At the directive, Kendall met Meggie’s gaze. “I drugged Johnnie. The first medicine nearly killed him,” she rushed out. “This time around, it turned him into a monster.” She leaned down and threw her arms around Meggie’s neck. “I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate me. I never expected Johnnie to react like this.”
The feel of Johnnie’s hands around her neck haunted Meggie. Worse, she had to live with deceiving Christopher once again about one of his brothers. All because of Kendall.
“Let go of me,” Meggie snarled.
Her sobs deepening, Kendall released Meggie.
“How dare you?” Meggie stood, suddenly feeling crowded into her desk with Roxy and Kendall hovering. “What kind of a sick individual are you to do such a thing merely to have your own way?”
“Meggie!” Kendall said tearfully. “I’m sorry. Please, don’t desert me.”
“Really?” Meggie released bitter laughter. “Not only did Johnnie almost succumb to the side effects of the drug, but he almost killed me. My husband almost shot him to death. All because of your selfishness. I’ve defended you and protected you. Even when you and I are at each other’s throats, I downplay our arguments.”
“For Christopher,” Kendall said, around tears. “Not for me.”
“It’s mainly for Christopher. But I do it for you too and if you believe otherwise, then you’re just pathetic. I can’t believe you,” she repeated on a shout. Kendall had gone too far. Yes, Christopher was wrong, but Kendall’s actions made the situations ten times worse. Enough was enough. “Get out of my house and don’t ever come back.”
“Roxy, do something,” Kendall begged. “Talk to her. You and her are all I have ever had besides Johnnie and my children.”
“Wrong, Kendall,” Meggie piped up. “You had the entire club behind you. Zoann, Bunny, Bailey, and Fee tried to befriend you. You spurned them. I looked up to you and confided in you. How do you repay me? By coming on to Christopher, so I stopped talking to you about stuff. You don’t have a trustworthy bone in your entire body, yet you expect everyone to give you loyalty. It doesn’t work that way.”
In the silence that followed, Roxy took Meggie’s face between her hands and thumbed away the tears sliding down her cheeks. Kendall’s betrayal cut deep. She’d wanted them to be friends. Partly because they were sisters-in-law, but also because their husbands worked so closely together, and she’d already seen the rift it could cause between the men if she and Kendall were feuding.
Roxy hugged Meggie. Emotion flowed through her and she cried bitter tears for what could’ve been between her and Kendall, and, now, what never would be.
“Meggie, baby, I know you’re hurt,” Roxy began, patting her back. “But Kendall needs you and me.”
“She doesn’t need anything from me. She needs to have her way.”
“I’m so sorry,” Kendall repeated.
“Sugar, you’re angry right now,” Roxy said, taking Meggie’s face between her hands and staring at her. “You’ve got every right to be. I was pissed too, when Kendall first told me what she did. Work through your feelings. There’s going to be a lot of tension between the men. If Johnnie fucks up one time, Outlaw will go off. It’s up to us to run interference.”
“I’m done,” Meggie insisted. Through the years, she and Kendall had had their ups and downs, even getting into a physical altercation, but enough was enough.
“Why are you so angry, Meggie?” Resentment infused Kendall’s voice. “I didn’t do anything to you. I did it to Johnnie. Or is that it? You’re furious on his behalf.”
Meggie twisted out of Roxy’s hold and marched to Kendall, jabbing her with her finger. “You just don’t get it, do you? I’m angry because I once trusted you. I’m angry because I once believed in you. But I’ve never met a more callous, selfish person in my entire life. You’re all about you. I’m angry because Johnnie almost took me from my husband and children because of what you did to him. What would my family have done without me?”
“You didn’t die, Meggie, so get over it,” Kendall told her, her eyes blazing with anger and desolation. “You’ve always turned your back on me. You could’ve stood up for me and gotten me what I wanted, but—”
“Enough, Kendall,” Roxy ordered. “I’m not listening to this bullshit another minute. For somebody who supposedly is sorry, you have a fucked-up way of showing it.”
