Chapter Fifteen—Meggie #2
Christopher was probably on his way back to the hospital and she didn’t want to upset him any further.
If he found her alone with Johnnie in this quiet, dimly lit hallway, he’d go ballistic.
Besides, Johnnie wasn’t trustworthy. She didn’t trust being alone with him.
“Take me out where the guys are in the waiting area, Narci.”
Johnnie stood in front of her wheelchair and refused to move.
“I’d…we’d…like to talk to you in private.”
“We?”
Clearing his throat, he nodded, unease sliding across his face. “Alone.”
“No. You must be out of your mind. Who’s the other person?”
“Easton.”
“Excuse me?”
“Easton,” Johnnie repeated on a mumble. “It’s urgent.”
“Wait for Christopher,” Meggie said flatly. “This is obviously club business.”
“It’s a delicate family matter, sweetheart. I swear I wouldn’t ask you otherwise.”
Still not trusting Johnnie, Meggie decided against refusing him. If it really was about her family, she needed to know the seriousness of the situation. “We can talk amongst ourselves in the waiting area,” she relented. “That’s my only offer.”
Johnnie nodded. “Deal.”
Only the squeaks of the chair wheels broke the silence as they made their way to ground zero for the club members, located in the big open waiting area outside the doors to her private wing.
The moment Narci wheeled her to where Easton waited, the club members stood and clapped, cheering and whistling.
“Thank you, guys,” Meggie said sincerely, noting their very different attitude toward her. It could’ve been because of what happened, although she doubted it. Whoever Christopher killed shook them up. “Your support is much appreciated. As soon as I’m better–”
“A situation has arisen, Megan,” Johnnie inserted and nodded to Easton. “It’s imperative we get this handled ASAP.”
“Does it have to do with Christopher or my children?”
“It’s about Tabitha,” Johnnie answered, the last response she expected.
“Tabitha?” Dislike infused the word. She didn’t want to hear anything about her. It didn’t escape Meggie that her daughter-in-law had called to check on Rebel. “Whatever’s wrong with her, let her figure it out.”
“Megan, baby, listen–”
Her glare halted Johnnie mid-sentence. Snorting, she waved Easton over, ignoring his sweeping gaze and glowering at him.
“How are you feeling, Meggie?”
“Not in the mood for pleasantries,” she snapped. “What about Tabitha?”
Discomfort dropped into his face and he glanced away before shifting and meeting her gaze again. “A friend of hers is in the ER. Beaten to within an inch of his life.”
“That matters to me how?”
Johnnie winced.
Easton rocked on his feet. “Diesel beat him.”
“So?”
Easton shifted and looked at Johnnie. His lifted brow seemed to ask, what now?
“Don’t…don’t you want to know why?” Johnnie asked cautiously.
“How does it matter to me who Diesel beats, maims, or kills?”
Scratching his head, Johnnie released a heavy breath.
Bowing his head, Easton avoided her gaze. “Tabitha…she’s worried…she doesn’t want…she loves…uh, she sent Tío to Diesel…to, uh, to threaten him into staying married to her.”
“Threaten Diesel?” Meggie lifted her brow, unconcerned that she had no idea who Tío was. “Well, we all know that didn’t work out.”
Easton blew out a heavy breath. “I tried to warn him,” he mumbled.
“So sorry he didn’t listen and paid the price,” she said sarcastically.
“Meggie–”
“This conversation is over. You waltz in here to tell me someone attempted to scare my son to Tabitha’s will and expect me to help her? If this Tío is hurt, Diesel must’ve felt threatened. He did exactly what I expect. Stayed alive at any cost.”
“I know you’re upset,” Easton wheedled, “but Tabitha loves Diesel.”
“She hates Rebel,” Meggie said flatly. “She kept my son away from me. I don’t care that Diesel nearly killed someone because she was stupid enough to try to force his hand. Any hope that I’d forgive Tabitha is gone. She blew her last chance with me.”
“I-I’ve talked to her a couple of times,” Easton said hesitantly. “Aren’t you going to some cabin that she suggested?”
“A suggestion she made before my daughter nearly drowned. She’s family. Christopher would’ve allowed her to see me, if not Rebel. Did Tabitha try? Has she even called? Forget offering help, what about a hello? She hasn’t called because she doesn’t like Rebel.”
“Are you still going to the cabin?” Johnnie asked.
Meggie paused, thinking of all the time Tabitha brought up that stupid cabin.
Forget the fact that she seemed to have developed some type of relationship with Easton, she’d also told him about the cabin.
But it was Johnnie’s quiet question that made Meggie suspicious.
