“Have lives of our own,” he finished. “But how can you want to teach them respect one way? Rory is afraid of his own shadow because he’s expected to be perfect at the table. On the potty. At school. You call him sir and mister while insisting he call us by our names?”
Kendall leaned back and blinked, her eyes widening. “Oh my God! I’m a horrible mother,” she wailed, covering her face with her hands.
“No,” he soothed, removing her hands and tilting her face to him. “None of us are perfect. You’re a work in progress.”
“You’re right! Everything you’ve said is right. I promise I’ll make an appointment with my doctor first thing Monday morning.” She hugged him. “I love you! I love you so much.”
He caressed her cheek and ran his lips over hers. “I know, sweetheart. I love you just as much.”
Their love would carry them through the good and the bad times, but he felt he’d finally had a real breakthrough with Kendall. Just in time to have a great Christmas and New Year.
Unfortunately, he’d be enjoying the holidays away from the club.
“The Scorpions were in the market for arms,” Riley explained, two weeks later, via Skype, as Christopher sat in Brooks’s office with Val, Digger, Mortician, Stretch, and Cash. Ordinarily, Johnnie would be in attendance, but Christopher had yet to revoke his suspension, and he wasn’t sure when he would. “The arms dealer was promised a hefty fee if he got you to their territory. They wanted you out of the country to have you alone and completely at their mercy. McCallister was expendable to them. Once he performed his duty and got them the guns and you, they disposed of him.”
“Let me fuckin’ see if I got this shit straight. My motherfuckin’ half-brother, Charles, been plannin’ on takin’ me out because I fuckin’ pinned the Torps’ bombin’ on his outfit?”
“Yes,” Riley answered.
“He needed fuckin’ light weapons and knew I had them?”
“Right again.”
“He was willin’ to pay a bunch of fuckin’ bills to get those guns, then intended to strong arm Brooks and the club after they fucked me up?”
“And retrieved the money McCallister claimed you’d agreed to refund for changing locations.”
“Lyin’ motherfucker.”
Riley nodded. “From what I’ve pieced together from my sources. That’s about right.”
“Even if they woulda killed my ass, that don’t mean my boys woulda went fuckin’ down without a fight.”
“With you gone, the power would’ve been neutralized,” Cash explained. “That’s the way I see it.”
“Unless there was some other motherfucker as strong as you ready to take your place,” Mortician added. “Johnnie strong, Prez, but I don’t think he wanna be in your position.”
As much as he hated to admit Mort was right, Christopher knew that he was. “Don’t make a fuckin’ difference now. Motherfucker suspended.”
None of the general membership knew of the bullshit that had gone down since church wouldn’t take place again until after the new year. It was all part of Christopher’s work-free holiday policy.
“How many more of Cee Cee’s sons left?” He knew Tobias and Charles were alive. Frank had also been one of Christopher’s half-brothers. “Including Frank and the two you put hits out on several years ago, there’s Lenny.”
The delivery fuckhead who’d shoved a hood and Christopher’s cut on some assfuck and showed the body to Megan. He was fucking lucky he’d already been taken care of.
“And then there’s Bradley,” Riley concluded
“Alive or fucked up?” Digger asked.
“Alive,” Riley answered.
Tapping his fingers on the conference table, Christopher searched his mind on how best to handle those three motherfuckers. They had to fucking die. Case fucking closed. It was just the timing that pissed him off.
Ryder remained in the Neonatal unit because his lungs needed a little more development. Still, he was due to be released in four days on the eve of Christmas Eve. Megan had gotten home a week ago, but she couldn’t do much until she healed, yet plans for the party and Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve forged the fuck on. Christopher had to be home for her.
He scratched his jaw. “This what we gonna do. Get them three motherfuckers here. Tell Charles I wanna have a face-to-face. This the season of peace and forgiveness. Yada, fuckin’ yada, yada.”
“Where?”
Considering Riley’s question, Christopher glanced around the conference room. He wouldn’t get them on club grounds unless they was stupid motherfuckers. And he certainly wouldn’t fucking go to a place they chose. Although he was choosing this spot, it seemed neutral enough. Club attorney or not, most lawyers didn’t want motherfuckers grounded in their offices.
