Chapter 31 – Rebel
Rebel: Are u awake yet, Dee?
Compared to some of their other texts, that one was tame, but she’d never in her life forget spending the night texting Diesel. She’d gotten little sleep. The more they texted, the wider awake she became.
When Momma returned without warning to check on Rebel, she had just enough time to shove her phone under her pillow and plop her head down.
She stayed with Rebel for a half an hour until Rebel promised she was okay and sent her away.
She was scared Diesel had fallen asleep, but if he had, he gave no indication and picked up where they left off.
Until two hours ago, when he stopped responding.
Now, Rebel glanced at the clock. Close to six, a school day, so breakfast would be served shortly. Whenever he was home, Diesel joined them. His work days started early. Intending to knock on his door on her way down, she grabbed her robe just as her phone dinged.
Diesel: on my way down now
Grinning, Rebel hurriedly shrugged into her robe and rushed out of her room, excitement coursing through her as she raced to the breakfast room. Seeing the pile of presents surrounding Diesel’s chair made her squeal.
“Reb, what are you doing downstairs?” Momma paused long enough to ask that before continuing to the sideboard and setting a platter of sausages down.
Her distraction allowed Rebel to bite her lip and lower her lashes, so she wouldn’t stare at Diesel or her presents.
“Morning, Reb,” Aunt Bunny greeted, stopping to kiss her cheek before following Momma and adding a plate of biscuits next to the sausages.
“G’morning, everyone.” Doing her best not to grab her presents and start opening them, Rebel slid into her seat. “I was hungry, so I thought I’d come down and eat. Save you the trouble of bringing food to me, Momma.”
She squinted and glanced between Diesel and Rebel. “Umkay,” she said, that one word calling Rebel a liar. “Now tell me the truth.” She pointed at Diesel. “What did this idiot say to get you down here so early?”
Busted. Even when she went to school, she was always last to arrive at the table.
Rebel glanced at Diesel, but he showed no reaction to being labeled an idiot. She didn’t want to get him into trouble, especially since she’d suggested he give the presents to her at breakfast.
“I have get-well gifts for her, Aunt Meggie,” Diesel said calmly.
Momma bent over to better see around Diesel’s chair and her eyes widened. “All that?”
He nodded. “Just a few things to cheer her up.”
“Fine.” Momma sighed and turned to Aunt Bunny. “CJ will pick up food on his way to school. He’s going to see if Harley wants to ride with him.”
Aunt Bunny smiled. “I hope they are finally back on the right track.”
“Me, too,” Momma said, heading for the swinging door that led to a short hallway directly across from the kitchen.
“I think Harley has learned…” Aunt Bunny’s voice faded away.
“Can you give them to me now?” Rebel asked in low tones, anxious to open her gifts.
Before Diesel responded, the Terrible Triplets trooped in, dressed in their school uniforms, tears streaking their faces. Sniffling as if his heart had broken, Axel took his seat and faceplanted on the table.
Alarmed, Rebel got to her feet and started toward him, but Daddy walked in, belt still in hand, glowering.
“Sit the fuck down, Rebel,” he ordered, whipping his belt through the air. “They broke those motherfuckin’ cameras upstairs. They lucky I only spanked their fuckin’ asses and didn’t lock them in a motherfuckin’ cage.”
Rebel gulped, her mind racing to Diesel coming into her room as if he hadn’t cared. Of course he’d known about the cameras. He’d probably told Axel to do it.
“They cut the motherfuckin’ wires. Ripped some of them completely away and shattered most of the fuckin’ sensors.” Daddy lashed his belt again, this time towards the Triplets, though he was too far away to strike them. “Axel used his fuckin’ slingshot and rocks.”
“Oh goddamn,” Diesel muttered, his eyes wide.
“You didn’t have to break my slingshot!” Axel wailed. “That was my favorite one.”
“I ain’t only breakin’ that one. I want every motherfuckin’ slingshot you got. I’m burnin’ those motherfuckers.”
Axel hadn’t stopped crying, but he burst into louder tears.
“It’s okay, Ax,” Ransom said, patting his back.
Ryder leaned over and hugged him, compelling Rebel to start toward Axel again.
“Sit the fuck down, Rebel,” Daddy repeated, like a mad dog.
“Uncle Christopher—” Diesel started but Daddy rounded on him.
“If you know what the fuck’s good for you, you shuttin’ the fuck up. Those three lil’ nightmares said they wanted those cameras gone, but they ain’t ever had a problem with it befuckinfore. It seem mighty fuckin’ strange the night Rebel released, my fuckin’ cameras destroyed.”
“Leave Diesel alone,” Axel snarled, swiping his hand across his snotty nose and glaring at Daddy. “I hate your stupid fuckin’ cameras. They get in the way of a man’s work, so fuck you. Diesel didn’t do nothin’.”
Daddy growled and started for Axel again.
“What’s going on in here?” Momma asked, her and Aunt Bunny standing side-by-side, holding more food. “Axel? Sweet Pea?”
