Chapter Six – CJ
Instead of going to the basement sitting room and starting the meeting immediately, CJ led his brothers and cousins to the bowling alley, located next to the diner Mom collapsed in last November.
After Dad’s cluelessness, CJ needed a moment to recover from Rebel’s threat. No, her warning. His little sister didn’t make threats. She either acted or said what she intended to do and then fucking did it.
Once again, Dad had a fucking blind spot. This time toward Rebel, instead of Mom, but the results would be the goddamn same. Unlike Mom, though, if Rebel left, CJ doubted she’d come back. She’d get a taste of freedom and wouldn’t so easily give up control over her own life.
Given the choice between her leaving and her being with Diesel, it was a no-brainer for CJ. But if Dad didn’t wake the fuck up and make Rebel feel like he fucking cared about her, who knew what Rebel would do?
Now that Diesel had Jana, Rule was in LA, and Dad had Mom again, Rebel would feel as if she had no one. She didn’t trust CJ because she considered him Dad’s son rather than her brother. And she didn’t really trust Kaia, simply because of the way they’d met.
As far as CJ knew, she’d let her suspicions go, but he knew his little sister. She was as mistrustful as Dad, and that motherfucker couldn’t recognize his daughter was just like him.
They played one game of bowling in which Ryan’s team took the victory because CJ was so distracted before they trekked to the sitting room and took seats.
Lou was a movie afficionado, so his brother, Kaleb, JJ, Mark JB, and all the boys thirteen and under—except CJ’s brothers—joined him in the basement theater.
Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Axel lifted his head. He was lying on the top of the couch in the alcove. No one sat on the sofa, so he was a turn away from rolling onto the seat and possibly the floor if his momentum was too great. “Can we start?”
“The parents are probably almost finished visiting,” Devon said. “They’re going to say we’re leaving soon.”
CJ looked at his watch. 9:30. Devon was right, especially since it was a school night for almost everyone except Grant, with them to draw a firm line in the sand against his father.
If Grant had remained upstairs with the men, CJ didn’t doubt Pop would see that decision as proof Grant didn’t really want to patch in with CJ.
Rory banged on the coffee table and stood. “Our meeting is called to order. CJ has the floor.”
“Thanks, Rory.” CJ smiled at his cousin. “Let me start by explaining Axel, Ransom, and Ryder are with us because Axel has been working on a creed.”
Axel rolled onto the sofa, then slid to the floor like a little worm and crawled to CJ. “You don’t got to explain, CJ. You’re the boss.”
“A good leader always explains why he goes against the rules,” CJ said. “Just because Dad constantly overlooks your bad behavior doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.”
“Still on fucking demon time,” Axel grumbled.
“You’re not using that term right,” Ryan said.
“Am too,” Axel said. “CJ’s acting like a jealous fuckhead and being mean to me. A fucking demon.”
“Ryan’s right,” CJ said. “It doesn’t mean what you think it does.”
“But—”
Ryder held up his phone. “All of you are right,” he said, “so back off Axel. If a demon is a cruel asshole and you’re targeting him, then you’re on demon time, CJ.”
“You just got to deal with it,” Ransom warned.
“Or what, you little fuckheads?” CJ asked.
“Or nothing,” Axel said. “We’re not doing anything to upset Mom.
I swear I will kill all you motherfuckers if you make her leave.
Behave! I got to put a bug in Dad’s ear.
I probably got to remind him every day ‘cause that motherfucker don’t remember nothing.
If Mom heard how mean he was to Rebel, she wouldn’t be happy. ”
“Fuck Rebel,” Ransom said sharply. “She’s a mean bitch. How could Mom blame Dad with the way Reb talked to him?”
“Nuh uh!” Axel said. “Reb’s a beautiful girl. You can’t call her no bitch. She is mean and scary and a killer vampire but she’s not a bitch.”
“Fuck, are you complimenting her or insulting her, Ax?” Grant asked, laughing.
“She hurt Dad’s feelings,” Ransom said, ignoring Grant. “Just because you were with her in LA, you think you know her. You don’t.”
“I do too!” Axel said, his little face reddening. “Maybe, if you spent time with her, you’d know her, too, fuckface.”
“I’ll think about it,” Ransom said. “But she don’t deserve the same consideration as Mom does with Dad.
Rebel’s just his daughter. He can do whatever he wants with her and she shouldn’t say anything.
I don’t blame him for ignoring her. What are they supposed to talk about?
Make-up and stilettos? That’s what Mom’s for. ”
Ransom’s entire statement was fucked up.
They were just words strung together, though.
It was the fact that he actually believed what he was saying that concerned CJ.
Suppose Ransom said that to Rebel? The Terrible Triplets were fucking agents of chaos.
Ransom would blast Rebel just to try and hurt her feelings.
