Chapter Eighteen #2
“You’re his wife, Tabitha,” Meggie said irritably. “If he doesn’t give you his itinerary, he sure doesn’t give it to me.”
“He won’t answer my texts.”
“Then that means he doesn’t want to talk to you,” Zoann said.
Mortician held out his glass of rum sour to Bailey. “Try some.”
She shook her head. “No, thank you.” She lowered her lashes. “I-I want us to talk later.”
Roxy snorted, then crossed her legs, and sipped her drink.
“I found a new recipe for banana nut muffins, Bailey,” Bunny said. “Maybe, I can come over Saturday afternoon so we can bake a batch together.”
“I’ll check my schedule, although I think I have a previous engagement,” Bailey responded. “Thanks for the offer. ”
Roxy scowled. “Why the fuck you brought your sadity ass over here if you sitting in that fucking chair like Cleopatra?”
“Everyone’s judging me!” Bailey flared. “What do you want me to say, Momma?”
“ Sorry , you dumb bitch. Apologize to your husband. Apologize to Meggie and Outlaw. Apologize to CJ.”
“CJ’s a child,” Bailey spat.
Anger surged into Meggie. “He wasn’t that much of a child if you wanted to pin Harley’s pregnancy on him.”
“Harley’s what ?” Digger cried, his eyes bulging.
Bailey got to her feet. “Thanks a lot, Meggie. You did that on purpose.”
“Sit down or get out.” Meggie didn’t bother standing up. “I’m not suffering a fool, especially in my house.”
Bailey’s mouth dropped open.
Meggie pointed to the open door. “Say one more thing about me or my child, other than I’m sorry, and you can get to stepping. You’re out of your mind if you think I’ll allow you or anyone else to hurt my son. It’ll be over your dead body.”
“I was protecting my daughter!”
“So you’ve said.” Meggie yawned, pretending boredom. “And I’ve said not at CJ’s expense.”
“Come on, Bailey.” Mort drained his glass and sat it next to the pitcher on the coffee table. “Harley’s downstairs with the other kids. They always enjoy themselves, so, maybe we can talk right now.”
Meggie hated the uncertainty on his face, but she wouldn’t back down.
Ignoring Mortician, Bailey stared at Roxy. “You’re letting her talk to me like this.” She nodded to Meggie. “I’m your daughter.”
Eyeing Bailey, Roxy slurped her drink. “I don’t claim stupid bitches or bitches who tell me to mind my own fucking business when I tell her how wrong she is.
” She leaned over and slammed the glass on the table, never taking her gaze from Bailey.
“Remember our conversation this morning? You were my fucking daughter then.”
“MOM!” Axel yelled, racing into the room. “I spilled the ice and Reb’s downstairs so I can’t threaten to knock her out if she don’t clean it up.”
“What the fuck you need ice for, boy?” Christopher asked.
He’d been quietly sipping tequila, standing behind the bar, and taking in the scene.
Val, Cash, Knox, and Stretch sat on the stools, watching Meggie, Bailey, and Roxy exchange insults.
Meggie didn’t blame anyone for not interfering.
It was the same tired argument that had been going on for weeks.
Just a different day and a different setting.
Meggie stood. “Come on, Axel,” she said. “While I’m cleaning the mess, we’ll talk—”
CJ walked in, carrying Harley with a crowd of children trailing behind.
“Harley!” Bailey cried, rushing to CJ.
Rebel stepped from behind CJ. Meggie noted two things at once—Rebel was livid, and an ugly bruise bloomed on her jaw.
“What did you do?” Bailey demanded, right in CJ’s face and tugging on Harley.
“Nothing, Aunt Bailey,” CJ said calmly, setting Harley on her feet and placing his hands on her shoulders to steady her.
Meggie thought it interesting that no one, except her and Bailey, rushed over to check on Harley.
“Rebel attacked me, Mommie,” she wailed.
Rebel’s face darkened.
Bailey hugged Harley, then faced Meggie. “I hope you’re proud of yourself. You’re raising violent offenders. ”
“Says the woman whose husband is the club’s enforcer,” Meggie replied.
“Do we really want to talk about whose husband is better than whose?” Bailey demanded.
“Nope,” Meggie said. “Because there’s no contest. To you , your husband is bar none. To me, Christopher is. Case closed, so shut up.”
“Don’t tell me to shut up!”
“I can tell you to fuck off . You’re in my house.”
“And I’m not leaving this house until your daughter apologizes to Harley.”
Meggie laughed without humor. “That’s debatable, but I’ll reserve the right to have someone toss you out until this is settled. As a matter of fact, you both can go and never return if Harley can’t keep her hands to herself.” She looked at Rebel. “What happened, love?”
Harley rushed to Meggie. “I’m the victim!” she screamed in her face. “She’ll just lie, so fuck her.”
“Harley!” Mortician started.
“It’s fine, Mort.” Meggie folded her arms. “Take a couple steps back, if you please, Harley.”
She waited until Harley complied before continuing.
“Exactly what would my daughter lie about?”
Eyes filling with tears, Harley sniffled and shrugged. “Maybe, she’d fib and say I liked Ryan.”
