Chapter Ryan
The moment Aunt Bailey stormed into the conference room, Rebel wished Momma hadn’t left. Every move Aunt Bailey made, each glare she directed at CJ, and scowl she leveled at Rebel, vibrated with anger.
CJ refused to meet Aunt Bailey’s gaze. Rebel kept her mouth shut, although she was about to explode, but given Aunt Bailey’s attitude, if Rebel unleashed her fury, Harley would suffer, and she’d been through enough.
Hopefully, Aunt Bailey showed her whole ass, Uncle Mort divorced her, and Harley got a new mom and Rebel a new aunt.
“What do you have to tell me, Harley?” Aunt Bailey demanded. “You realize it’s a school night? You should be home. Zoann might’ve allowed you to stay up until all hours, but I do not.”
Why the fuck did this heifer come here with that fucking attitude? Biting her lip, Rebel glanced away so she wouldn’t accidentally ask that question.
“I have something to tell you, Mommie,” Harley started. “A-about Nardo.”
Aunt Bailey looked weird, oddly disheveled, overly bright eyes and flushed skin. “Please don’t bring that asshole up and ruin my night further.”
“He’s the reason you’re here, Aunt Bailey,” CJ said, kind and calm as always.
Despite her anger, Rebel wanted to go to a bedroom at home and cry in private.
How could she be sure all the cameras were gone?
Her privacy had been invaded where she should’ve felt safest. Just for a night or two, she wouldn’t sleep in her room, although she’d probably hide in there during the day.
It really sucked that she’d broke down in front of her father, uncles, and cousins.
CJ would understand. He always did, but everyone else would equate tears with the weakness of being female.
Aunt Bailey hadn’t said a fucking thing since CJ spoke, so Rebel decided to help things along.
“Aunt Bailey, Harley needs you really bad right now,” she said. “Nardo…”
What could she say that could sufficiently explain Harley’s pain and shame, the hideous bruising on her face and body a silent testament to both.
“Nardo what?” Aunt Bailey gritted, distant and unfriendly.
“Nardo abused Harley,” CJ finally said. “She’s full of bruises.”
A beat went by. Another. And another. Instead of grabbing Harley’s hands, or offering an encouraging smile, or asking if she was okay, Aunt Bailey froze.
Harley raised a pitiful gaze to CJ. Before her very eyes, Rebel saw her brother’s heart melt, which ruined her fucking night a little further.
“There’s a video.” CJ gnashed his teeth together. “Several videos,” he amended. “One is of Harley with Ryan that Nardo is threatening to release.”
Aunt Bailey glowered at CJ, started to rise, swayed, and plopped back down.
“It’s true, Mommie.” Harley started to sob. “There’s this guy, Pillar of Earth, that hacked my laptop and…and…”
Rebel hugged her, although CJ looked at Harley as if he wanted to take her place, but since Aunt Bailey was cray-cray lately, he didn’t make Rebel move.
“And what?” Aunt Bailey slurred in an unreadable voice.
“A lot, Aunt Bailey,” CJ told her. “Pillar of Earth is actually Willard Bart. Somehow, he got his hands on the video of Harley and Ryan. Willard has also been ordering Harley to do things on camera and sending the videos to Nardo.”
Aunt Bailey gaped, a welcome change from her almost total non-reaction.
“My dad is talking to Uncle Mort,” CJ continued. “Harley wanted to talk to you. We want her to call Nardo, so Uncle Stretch can see where his phone pings in real time. But Harley’s afraid and—”
“Who is we, CJ?” Aunt Bailey demanded.
Hesitation crossed CJ’s face and he glanced from Aunt Bailey to Harley. Rebel continued stroking Harley’s back and hugged her again to hide her anger. If she didn’t spontaneously combust, burned alive by rage, it would be a fucking miracle.
“My dad. Uncle Stretch—”
“Lucas?” Aunt Bailey interrupted CJ.
He shook his head. “Uncle Mort had already left when Harley, Rebel, and Mattie arrived.”
“Who else?”
“Me,” CJ said quietly. “I want her to do it, too.”
“Of course you do. It’ll complete my shame and humiliation.”
Rebel pasted a smile on her face. “Don’t you mean Harley’s shame and humiliation, Auntie?”
“No, I said it right. Please do not call me auntie. No one will care about your disrespect and disregard for everything. Of course it had to be Harley beat up and with the mortifying videos.”
“Do you need fucking glasses or do you not see me beat the fuck up?” Rebel snapped, forgetting herself. “Rule beat the fuck out of me and Momma.”
“Spare the rod, spoil the child,” Aunt Bailey replied.
“Oh, please don’t quote bible verses around me,” Rebel ordered. “It has to be a sacrilege coming from a wicked witch like you.”
“Meggie should be ashamed of herself for raising such fucking devils.”
“Mommie—”
“Quiet, Harley!” Aunt Bailey barked, polluting the air with fumes of alcohol.
