Chapter Fifteen – Meggie
Johnnie was a frigging idiot and Kendall was too fragile to think clearly. If Meggie okayed his murder with or without Kendall’s consent, Kendall would never live with herself when the dust settled.
Meggie herself didn’t care. Everyone would be so much better off with Johnnie dead.
She didn’t want Celia to die though. Christopher would live with a lifetime of guilt if he later discovered his big sister’s innocence. Before he acted, he had to hear Celia’s side.
After so many weeks without Outlaw, Meggie hated to interfere. However, death couldn’t be rectified. If he killed her, he could never undo his mistake.
That was the only reason Meggie left Kendall and ran behind her husband, hopping on his bike right before he rode away.
She didn’t even have her helmet. He was in such a rush, and so furious, he didn’t pause for her to get it from his saddlebag; he just sped off.
Thankfully, the new Probate saw Christopher thundering toward him and had the presence of mind to open the gate.
Meggie clung to her husband, her hair flying, and regretting not telling CJ to call Celia. However, had she halted long enough to give him Celia’s phone number, she would’ve missed Christopher.
They arrived at Celia’s house quicker than expected. Christopher barely had the kickstand down before he dismounted.
“Stay the fuck here,” he told her, unholstering one of his guns.
“Christopher—”
He turned and stormed to the front door.
Meggie got off the bike and ran behind him.
“Christopher, stop!”
Instead, he kicked the door open.
Meggie just had enough time to knock his hand away and tell Celia to run before he fired.
The report of the gun hurt her head and her ears, momentarily deafening her.
She didn’t care. She placed herself in front of him, though he was so much taller than her that he could’ve shot above her head and not hit her.
“FUCK, Megan!” he roared. “Move!”
“At least hear Celia out. Please? Bash is probably gone.”
“I ain’t givin’ a good fuck. She here. I’m fuckin’ her up, then I’m findin’ that motherfucker.”
“Look at me, Christopher. Celia wouldn’t do this.”
“You know her so fuckin’ well that you sure of that?”
“No,” she said honestly. “I believed what she said, though. So did you.”
Breathing heavily, Christopher glared at her, but she was getting through to him and he was coming back to her.
“She just wants peace. Don’t do anything you’ll regret. You have to—”
“Christopher?”
At Johnnie’s call, Meggie froze. Had she seen his Navigator or his Harley outside?
She couldn’t remember. She’d been so focused on stopping Christopher from what might be a monumental mistake, she’d barely seen in front of her.
Now, that idiot revealed his presence and enraged Christopher all over again.
“Motherfuck you, Johnnie,” he roared, opening fire in the direction the voice came from.
Out of bullets, he shoved the gun back into his right holster and pulled his favorite, the Sig .9mm with the hollow point bullets, from his left side.
“Christopher, listen to me,” Meggie cried. “Someone can come and kill you. If Celia calls for backup, we’re dead. This is an attack.”
“This an attack? This? When that motherfucker attacked Mattie?”
“Christopher, I’m not hear to betray you,” Johnnie said shakily, still out of sight, his voice traveling from the direction of the kitchen.
“No, cuz you already fuckin’ did that to Mortician, you fuckin’ motherfuckin’ assfuck, fuckhead, motherfucker.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I never…I didn’t think there would be such dire consequences. I’m so fuckin’ sorry. Please believe me. I would never endanger Mattie or Harley.”
He shouldn’t endanger any of the kids, but he’d left off Rebel, Winnie, and Jo, if she wanted to be technical and focus on the girls.
“Motherfucker, I got daughters too,” Christopher spat. “Fee got a daughter, so fuck you.”
Johnnie was silent, then he said, “Bash is with me.”
Christopher growled, and Meggie gritted her teeth.
“Megan, sweetheart, if you can hear me, I swear this isn’t a trap or a setup. Tell Christopher we just want to talk to him. Please?”
“If you open your motherfuckin’ mouth, Megan, I’m puttin’ you the fuck out. Ain’t nothin’ either one of those fuckheads can say convincin’ me this wasn’t a fuckin’ setup.”
“Do you really think I’d allow my own daughter to get attacked?” Johnnie asked. “How fucking low has your opinion of me gone?”
“Motherfucker, my opinion, and how I feel about you, stopped matterin’ to you a long fuckin’ time ago, so don’t fuckin’ play me.”
Meggie wasn’t sure what to do. If it was a setup and Christopher walked to wherever those two were, they’d shoot him. If it wasn’t and he shot Bash, a real war between the clubs would start.
“Christopher?” Celia called from the direction of the staircase.
“Celia, get the fuck back upstairs,” Bash ordered harshly, the first time he’d spoken.
“You can take me as your hostage,” Celia said, her voice wobbling. “If Bash tries anything, kill me.”
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Bash demanded.
