Chapter Twenty-Six #2
Johnnie hated Pounder’s smirk. “Get Megan off your fucking brain.”
“Wasn’t only her,” he said, not denying he’d been thinking about her. “Bash wants justice for his nephew. Deliver Gail to Outlaw and that might appease him.”
“This is a fucking setup.”
“I swear it isn’t. Bash might think Meggie stands in the way of his rightful ownership, but he has nothing against CJ. ”
Johnnie couldn’t imagine the fallout if Christopher discovered Johnnie’s involvement with Dementor and Exorcist.
“They took that photo of Megan on Bash’s orders, didn’t they?”
“Yeah.”
“FUCK!”
“Bash has a copy, but he made sure all others were destroyed. Bash—”
Something in Pounder’s tone reminded Johnnie of the blatant lie he’d told. “Shut the fuck up. You aren’t the smartest cookie in the jar. I should fucking kill you now. That bullshit about being Bash’s son when he himself told me his oldest was twenty-five.”
“You honestly fucking think Bash tells you the fucking truth about most things?”
“Fuck you!”
“Cleaner is here, Johnnie. He flew in to take care of Diana and Gail—”
“But not Dementor and Exorcist?”
“They’re in hiding. We’ll smoke them out.”
“Christopher will find them before you do, motherfucker—”
Pounder shook his head. “They’re Scorps. They’re good at hiding in plain sight. If Outlaw finds them, I will be at your beck and call for the next fucking month.”
“As tempting at that sounds, we couldn’t pull it off, dumb ass. Christopher would be too suspicious.”
“Whatever. I don’t think we have to worry about that possibility anyway.” Pounder turned to the door. “You have a couple hours to get Gail. If not, Cleaner’s taking care of her, too.”
When Bailey stumbled in an hour after Mort left the bathroom, she took in the scene, stared at him sitting next to Rebel with an arm around her shoulder and turned away.
“Where’s Harley?” she’d asked.
In Bitch Land, but Mort didn’t say that, though it was true. She’d refused to open the fucking bathroom door. If Zoann and Val hadn’t heard her yell, “Go away,” they would’ve broken in to check on her.
To keep the peace, he’d tasked Grant with getting her to bring her to the hospital. The moment Harley ran in, screaming, demanding to see CJ, Mort regretted his decision.
If nothing else, Harley’s performance stirred Rebel. She lifted her head from Mort’s shoulder and frowned.
“She’s upset, Reb,” Mattie said, sitting on Rebel’s other side.
Mortician eased his arm from around Rebel’s shoulder. “Give me a few minutes, baby.”
“I have her, Uncle Mort,” Mattie promised, settling her arm around Rebel’s shoulder.
He smiled at the girls, then walked the short distance to where Harley stood. By now, Bailey had reached their daughter and held her face between her hands, thumbing her tears away.
“Sit down, Harley,” Mort said with as much patience as possible under the circumstances. He was on edge. There was still no further update on CJ. “You’ll see him soon, baby.”
“No!” Harley snatched herself from Bailey and barreled to Mort. “He’s my friend,” she sobbed. “I want to see him now .”
“None of us have seen him yet, Harley,” Mattie called.
Some of the brothers who weren’t in the waiting room hung just outside, staring through the windows at Harley’s spectacle.
“Aunt Meggie is with him,” Mattie said.
“Two people can go in,” Harley argued. “I’m going back.”
“No, you aren’t.” Rebel stood from her seat. “Sit down and shut up. You’re giving me a headache. If you can’t keep your crocodile tears to yourself, I’ll have you thrown out.”
Harley and Bailey looked at Mort as if they expected him to call Rebel down.
“Harley, you can’t go back there,” he said. “Sit down and wait with the rest of us.”
Bailey glared at Mortician, and he lifted a brow at her.
Fisting her hands on her hips, Harley lifted her chin. “CJ would want to see me, Daddy.”
“Not even Satan wants to see you,” Rebel snapped. “Now, shut up !”
Mort planted himself between Rebel and Harley. He didn’t want them to start fighting. He’d try reasoning with his daughter.
“Baby, we’re all worried and exhausted. It’s been a long night. I know how much you care about CJ. As soon as Meggie say we can visit—”
“It isn’t up to her . It’s up to his doctors.”
Rebel took the closest seat and stared at the wall, tears brimming in her eyes. “I don’t have the energy for you right now.”
Mattie placed a hand on Rebel’s shoulder and smiled at Harley. “Aunt Meggie’s his mom. She can bar anyone she pleases. ”
“Exactly,” Bailey said coolly, back in Mama Bear mode for whatever fucking reason. As far as Mort saw, Harley didn’t deserve defending. “She barred CJ from visiting Harley. Could this be karma biting her in the ass?”
Mort looked at his wife, unable to think of a fucking comeback. She couldn’t have been suggesting…? No, absolutely not. Bailey hadn’t lost her fucking mind that fucking much.
“Sound like you trying to die by Outlaw, Bailey,” Digger said with disapproval.
Prez had gone to the club, so Digger returned right before Bailey to check on CJ.
“I’m not the smartest motherfucker, but it seems like your ass saying little bro overdosed because Meggie stopped him from seeing Harley. ”
“She didn’t by the way,” Bunny said quietly.
“You not saying that, are you, Bailey?” Mort asked. “No matter what Meggie did or didn’t do, I been knowing CJ since before he was born and you since he was a few months old. We have children. You want to talk karma? Try wishing death on another woman son. See what the fuck karma get you.”
