Chapter 17 – Johnnie
Though Johnnie hadn’t heard Hopper’s voice in years, he still remembered it. No wonder Bash had been so subdued toward Kendall. Surprising that he took a woman’s feelings into consideration, but it explained his reaction.
Johnnie glanced at Bash, smirked at Kendall, and flexed the hand with all his fingers before turning, surprised to see how pretty Hopper still was. He would’ve thought hard living would’ve torn her down as it had Gypsy, that poor wretch.
Hopper had gained a few pounds, distributed evenly across the curves of her body, revealed in tight leather.
She wasn’t as short as Megan but nowhere near as tall as Kendall.
He’d even hazard a guess that Mattie was taller than Hopper.
Her brown hair was swept up, allowing the diamonds in her ears to sparkle.
His gaze dropped to her hands, decked with diamond rings on all ten of her fingers and a bracelet on each wrist.
She moved toward him, revealing Megan, who he hadn’t noticed and who was still so gorgeous Johnnie wondered if her beauty would ever fade.
He smirked at her too, thinking of the perfect way to get under both Megan and Kendall’s skin.
“Never expected to run into you here, sweetheart,” he said, grinning at Hopper, so furious with Kendall’s deviousness that he wanted to scream and kill, grab her and usher her to Colombia then and there.
He wouldn’t, but by this time next week, they’d be there.
He’d drive to Seattle tomorrow and put everything in motion.
Once in South America, he wouldn’t release Kendall until she remembered how much she loved him and stopped playing her fucking games.
Even if it took ten fucking years. Twenty. One hundred…he didn’t care.
“If not for this—” He wiggled his ring finger— “I would invite you and Christopher somewhere so we could party like we used to.”
Kendall’s falling face pleased him. Hopper’s eyes widened and she glanced in Bash’s direction, laughing nervously.
“What do you say to that, Megan?” Johnnie purred, gritting his teeth at her inscrutability. She’d become such a cold little cunt. “Well?”
“You wanna fuckin’ die,” Christopher snapped.
Johnnie barked a laugh, then faced Christopher, a traitor too. He chose Mortician and Bash over Johnnie, just like Kendall. “But you won’t kill me, will you, fuckhead?”
He’d finally figured out all Christopher’s ridiculous blustering was just that. A hoax to save face. Christopher could never kill him. He was a family man. Johnnie would even go so far as to say he was a family man before he was a biker and club president.
Johnnie smirked, proud he’d figured out Christopher’s game, even prouder to exploit it. “I’m fucking family and that means something to you.”
“More than it ever fuckin’ meant to you,” Christopher told him.
Somehow, Johnnie didn’t flinch at the disappointment in those words.
“Enough, gentlemen,” Kendall said crisply, finding her voice. She tipped her head slightly and glanced up. “I don’t have it in me today to clean up your disregard.”
Bash grinned. “Ah, gorgeous, you warm my heart. The cameras are off in the area thanks to your Death Dweller liaison and Dee Dee.”
“Griffin and Diesel had no fucking right to do that,” Johnnie said, feigning outrage. It was the only thing he could do to shake in fear of Bash’s retribution.
“They had every fuckin’ right. I told them to fuckin’ do it,” Christopher said, folding his arms.
Megan guided Hopper toward where Bash and Christopher stood next to each other.
She stopped long enough to squeeze Kendall’s hand, though Hopper didn’t acknowledge his wife.
Before Megan stepped into Christopher’s arms, she crooked her finger at Bash and he bent, listening to whatever she said and nodding, then straightening again.
Jealousy blinded Johnnie. He couldn’t imagine how Megan thought she could trust Bash and not him.
“Can we talk, Johnnie?” Hopper asked once she stepped into Bash’s arms and accepted the kiss he offered. “About the DNA test?”
Christopher lifted Megan off her feet, kissed her, then whispered in her ear. Predictably, she giggled and blushed, her hair cascading over his arms and down her back. He set her on her feet and she turned too, allowing him to settle his hands on her waist.
Johnnie smiled at Hopper. “I much prefer discussing how you got Christopher to fuck you when he was so against young chicks.” He smirked at Megan and nodded to Hopper. “If not for Hop, I’m sure there wouldn’t be a you.”
“Johnnie, stop,” Kendall said quietly. “Please. Before you get yourself hurt.”
“Would you fucking care?”
“She would, but you know who won’t?” Megan glowered at him and narrowed her icy blue eyes.
“No one else. You should kiss Kendall’s feet every day.
She keeps you alive. How you stay alive?
