Chapter Thirty-Five #3
Before anyone got their bearings, Fia, Tennysee, and Nyx entered, followed by Mom. They waited until she walked ahead and beckoned them forward before they moved.
Once they got to where CJ stood, Mom blew CJ a kiss, glared at Dad, and went to the kitchen.
Fia approached CJ. “If-if it’s too painful for you to see us, we understand. We’ll leave.”
“Yeah, CJ,” Nyx said from behind Fia, so subdued it was as if she’d had a personality transplant. “I would never have told those chicks to hurt you. But M-Meggie is allowing us a chance to come back out of the goodness of her heart. She’s a kind, generous, magnanimous woman—”
“Fuck, I bet that hurt to say,” Uncle Val said, snickering. “Meggie must’ve threatened you bitches to within an inch of your fucking lives.”
Tennysee dragged her puppy dog gaze away from Narci’s back and gave Uncle Val a little nod.
“We’re all so sorry,” Fia said.
“Meggie is allowing Nyx to have her initiation if it’s okay with you,” Fia said.
“ Mom is?” CJ asked, confused.
She stuck her head out of the kitchen door, proving she’d been listening. “With Christopher’s permission, son. I can’t do anything in the club, since I’m not a member. Final decisions come from your daddy, the officers, and the general membership.” She disappeared again.
“Fuckin’ Megan,” Dad said happily. “That’s my woman.”
CJ’s phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his jacket.
Kaia: I’m going to ask Rebel out for Valentine’s Day. She’s accusing me of lying and threatening to never talk to me again.
CJ: Can it be another night? That’s a special night for my parents.
Kaia: She thinks you set us up. I figured I can tell her I’ve been waiting for Valentine’s Day to show her how special she is. She’ll like the romance of it. I also told her it’ll give her a week to plan her outfit because girls take forever to pick out a pair of jeans for dates.
Fuck him. Girls!
“CJ!” Axel screamed. “You’re here!”
His little brother barreled to him, wrapped his arms around his waist and burst into tears.
“I thought you’d never come out of your room,” he cried.
“Awww, big head. I’m fine. I just needed to rest.”
“I even asked Jesus Boy how to pray.” Axel stepped back and wiped his cheeks. “I swore to the Big Dude that me and my men wouldn’t play maintenance man or nothing. We wouldn’t be mean to the Blonde Viper—”
“ You swore,” Ryder said, walking up to CJ and giving him a quick hug.
“You two act like we don’t go to his room every night,” Ransom complained.
“Ax?”
“What, Uncle Val?”
“How the fuck you play maintenance man? I have some ideas that I might want to run by your Aunt Zoann.”
“’Cause you a motherfuckin’ pervert,” Dad snapped. “But Val right, boy. What the fuck you mean?”
Axel froze, then looked from Ryder to Ransom, and finally to Diesel. “Men, let’s converse with our attorney!”
“What the fuck you did?” Dad demanded.
“Tell him,” Diesel suggested. “We’ll talk after. ”
“But you said lawyering up is the best way not to incriminate yourself,” Ryder said, glancing uneasily at Dad.
Diesel crouched next to Axel. “Whisper your crime and I’ll wait until you leave to try and get you a lighter sentence.”
Axel complied. The more he spoke, the wider Diesel’s eyes grew. He peppered whatever he heard with, “you’re fucking joking,” “oh goddamn,” and “motherfucker.”
Like a condemned little fuckhead, Axel blinked at Diesel as their big brother stood.
“You’ll save our lives, won’t you?” Ransom asked.
“Go,” Diesel said, sighing.
“What the fuck they did?” Dad asked the moment the wretched little assholes left the club.
Diesel cleared his throat. “Nothing mechanical.”
Dad lifted a brow.
“They fucked with the main box for the smart sprinkler system, which is why they opened everywhere. They couldn’t remember the original settings.”
“They did fuckin’ what ?” Dad roared to his feet. “They could’ve caused so much fuckin’ water damage, the motherfuckin’ house would’ve been unlivable.”
“Prez, deal with them later,” Uncle Mort said. “It’s getting late. Let’s roll out so we can pick up your new bike and you can sleep next to your woman tonight.”
Dad gritted his teeth, drew in a deep breath, and nodded. “You right, Mort.” He looked at the girls. “One wrong move from you bitches, especially toward Megan, and I ain’t showin’ no fuckin’ mercy. Hear me?”
They all nodded.
Dad grabbed his keys from the table, signaling the officers to stand.
“Can I tag along?” Easton asked .
“Fuck you. Fuck no. Not only ain’t you a fuckin’ member, you ain’t a motherfuckin’ officer, and you definitely ain’t my fuckin’ friend.”
“I’d like him to come, Christopher,” Uncle Johnnie said.
“Dad, we have a situation,” CJ inserted before his father responded.
“Talk to me about it when I get back—”
“Kaia’s asking Rebel out for Valentine’s.”
“Absofuckinlutely not . That’s Romantic Motherfucker Day. Ain’t no fuckin’ way I can skip it to watch over Reb.”
“It’s a week away.”
“Then let him wait ‘til the next fuckin’ night. Ain’t doin’ it, CJ.”
“Rebel’s already signed up to a dating app for thirteen to nineteen year olds. Kaia said she’s going to ghost him if they don’t go out ASAP.”
“Well, fuck.”