Brooks probably didn’t either, but oh fucking well. Motherfucker needed to get back in Christopher’s good graces and they all knew it.
“We do it here.”
“Here?” Brooks echoed. “In my conference room?”
“You gotta fuckin’ problem with that?” Christopher growled.
Widening his eyes, Brooks immediately backed down and shook his head. “Of course not.”
“We on brain detail I guess,” Mort said with a sigh, looking at Digger.
“I guess the fuck you is,” Christopher confirmed.
“If I get them to agree, when do you want me to set it up?” Riley asked.
“You ain’t. Why the fuck a PI gotta set up a meetin’, motherfucker? Just hop your ass on the plane with your wife and come be Bunny pops. She lookin’ forward to seein’ you and your bitch. Brooks gonna do the invitin’. Make it for the day of the Christmas party. I’ll bring Megan down to the kitchen so she gonna be preoccupied with watchin’ the other girls get shit together. We can fuck them up and get back to the house around the time the first guests arrivin’.”
Once Riley gave Brooks Charles Caldwell’s contact information, Christopher adjoined the meeting. Now that he’d taken care of club business, he could see to his family.
Meggie hummed Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to Ryder as he nodded off to sleep. Christopher had texted her and told her his meeting at Brooks’s office had ended, and he’d be at the hospital to pick her up in just a bit.
Every day, Meggie came to spend time with her youngest son, to nurse him and hold him and give thanks that he’d survived. She’d been in a state and barely remembered running from her house and into the wet night.
“Hey, baby,” Christopher greeted, walking upon her as she was lost in her daydreams. He bent and kissed her lips, then leered at the curve of her breast. Ryder resting his chest against her nipple kept her from being indecent. “‘Bout ready to get home?”
She nodded. “You got everything worked out?”
“Yeah. Don’t fuckin’ worry ‘bout it. Wasn’t much shit to work out. I just needed to be de-fuckin-briefed.”
“Okay.”
He took Ryder into his arms and cradled him, smiling at their son and nodding to Meggie’s exposed nipple. Hurriedly, she covered and got to her feet while Christopher brought their son to the duty nurse, who returned him to his incubator.
“Kendall called me,” she said to Christopher as they waited for the elevator to arrive a few minutes later.
“So?”
“So she’s beginning to sound like herself again. She’s really sorry for—”
Christopher raised his hand to stop her. “Ain’t fuckin’ interested in hearin’ it, baby.”
The elevator doors dinged open and Meggie and Christopher stepped in, remaining silent because it wasn’t empty. When it opened again, he swept her into his arms and headed outside to his bike, where he plopped her down. She winced at the pain the movement caused, wishing he had his pickup. Given her stitches, riding on the back of his bike wouldn’t be pleasant. But Zoann had dropped her off and was at a client’s house. Christopher had left the house by his favorite mode of transportation, not knowing he’d have to pick Meggie
up from the hospital.
“Kendall realizes she was responsible for a lot of grief.”
“Grief? That bitch drove me half fuckin’ crazy and John Boy completely fuckin’ gone. My life much fuckin’ easier not lookin’ in her miserable fuckin’ face.”
Kendall had driven everyone insane and the stunts she’d pulled during the trip she’d precipitated was beyond infuriating. Meggie wanted both she and Kendall to heal completely from childbirth before she had a serious talk with her. Now that she was back on her antidepressants, she’d be more reasonable.
“I talked to Johnnie, too. He sounds very sad.”
Scowling, he settled her helmet onto her head. “He fuckin’ should.”
“Can they at least come to the Christmas party?”
Christopher climbed onto the bike and glared at her over his shoulder.
“Please?”
“You one lil’pain in the ass motherfucker,” he snapped, and she knew he’d relent that much.
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Thank you. I’ll call her when we get home.”
“What the fuck ever,” he grumbled, jumpstarting the Harley.
As he sped off, Meggie rested her cheek against his back, proud to call Christopher hers.
