Chapter Forty – Christopher #2
“Don’t you mean Rebel, fuckhead? Because I know you did her something. She told you to fucking die. I’m so fucking sick of you and her.”
CJ wasn’t alone in that shit. Christopher was over it, but Megan tied his fucking hands.
“There is no fucking me and her,” Diesel snapped, a little fucking late in Christopher’s estimation.
“What did you do my sister?”
“You know what the fuck your problem is, CJ?” Diesel demanded, instead of answering CJ.
Not that he had too. Like Megan pointed out, the motherfucker was older.
He didn’t owe CJ anything except loyalty.
“Everything belongs to you. You don’t want your father, your mother, your sister, your brothers, or any of your family to treat me like I’m a Caldwell. ”
“You’re not worthy to be a Caldwell if you can’t stay away from my little sister until I think you can be with her.”
Quite the low fucking blow, telling Diesel about his fucking worth. As for the other part? Yeah, CJ wasn’t Rebel’s father. It didn’t fucking matter how he fucking felt about Diesel and Rebel.
Tipping his head down to hide his reaction, Christopher leaned against the autopsy table and folded his arms. Nardo was starting to stiffen. Motherfuckers were shifting.
“I’m not worthy to be in a family that has Johnnie, Logan, and Cee Cee as members?”
Fuck, Christopher would be as outraged and appalled as Diesel. That was an insult of the highest fucking degree.
“You especially shouldn’t have my treehouse,” CJ said, another question evading motherfucker.
“Fuck you, fuckhead. I don’t want it. Aunt Meggie can give it to you or let it tumble down.”
“You’re such a selfish asshole,” CJ spat.
“As opposed to an entitled one?” Diesel said.
Christopher pursed his lips and scratched his neck.
“You’re that more than I am!”
What had Megan said about self-awareness? It would go a long fucking way? Fuck yeah. That would help CJ a lot.
“One of the worst fuckheads in the goddamn world is a self-righteous one, little brother. The worst is a clueless, self-righteous one.”
“I’m neither. What the fuck I am is sick of you.”
Diesel flipped CJ off and started for the door. “Not as fucking sick I am of you,” he threw over his shoulder.
“Don’t walk out that fuckin’ door, Diesel,” Christopher said.
Diesel froze, anger wafting from him as he turned, clamped his jaw, and stared at the back wall.
All the times Big Joe stopped whatever to take Snake to task or get Christopher to heel after Rack fucked with him ran through Christopher’s mind.
Sometimes, they’d have to stop preparing drug shipments because Snake and Christopher were fucking fighting.
Other times, they’d have to hurry up and fuck up a fuckhead, then spend hours over the corpse as they cleared the air.
Stretch hadn’t been around back then, but Val and Mort had, which was why they looked so understanding. History was repeating itself, with different players, and a bigger meatshack.
Christopher straightened. “Now, CJ, apologize to your brother.”
“What?”
“I ain’t repeatin’ myself, boy.”
Instead of complying, CJ doubled down and shook his head. “He did something to Rebel, Dad.”
Christopher allowed CJ to get away with the insolence for now. Besides, Diesel needed him a little more than his boy. First, he needed the fucking details. “When?”
“Earlier. Before we left.”
“That fuckin’ mean he’d done something to her when you fuckin’ texted him.”
“I said why I texted him.”
Christopher glanced at Diesel, still not looking at anyone, so fucking angry and hurt. Reminding Christopher of all the times Big Joe ignored Snake in favor of him. Snake hadn’t had anyone who gave a fuck about him, except Rack, and he was a big-balled motherfucker.
“What you did to Rebel, Diesel?”
Diesel glanced away and opened his mouth.
“Don’t fuckin’ lie to me. What the fuck you did her?”
“Set her up.”
Christopher thought about that. “And she want you to fuckin’ die now?”
He nodded.
“Then you set her up usin’ Jana,” Christopher guessed.
Unlike most fuckheads who volunteered shit with just a little prodding, Diesel remained silent. As an attorney, he’d understand silence was a right and a viable option.
Keeping Megan’s words uppermost in his mind so he wouldn’t lose his fucking shit, Christopher growled low in his throat, unable to completely ignore his desire to castrate Diesel.
“I ain’t wantin’ all the fuckin’ details cuz I might forget myself and fuck you up, then your ma would be madder than a motherfucker at me.
But I got another fuckin’ question for you. ”
“Yes, sir?”
“You ignored me and Bash to move Jana here. Now, you keep her hidden and far the fuck away from you. Why the fuck you always turn into a motherfucker the fuckin’ minute you get what the fuck you want?
You wanted Tabitha until you married that cunt.
You wanted Jana until you fuckin’ moved her here.
