Chapter Four - Christopher #4
He shoved Axel’s hand away because Rebel still wouldn’t fucking yield. The mutiny in her eyes pissed him the fuck off.
“Dad, stop,” Axel cried.
“Shut the fuck up, boy. This ain’t your fuckin’ games where I look the other way while you think you can stand up to grown motherfuckers. This about Rebel and her knowin’ her fuckin’ place.”
“Come here, Ax,” Diesel said.
Sniffling, Axel ran to Diesel’s side. He immediately hugged Axel to him.
“Apologize to me, Rebel,” Christopher ordered.
“So sorry, Father. I didn’t mean to have a fucking brain of my own or any outrage that you only pay attention to me when you’re angry.”
Christopher growled.
“I will live by your miserable rules, but the day I turn eighteen, I’m leaving. You can give all your attention and approval to your boys.”
Axel jerked away from Diesel and ran to Rebel, hugging her. “You can’t, Reb. Mom will be too sad. You’re her baby girl.”
“You ain’t movin’ when you eighteen, Rebel,” Christopher said, panicked by the very idea. What the fuck was wrong with her?
“I’ll be legal, Daddy. You couldn’t stop me.”
“You my daughter. I could stop you if I fuckin’ want to.”
“No, you fucking termite, you couldn’t. I’d be eighteen. You remember that number, right? It was the same age Momma was when you met her.”
“You ain’t your ma.”
“According to you I’m just a fucking mongrel. I’m not like you. I’m not like her. Just a big old mutt who doesn’t belong to anyone.”
“Mom said you’re just like Dad,” Axel told her, hugging her tighter. In turn, Rebel tightened her grip on her crutches. “You’re not a mutt.”
Christopher glowered at Rebel, and she glared at him.
“All of this is unnecessary, you big man baby,” she told him.
“It would make everyone’s life easier if you just told me not to have any contact with Diesel because I can’t fucking win with you.
If I get upset over him, I’m horrible. If I’m nice to him, I’m horrible.
If I treat him like my brother, I’m horrible. ”
“You could’ve asked CJ for the fucking champagne,” Christopher grouched.
“Did he have the fucking champagne, Daddy?” Rebel yelled, nodding to CJ. “He doesn’t even like it. This is about Diesel and me.”
“I ain’t said the way you and Diesel were talkin’ pissed me the fuck off.”
“At least give me that much credit. Anyone with a bit of sense saw when you flipped on me.”
He threw Diesel a dirty look that he transferred to Rebel.
“More than one girl have led stupid motherfuckers to their deaths. You get something in your fuckin’ head and you don’t give a good fuck about nothin’ but gettin’ what the fuck you want.
Wasn’t no motherfuckin’ reason for you to tell me you hangin’ out with Kaia and Kayce except to make that motherfucker jealous.
” He jabbed a finger in Diesel’s direction.
“Tell me I’m fuckin’ lyin’ and I’ll call you a motherfuckin’ liar. ”
“It just amazes me how you actually saw me for once. For all the wrong reasons but you still got it, so kudos to you, Daddy. By. The. Way.”
He narrowed his eyes at her unnecessary inflection. She still didn’t back down. Besides Axel, she was the only one of his children who didn’t fall into line with pushback.
“You will not control my life for me to live as you see fit. I will start looking for colleges to move far away from you. Hopefully, I catch the eye of a forty-year-old professor so I can bring home for the holidays and watch you foam at the fucking mouth.”
“If you…Rebel…I will fuckin’ kill…shut the fuck up,” he finally settled on, so outraged he couldn’t form a fucking coherent thought.
“He won’t be a club member. He won’t be my adopted brother. He won’t be in your network. I will be eighteen. You won’t have a say.”
“You ain’t goin’ to fuckin’ college,” Christopher said, frustrated to fuck, just wanting to force Rebel to back down. “You stayin’ here for the rest of your fuckin’ life.”
“Are you going to hold me hostage? If so, make sure my guards are hot so I can have an affair with them.”
Christopher choked.
“Dad, Reb’s baiting you,” CJ said.
“Prez, you not winning this one,” Mort whispered. “Stop engaging with her. You just making shit worse.”
Mort was fucking right, so Christopher clamped his jaw shut.
“Are you finally done or do you need anything else, Rebel?” Diesel barked.
She lowered her lashes, suddenly the picture of innocence, even with the angry flush to her cheeks. “Nope, big brother.”
Axel tipped his head back to look at her. “Reb, I asked Mom to swim with us, and she went to the natatorium,” he said, his words coming fast and furious. “Do you think she’s mad?”
Rebel pursed her lips, then looked at CJ, and a message seemed to pass between them.
“Mom loves to swim, Ax,” she said, ruffling Axel’s hair.
“She’s not leaving, right?”
“Mom missed Daddy and our brothers too much for her to leave again,” Rebel said. “Only extreme bullshit would make her walk away. Swimming isn’t it, little brother.”
Axel frowned. “Extreme bullshit? Like what?”