” She laughed coldly. “Is completely up to you. Christopher might not kill you, but he can shoot pieces of you away until nothing’s left but your head and trunk.
And before you say I’m embarrassing your club president, this is a family matter, so keep your wretched mouth shut.
Back off, Johnnie. Or I’m stepping out of the way. ”
“As if it’s your decision,” he sneered.
“You’re baiting me,” Megan said, “you moronic little man. Christopher wants you dead. Why can’t you believe that? I don’t care one way or the other. Kendall does. Mattie and Rory do. Look into the trenches of your dark, empty soul and try to survive for them.”
She was fucking serious. She’d actually step out of the way and allow Christopher to abuse him. Not kill him. Never kill him.
“I’m not getting killed. Bash once said he wanted to kill me and yet I’m still alive.”
Hopper snapped her brows together. Megan gaped at him and Kendall pursed her lips and shifted her weight.
“You want to die, tio?” Tio asked.
Johnnie squinted. “Of course not! Where would you get that idea from? And, please, don’t call me ‘tio’. I know it means ‘uncle’, but it’s also your name. It might confuse less intelligent men.” He looked at Christopher with meaning.
“What happened to my Johnnie?” Hopper asked, aghast.
Snorting, Johnnie glared at her. “I was never your fucking, Johnnie, Hopper. What I want to know is what happened to you? You might’ve fucked everything and snorted coke, but the Hopper I knew back then wouldn’t have hid the fact that she thought she carried my baby.
What the fuck is wrong with you? How dare you let a fucking secret like that stay hidden so it could rear its head at any goddamn time.
As it did. Then it turns out you lied about that. ”
“I really thought Jana belonged to you,” she croaked, her vulnerability reminding Johnnie of the times they’d shared, especially after Paz’s death. “Or Joey. That’s why I named her Jana Joelle.”
“Me or Snake?” Johnnie said bitterly. “Of course, that motherfucker was in the running. You just forgot you fucked my grandfather, too.”
“Not willingly,” she said, and bit her lip.
“And not often. I had a period between the time he forced me, and us being together. I thought I was in the clear. I’m sorry.
I’m so, so sorry for causing you any problems. I didn’t tell you because I thought Logan would kill me.
I barely escaped with my life that day I left. If Mortician hadn’t—”
“MORTICIAN?” Johnnie’s anger surged again. He couldn’t evade that arrogant motherfucker. Furious breaths escaped him and he took a step toward Kendall, then halted before he shook the fuck out of her. “Do you see why I hate that fuckhead so much? He fucked Hopper before he got to you.”
Tears rushed to Kendall’s eyes and she glanced away, no longer bothering to deny her affair.
“Come on, love,” Megan said gently, hurrying to Kendall and hugging her.
“I know you want to see Rebel and it should almost be time for Jo to be brought to her room.” Holding Kendall’s hand, she turned.
“Hopper, I’d love for you to meet my daughters.
Whenever you’re ready, text me and I’ll have one of the nurses buzz you back. ”
Hopper nodded. “Thank you, Meggie.”
“I can never repay you for helping me with Mystic,” she said quietly.
“Saving my son is payment enough, honey.”
Christopher scowled. “You and me talkin’, Megan, cuz how that motherfucker get on your No-Kill list and No-Maim list? Can he go on your Maybe Survive List instead?”
“He’s my nephew, Christopher, and he made a mistake.” Smiling, Megan blew her husband a kiss and dragged Kendall to the door.
No one spoke until after they were buzzed back.
Johnnie sat in a nearby chair and rubbed his eyes, exhausted from all the turmoil. Kendall never failed to wreak havoc.
“We were friends once, Johnnie,” Hopper said, still standing in front of Bash, wrapped in his arms. “But you never claimed me. You didn’t care who I slept with. Mortician was your friend.”
“Mortician stole Christopher from me and he’s trying to steal my wife,” Johnnie said flatly. “I hope he’s reaping what he sows, but I don’t want Jana in the family. She doesn’t deserve the name ‘Donovan’. Take her back to whatever hole you crawled out of and bury her.”
“She belong to Diesel,” Christopher said, always an interfering motherfucker. “He might have something to say about that shit, Johnnie.”
“Yeah, because you put everyone before me. Every time I look at her, I’ll remember Logan. The hell he put me through if I even mentioned a club girl. I’ll remember what a motherfucking hypocrite he was.”
“If you ain’t come to terms with that by now, you never will,” Christopher said, his calm words reminding Johnnie of their lost friendship. “You can’t take what Logan did to any of us out on Jana or Hopper.”