Even if I suddenly stopped seein’ you as Rebel’s brother, why the fuck would I give my blessin’ so you could fuckin’ decide to sabotage that relationship too? ”
“I don’t want Rebel, Uncle Christopher.”
“And my fuckin’ ass just had fuckin’ dinner with Marvin the Martian. Fuck you.”
Diesel gritted his teeth.
“She ain’t always gonna be underaged.”
Not a motherfucking peep from Diesel.
“If she want you bad enough once she eighteen and she think Ima fuck you up if you touch her, then you two runnin’ away—”
“I would never—”
“You wouldn’t fuckin’ want to. Rebel? She would, and she’d talk you into doin’ it.
Cuz, see, you about to lose your fuckin’ mind this fuckin’ minute cuz she mad at you.
If she called you and told you to bring her that bottle of champagne she stole from you the other day, you’d break into a motherfuckin’ liquor store to get it, if you had to. ”
“I’m not touchin’ Rebel, Uncle Christopher.”
“You was jealous over Kaia,” Christopher guessed.
“She’s too good for him. He doesn’t deserve her.”
“And you do?” Diesel definitely didn’t deserve Rebel, but they both provoked each other. If Christopher gave a fucking inch, he might get Diesel to behave at least until Rebel was eighteen.
“I know I’m not good enough for her.”
“Ain’t asked you that, Diesel.”
“No, I don’t deserve her.”
“You know what watchin’ you and CJ made me realize?” Christopher asked, ignoring Diesel’s heartfelt response.
“I don’t.”
“That you might not feel like my kid, a Caldwell, so you ain’t seein’ Reb as your sister.
” Admitting Megan helped Christopher to realize that would seem as if he only paid attention to CJ.
“We all know you a fuckin’ sex addict. You look at Rebel and see her…
her…” He frowned and drew in the deepest fucking breath he’d ever taken.
“Her…her breasts and hips,” he pushed out. “Not her age.”
“Her age is uppermost in my mind. It has to be.”
Was this motherfucker high or stupid? But Christopher got control of his temper and let that revelation slide.
“I ain’t ever gave you a fair fuckin’ shot to follow in my footsteps, boy, and I’m fuckin’ sorry.
Ain’t able to change it now. One, you so fuckin’ fucked up and so fuckin’ over-the-top with your cruelty.
Runnin’ the club about more than brutality.
Motherfuckers would fear you but that only get you so far.
You a Caldwell, Diesel. Never think no different.
I understand it’s about more than money and power.
It’s about belongin’, and probably only Rebel and Axel make you feel as if you belong anyfuckinwhere. ”
Instead of softening, Diesel’s anger returned. Christopher understood. When he was younger, he’d been so fucking angry over a bunch of shit.
For a moment, Diesel morphed into Snake, hiding Big Joe’s rejection and clear favoritism of Christopher underneath fury and fuckery.
“It isn’t only them, Uncle Christopher,” Diesel muttered, and Snake’s image faded away.
Christopher wouldn’t ask him to clarify.
“Rebel turnin’ eighteen in three fuckin’ years.
” He allowed the roiling in his gut to settle before he forced out his next words.
“Prove to me you deserve her. Make yourself worthy and I’ll step the fuck out the way when she legal.
I’ll let her drive you fuckin’ insane like Megan do me. ”
He'd murder that motherfucker but they all needed peace for now.
“What about Jana, Dad?” CJ cut in. “He’s not breaking his fucking engagement. Like you said, he wants Rebel until he fucking gets her. He’s a motherfucker like that.”
“CJ, what the fuck you meant by sayin’ you lost your ma to your brothers?” He purposely said brothers, instead of calling Diesel and Axel by name. CJ had to get it through his head that Diesel was a Caldwell, too. “You know Megan love all you motherfuckers.”
“It’s fuckin’ obvious what I meant, Dad,” CJ cried. “Axel’s Mom’s Sweet Pea and she just gave Diesel my fucking treehouse without even asking me. And she used to talk to me about everything. If I was still Mom’s potato, she would’ve talked to me, especially about my shit.”
Turning away so he wouldn’t lose his fucking temper, Christopher walked to the rack on the wall and grabbed the rubber apron.
Once he put it on, he got gloves and a face mask.
He’d use a power saw for Nardo’s extremities, but for that motherfucker’s head, he opened the cabinet and grabbed one of the machetes.
After covering his boots, Christopher slid his hands into the disposable gloves.
“Aren’t we stripping him?” Devon asked, sounding as relieved as Mort and Val had when the shit blew over between Christopher and Snake.
But it had never truly ‘blown over’. It morphed into bitterness, hatred, and division.
“I can take his clothes off,” Rory said, then eyed Christopher and snapped his mouth shut. “I-I mean if we’re undressing him.”
“Nope,” Christopher answered, face mask in one hand and machete in the other. “He a minor.”