“Daddy acting like a jackass. Her sons fighting and ignoring her rules. Arguing and strife. Stress. We just have to make sure everyone behaves. Okay?”
“Uh huh.” Grinning, Axel bumped his fist against Rebel’s. “I’m on the job. Any motherfuckers who fuck with Mom and makes her mad will deal with me.”
Glancing at Christopher’s head, Rebel laughed. “A frightening prospect, Axel,” she drawled.
“If you make me mad, how upset would you be with me if I put hair melting stuffs in your shampoo like I did to Dad, Reb?”
Rebel kept smiling. “I’d smother you in your fucking sleep. Anything else, Ax?”
“Nope. I just got to remember to lock you up ‘til your hair grows back if we go to war.”
“I suppose so. Now, can I go? Mattie is waiting for me.”
“Where Harley, baby?” Mort asked.
“She asked Aunt Zoann if she could leave, Uncle Mort,” Rebel said with a long-suffering sigh. “She said she wasn’t feeling good.”
“Be nice, Rebel,” CJ said.
“Listen up, fuckface, I think Mattie is right. Nardo is hurting Harley. I asked her, but she won’t tell me.”
“I wonder why,” Ryan sneered.
“Did she tell you, fuckhead?” Rebel demanded, jumping back on her fucking bitch train and raising Christopher’s hackles again.
“Better, did you even fucking ask her? Probably not, so shut the fuck up. Your fucking girlfriend devastated my brother. I will always hold a grudge against that bitch for that. However, Harley is my cousin and if that fuckhead is hurting her, I will comfort her and support her until she gets through this, then I’ll go back to not talking to that bitch.
You good with that, Ryan? Or do I need to draw a diagram so you can fucking understand? ”
Ryan chuckled. “Nope, I’m straight, Reb.”
“Lovely.” Rebel started to turn, but Axel grabbed her hair and yanked. If CJ hadn’t moved fast and caught her, she would’ve fallen. “Every time I talk to you more than five minutes, you serve as my personal advocate against having children, Axel.”
He grinned.
Rebel’s comment amused Christopher, but he clamped his jaw, refusing to laugh.
“Where’s Kendall, Rebel?” Johnnie asked.
“I’ll be so glad when this cast is off, Ax,” Rebel said dramatically. “Do you want to walk me to the door?”
Axel looked from Johnnie to Rebel and his eyes twinkled. Folding his arms, he rocked on his heels and she winked at him.
“Come on, Reb—”
“Rebel!” Johnnie blared, interrupting Axel. “Where is Kendall?”
“Is Winnie hanging out with you and Mattie or Fee?” Cash tried.
Axel lifted a brow at Digger.
“What, little bruh?”
“You not saying nothing so Reb can ignore you like she is with Uncle Johnnie and Uncle Cash?” Axel asked.
“I knew it!” Johnnie said.
“That’s a first,” Axel told him. “’Cause usually you don’t know nothing, especially when to shut the fuck up.”
“Aren’t you tired of interrupting grown people, Axel?” Johnnie asked. “Especially when we’re all exhausted from your fucking games. Diesel amused you and took up our fucking time. We aren’t interested in doing it, so please get out and let men talk.”
“Hey, Johnnie—” Christopher started.
“No arguing, Dad,” Axel said. “I warned all you motherfuckers.” He marched to Johnnie.
“If you was a real fucking man and a grown up, your woman wouldn’t have been drinking no wine from the bottle and crying.
Mom only drinks from a champagne bottle when she’s happy and laughing.
Aunt Kendall was too fucking sad to get a glass ‘cause of you, so shut up.”
“Kendall was crying?” Johnnie asked.
“Can I ask you something, Uncle Johnnie?” Axel said.
“You’re going to ask me whether I agree or not,” Johnnie said resentfully.
“True. Anyway, why’d you think Aunt Kendall wouldn’t cry ‘cause you were here and she was there?”
“She left because your mother needed support.”
“No, she left ‘cause you’re a mean motherfucker. That makes sense though since you and Dad are brothers.”
“That’s my wife, so I’d know why she left, Axel,” Johnnie said.
“That’s your wife but you don’t know a lot of stuffs about her. Aunt Kendall is awesome, even if she didn’t give me the knives to teach those bitch ass babies how to throw them.”
“Enough with the Kendall fan club,” Johnnie said. “You’re overplaying your hand. She has gone from being a cunt to an ‘It’ girl overnight? She’s still that old Kendall.”
Axel gasped.
“Dad,” Rory said, sounding so fucking disappointed.
“You called Mom a cunt, Dad?” JJ asked in shock.
“I did not! I’d never call her that.” Johnnie pointed to Christopher. “He’s the one who does.”
“Hate to tell you, bruh, but you called your woman a cunt,” Digger said.
“No—”
“Johnnie, you ever hear what the fuck you say?” Val asked. “Or, maybe, go over it in your fucking head before you say it?”
Rebel and Axel looked at each other, then glared at Johnnie.
“Let me leave all these grown ups to real men talk,” Rebel said, and thumped the fuck out.