Chapter Forty-One – Christopher
Christopher couldn’t say how Diesel actually felt during Rebel’s assault on his decency.
He could only applaud Diesel’s behavior.
And though Christopher hadn’t liked how Diesel shook the fuck out of Rebel, he understood.
He’d wanted to storm upstairs and shake the fuck out of her.
Christopher had just finished talking to Derby when CJ walked in.
His boy hadn’t gotten two goddamn words out before a notification came through on Christopher’s phone, alerting him to dual activity.
Someone near Diesel and Rebel’s rooms. So he’d opened the app and hadn’t believed what the fuck he saw or heard.
The goddamn Middle Ages?
What the fuck was wrong with Rebel?
No, scratch that. Christopher knew. It was spoiled bitchery. She was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. Old enough to understand life and death. She knew Diesel’s life was on the line and she fucked with him anyway. She didn’t want Diesel. She wanted her fucking way.
CJ thought maybe it was because she no longer believed Christopher would actually kill Diesel after she’d almost died. Once Diesel sent her on her way, Christopher had gotten up, intending to ground her for the rest of her fucking life.
She fucking hated him? He’d given her a genuine reason to.
CJ begged him to reconsider and reminded him that Rebel was angry over Christopher’s treatment of Megan. If he confronted Rebel, she’d rebel. And, his boy pointed out, it might piss off Mom, too.
In the end, the concession worked out fine. Diesel needed affirmation when he did well. Punishments were only effective if good behavior was rewarded. One without the other either turned into cruelty or enabling, and produced fucked up results.
After Diesel left, Christopher tried to enter his and Megan’s bedroom but found the door locked.
At loose ends, he arranged to meet with Derby later that evening and headed to the hospital to spend time with Jo.
Other than a small setback, his baby girl was doing so fucking good. Had she stayed put, she either would’ve been a newborn or near delivery.
Studying Jo’s little face, admiring her black hair, Christopher couldn’t fucking believe he’d threatened to give her away. His love for his youngest child aside, Megan loved her.
Fuck, no wonder both Megan and Rebel wanted to drive a stake through his heart. It was easy to have his ass on his shoulders when he blocked out all he’d said and done. Still, Megan always forgave him. Even during her pussy lockouts, she allowed him to sleep next to her.
He was tired and grouchy because he didn’t have her near him.
Pain in the ass lil’ motherfucker.
Gritting his teeth, Christopher focused on his daughter and finished feeding her. He didn’t want his fucked up emotions to affect her, so he laid her on his shoulder, stood, and began walking with her, smiling at her burp.
Babies really were little miracles.
Cradling her, he began singing—a loose interpretation of the sound he made but what the fuck ever—and staring into her eyes, hoping she understood how much he loved her. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep, so he laid her back in her panda cart, nodded to the nurses, and walked out.
Because Megan and Rebel were home, only Digger, Mort, Val, and Stretch waited for him in the waiting area.
Doc Will glided into view, dressed in scrubs, a stethoscope around her neck. She halted at seeing them and lifted a brow, her usual friendliness missing.
Megan probably called Roxanne, who, in turn, told Doc Will.
“I been meanin’ to meet up with you, doc,” Christopher said, ignoring her attempt to vaporize his ass. “To talk to you about Megan.”
“Instead of talking about her, maybe you should talk to her,” she retorted.
“I can’t talk to that lil’ pain in the ass motherfucker if she lockin’ me out the fuckin’ room.”
“You have a phone. Use it.”
“Megan shouldna called Roxanne. It’s between me and her.”
“Meggie didn’t call her,” Doc Will said heatedly. “Rebel called Roxy. Meggie called me. How dare you threaten to give her children away!”
Christopher didn’t ever remember her losing her temper. “I ain’t meant it, doc.”
“Then you shouldn’t have said it. Maybe if you hadn’t blamed her for the Fall of Rome and every other catastrophe known to mankind, she wouldn’t believe your intentions.”
Christopher released an agitated breath. “Your fuckin’ exaggerations unnecessary,” he said sourly.
Drawing herself up, she fisted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Ask me your question, Mr. Caldwell.”
“Megan talked about divorcin’ me. I gotta know how dangerous it is for her to have another kid. I was thinkin’ about that anyway. Before the argument.”
“Have you lost your ever-loving mind? After berating her over Rule, screaming at her for everything, ordering her to have the hysterectomy, threatening to take her youngest children, you’ve decided you want her pregnant to suit your needs?”