“What does that have to do with anything?” she demanded, then realized she wouldn’t tip her hand.
She’d tell Christopher. And, if he wasn’t in shape to hear it, she’d confide in Mortician.
Something was up. “It doesn’t matter, Johnnie,” she said with impatience.
“I certainly can’t go any time soon. What is important are the two of you thinking I’d care about Tabitha’s plight or Diesel’s fight. I have zero concern to give.”
“It’s zero fucks,” Johnnie said, amusement twinkling in his eyes.
She made a face at him and he laughed, attempting to touch her again by placing a hand on her shoulder.
She swiped it away. “Keep your hands to yourself and off my person.”
“At one time, I touched you all the time.”
“At one time, we were friends,” she retorted, ignoring the insinuation in his tone. “That’s no longer the case. We’re barely family.”
Anger flickered across his face.
“Johnnie, now isn’t the time,” Easton said, low. “Tío is downstairs. If Diesel runs into him, he’ll kill him. And then what?”
Meggie stiffened. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“There’s a rumor going around Tío’s affiliated with Bash,” Johnnie admitted, his anger dissolving. “If that’s true, Christopher will finish him if Diesel doesn’t.”
Precipitating a war between the Death Dwellers and the American Scorpions. All because Tabitha–
She gasped. “Diesel’s wife is a Scorpion plant.”
“Tabitha didn’t know about his supposed ties,” Easton said.
“How do you and Johnnie know, Easton?”
“We’re in a fucking club, Megan,” Johnnie barked. His pleasant demeanor had left the building. “We hear things through the grapevine.”
“You’re a liar,” she said evenly. “You’re well acquainted with Bash. You’d know who Tío is.”
“You little bitch.”
“Leave,” she said in a hard voice. “You’re an idiot.”
“Meggie, Tabitha met Tío one night a couple of months ago and uh…” Easton shrugged. “She was drunk and confided in him after…”
The club members were getting restless. Although she, Johnnie, and Easton still spoke in low tones, she was agitated.
The joke was on her, since she’d stupidly agreed to talk to.
Johnnie was vice-president, so any interference from the brothers on her behalf could be taken as a grave insult to a club officer.
His anger slipping away, Johnnie crouched down. “Megan, sweetheart, if Tío really isn’t associated with Bash, an innocent kid will die.”
“How old is he?”
“Twenty,” Johnnie answered, exchanging a glance with Easton. “Not much older than CJ. If he was in a similar situation, you’d want someone to save his life.”
“So I could punch him in the nose if he was stupid enough to confront a man because of a woman’s lies,” Meggie grouched, her head hurting.
Johnnie and Easton laughed. She found nothing funny.
“For whatever reason, you’d want him to live,” Johnnie told her.
“You know him, don’t you?”
He raised his hand. “I swear I don’t. If you have a bible, I swear to you on it.”
Meggie nodded. “Fine, Johnnie.” She waited until he stood to continue. “What do you need from me?”
“He’s in critical condition.” Easton drew in a deep breath and scrubbed a hand over his face. He looked exhausted. “He was just being prepped for surgery when we arrived.”
“Why did you arrive?” Meggie asked, their story not adding up. “How did you and Johnnie get involved?”
“Tabitha called me,” Easton admitted. “Tío doesn’t have a lot of money. He’s just starting out in life. He has no connections. Nothing.”
“What. Do. You. Need. From. Me?”
“We need you to take responsibility for him,” Johnnie answered. “He’s Tabitha’s friend and she feels so guilty about his condition. Once he’s stable, we need you to have him moved somewhere out of Diesel’s reach.”
As well as Christopher’s. How very convenient. “You two think I’m an idiot, don’t you? If I take responsibility for him, then that automatically saves his life. After all, I won’t pay for someone’s medical bills and not care if Diesel or Christopher is after him.”
Johnnie scowled. “No—”
“Hey, Mom!” Axel called, skipping next to CJ with Christopher, Diesel, Ransom and Ryder trooping toward the private wing.
Christopher halted and glared between Johnnie and Easton, then pinned her with a glower as Mortician, Val, and Digger stopped next to him. The boys continued on, probably to the room to see Rebel. “What the fuck you doin’ talkin’ to these two motherfuckers, Megan?”
“I’ll explain in a minute, but I need–”
Turning, Christopher started to walk away, still upset.
Mortician caught her eye and lifted a brow, silently asking if she needed him. She nodded, then looked at her husband. “You told the boys about Rebel, right?”
A guilty expression crossed his face just as the cries and curses of her boys reached her.