“I am sorry, Roxy, but that doesn’t matter to her. Do you hear all the vile things she’s saying to me?”
“Omigod, you’re such a moron,” Meggie said on a groan.
“My hair happens to be fiery red, not precious golden blonde, which means I have a very high IQ.”
“In a minute you’re going to have a very broken nose, after I punch you,” Meggie snapped.
“See?” Kendall pointed at her. “She’s threatening me, Roxy.”
“I’m about to fuck you up myself,” Roxy fumed, glaring at Kendall before huffing out a breath and gazing at Meggie. “Baby, listen to me. I know I’m asking a lot of you. But we need to get those boys back on even ground. This has the potential to fuck up the entire club.”
It also had the potential to get Mortician killed, since he’d assisted with the cover-up. Megan couldn’t allow Mortician to face retribution because of a decision she’d made.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked quietly.
“Besides going upstairs and resting?” Roxy said. “I want you to plan your Valentine’s Day Ball.”
Meggie didn’t need to guess how Roxy had found out about the ball.
“It’ll give the boys something else to focus on,” Roxy continued. “We can have our first meeting tomorrow night.”
Meggie wasn’t in the mood to plan any type of event. Maybe, when she was feeling better and her son and husband realized she was fine, she could turn her focus away from this latest disaster-in-the-making. God, no! She had to forge forward. Get through this…get over it. She didn’t have the luxury of wallowing in anger, self-pity, or fear. She had to take care of Christopher and set everything right. Part of her responsibility was making sure she didn’t come between him and his club because he loved it so much. Therefore, she’d agree to Roxy’s suggestion.
“Fine,” Meggie muttered.
Roxy hugged her again. “Now, get upstairs. Let me cook for you today.”
“No, but thank you. I can manage.”
“Meggie?” Kendall called.
Meggie gritted her teeth. She didn’t want to answer, but if they were going to work together on the ball, she had to put aside her feelings. “Yes?”
“I really am sorry. I hate knowing what Johnnie did to you. I would never purposely put you in danger. I’ve made so many mistakes over the years and for that I apologize. Perhaps, this is just too much. Or, maybe, you can find it in you to forgive me one last time. If you do, I swear I’ll cherish our friendship and value you.”
Kendall sounded sincerely remorseful. Still, Meggie wanted to ignore her words and walk away. While it would take time to get over her anger at Kendall’s latest stunt, she knew she would. Kendall would always be Kendall. Meggie could take that with a grain of salt, if Kendall’s actions didn’t always affect so many people.
“Kendall, I accept your apology. I don’t know when, or if, I’ll ever forget this latest incident. But we’re sisters-in-law. We need to fix this between our husbands. As for us becoming close again, you’ve burned me time and again, so I can’t promise you anything. All I can say is we’ll take this one step at a time going forward.”
“That’s all any of us can do,” Kendall said quietly.
Nodding, Meggie hugged Roxy. “Thank you for coming. I’m going to check on my kids, so I’ll talk to you later.”
For the first time since she’d met Roxy, she invited her to leave, just wanting to be alone to get her thoughts together.
HIS HEART OR MIND WASN’T in church this morning, especially when he had to look at Johnnie and Mortician. Val. Digger. Cash. Stretch. All thos
e motherfuckers who he considered family and brothers and who thought he was a motherfucking fool.
More than that, he wanted to stay home and watch Megan. Will those ugly bruises around her neck to heal. He wanted to force her to say the words, Johnnie did this to me.
But she wasn’t going to and his anger simmered, compounded by Johnnie throwing in Christopher’s face the time he’d made Megan’s pussy come, all those weeks ago.
Christopher knew Megan loved him. She said it. She showed it to him. But imagining Johnnie finger fucking her, seeing the motherfucker in his mind, strangling her. Unable to do anything about either left him feeling helpless.
