear will help you to find.”
“You make it seem as if we’re fibbing,” Fia said in a shaky voice.
“No!” Tauriel and Tennysee wailed.
“We’re speaking the God’s honest truth, Ryan.” Fia slid into CJ’s lap and hugged him. “You’re beautiful! A fine, grown man. I’ll suck your cock. I-I know…you have…whatever you want. Just please. Please, please, please, please–”
“What are you begging me for?” CJ asked, interrupting her annoying chant.
“Anything! Everything! Please!”
“Bro, shut up!” Mattie ordered.
Taking his face between her hands, Fia pressed her lips against CJ’s mouth. He gasped and she seized his shock to slide her tongue in his mouth and her hands underneath his shirt.
Grabbing her arms, CJ tried to pull her away, but she slid her tongue deeper.
He attempted to move his head; she sank her fingers into his hair and held him in place.
As a last measure, he gently pushed at her, not wanting to use too much force and hurt her.
Nothing worked. He was just about to tug her hair and, if that didn’t work, swallow his revulsion at using force against a girl and shove her as hard as possible, when she suddenly jolted back.
No.
Diesel did what CJ had hesitated to do–snatch her by her hair and shove her so hard she fell to the ground.
Crouching near her, Diesel leaned in. “Unless you’re fucking stupid, you knew CJ was trying to get away.”
Fia’s sob drifted to him and broke into his fucking shock.
He was used to having his every move followed by the brothers and being the center of attention as Outlaw and Meggie’s son.
That scrutiny didn’t always bode well for him.
However, girls using their sexuality to manipulate him was a new experience.
“Aunt Meggie is everything Tennysee described.” Diesel jerked Fia to her feet, unmoved by her weeping. “We don’t need to hear it from you, cunt.”
Mom was so much more than a bunch of words insincerely thrown together.
She was first and foremost a survivor. And a fighter.
She’d been through a lot in her life. Most people were unaware of Mom as anything but a mom, a wife, and an aunt, but CJ had vague memories of superficial scars on her arms and thighs.
Not long after his tenth birthday, he remembered his mother starting treatments for two in particular, ones that wouldn’t respond to oils and creams.
No one told him she’d been a cutter; he’d heard it by listening in on conversations between Mom and Dad, and Mom and Aunt Bunny.
CJ never revealed he knew that secret. In his eyes, Mom was an amazing woman. When he was a kid, he hadn’t understood her meaning when she’d said cutting allowed her some control over Thomas’s vileness. Now, he did.
She’d found a way to survive and thrive.
Mom had stood strong then, and she was strong now. Her strength and resilience allowed her to save Rebel and herself.
Over the past weeks he’d let her down. She wanted him to finish high school, and he’d brushed her off. He’d forgotten what she’d endured, survived, to enjoy a place of contentment.
Maybe Dad had, too.
“We can cook her favorite meal,” Fia offered.
Mattie rolled her eyes. “Do you even know her favorite meal?”
“Yeah, cook her favorite meal,” Ryan added with sarcasm, “so you can fucking poison her.”
Horror washed over Fia, Tennysee, and Tauriel’s faces.
“No!” Fia cried.
“Never!” Tennysee added.
“We love Meggie and Reb,” Tauriel swore again.
“Do my fucking ears a favor and love them from afar,” Ryan said.
“I’ll pass it on to Aunt Meggie,” Mattie promised. “I’m sure Rebel won’t care.”
Mom probably wouldn’t either. She wasn’t Dad’s sweet angel anymore, but then everyone got tired. Perhaps, Mom turning into hell goddess—Dad’s new nickname for her—was long overdue.
Before he commented, a text came through.
Dad: Ride with me to the rectory to see Rule.