She rushed to the sideboard and set her bowl of grits down, then hurried to Axel and hugged him.
“Mom!” he wailed, falling into her arms and sobbing. “Dad’s a mean motherfucker. He spanked me and my men cuz we destroyed his camera stuffs. But they’re everywhere. We can’t have no fun no more. I get stuffs for you and it can’t be a surprise with all the cameras.”
“You sabotaged the cameras?” Momma asked, hugging Axel against her and sidling a glare at Diesel. “Why would you do that, Sweet Pea?”
“It’s an envision of privates,” Axel said, sniffling.
“Invasion of privacy,” Ryder corrected.
“Yeah, that,” Axel said miserably, lifting his head and looking at Momma.
She cupped his little face between her hands. “Be honest with me. Did Diesel ask you to ruin those cameras?”
“No, Mom,” Axel said without hesitation. “Dad didn’t refer with me and my men. Or Reb. Or Diesel. He just put those cameras up everywhere. It’s like a security jail. We don’t do nothing.”
“Confer. You did bomb Diesel’s bathroom, love,” Momma said gently. “That’s definitely something.”
“I beat CJ’s ass and put baby oil stuffs on his clothes and you still don’t got cameras on the third floor.”
“We don’t have to explain fuck all to you, boy,” Daddy snapped, slipping his belt back through the loops in his jeans and buckling it.
“I let this shit get too fuckin’ far out of hand.
Now you think you can do anyfuckinthing and ain’t sufferin’ repercussions.
Well, you know what? You three lil’ motherfuckers punished and you ain’t havin’ no birthday party Saturday evenin’, Axel. Case fuckin’ closed.”
Axel gasped. Instead of sobbing like a normal child, he stiffened and narrowed his eyes at Daddy. “This is war! You beat a man’s ass. Take his fuckin’ money and steal his mom away on his birthday, then cancel his party.”
Momma got to her feet and glanced at Daddy before smiling at Axel. “How about this, love? Your Daddy and me come home Saturday morning and we have a small celebration here?”
“Megan—”
Axel hugged Mom but smirked at Daddy. “Can you come home Friday evening?” he asked in a miserable voice. “Then you can do fun stuffs while we decorate Saturday?”
“Axel,” Daddy gritted.
“Friday?” Momma said with disappointment.
Axel nodded, still hugging her, so she couldn’t see his face, but Rebel did—his big sniffle was fake as hell. “I never had a birthday without you, Mom,” he said pitifully.
“Oh, my little Sweet Pea,” Momma said, tightening her hold on him. “We’ll come home Friday night.”
Axel poked his tongue at Daddy.
Daddy’s moving lips seemed to say, “motherfucker”, but Rebel couldn’t be sure. He flipped Axel off, then gritted his teeth. “We got the cabin rented until—”
“Mom, we got bacon?” Axel interrupted in that same tormented little voice.
“Aunt Bunny left after she set the bowl of strawberries down,” Ransom said. “Maybe she went to get it?”
“Here, love. Sit.” Momma guided Axel to his seat. “We still have a few more things to bring out. Give me a few minutes.”
“We can do this the easy fucking way, Dad, or we can do this the hard fucking way,” Axel said, the minute Momma left. “My ass is on fire. You made me send you the 5Gs back and you want to cancel my fucking party?”
“You ain’t fuckin’ blackmailin’ your fuckin’ way out of this fuckin’ punishment.”
“Keep it up, Dad, and I’ll make Mom stay home,” Axel warned darkly.
“Can I interject?” Diesel asked, looking between Daddy and Axel.
“Dad would’ve gotten off better if you negotiated Axel’s sentence, Diesel,” Ryder said, laughing.
“This ain’t fuckin’ funny,” Daddy snarled.
“Nope,” Ransom agreed. “It’s hilarious.”
Daddy growled.
“How about this?” Rebel started, deciding to throw in her two cents.
It couldn’t hurt. Momma was looking forward to being with Daddy but she would cancel the trip or shorten it even further if Axel pushed enough.
“I’ll tell Momma that I’ll plan Axel’s party with CJ, Diesel, Ryder, and Ransom. We’ll get 420 decorations.”
“Oh boy!” Axel crowed, completely forgetting his distress.
“Axel will tell Momma that he overreacted and he wants her to celebrate her anniversary with you, Daddy. That way, you can stick to the original plans.”
“And I want my fucking money back,” Axel said.
“Ain’t no motherfuckin’ way that’s happenin’.”
“You don’t get to have all the fun stuffs,” Axel complained, glaring at Dad. “Taking my mom away and keeping my money that you fucking owed me.”
“I owed you a grand, so shut the fuck up.”
“How about a settlement, Ax?” Diesel suggested. “The original thousand dollars?” He looked at Daddy. “And I’ll pay half the cost to repair the cameras.”
“So, we can break those motherfuckers again?” Axel asked incredulously.