However, Megan was okay…trying to be okay. Christopher knew she was putting that show on for him and CJ, and he loved her, fell in love with her, a little more.
If she was making such an effort, he had to do the same.
Except the call of death pounded through him. He wanted blood and guts spilled. He drew in deep breaths, thinking of his wife to calm himself.
Last night, she’d been excited as she explained she was going ahead with her Valentine’s Day Ball. She’d already talked to Roxy and Kendall in person, and had invited the women over to the house for a planning session. Supposedly, Zoann was going to find a couple of recipes to throw together for the taste-test that should be going on now.
Meanwhile, Christopher was having fucking nightmares about wearing a fucking monkey suit again. How the fuck had she talked him into that shit again?
“That’s the bi-monthly report,” Stretch finished, closing his ledger and grabbing the copies of the budget to hand out to the membership.
With all the interruptions from yesterday, Christopher had had to leave Megan early this morning to finish his review of the year-end shit, so Stretch could get what he needed printed in time. He’d already reported on those numbers.
They hadn’t been a mystery to Christopher. The bi-monthly figures, though? With thoughts of dissecting Johnnie running through his head, Stretch could’ve been a little Yoda motherfucker beaming every assfuck up, and Christopher wouldn’t have realized it.
Fuck him. He had to get it together.
Christopher returned to the podium and glanced down at the copy of the budget Stretch left for him, just as he usually did. The numbers blurred. He saw Megan, dead. Strangled.
Taken away from him. Insanity threatened to overcome him. How close he’d come to finding her body.
Her fucking body, left in their bed.
But, no. It wouldn’t have been him who found her. It would’ve been his boy. CJ would’ve been scarred for life.
He’d been worried about the fucking Imperials when the motherfucking enemy was right in his own club.
Christopher swallowed, his heart pounding and his ears ringing. Balling his fist, he growled, a combination of horror and fury settling into him,
A voice cleared, and he glanced up.
Knox glanced at his watch. “I have another meeting to get to.”
Christopher squinted. “When the fuck your ass got here?”
“I just called him in from outside, Prez.” Digger stepped from behind Knox.
Digger’s dreads drooped from the man-tail high atop his head. Little silver stars dangled from the ends of his hair. Bunny put his hair in any style she wanted, and motherfuckers said Christopher was pussified?
Christopher forced his attention to club business. Drawing in a breath, he looked at his members. “This Knox Harrington,” he introduced for the few motherfuckers who didn’t know him. “A lotta you motherfuckers know his ass cuz he always ‘round here. He been investigatin’ the Imperials at my fuckin’ request.”
“Outlaw, what about brokering the peace deal?” Slipper called. “I’m still interested in that.”
“Well, I’m not,” Potter inserted from his place behind the bar. “Fuck them. They killed one of my best friends when they hit two of our brothers. I want blood.”
“My old lady expecting twins,” Orange announced. He was one of Slipper’s sons. “I want to be around to meet them. We should set up another meeting with them, Outlaw.”
Brothers were getting riled up, drawing lines. Digger as sergeant-at-arms came closer to Christopher and folded his arms. Despite Christopher not talking to him, Mortician stood and helped Digger close ranks, quieting the room.
Mort and Digger were willing to die for him. He shouldn’t feel so fucking pissed, but he wasn’t a rational motherfucker where Megan was concerned.
“If you can’t broker a meeting, let Johnnie arrange it,” Bowlie advised into the silence.
“You’re fucking crazy?” Potter barked. “If Outlaw can’t do it, Johnnie sure the fuck can’t.”
“Why not?” Bowlie demanded. “It was Johnnie’s idea.”
Christopher waited until the debating stopped. However, he had one more thing to fuck up Johnnie for.
Anarchy began with a mere seed of dissension. Johnnie had planted that seed with his talk of peace negotiations.
