Chapter 47 – Rory
Gazing out of his window, Rory watched as the newly rebirthed leaves rustled gently.
He should go outside and allow the light wind to blow on him.
Perhaps, they’d cool his racing thoughts and ease his loneliness.
He’d never been religious, following in his parents’ footsteps despite how Mom forced him to endure Mass whenever she knew Aunt Meggie was going with her kids.
But to Rory, the breeze was the breath of a higher power.
He leaned his head against the cool pane and tipped his chin down so he could look at the photo he held.
The stolen one of Gypsy, taken during one of the last times he’d been at her apartment.
Her earrings were in his drawer, safe until he got his ears pierced.
Then, he’d wear them for the rest of his life.
Derby had yet to give him Gypsy’s LP collection or her ashes.
Damn it!
Rory almost broke down again. He missed her so much. She gave him a different perspective than Mom, Mattie, Aunt Meggie, and Lolly. Or, maybe, Rory just heard it differently since it came from a woman outside of his family.
Now, she was gone and he’d ruined his relationship with Mom, alienated Mattie, and infuriated Aunt Meggie.
Then there was CJ, the cousin he’d long idolized. The one he still worshipped, who wanted nothing to do with him because he felt so betrayed.
Rory wasn’t sure how it came to this. His original mission was to save his father and Aunt Meggie. Somehow, it morphed into involvement in Ryan’s bullshit where he was forgiven and Rory was ostracized.
Somehow, too, what started out as a much simpler mission—despite its complicated nature—turned into a nightmare with Gypsy dead, him and Mom barely talking, and Rory his father’s only ally.
Just a few weeks ago, he loved his father but hadn’t liked him at all.
No, he’d hated that motherfucker. That turned into the constant reminder of ‘that’s my dad’.
He didn’t know what else to say when violence simmered just beneath the surface toward Dad.
Everyone hated his father. No, despised him.
Their feelings weren’t layered like Rory’s.
Even Mom seemed to have stopped loving him. Mom, who Dad stuck by through her worst moments. Mom, who claimed to need Dad but then sent him back to the clubhouse.
And Ryan was still foul. He’d sucker-punched Rory a couple of days ago. Luckily, that punch wasn’t CJ level. It hurt but didn’t break any ribs.
The bells of Westminster Abbey rang through the house. Mom’s stupid doorbell.
Glowering, Rory straightened, turned, and threw Gypsy’s photo on his desk.
He didn’t want to stay under Mom’s roof.
She didn’t like him anymore either. She’d disappointed him and Dad.
If she’d turned her back on her biggest champion, Rory didn’t stand a chance.
Yeah, Dad hadn’t treated her the best these last few weeks and Rory feared for her mental stability.
However, she was stable enough to go on sudden work trips and forget her maternal duty.
She was stable enough to become the club’s attorney and forget her wifely loyalty.
“Mr. Rory,” Ella called, knocking on his door at the same time.
“What?” he snapped, in no mood for Mom’s sycophant. If Mom told Ella to jump, she did it without question. “I’m busy so make it quick.”
She opened the door, disapproval written all over her face. Drawing herself up, she kept her hand on the doorknob and remained in the hall. “CJ, Ryan, and Grant are here to see you. Sir.”
He could’ve done without her sneer.
“Send them away, or will you grace them with your charming presence, Mr. Rory?”
Shame settled into Rory, and he glanced away. He’d known Ella most of his life. She didn’t deserve his foul behavior.
“Can you send them up?” he asked, losing the attitude.
She gave him a curt nod and started to turn away.
“I’m sorry, Ella. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. Forgive me?”
Pursing her lips, she lifted her chin. “Of course. Sir,” she added with that same sneering tone, and stomped away.
CJ and his psycho brothers had already abused him, so he wasn’t sure why the guys were coming to see him, but he refused to reveal how much he missed them.
They wouldn’t care. He’d begged for forgiveness and they’d ignored him.
He hurried to his knapsack and removed his tablet, then sat at his desk.
He’d just opened an eBook when another knock came on his door. “Come in,” he called and stared at the words on the screen, not processing them, so nervous he wanted to throw up.
The door opened, but Rory refused to turn. He hunched deeper over the tablet, air squeezing in and out of his lungs. At any moment, he might faint.
“Yo, incel,” Ryan barked. “Are you fucking greeting us or what?”
Or what.
“If this isn’t a good time, we can leave,” Grant said, kinder and gentler than Ryan.
CJ, the voice Rory waited for, remained silent. Maybe he’d misunderstood Ella. Or maybe she thought she saw CJ… Or maybe Ryan convinced her to lie.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone halt next to him and pick up Gypsy’s photo off the desk.