“I want to get Nardo, but I’m afraid,” Harley said around sniffles. “Can you tell me what to do, Mommie? Please.”
“So, now you want my fucking advice? A few weeks ago you told me we were both women.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Save it, Harley Vivian. This is the worst thing you could’ve done to me and our family.”
Rebel leaned forward and squinted, pointedly looking at Aunt Bailey. “Nope. Don’t see a single bruise on you. So I’m pretty sure nothing has been done to you. And, for the record, this isn’t about you.”
“Unlike Meggie, I care when my daughter acts as if she has no morals.” Aunt Bailey pinned Harley with an accusing look. “I hope you’re proud of what you’ve become. Instead of working on yourself while you were living with Zoann, you fell completely. You. No one else—”
“Aunt Bailey, I have videos floating around of me, too.” Rebel refused to include Mattie since it wasn’t her story to tell. If Mattie felt comfortable sharing, that was her call. “It isn’t only Harley.”
When her mother didn’t respond, Harley pulled away from Rebel and looked at CJ. “What do you think I should do?”
“It isn’t up to him,” Aunt Bailey screeched. “He’s a kid like you and has no say-so in your life.”
“Then who the fuck is it up to, Aunt Bailey?” Rebel yelled. “Harley asked you first.”
Aunt Bailey drew in a deep breath and opened her mouth, but CJ addressed Harley before her mother spewed more bullshit.
“We need to find Nardo and his father, bae,” CJ said, offering Harley a gentle look. “They can’t hurt you anymore. You’re safe.”
“He can release the videos,” Harley whispered.
“Most of which were coercion by Willard,” CJ started.
Rebel rolled her eyes. How the fuck did that matter? It would still humiliate Harley.
She hung her head. “Not me and Ryan, though. I-I liked Ryan,” she admitted in a small voice.
“Fuck him,” CJ exploded. “He’s a fucking fuckhead.”
“Already established, brother,” Rebel said, lifting a brow at him, hoping he got the message to shut the fuck up.
“Look in the mirror and blame yourself for my daughter’s state, CJ,” Aunt Bailey spat.
“I just want you happy, Harley,” CJ said, ignoring Aunt Bailey, which Rebel admired so much. “If Ryan makes you happy, then you should be with him.”
“I’m so ashamed,” Harley whispered. “And I know Nardo will be so mean, even over the phone.”
“We know how much words hurt, Harls.” Rebel resisted the urge to cut her eyes at Aunt Bailey. Somehow. “You’ve already been so traumatized, I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. I want you to do it, but that’s easy for me to say. I’m telling myself I’d do it if I was in your place, but I don’t know.”
“Harley, I want to get my fucking hands on Nardo so fucking bad,” CJ told her.
“Those fuckheads know they’re fucking dead, so they’re hiding.
If he’s still contacting you, he might be willing to answer, so Uncle Stretch can pick up their location from whatever cell tower they are close to.
If it was up to me, I would tell you to make the call, but I’m willing to let that motherfucker escape for now if it jeopardizes your mental health. I’m not a psychiatrist, so—”
“Exactly! You aren’t a psychiatrist,” Aunt Bailey said, always finding fucking words at the worst possible time. “You’re the reason she’s in this position. You turned your back on her. You left her when she needed you most. You’re nothing. You’re not worthy to even look at my daughter.”
Aunt Bailey’s low opinion of CJ wasn’t anything new. She’d made her feelings known weeks ago, but it still shocked Rebel and hurt CJ, judging by the look on his face. He must’ve held out hope that Aunt Bailey hadn’t turned so completely against him.
“You know who the fucking problem is, Aunt Bailey?” CJ pointed to the small mirror on the other side of the room.
“Stand in front of it and you’ll see her staring right the fuck back at you.
I didn’t make Harley do a motherfucking thing.
Stop blaming me for what the fuck you failed to do.
If you want to fucking help her now, tell her how much we all love her and could never be ashamed of her.
Tell her you don’t give a fuck if she fucked a koala bear on the back of a fucking crocodile.
Help her to help us and help us to help her. ”
“No. When I allowed her to visit Nardo, it wasn’t supposed to turn into this. She was miserable because you were too selfish to allow her to go through growing pains, so yes I blame you. You aren’t worthy of her and Ryan especially isn’t worthy of her.”
“Harley asked me and Rebel to help her explain things to you. But you’re not even hearing us. You’re judging. I don’t understand how you can turn your back on her right now.”
“Of course you wouldn’t understand,” Aunt Bailey told him bitterly. “You have the perfect sister.”
Rebel snorted. “In his fucking dreams.”
“The perfect mother. I’m just mid-tier and Harley’s even lower.”
The woman had gone batshit fucking crazy. What the fuck was she talking about?
“Why did it have to be you, Harley?” Aunt Bailey continued woefully. “Us behaving badly.”