Christmas music had been playing nonstop since early this morning. Surprisingly, Christopher enjoyed Megan’s choices. It was the least strenuous activity, so he allowed her to act as the DJ, controlling her selections with her iPad. Just for today, the same music was piped through the entire house, so as the girls cooked and decorated, Christopher and his boys sat in his man cave, waiting for the approach of four o’clock when they’d head to Brooks’s office.
The door was opened and the kids made circuits through the rooms.
“You fucks know what the fuck you gettin’ for your old ladies?” Christopher asked, puffing on a cigarette and glancing at his new phone. Although Megan didn’t know about the new house cameras yet, he intended to tell her. Right now, he just relished watching her laugh and enjoy their friends and family on his screen.
“Yo, Prez,” Mort said quietly.
Christopher glanced at him and he nodded toward the door.
Turning, Christopher met Johnnie’s gaze as he stood, holding his boy’s hand, both of them wearing identical hang dog expressions.
What the fuck could he say to Johnnie? What the fuck did he want to say to the motherfucker? He puffed on his cigarette again, remembering his anger the day he’d discovered Kendall’s actions. But that’s was it right there. All of it, at this point, was in the past. A memory. Yeah, they’d gotten into problems and a little fucking banged up. So fucking what? They’d all survived.
He got to his feet and the others followed suit. The closer he got to Johnnie, the more Rory shrank behind Johnnie’s legs.
“Megan invited you, huh?” Christopher asked.
Swallowing, Johnnie shrugged. “We came to tell you Merry Christmas. We’re heading to Seattle to spend the holidays.”
Releasing the smoke sideways, Christopher nodded. “Have fun, motherfucker. Merry Christmas.”
Val gave Christopher an uncomfortable look. “You want to spend Christmas in Seattle, John Boy?”
“Woey!” CJ squealed as he skidded into the room, his momentum sending him straight past Johnnie and Rory and right into Christopher. “I okay,” he yelled, stopping to dance to Jingle Bells by Earl Grant. As the song ended and Silento started to sing, CJ went into the moves of the Nae-Nae.
Christopher and Mort guffawed when CJ raised his hand and shook his little ass.
Rory peeped around Johnnie just as Harley darted in, heading for CJ and mimicking his movements, grinning wildly. Within moments, Ryan, Devon, Rebel and Rule had joined in, while Rory looked between John Boy and all the loud little motherfuckers.
“There’s my baby,” Roxy called as she danced her way to Harley, drawn by the song. Christopher already knew this was one of her favorite tunes. Megan loved it too. Before the complications from Megan’s pregnancy, there was always music and dancing.
“Yeah, Roxy!” Digger called, clapping and joining in with Val to whistle.
“My mama-in-law straight-up street,” Mort sniggered, as she encouraged the kids’ boogying.
“That’s one bad bitch,” Cash said with admiration, sipping on his beer and enjoying the spectacle. “Fuck, Roxy would make a good chapter president.”
“If we fuckin’ accepted women as members. We fuckin’ don’t, so shut the fuck up.”
“That could always change,” Stretch added.
“Ain’t interested.”
“I’m with Prez on this one,” Mort said as the song came to an end. “Yeah, they got some tough bitches, but the first fuckin’ thing motherfuckers would do is use female members against us and the first thing we’d want to do is protect them bitches. We’d all get fucked up.”
“I resent the implication I can’t take care of my goddamn self,” Roxy said between puffs of breaths. Wearing no makeup and with her hair pinned up, she was still pretty. According to her, she came from good stock. “I don’t need any of you motherfuckers to help me out of a tough spot. I’ll fucking cut a bitch and be done.”
“Cut a bitch! Cut a bitch! Cut a bitch, fucka mudna,” CJ sang, dancing to his own tune.
“Oops,” Roxy said, covering her mouth. “That’s not nice, CJ. Aunt Roxy doesn’t want you to say that.”
“Uh huh,” his boy said, then yelled, “cut a bitttccchhh.”
“Bit,” Harley repeated, laughing and hopping with CJ.
“Hey!” Mort called, glaring at Roxy. “Don’t cuss, Harley.”
She smiled at Mort and held her arms out, running to him, climbing onto his boots. She’d gotten that trick from CJ. “Dada, up.”
