Chapter 41 – Easton
Outlaw expected Easton to tell Coach Yancy that Ryan would be the starting quarterback. Yet, when he talked to the football coach and discovered all the particulars, Easton couldn’t bring himself to do it without first talking to Outlaw and explaining the situation.
Which he did promptly when the man walked into Easton’s office right after lunch and frowned.
“What the fuck is that smell?” he asked, slamming the door shut and walking to one of the chairs in front of Easton’s desk.
“It isn’t as strong as it was when I first came in Monday morning, Outlaw.”
“You ain’t bought fuckin’ air freshener, assfuck?”
Easton shrugged. “I’d like that and new fucking décor. This office is depressing.”
Outlaw swiveled his head, glancing around, and nodded. “Do what you gotta. It’ll be taken care of.”
“I hate to disrupt the office near the end of the school year.”
“Then do it over the summer.”
Over the summer when they’d visit Rule and see Molly. “CJ told me you all will go to LA then.”
“Yeah. Ain’t lettin’ Megan go to LA alone afuckingain for now. That’d be three fuckin’ times in a row. Can’t handle no more.”
“She might have something to say about that.”
“Lil’ pain-in-the-ass-motherfucker probably will,” Outlaw grunted.
“You love every moment of the hell she puts you through.”
He scowled.
“I’m not disrespecting her,” Easton said quickly. “I’m just making an observation.”
That didn’t appease Outlaw either. “Ain’t your fuckin’ place to observe nothin’ about my Megan.”
“It isn’t,” Easton agreed.
“What the fuck you want? I know you ain’t fuckin’ asked me to drop in to discuss my wife. Yancy or Marksum pushin’ back about Ryan?”
“No, but that’s what I want to talk to you about. As well as CJ,” he added, relaying the conversation he’d had with Coach Yancy. “As far as I know, CJ loves football. The fact that he won’t even fight for the position shows how untethered he is to school life.”
“Fuck.” Outlaw scrubbed a hand over his neck. “I thought we’d gotten past this.”
“His person is here, but his heart is with the club.”
“It could be as simple as CJ steppin’ out the way for Ryan. My boy right. He’s home more than he’s here.”
“That isn’t a good thing if you want him to earn his diploma.”
Although Easton didn’t know what Outlaw would say, when he opened his mouth to speak, he raised his hands.
“Before you blast me, he’s your son. You know him better than anyone—”
“Except his ma.”
“Right,” Easton agreed. “Except Meggie. You hired me to lead the school, but most importantly, to watch over the Dweller kids. CJ needs to talk to you. Hear from you he’s not you. That he doesn’t need to have sex now if he isn’t ready.”
Outlaw snapped his brows together. “What the fuck that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. I couldn’t take this fucking office and ended up in Wilhemhein’s class by some miracle.
” Thankfully, he was getting a feel for the school’s layout.
“Jaleena Davis and Skye Ratcliffe were buzzing around him. I didn’t blame his annoyance, so I took him with me for a smoke.
” He nodded behind him, in the direction of the track field.
“He said he doesn’t like Skye but can’t stop thinking about kissing her.
But he also thinks something is wrong with him.
By the time you were his age, you were already sexually active. ”
“Fuck me,” Outlaw groaned. “His ma told me to talk to him, and I did. I thought I got through to him. But after his overdose, he’s changed. And after Rule broke down and I ran his ma away cuz I was a stupid motherfucker…” He shook his head. “CJ lost something, Easton.”
“He won’t find it with a girl if he isn’t ready. That’ll make him feel worse.”
“He already been with a girl.”
“Ember LeBan. Technicality. She’s actually a grown woman.” As if he could talk. He was a grown fucking man, and him and Molly...
He winced.
Outlaw lifted a brow. “What the fuck was that for?”
“No reason,” Easton said, his mood dampening.
“A motherfucker don’t make a fuckin’ face for no goddamn reason. Tell me the fuckin’ truth.”
Unable to bring himself to do so, he said, “I would like to visit Molly when you all go to LA,” and allowed the words to hang in the air.
It took a moment of narrow-eyed contemplation on Outlaw’s part before those green eyes widened, darker than Bash’s but just as intense. “You fucked Molly?”
“Not willingly,” Easton said defensively, then decided he sounded like a lying jackass. “Even if I got an erection and performed.”
“First explain what the fuck you mean by not willin’ly.”
“If I didn’t have sex with her, Bash was going to kill her. Each time I said no, he shot her.”
“That motherfuckin’ fuckhead.”
“I didn’t tell you that for you to confront him.”
“What the fuck you expect my fuckin’ ass to do? That motherfucker assaulted you to assault her. Him coercin’ you by shootin’ her—”
“My cock got hard—”
“Which don’t mean a motherfuckin’ thing except fuckin’ biology takin’ over. You should be happy your cock worked. Otherwise, you wouldna brought Molly back. She would be fuckin’ dead. Bash shot you, too?”