Christopher considered the question, nodded, and shrugged.
“Yeah, doc. I ain’t able to kidnap her without knockin’ Reb the fuck out.
And with all the fuckery goin’ on at the club, if I leave either—” A bunch of motherfuckers would be dead or Bash would control the club, but she didn’t need all the dirty details.
“It ain’t a good idea to steal Megan and hold her hostage until she change her mind about divorcin’ me right now.
If I gotta, I will. Pregnancy just easier for me to handle her. ”
“You’re insane,” she accused as if she just figured that shit out.
“Meggie been telling you that, Jordan,” Mort said. “How that surprise you?”
She transferred her glare to Mortician, then glowered at Christopher. “I refuse to aid in your manipulation tactics. Besides, Meggie has scheduled her hysterectomy. It’s April 3rd.” She stalked away.
After all the back-and-forth, all his anger, worry, and resentment that Megan refused to have the surgery, now that it was imminent, Christopher felt as if a boulder had dropped on him. Doc Will’s announcement shook him to his core. “You okay, Outlaw?” Val asked.
No. No the fuck he wasn’t. His anger and rejection led to Megan’s decision.
“Megan can’t have the fuckin’ hysterectomy.”
“Why?” Digger demanded. “She got enough babies and she don’t pay attention to them.”
Growling, Christopher started for Digger, but Mort stepped in his path.
“Ignore this fool, Prez,” he said quickly.
“Why you mad at me?” Digger peeped around Mort. “Bunny said you told Meggie that yourself.”
“Do all the fuckin’ girls know?”
“I think so,” Stretch said, the only motherfucker with an even tone and inscrutable look. “Aside from Roxanne, Rebel also told Mattie. Mattie told Kendall. Kendall called Zoann. Zoann called Fee…” He shrugged. “You get the point.”
He sure the fuck did. “Your bitches mad at you motherfuckers cuz of what I did?”
“Are you out your goddamn mind, Outlaw?” Val shook his head. “I learned my fucking lesson when I took up for you the last time. You on your fucking own, brother.”
“Why you went off on Meggie like that, Prez?” Mort asked, a hint of reproach in his voice.
“I was stewin’ about Rule and…fuck…” He shoved his hands through his hair. “I said shit.”
“It was an emotional time,” Stretch said. “I’ve been waiting for Ophelia to ask me about Rule or Father Wilkins. I guess Meggie hasn’t told anyone yet.”
“Yeah, she always good about keeping shit to herself until after other shit taken care of.”
Christopher hated the admiration in Val’s tone. It made him feel even guiltier.
“What did Meggie say?” Mort asked. “She must be fucking devastated that Rule jumped out the window and about the priest. She like him.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Christopher shook his head. “I ain’t told her about either. If she know, it ain’t from me.”
The motherfuckers gaped at him.
“Bruh, you creatin’ shit just cuz,” Digger said with disapproval. “Meggie already mad at you. If you fucking tired of the woman, just leave her fucking ass.”
Christopher frowned, but Mort shoved his brother out of the way and pointed to a chair. “Sit your motherfucking ass down, son. One more fucking peep and I’m tossing you out the goddamn window head first.”
Cocking his head to the side, Christopher looked from Mortician to Digger.
Mort had threatened Digger for as long as Christopher knew them.
But something about it was different. He detected actual hostility.
Even when Christopher ordered Mortician to kill Digger, the motherfucker had been angry in a different way.
“You fucked with Megan, Digger?” he asked, because that was the only fucking reason Mortician would be looking at Digger as if he really would throw him out the window.
“Cuz you been on my woman ass for fuckin’ weeks.
Now, suddenly, Mort wanna kill you. If it had to do with Bailey, you’d already be fucked up.
So, my guess if, you fucked with Megan and ran to Mort to fix it.
He know he can’t without me shootin’ the fuck outta both of you.
Him for hidin’ it and you for doin’ it in the first goddamn place. ”
Digger looked away. “Meggie not talkin’ to you. Shouldn’t you be concentrating on that?”
“Prez,” Mortician rushed out, but his eyes were panicked, “it ain’t bad. Digger and Meggie got into an argument over Bunny.”
There was more to it, but they’d paid enough money to the hospital administrators and security team to buy the footage to scrap all the recent fuckery caught on camera. Val glanced up and down the hallway, saw no one, and stepped closer. “Digger still on Meggie No-Kill list, Outlaw.”
“You sure she ain’t burned that motherfucker?”
“Meggie’s still Meggie,” Stretch protested.