Chapter Six - Mortician
Mortician’s ringing phone peeled through the silence of the clubhouse but he ignored it, unable to handle another crisis.
Despite the crowd and the early morning hour, everyone sat in a shocked stupor.
After he’d seen to Digger, Mortician hurried to join the search for Meggie, fanning out in all directions.
If they found her, they’d find the other women and girls, but it was like they’d fallen from the face of the earth.
Before they went on their desperate exploration, Mort went to his house, half expecting to find Bailey. She’d distanced herself from everyone, especially Meggie, so he thought she wouldn’t have left with them.
“I tried my best to stay out of it,” Val said, sitting to Mort’s left. “Why did Puff…?” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I didn’t do nothing. My house so fucking empty without my baby there. Zoann just lightens my life. I don’t even got to see her.”
Mort’s heart went out to Val. He wanted to reassure him that their women would return, but he didn’t know if he’d speak the truth.
“Fucking Meggie!” someone in the crowd raged, a fucking bitter asshole who didn’t learn anything from Digger’s beating. “It’s her fault! She stole our bitches.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Cash called from Outlaw’s table. He’d been silent, arranging bottles of beer in a straight line. Even when he replaced an empty bottle and grabbed a fresh one, he didn’t fuck up the precision. “Fuck Outlaw! He fucked with Meggie.”
“According to Meggie,” that same asshole growled.
“And CJ and Rebel and Diesel and Bishop,” Stretch said, glaring into the crowd. “Outlaw was stressed out but he was wrong. He knows it and we know it.”
“Fuck Meggie!” the man roared. Thumper, if Mort guessed correctly, a motherfucker too old not to know better. “This is her fucking fault. Digger talked to me about how she got Bunny to desert him.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Mortician’s snarl came from deep within him. Although Cash’s words didn’t sink into Thumper, he hoped his did before he shot the fuck out of that motherfucker. “Our wives got free fucking will. Meggie can’t make them do a motherfucking thing.”
“Meggie make them do everything,” Thumper spat.
“Motherfuck you, Thumper,” Val yelled. “It’s bullshit like that that helped drive Meggie to the fucking edge.
We all know Outlaw a fucking Psycho Stalker Wildman.
She handle him, but with all you motherfuckers breathing down her fucking neck, disrespecting her, making her feel unappreciated, and fucking with CJ in addition to the way Outlaw always fuck with her, it’s a wonder Meggie didn’t leave before now.
Fuck Meggie? How about motherfuck Outlaw. ”
Thumper jumped to his feet and stalked to Val. “Say that to his fucking face.”
“Motherfucker, if I get to my fucking feet, I’m knocking you the fuck out,” Val growled. “Back the fuck up.”
Before Thumper responded, Mort’s phone rang again. When he forced himself to look at the screen, he didn’t recognize the number. Normally, he’d allow it to go to voicemail, but given the unusual circumstances, he answered and put it on speaker.
“Uncle Mort?” Axel whispered.
“Ax!” a chorus of voices rose up.
“Where Zoann, Ax?” Val asked, staring at the phone as if it was a lifeline.
“It’s the middle of the night, Uncle Val. How am I supposed to know where she’s at?”
“Put her on the phone! Please. I miss my woman.”
“That’s not my problem,” Axel huffed. “That’s your problem. Nobody made Aunt Zoann come with us. Uncle Mort—”
“Stop taking up for your momma,” Thumper ordered. “I thought CJ was bad always siding with Meggie. You just as bad and forget you got a cock. You got a cock? Hang with the bros.”
“Thumper–” Mort started, ready to shoot the fuck out of him and beat Digger a little more for putting bullshit into his head about Meggie.
“Listen up, you fucking fake bunny rabbit,” Axel yelled.
“Leave Mom alone. That goes for you, Dad, Uncle Digger, Uncle Cash, and Uncle Johnnie. Unlike you motherfuckers, I’ve learned my lesson.
I’m tired of saying that. If I gotta say it one more time, I’m dousing a shuriken in gasoline, setting it on fire, and throwing it at a motherfucker, starting with you. ”
Thumper opened his mouth, but Mort finally had enough. Axel had called for a reason and perhaps, if Thumper shut the fuck up and stopped antagonizing the kid, they’d get answers.
“Everything okay, Ax?” Mort asked, throwing Thumper a warning glower. He was the only motherfucker who’d opened his fucking mouth. “Meggie asked you to call me?”
“Mom’s mad,” Axel revealed. “I’m calling cuz you gotta talk to Dad before that motherfucker fucks up anymore.”
Mort pressed his lips together, refusing to agree with Axel’s assessment in front of half the fucking club. Val had already gone off and said more than he should have.
“Meggie must be really hurt if she still mad.”
“Dad just made Mom mad again,” Axel said in disgust. “But when she stops being mad, she’s going to cry again. Talk to Dad!”