“Me and your ma goin’ on one fuckin’ vacation,” Daddy barked. “You ain’t gonna be able to scheme your way outta breakin’ that shit again.”
“Try me, Dad,” Axel said sullenly. “Those cameras are ass. It don’t got nothing to do with Diesel and Rebel. You don’t want those fucking cameras on the third floor cuz it’s a…a…”
“Invasion of privacy,” Ryder supplied, grinning at Daddy’s glower.
“Invasion of privacy,” Axel echoed. “We got rights, too. You really think if Rebel wanted to do whatever, she wouldn’t find a way?”
“Unless she got fuckin’ disappearin’ powder, the cameras would follow her every fuckin’ step of the way.”
Rebel was already in a gilded cage. The cameras made the walls press in a little more. She wanted to escape, prove to Daddy, CJ, and Diesel that nothing could hold her back if she desired something badly enough.
“That’s not right, Dad.” Ryder nodded to Rebel.
“She’s been through enough. Diesel’s her brother, too.
We can all visit her, except him. But that’s not even my main argument.
I want to know why should we suffer for her crush?
You’re not suffering by having third floor cameras to watch if CJ sneaks Harley into his room. ”
Daddy snapped his brows together. Obviously, he hadn’t considered that.
When Momma and Aunt Bunny returned this time, Bishop followed, carrying Gunner, with Kaia right behind them. He smiled at her, but glared at Diesel before taking his seat on the other side of the table, next to Ransom.
“Breakfast’s finally served,” Momma announced. “We microwaved the bacon to speed things up.”
“S’okay, Mom,” Axel said pitifully, back to sniffling.
Daddy threw him a putrid look.
“Christopher, I was thinking,” Momma started, setting the plates Aunt Bunny prepared in front of everyone, starting with Daddy. “How about we make it a family vacation? You and I can leave Thursday like originally planned. Diesel can drive his Mercedes and CJ can follow in my SUV and then—”
The horror on Daddy’s face combined with Axel’s satisfaction amused Rebel, but she heard her mother’s disappointment too, so she spoke up and gave Momma the alternative plan.
If Axel did his part…instead, he stuffed a sausage into his mouth and chewed contentedly.
“Rebel, sweetheart, I appreciate the offer, but—”
“Megan, I need coffee,” Daddy interjected.
Axel beamed at Aunt Bunny. “And I need juice, Aunt Bunny.”
“Rats! We forgot the beverages,” Momma said on a groan. “Be right back.”
“I’ll give you the fuckin’ five grand back,” Daddy started.
Shaking his head, Axel stuffed another sausage into his mouth. “Nope,” he said around food. “That offer expired. I want ten and I want those fuckin’ cameras down for sixty days until we have a family preview.”
“Review,” Ransom said.
“Shut up,” Axel ordered, pointing his fork. “A man feels better now, so only beautiful girls can correct me again.”
“I ain’t givin’ you no motherfuckin’ ten thousand—”
“Here you are, Ax,” Aunt Bunny said, walking back in with a glass of juice in one hand and a pitcher in the other.
Momma sat a tray with coffee, cream, and sugar down on the buffet. She prepared Daddy’s cup, then set it in front of him and laid her hand on his shoulder. “How about the kids come Saturday and we leave Monday?”
“Ten,” Daddy blurted.
Momma frowned. “Ten?”
“It’s the time Dad said to end the party Reb’s throwing for me, Mom,” Axel said smoothly. “I wanted midnight. Ten is better than nine, though. That’s what he said at first.”
“So you’re okay with Rebel’s idea, Sweet Pea?”
Taking another sip of juice before setting it down, Axel nodded. “Reb’s my sister and I love her, so I trust she’ll make my party special.”
“Are you sure, love?” Momma asked hesitantly, hope in her voice. “I feel so bad for—”
“Don’t, Mom,” Axel promised. “A man got to do what a man got to do. This feels right.” He beamed at Dad. “Right?”
Daddy gnashed his teeth together.
“Right, Dad?” Axel demanded.
It shocked Rebel that Daddy didn’t burst into flames, he reddened so fiercely. Somehow, he nodded.
Diesel pushed back from his seat and stood, a tall man with a commanding presence, sharp—sexy—in his black suit, white shirt and red tie. He bent and picked up her presents then brought them to her and sat them next to her chair. “Welcome home and get well soon, Rebel.”
He kissed her cheek and his cologne filled her nostrils. She pressed her lips together, the urge to lick his neck almost overwhelming her. Any other time, she would’ve considered that idea gross, but…but… She didn’t know and the embarrassing thought sent heat rushing to her cheeks.
“I have to get to the office,” he finished.
Before anyone commented, Daddy’s phone rang. He snatched it from his pocket. Still salty from his latest run-in with Axel, he stood, too. “This CJ. I’m heading to the club, so I’ll leave with you.” He nodded to Diesel and barked into the phone, “What, boy?” before walking out.