Forgetting his annoyance, Mort lifted Harley up, hugging her tightly as she wrapped her little arms around his neck.
“I’m bringing my ass back to the kitchen,” Roxy announced. “By the way, Meggie said to tell you Diesel took his girlfriend to the mall.”
“Want Deel,” Rebel said, upon hearing his name.
“He be here later,” Christopher promised. She followed the motherfucker around like a little puppy.
Christopher knew Diesel didn’t always want to be bothered, but the kid always let Rebel down gently. Lately, a girl named Mindy was taking up a lot of his time.
“Fuck, he spend a lot of time with his bitch,” Christopher said on a sigh.
Mort sat Harley on her feet. “You had the talk with him, right, Prez?”
“Yeah. I told him if he gotta put his cock in her cunt, cover it the fuck up.”
Bang, Bang by Arianne Grande piped through the speakers and CJ started dancing again. As if he were the leader of an outlaw gang of toddlers, the other kids followed suit. All except Rory, who continued to cling to Johnnie.
Before any of them encouraged Rory to join, a shadow loomed in the doorway and Christopher looked up, scowling at Kendall. She held Matilda and had her wrapped in a pink blanket. For the first time in months, the resentment on her face was gone.
She looked as sad as her husband and boy. “Are you about ready to leave, Johnnie?” she asked with such woe Christopher rolled his eyes. “Or do you want to join in with your cousins first, Rory?”
Hearing Kendall’s question, CJ took it upon himself to snatch Rory into the group. “Dance, ash fuck,” he ordered.
Rory didn’t move. He looked hesitantly at Kendall. She was frowning at CJ but kept her opinions to herself.
“Dance, son,” she encouraged, rocking Matilda back and forth, agitated.
Instead, he whined and ran back to Johnnie.
“Wanna see MegAnn, Woey?” CJ asked. “Her in the kitchen. Her mad at me.”
That got Christopher’s attention. “What the fuck you did, boy?”
“Bit off a looottt candy and spit aaalll out,” he chimed happily. “MegAnn, her say I’m naughty.”
No, he was a straight-up fucking terror.
Christopher crooked his finger at him and crouched down when he reached him. “Sit the fuck down for three minutes, boy. I fuckin’ told you your ma not all well from gettin’ Ryder out. You gonna behave or you gonna be in trouble with my fuckin’ ass.”
Tears filled CJ’s eyes and he ran to the chair Christopher pointed to, climbing onto it, then face-planting on the table and dissolving into sobs. Harley went to the table and grunted her way into a seat. Christopher knew she wouldn’t move until CJ did.
Rory stared in wide-eyed bewilderment at the scene between Christopher and CJ as it played out. Right on cue, Megan came in.
“He told on himself, didn’t he?” she asked on a groan.
“Yeah, baby.”
Rory tipped to Megan’s side and tugged on her shirt. “MegAnn?”
“That’s Aunt Megan,” Kendall said sharply. “Not MegAnn.”
“He started calling her that while we stayed here because that’s what CJ called her,” Johnnie explained.
“Hi, Rory,” Megan greeted with a smile.
He waved at her, then went back and stood between Kendall and Johnnie.
“Okay, three fuckin’ minutes up,” Christopher announced, knowing about a fucking minute tops had passed. “Go, boy.”
CJ didn’t need to be told twice. “Come on, Har-Lay,” he instructed, waiting for her to slide to her feet. He allowed her time to greet Mortician, then took off running once she finished. All the other kids followed suit.
Rory gazed behind them.
“Kendall, do you want to taste some of Roxy’s oyster dressing?”
“Thanks, Meggie.” She shifted her weight and looked at her shoes. “We have to get going, though, so maybe another time.”
Johnnie gave Christopher another plaintive look. “Yeah, some other time.”
“E-fuckin-nuff.” Christopher went to the table and grabbed his bottle of tequila. “You ain’t gotta go no-fuckin-where, Johnnie. We family, motherfucker. The shit over and done with. We made it the fuck through and that matter the fuckin’ most.”
Death Dwellers Motorcycle Club:: Fifteen Bad Boy Biker Books Page 291