Celia putting herself in Christopher’s hands was quite different than Meggie picking up that gauntlet and trusting Bash. But they hadn’t moved very far from the doorway. She didn’t want a Scorpion to show up and shoot Christopher in the back.
Taking a deep breath, Meggie said, “If Christopher agrees to take you, I’ll do the same with Bash.”
The complete and utter silence following her statement made Christopher’s humorless laugh all the more chilling.
Arms raised, Celia stepped into view. Meggie identified with the fear in her eyes.
“Fuckin’ fuckhead.” Christopher looked at Meggie and indicated his sister with his .9mm. “Frisk her.”
He sounded calmer, which Meggie counted as progress, so she hurried to follow his orders, not pausing to comfort Celia, only wanting the situation diffused.
Celia’s jeans and sweater made her job fairly simple. Meggie felt her hips, thighs, and the baggy legs, not finding any hidden weapons.
“Raise your sweater,” she said.
Celia complied.
Seeing she was unarmed, Meggie stepped back and nodded to her sister-in-law. “My turn.”
“Thank you,” Celia mouthed.
“Thank me after we all leave alive,” Meggie whispered.
“Megan ain’t got to be fuckin’ frisked,” Christopher grumbled, his anger returning. “She got tight fuckin’ leather on.”
“I’ll take off my jacket and boots,” Meggie said calmly.
Swallowing, Celia nodded and managed a smile.
Christopher used his .9mm to wave Celia over. “Close the fuckin’ door, Megan.”
“It’s off the hinges.”
Ignoring her, he situated Celia in front of him, then shoved his gun in her back. Meggie watched in stoic silence, terrified that she’d probably suffer the same fate at Bash’s hands.
“Show yourfuckinselves,” Christopher ordered. “With hands the fuck up. One fuckin’ wrong move and I’m shootin’ the fuck outta Celia.”
The shot up kitchen door slowly opened. Johnnie followed Bash into the hallway, their hands high.
Meggie cringed at her husband’s livid expression. But when he put the .9mm against Celia’s temple, she and Celia shivered. Bash’s regret as he looked at his sister revealed just how important Celia was to him.
“Now, fuckheads, disarm.”
Johnnie rushed to obey, removing his weapons and setting them on the hallway table.
Bash shook his head. “No. You won’t leave me defenseless to shoot me down.”
“I ain’t fuckin’ shootin’ you, fuckhead,” Christopher snapped. “But I ain’t lettin’ you take Megan hostage while you have a fuckin’ gun either.”
“Don’t you have a gun on my sister?”
“Bash, just do what he says,” Johnnie suggested, aware of what Christopher’s returning agitation meant.
“I’ve never been one for uneven odds,” Bash argued.
“Omigod, would you please shut up?” she snarled, out of patience. “Please? Christopher isn’t going to keep his gun on Celia, moron. He just doesn’t want to be shot down when he lowers it.”
“You called me a fucking moron once before.”
“I call them the way I see them,” Meggie snapped.
Bash glared at her, but Meggie sniffed and folded her arms.
“How the fuck can Celia or Meggie be hostages if we don’t have fucking guns, Christopher?” he demanded, giving up on his standoff with her.
“I’m fuckin’ positive you can snap Megan’s neck as quickly as I can Celia’s. I don’t need a fuckin’ weapon to consider myself armed, assfuck.”
“I better not fucking regret this,” Bash grumbled, glowering at Celia. “You and me are talking later.”
Meggie remained silent while Bash removed four guns, three knives, and brass knuckles, then set them next to Johnnie’s weapons.
“What now, little brother?”
Now, Meggie had to put herself in Bash’s hands and trust that he was completely disarmed.
A pained expression crossed Christopher’s face.
Swallowing, she walked to him, suddenly feeling her height, or lack thereof, because Bash was nearly as tall as her husband. She bit her lip and turned her back on him, just as Christopher made Celia do.
Meggie smiled gently at Christopher, hoping to calm the wild light dropping into his eyes.
“Bash is probably feeling the same way about Celia, Christopher,” Meggie said with as much equanimity as possible, wondering how such a lovely day had descended to this.
Christopher pinned Johnnie with a gaze filled with burning hatred. For a moment, Meggie thought he’d shoot Johnnie in the head and she held her breath.
Another growl escaped Christopher before he snatched his gun away from Celia’s head.
“I wouldn’t do any fucking thing to hurt Kendall, Christopher,” Bash started.
Umkay.
Judging by the way Johnnie stiffened, he saw Bash as a serious threat. Again, he was an idiot. He couldn’t see how much Kendall loved him.
Meggie rolled her eyes.
“Wally rode down here with me, but I haven’t seen that little motherfucker in days. I swear. I wouldn’t put Celia at risk.”
“Mattie thirteen-years-old, you miserable fuckhead. That’s what you motherfuckers do. Abuse girls. Rape, torture, and murder your go-to fuckin’ methods.”