Easton shook his head. “Cleaner.”
Outlaw bared his teeth, and Easton knew he needed to get the situation under control.
“I’m asking you not to say anything.”
“I ain’t sayin’ a motherfuckin’ thing, Easton. Ima just shoot the fuck out of both those motherfuckers.”
“And risk everything, including your wife. Your son. This school is wide fucking open. There are no scanners. No security checks. Nothing. It isn’t enough to vet the students you allow in. You need to have more safety measures in place.”
“Fuck, I asked Marvey…never mind. Motherfucker was probably listenin’ to Johnnie.”
“Doesn’t Johnnie’s kids attend Ridge Moore?”
“As if that motherfucker give a fuck. He’d sacrifice them to hurt me.”
“You or Meggie?” Easton asked.
“I see you fuckin’ know about her and that motherfucker.”
“Bash thought it was a joke.”
“Bash is a motherfucker, and don’t think I don’t fuckin’ know you guided the conversation in another direction.”
“I swear if I thought he was a risk, I’d tell you. Yes, he can be a sadistic motherfucker, but he is trying to change. He is so fucking happy to be aligned with you.”
Outlaw swept him with an inscrutable look. “Let’s get back to my boy.”
“Okay,” Easton said, noting Outlaw hadn’t answered him about anything, the school’s safety, visiting Molly or leaving Bash alone.
“One thing about Ember LeBan. She’s around teenaged boys.
Did she only hit on CJ? Or is this a pattern?
Will she sleep with someone younger than CJ? Are girls at risk, too?”
“Fuck, I ain’t thought about that. I’ll fuckin’ kill her so she don’t prey—”
“What? No! I don’t want her dead—”
“If she a motherfuckin’ predator, why you want her to live? I know she fucked Diesel. I didn’t think about whether she wanted lil’ kids, especially girls. I just thought she saw CJ, found the lil’ motherfucker handsome, and wanted to fuck him.”
“And you’re okay with that?” Easton asked carefully.
He shrugged. “Ain’t nothin’ more than what happened to me when I was fifteen. But if I have to kill that cunt, ain’t no skin off my fuckin’ teeth. Megan…” He thought for a minute. “Fuck, she’d probably fuckin’ clap at the news. She kinda bloodthirsty lately.”
“She saved Tio.”
“You and Johnnie made her think he was a kid. Close to CJ’s age. Otherwise, I bet she woulda let that fuckhead die.”
“Before you kill Ember, even if you’re looking forward to Meggie’s applause—”
“What? Fuck no. You out your motherfuckin’ mind? Hell goddess more a handful than my sweet angel. Before I know it, she’ll want her own fuckin’ gun to shoot motherfuckers.”
“She has a No-Kill List. I doubt she’d ever become a killer—”
Outlaw narrowed his eyes. “You been talkin’ to my woman?”
“I haven’t seen her to talk to her.”
“Keep it that fuckin’ way.”
“I will. Now, let me monitor Ember. If I see she’s a problem, I’ll let you know.”
“I changed my mind. Kill her yourself. Megan might be too happy if I do it.”
Easton tensed. “I don’t like killing women.”
“A predator’s different.”
Diesel crossed Easton’s mind, but he kept his mouth shut on anything he might’ve observed with Rebel. “Could someone else do it?”
Scratching his jaw, he nodded and folded his arms. “I’ll send Diesel.”
Of course he would. “Diesel is your go-to man.”
“I suggest you don’t fuck with him. He’s a lil’ more psycho than me.”
“Should I fear him?”
“Should you? That’s up to your motherfuckin’ ass. If you want him to bitch you out, I ain’t steppin’ in. Back to CJ.”
Easton gave him a sour look.
“I think you on one of Megan’s lists, so I can’t pluck your fuckin’ eyes out. She’d put me in pussy no-man’s land and I’d fuckin’ die. But Ima think of something if you don’t fuckin’ scale that look back, assfuck.”
Duly noted. Now for the actual reason Easton called Outlaw. “CJ should compete with Ryan for the quarterback position. Davy Marksum wasn’t even in the running.”
“I’ll talk to him and see what the fuck’s up. I’ll let you know later today what the fuck to do.” He got to his feet. “Anyfuckinthing else?”
Apparently not. Easton shook his head.
“Jo comin’ home Monday, so Tuesday Ima take you to the bank and add your name to the school account. I’ll give you authorization for two grand a week. Everything else, me or Megan signin’ off on.”
Easton nodded.
“We take care of every fuckin’ thing around this motherfucker, so I ain’t too sure what the fuck you might need. Don’t mix business with personal. Account for everything you spend and you fine. Emergencies do come up, though.”
“They do,” Easton agreed.
“You got anybody in mind for your office re-do?” He glanced around again. “Redecoration or complete remodelin’?”
“Whatever you think it needs.” Bash always liked to have the final word.