“Ryan?” Val called. “Ryan Taylor? My son?”
“The child I birthed?” Zoann called, equally confused.
Guilt flitted across Harley’s face. She nodded. “I don’t like him!”
“Nobody said you did,” Mortician gritted. “Except you . Denial on your fucking level point to guilt.”
Harley ran to Mortician and threw her arms around him. “I’m so sorry, Daddy. Please let me come home. I swear I don’t like Ryan and Rebel attacked me for no reason.” She turned to CJ. “Tell them what your sister did.”
CJ gave her a hard look. “All Rebel did was defend herself after you punched the fuck out of her.”
“That isn’t true!” Harley said wildly.
“Why you punched Reb, Harley?” Christopher asked.
She ran to Christopher. “I didn’t, Uncle Christopher. We were sitting down enjoying ourselves. CJ and I were talking, and Rebel didn’t like that—”
“Bro,” Mattie said with disapproval, shaking her head.
“And you wonder why I don’t want to fuck with you, Harley,” CJ barked. “You create fucking chaos then play the victim. I’m so fucking sick of your fucking games.”
“Excuse me, young man,” Bailey said, turning to CJ. “You will not talk to my baby like that.”
Meggie inserted herself between Bailey and CJ. “Excuse you . Both you and your baby can leave and never come back. Back away from CJ.”
“Fuck, efuckinuff.” Christopher stalked from behind the bar and weaved his way through the kids, where only Ryan and Rule were absent.
He stopped next to Meggie, shielding both Rebel and CJ from Bailey.
“You overworked right now, Bailey, so lemme explain a couple things to you. My kids a lot of things, but they not liars.”
Axel squeezed next to Meggie. “Yeah, Aunt Bailey. Dad says a liar the worst motherfucker in the world. You can’t trust nothing they say. Reb might be the Blonde Viper, but she’s a honest Blonde Viper.”
Ryder dragged Lou forward while Ransom held onto Kaleb’s hand.
“Tell your mama about her daughter, Lou,” Ryder said.
“This is getting out of hand,” Bailey said sharply .
“You think your sons lie, Aunt Bailey?” Ransom asked.
“Of course they don’t. Neither does Harley.”
“Bailey—”
“Shhhhh, Dad,” Axel huffed sternly, placing a finger over his mouth.
“We got this. You and Uncle Mort shouldn’t stop being friends cuz of Harley and Rebel and if you keep talking, you’re going to lose your temper.
Then me, Ryder, and Ransom won’t be able to play with Lou, Kaleb, Mark JB, and his brothers no more. ”
“How my boys got thrown in this?” Digger asked.
“Cuz if Uncle Mort mad at Dad cuz girls are stupid, then you’ll be mad, too,” Axel decided.
Pursing his lips and thinking on it, Digger finally nodded. “You right, little dude.”
“Mommie, Daddy, don’t listen to any of them. Not even Lou and Kaleb,” Harley said. “They’ll lie on me.”
“What’s your story, Harley?” Mort asked. “Let’s hear that.”
“That’s good, Uncle Mort,” Axel said. “Then we can have expert testimony and then the suspects.”
“No, big head,” CJ said, adding his laughter to the chuckles. “Harley’s the defendant, Rebel’s the plaintiff, and we’re the witnesses. We have to decide who’s a witness for the defense—Harley—and who’s for Rebel—the prosecution.”
“Rebel’s an attorney?” Axel asked.
“Forget it.” Meggie kissed the top of Axel’s head. “We’ll explain later.”
“This is what happened,” Harley started, gazing from Meggie to Christopher, then to Mort and Bailey.
“We were all talking and then…then CJ was joking with me. Rebel didn’t…
” She shifted. “Rebel got jealous of the attention CJ was giving me and said she heard Ryan and me were dating. She called me desperate and threw a punch.” Sniffling, she pointed to h er black eye.
“I had to defend myself,” she finished pitifully.
“Uh huh.” Mort looked at CJ. “Tell me what happened, little dude.”
“Of course you’re asking CJ,” Bailey spat, rounding on Mortician. “Sometimes, I think you love him more than you do our kids.”
Mortician scowled. “I’m not dignifying that with a fucking response.”
“You should,” Bailey screeched. “You always take up for him without thinking about how it affects Harley.”
“I’m not taking up for him. But Harley not telling the fucking truth. Her story don’t make sense. Rebel throw a fucking punch in a minute, but it’s never for nothing. A motherfucker got to do something first.”
“I don’t have to hear anyone’s side but Harley’s. I especially don’t need CJ’s. I believe Harley because she wouldn’t lie about something so serious. Unlike CJ and Rebel.”
“Fine, Bailey,” Mortician growled, and looked at Rebel. “Your turn, baby.”
Panic settled into Harley’s eyes. She wove truths into her bucket of lies. Undoubtedly, it had to do with Ryan.
“Harley’s a desperate bitch,” Rebel scoffed. “The end.”
Meggie glared at Rebel.
“I hate you!” Harley cried.
“Boohoo, bitch. I don’t give a fuck,” Rebel said. “I’m better off without a lying, miserable viper in my life and so is CJ.”