“Who are you talking to?”
Meggie’s exasperated voice reached Mort, and he’d never been so glad to hear her as he was in that moment.
“Nobody, Mom! Gotta go—” Axel started on a whisper.
“Who is this?”
“It isn’t Uncle Mort, Mom,” Axel said. “I swear.”
Smiling, Mort shook his head as laughter floated up around him.
“Mortician?” Meggie said after a moment.
“My attorney said to plead the 5th,” Axel cried before Mort spoke. “A man never gives up his witnesses.”
“Your attorney is an idiot,” Meggie said darkly.
Mortician cleared his throat. “Hey, Meggie girl.”
“Mom!” Axel gasped. “It’s a miracle. Uncle Mort is teleportic. He got my number from my brain and called me.”
“Telepathic,” Meggie said. “Now quiet!”
“I’m the only man in the house,” Axel said, starting to cry, “I thought you liked me protecting you.”
Narrowing his eyes, Mort considered Axel’s words. He thought his sons and nephews were there, but perhaps, not…? Axel would certainly refer to Lou and Mark JB as men if not the younger boys.
“Are you okay, Meggie?” Mort asked.
“Come here, son,” Meggie said and didn’t respond to Mort until Axel’s tears had been reduced to little sniffles. “I’m fine, Mort,” she said finally.
The plaintive note in her voice suggested otherwise, but Mort kept his peace.
“We miss you,” he said, and held his breath. She remained silent. “Baby, I know Prez—”
“Don’t. He didn’t have the decency to tell me about Rule, Mortician. No matter how he feels. You didn’t have a choice, especially if he made it a club matter. He did. He could’ve told me because I’m Rule’s mother…never mind,” she said irritably. “It’s done. I have to go—”
“Are you…” He drew in another breath. Never in all the years he’d known Meggie had he felt at such a loss for words. “Prez…he not really ready for you to have a hysterectomy. Cancel it and then—”
“No.”
“Meggie—”
“He can’t jerk me around nor can you,” she said flatly. “One minute, I’m evil and selfish for not wanting the surgery and the next I’m evil and selfish because it’s scheduled. Make up your mind.”
“You got Prez all fucked up, Meggie,” Thumper snapped. “You. Not us, and especially not Mort—”
Mortician scowled at Thumper, debating on wrapping his long brown ponytail around his fucking neck.
“Thumper, I’m a moment away from calling Christopher and telling him to kill you,” Meggie said coldly, her words shutting all of them the fuck up.
“I’m sick to death of everyone like you.
Christopher wants me back home. Why should I come back to his resentment and everyone’s hatred and insults?
The answer’s simple. He’s my husband and I love him, but I owe nothing to any of you.
My tormentors dead would take care of one of my problems, so I suggest you sit down in a corner and shove your foot in your mouth since it stays there anyway. ”
Mort couldn’t say who was more shocked, but her words shut Thumper up when no one else had been able to.
“Sweetness?” Cash called.
“I have a headache, Mort,” Meggie said as if she hadn’t heard Cash. “I’ll see you around—”
“Meggie, is Fee with you?” Cash asked.
Meggie snorted.
“Meggie?”
“What, Val?”
Bowing his head, Val glanced at the phone helplessly. “Why Puff mad at me?”
“She’s not.”
“But she left me too,” he said.
“She didn’t leave you, Val,” Meggie swore, her voice gentling.
Lighting a cigarette, Mortician took those words in too.
“Did you leave Outlaw?” Cash demanded. “You’re saying Zoann didn’t leave, yet Val can’t find his wife and I can’t find her sister. If you come back, they’ll return too.”
“I’m not holding anyone hostage, moron,” Meggie snapped. “That’s about as much of an explanation as you get from me. Refer to my response to Thumper.”
“You want me dead?” Cash asked, appalled. “What the fuck did I do?”
“You mean what didn’t you do?” she asked. “No, wait. Maybe, you’re right. What did you do? Figure it out.”
“I cannot discuss club business with you,” Cash said stiffly.
“I didn’t ask you to discuss anything with me.
What you, Johnnie, and all your friends fail to realize is the peace you’re after would be yours if you didn’t force Christopher to comply.
The club enjoyed so many years of safety because Christopher actively kept order by working behind the scenes.
Risking his life to protect everyone and this is how you repay him?
If it was left up to me, I’d order all of you burned at the stake.
You want to force my husband into a situation that can get him, you, and my children killed,” she snarled.
“You’re a pathetic little man with the audacity to ask me about your girlfriend when you turned your back on my husband. ”
“We didn’t mean to, Meggie.” Cash sounded truly remorseful, although Mort didn’t bother turning around. He was enjoying his cigarette and a depth of calmness he hadn’t felt in hours. “It’s complicated.”