Outlaw frowned. “I ain’t in this motherfucker. I just need to know how fuckin’ much to deposit into the fuckin’ account.”
“I need to look at what I want. I don’t know,” Easton admitted. “I’m thinking remodeling, but then I’d want to do the outer office, too.”
“Lemme know. I also need costs and logistics to secure the buildings. The flow of students move from buildin’ to buildin’ with ease. I don’t want that disrupted. We probably need to hire motherfuckers for that.”
“I thought you were brushing me off.”
“I heard every motherfuckin’ thing you said.
You called me here for CJ and we talked about everyfuckinthing.
I ain’t fuckin’ up Bash or Cleaner. I better not fuckin’ regret lettin’ them live cuz I got half a fuckin’ mind to blow them the fuck up and not fuckin’ worry about any possible survivin’ members comin’ after you for talkin’ or comin’ after Megan to destroy me. ”
“Possible surviving members?”
“My ass as thorough as possible, but we missin’ core motherfuckers who helped me annihilate assfucks.”
Easton nodded, waiting for Outlaw to go into detail, but he returned to the matter at hand.
“You wanna see Molly?” he continued, picking up where he left off.
“Be prepared to be Diesel’s gopher cuz he comin’ and he’s still your fuckin’ sponsor.
You don’t like Diesel? That’s on you, too.
He a death wishy motherfucker, so you might out-survive him.
The school wide open. We changin’ that. CJ need a mentor here, since my ass got club business and Megan and a bunch of other lil’ motherfuckers.
You want the job? Just keep me informed and tell me what the fuck I need to do.
You think Ember a predator but don’t want that bitch to die.
Diesel might be a fuckin’ hypocritical motherfucker, but he like to fuckin’ kill. ”
“Uh, hypocritical—?”
“Ain’t a motherfucker close to me don’t know Diesel should die cuz of Rebel.
But that’s my kid, too. Megan and CJ think he got some decency in him.
What he do have is that whiny bitch and I think he stayin’ kinda sane for her.
So, yeah, Easton, I heard what the fuck you said and what the fuck you ain’t said. ”
“I understand.”
“You don’t. You think I’m like fuckin’ Bash.
You think tellin’ me what the fuck I wanna hear’ll keep you alive.
All that’ll do is get you outta this position and make me lose respect for you.
I ain’t trustin’ you and your cock around Megan.
You wouldn’t be here if I didn’t trust you could handle whatever come your fuckin’ way. ”
“You threw me in the middle of the fucking lion’s den with no one to guide me.”
“Ain’t had time to vet a motherfucker and put him on the payroll. I got faith in you.”
Easton snapped his brows together. No one outside of his parents had ever said those words to him and meant them. Even when Bash finally trusted him and took Easton into his confidence, the specter of Tio always loomed between them.
“You’re tough, Easton. You survived Bash.
Cleaner. You got Molly out. You want to be my moral compass?
” Outlaw shook his head. “Only Megan can do that. Only she can rein in my killin’.
I love her. I love my family. I love Diesel.
I don’t like that motherfucker sometimes.
And what I’m about to say not right, but if Diesel was the fifteen-year-old and Rebel was the thirty-year-old, I wouldn’t give a fuck.
I already told you why. Even worse, that motherfucker my legal fuckin’ son.
This shit not easy. It won’t be easy if I gotta kill him.
It won’t be easy if I gotta evict him. That’ll be harder because he’ll still be alive and the boys would want to see him, especially Axel.
I would bar Rebel from havin’ contact and that would cause problems, too.
It’ll just be easier to kill him. To me, killin’ always easier.
The problem eliminated. Megan value family and I value her.
She’s my life. My wife. My Megan. Now, anyfuckinthing else you want to throw at my ass? ”
“How could I have known you heard me when you didn’t respond?”
“You right,” Outlaw said with another shrug. “From now on, know that if I ain’t answerin’ you immediately, it just mean I’m thinkin’ while we talk about other shit.”
“Got it.”
“Ima talk to my boy and hit you up in a lil’ while.”
“You won’t be at the club?”
“Nope. Me and Megan leavin’ tomorrow for a road trip. She gonna wanna be with the kids tonight.”
“You don’t.”
Outlaw smiled. “Whatever she at, that’s where I wanna be.”
“Some might call that being a bad father.”
“Ain’t givin’ a good fuck. I was put on the earth to please Megan. As long as she love me, I’m fine.” He started off, then stopped again. “About Molly.”
Easton’s tension returned. “What about her?”
“She got a long way to go to heal, especially mentally. She turnin’ eighteen in February.
If she ever ready to come back and live a normal life, and you reconnect with her, remember three things.
You did what you needed to save her. You were a victim, too.
And an age gap ain’t nothin’ that you can’t overcome. ”
“Thank you.”
“Ain’t nothin’ but a thing,” he said, and left.