Ransom siding with Dad and feeling as if she didn’t deserve a healthy relationship with him might not surprise her–she thought they were all manipulative chauvinists–but it would still hurt her.
She’d also blame Dad. Right or wrong, it would create friction.
“What do you say, Ryder?” Ransom asked.
Ryder set aside his phone and met Ransom’s gaze.
“Dad’s Rebel’s old man, too. He should spend time with her like he does us.
The older she gets, the less he’s around her and he screams at her for girl stuff, bro.
Girls get crushes a lot. If Dad hadn’t gone off his rocker when she first talked about Diesel, she might’ve been over it by now.
But Dad reacts just like Reb does. When they’re stressed, they cuss and fuss and fight.
If he doesn’t gentle down with her, she’s going to end up leaving or with a baby like Bishop’s sister. ”
“Rebel can’t leave because of Dad,” Axel said. “We got to protect Mom.”
“Rebel doesn’t give us a break,” Ransom said.
“You need to give Rebel a break, Ransom,” CJ advised.
“Why?”
“Because when Mom left you were sad, too,” Ryder told him. “Remember? Before Ax got back that Sunday, we all agreed we’d do better once Mom returned.”
“Fine,” Ransom huffed. “But Rebel’s all mopey and I don’t like mopey girls. I especially don’t like it on her. It’s annoying.”
CJ wondered if Ransom was only annoyed or if his brother was also worried about Rebel and could only express it with resentment.
“She’s still sad about Rule. She doesn’t need us against her, too.
The older we get, the more time he spends with us.
I can see how that can hurt her and make her lash out. ”
“Girls are a fucking headache,” Ransom grumbled.
Axel snapped his brows together.
“Not Mom, Ax,” Ransom said quickly.
Axel’s phone beeped, so he took it out of his pocket and looked at it. “Diesel’s on the way down.”
CJ rolled his eyes. “This is my fucking meeting. We don’t need him down here.”
“Why not?” Axel asked, frowning. “I want Diesel with us.”
Of course he did. If Axel had to choose between Diesel’s life and CJ’s, he’d pick that motherfucker’s.
“Diesel’s grown.” The excuse was convenient and didn’t require a lot of explanation.
Axel narrowed his eyes. “Is Grant a fucking kid?”
“Diesel’s already a member of the club,” CJ said, a little jealous over Axel’s loyalty. “I don’t want him here, inserting his fucking comments as if he knows everything.”
“Listen up, fuckface,” Axel began, drumming his fingers on the table. “Do not argue with Diesel and make Mom mad. She don’t want her sons arguing. I will beat you unconscious if you start a fuss with him.”
“You can fucking try, but I’m taller than you and heavier than you.”
“But not meaner,” Axel responded. “You’ll look at me, see that I’m smaller and hesitate. While you’re feeling sorry for me, I’ll kick you in your fucking head and knock you out.”
“Why don’t we get to the meeting?” CJ advised. If he responded, the conversation would drag on. Besides, he hated that Axel was probably right as much as he hated feeling as if Axel and Diesel were usurping his position. “I want to hear the creed you came up with.”
“Creeds,” Axel corrected, not challenging the change of subject. “Mine and yours, C.”
“Are you planning on splitting the fucking club, Axel?” CJ demanded.
“Nope. That would be a hostility takeover. I love the Dwellers. I’d never do that.”
“Then you have to have only one creed, dude,” Grant said.
Axel shook his head. “I don’t got to do nothing. I gave this motherfucker until the start of next school term to prove he can be Prez. He likes rules. I don’t, so I don’t got a long list if I’m Prez.”
“Let’s hear the fucking creeds, Axel,” CJ ordered, irritated.
“Thanks, C!” He jumped to his feet. “My creed goes like this. My club, my rules. Respect me or die. Steal from the club, get your fucking hands cut off—”
Bishop and Diesel’s arrival interrupted Axel.
Diesel’s stormy gray eyes hinted at trouble.
CJ bet it had to do with Rebel and Kaia, but he wasn’t about to open that can of fucking worms, so he waited until Bishop and Diesel got beers from the refrigerator and found seats before he nodded to Axel to continue.
He stared at CJ. “Disrespect my mom, get your fucking head cut off. The end.”
Scowling, CJ couldn’t help but feel as if Axel was making a jab at him. However, he wouldn’t allow that little monster to bait him anymore, so he said nothing. Besides, his posse would jump in to defend him. Even Diesel would side with Axel.
“Tell CJ your road name, Ax,” Ransom said, grinning.
“Sweet Pea,” Axel declared.
Ryan laughed. “Aunt Meggie’s nickname for you?”
“Uh huh,” Axel chirped. “I decided since I don’t care what other motherfuckers think about what she calls me, I can use it good.”
“Put it to good use,” Diesel told him.