“I’m not wishing death on CJ, Lucas,” Bailey cried.
“I’m saying if Meggie hadn’t interfered with CJ’s and Harley’s friendship, chances are he wouldn’t have turned into a whoremongering drug addict on life support.
Harley kept him grounded. Maybe, if he survives, he’ll recognize what a good girl she is.
But we all have to pay a price for bad behavior and autocracy. ”
Rebel growled. If Mort hadn’t been close enough to grab her, Bailey wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Bunny jumped to her feet and nodded to the hallway, then grabbed Mattie’s hand.
Following his sister-in-law’s silent instructions, Mort carried Rebel out of the waiting room.
She wiggled, cursed, and sobbed the entire way.
Near the locked double doors of the intensive care unit, they halted.
Dwellers and brothers from their support clubs crowded the hallway.
Many of them had witnessed Rebel’s showdown with Torie.
Seeing Mort carrying her and hearing her hysteria drew their attention.
It wasn’t until Mort released her and she turned and sobbed against his chest that he realized Mattie was crying too and Bunny was trying to console her, in tears herself.
“CJ isn’t on life support, baby,” Bunny said gently, hugging Mattie and whispering to her.
“He is, isn’t he, Uncle Mort?” Rebel wept. “That’s why Momma hasn’t come out.”
“No, Reb,” Mort said. “You heard the doctor. He waking up soon. I promise. Every overdose different.”
“Can I talk to her, Uncle Mort?” Diesel called from behind them.
Rebel jerked away from Mort, barreled to Diesel and shoved him. “No, fuckhead. I don’t ever want to talk to you again. If you stopped fucking everything, maybe you would’ve told our brother not to drink what that bitch gave him.”
“I’m sorry, Reb. I’m so sorry. I’d never do anything to hurt him.”
“No, you’d just ignore him because you’re a stupid, pussy crazed fuckhead. All you had to say was one fucking word, jackass. Don’t. One . Or, Mr. Attorney, made an argument. Don’t drink fucking lean because it isn’t good for you, CJ, but you, motherfucker, didn’t say a motherfucking peep.”
“You weren’t there. You don’t know what the fuck I said.”
“Fuck you. I know what the fuck you didn’t say. After Daddy and Uncle Mort, CJ looks up to you .”
“Rebel, shut the fuck up. We can discuss this in private. You’re a young lady and—”
If Diesel didn’t see Rebel’s punch coming, Mort sure the fuck did. He hurried to her and pulled her into his arms. Although she jerked around, she couldn’t throw any more licks .
“Fuck you with what the fuck I am, Diesel,” she snarled.
“You’re comparing me to a cunt who lives in your motherfucking head rent fucking free because you’re a fucking ungrateful jackass.
That bitch deserted you? Then fuck her. We love you.
We stand with you. We never deserted you.
How do you repay Momma and Daddy? By letting miserable fucking bitches overdose our brother because they hate our mother.
Congratulations, fuckface. You just won idiot of the fucking year. ”
“Rebel—”
“Don’t talk to me. Go talk to that cunt. Ask her if Bash paid her to kill my brother. Find that out, you miserable motherfucker, then bring me her fucking head and I might speak to you in a few months.”
Diesel paled. “What did you say…?”
Fuck, Mortician felt a little shaky, too. If motherfuckers had infiltrated the school, it made fucking sense they would’ve invaded the club.
Rebel’s words were rippling through the crowd. Then, reason invaded Mortician. Trusting that Rebel wouldn’t attack Diesel for the time being, he released her.
“Your words make sense, Reb,” he told her, drawing her attention. “Except the girls weren’t expecting CJ. He just dropped in. I might agree with your theory if they knew he was going to the club in advance.”
Rebel swiped at her tears and sniffled. “If they were planning something anyway, they saw an opportunity and took it.” She glanced from Diesel to Mort, all her anger gone. “CJ’s going to be okay, won’t he?”
“Bunny, baby, take the girls downstairs. Roxanne and Kendall waiting for you three,” Digger instructed, walking up to them, raining ashes from his cigarette along the way .
Mort rolled his eyes and pointed to the cigarette. “Put that motherfucker out… Wait !”
But it was too late. His brother threw the cigarette to the floor and stomped it with his boot.
“We got special fucking smoking areas,” Mort said in frustration.
“I’m not near none,” Digger protested. He snapped his fingers. “Bunny, pick that up for your man.”
“Pick it up yourself,” Bunny retorted, and guided Mattie and Rebel away.
“That will not get you dick, girl,” Digger called.
“Promises,” she shot back.
“Bitches, man.” Digger turned to a Probate. “Go to the shitter and get me some TP or paper towels, then clean this up for me.”
“You got it,” the kid said and ran to do Digger’s bidding.
“Why you not with Prez again?” Mort demanded.
Digger’s eyes widened in surprise. “I wanted to check on the kid, Mort. I stayed to help you.”
“Then fucking help me. Riling your woman up not helping one fucking bit.”
“ My woman? Bunny a saint compared to the bullshit Bailey handed down. If she trying to come between you and Prez, she going to succeed if she keep that up.”
Mort was aware. He had no excuse for her behavior.
She was making everything worse. Mort should never have summoned Harley. The moment Bailey saw her, she must’ve imagined receiving news that Harley was near death.
Only, Mort couldn’t deal with either of them right now, so he did the best thing for all concerned. He returned to the waiting room and ordered his wife and daughter to leave. Whatever fallout came from that decree, he’d worry about later.
After CJ opened his eyes and Mort knew for certain that the kid was okay.