“She was pretty,” CJ said softly, breaking into Rory’s distress and wild thoughts.
Swallowing, Rory nodded, afraid to meet his cousin’s gaze. Afraid he’d see the same anger and derision he’d seen for days. He didn’t know what to say to make things right. He just wanted his life back to normal.
“Gypsy?” Ryan asked in an unreadable tone.
Rory might deck him if he made an off-the-cuff comment about her.
“Yeah,” CJ said, laying the photo down and turning away, setting Rory’s nerves even further on edge. “I still can’t believe she’s in the past tense.”
“Fuck, bro, you and me both,” Ryan said.
“How are you holding up, Rory?” Grant asked. “I know you took her death pretty hard.”
“I did,” Rory mumbled, still afraid to ask why they were visiting him.
Was it to jump him again? Neither Mom or Dad was home, so they couldn’t rescue him.
Who…?
His little sister rose to his head. CJ liked her. He wouldn’t hurt Rory if she was there.
Grabbing his phone, he fired off a text.
SOS. Come to my room. I need your help. CJ might kill me.
Mattie was angry with him, so she might leave him to his fate. He wasn’t sure. A minute later, he heard her bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor in the hallway as she ran to his room.
Sagging in relief, Rory lifted his head and swiveled around.
Grant stood just inside his room, but she was moving so fast, she couldn’t stop. She barreled into Grant and he lurched forward, though he didn’t fall to the floor. He glanced over his shoulder and laughed, then shook his head.
Blushing, Mattie giggled. “Hey, Grant.”
“Mattie.”
“Your favorite cousin’s here, too,” Ryan announced, smirking at Rory, as if he knew he’d summoned his sister. Walking forward, he waved. “Couldn’t wait to see me?”
“Uh—”
Glaring at Rory, CJ shook his head, then went and kissed Mattie’s cheek. “Hey, bae. What’s up?”
“I, uh, I…” She glanced at CJ, Ryan, and Grant, before gazing at Rory, clearly at a loss for words. She began to fidget, a manifestation of her fear, especially toward Dad.
Rory regretted putting her in that position.
Biting her lip, she took a step back.
“Forever a fucking fucked up fuckhead, Rory,” CJ bit out.
Ryan thumped his shoulder. “Shut up, cuck.”
“For her to tear down the fucking hallway, he must’ve texted her that we were here to fuck him up,” CJ guessed.
Because why wouldn’t he? He was Uncle Christopher’s son.
Mattie’s face crumpled.
“We aren’t here to hurt your brother, Mattie,” Grant said. “CJ wanted to personally invite him to Axel’s birthday party.”
Rory widened his eyes.
“I was in my room, w-working on the tasks Rebel gave to me.”
“Did we all get lists?” Grant asked, lowering Rory’s spirits.
He hadn’t.
“I still have shit on my list,” CJ grumbled. “Rebel is more extravagant than Mom. It’s not a milestone birthday for Axel.”
“You’re slow,” Ryan crowed. “I’m already done. And, you, asshole, are still jealous. Aunt Meggie isn’t here. She probably gave Rebel free reign to be as over-the-top as possible.”
“I’m not jealous!” CJ fumed, returning the thump Ryan gave him a few minutes ago. “Stop saying that.”
“Nope. As a matter of fact, I might buy you green paint to go with your green emotion.”
CJ flipped off Ryan. “What are you working on, Mattie?”
“Naming the mocktails, so I can send them to Diesel. He’ll get them to Potter and Kenny.”
“Mocktails?” CJ asked dubiously.
“Yeah,” Mattie answered. “Uh, I’ve come up with the High Octane and Nitrous Boost to go with the ones with dry ice. Rebel said they’ll be easy to adapt to actual cocktails.”
“C-can I p-participate?” Rory asked, hope surging into him.
If CJ wanted to personally invite him, that accounted for something.
Everyone looked at CJ.
Gnashing his teeth together, CJ nodded. “I will send you the deejay’s contact information. I want you to make up playlists with Axel’s favorite songs.”
The task sounded easy, but Rory didn’t know Axel’s music tastes.
“Make sure it’s loaded with songs by Megan Thee Stallion, Taylor Swift, and Beyonce,” Mattie advised. “Leaning more on Megan Thee Stallion.”
“Are you sure?” Rory asked.
Mattie nodded. “Trust me on that. Text Harley. She can help you. I think all her tasks are done.” When no one added anything, she backed into the hallway. “Yeah, uh, bye.” She turned and ran away.