“Peace come in all fuckin’ forms,” Christopher started. “If I blow the motherfuckers away, we have peace.”
A few snickers greeted his statement.
Johnnie got to his feet and turned toward the back wall, facing away from everybody. “Fuck the Imperials,” he yelled. “I’m not interested in peace with them.”
Digger walked to Johnnie and tapped him on the shoulder. “Who the fuck you talking to, Johnnie?”
“The members,” Johnnie said around a yawn, and swayed.
“Son, turn your ass around and then you’ll be talking to the members,” Mortician said.
Stumbling around, Johnnie squinted at everybody and then grinned.
Chuckles exploded in the club. Ordinarily, Christopher would fuck up anybody who dared to make fun of Johnnie, but fuck that motherfucker. They could put him in a dunk tank with his dick swinging and Christopher wouldn’t give a fuck.
Mortician sighed, then went to Johnnie and guided him to a seat. “Come on, brother. Let’s sit and listen to prez.”
Johnnie rubbed his neck, his face flushed. Blinded by anger, Christopher glared at him.
Outlaw, let’s just hear Knox’s report,” Mortician suggested.
Christopher agreed with his enforcer. “Tell us what the fuck you found, Knox.”
Once he stepped away from the podium, Knox took his place.
“I’m still chasing down leads on Mystic, the president,” Knox began. “But I’ve discovered a few things about Randolph. One, Mystic is his stepfather. Randolph’s almost twenty. He’s been busted for drugs before. His mother put him in rehab. He was a heavy steroid user.” He held up a picture and pointed to the beard. “Probably that’s where all the thick hair growth comes from.”
“Yeah, but his dick must be the size of a fucking button,” Potter called.
Snickers filled the air.
Offering a half-smile, Knox continued. “His father was a Joey…” His voice trailed off as he flipped a page.
Christopher snapped his brows together, on alert.
“Joey Foy,” Knox finished, confirming Christopher’s sudden suspicions. “His mother’s name was—”
“Hopper,” Christopher interrupted. Fuck. Randolph was the son of Snake and Hopper. In other words, Megan’s nephew.
“You…uh. Yes,” Knox confirmed, surprised. “You’re acquainted with her? That’s her real name?”
Christopher shook his head. “Nope. Don’t know her real fuckin’ name. She was a Dweller girl, called Hopper cuz she hopped from bed to fuckin’ bed, every fuckin’ day, all fuckin’ day. A motherfucker named Rack decided to take her for himself, but knocked the fuck outta her, so Snake…Joey got her.”
“Why do I know the name Snake?” Knox asked.
“Cuz Snake the motherfucker who buried my ass the fuck alive. Snake Megan deader than dead, fucked-in-the-head brother.”
“What the fuck Randolph want?” Mortician wondered aloud.
Exactly. Merging the two clubs
could’ve made more sense if they hadn’t killed and stolen from the Dwellers. They didn’t want a goddamn merger. Now that he knew what cum made Randolph, Christopher realized he wanted to take over the Dwellers completely.
Over Christopher’s dead fucking body.
“Find out ‘bout Mystic. All you can. As quick as you can, Knox,” Christopher ordered. “Don’t give a fuck how much I gotta pay you. Just do it. I need it in the next twenty-four-fuckin-hours.”
“I have other cases,” Knox protested. “I can’t drop them to do your stuff.”
Christopher glared at him. “You just fuckin’ did.”
“Fine,” he conceded tightly. “I’ll see what I can come up with.
Voices of members rose in heated discussion at this new information. Some members had been friends with Snake, but chose to be loyal to the club. Not necessarily Christopher.
Fuck! Snake 2.0 slithering around was just what the fuck he needed.
“Knox, get the fuck and start on what the fuck I need.”
Scowling at Christopher, Knox grabbed his keys and phone from the podium, then stomped to the door.
Christopher pounded the gavel to restore order. “’Til we know what the fuck goin’ on with these motherfuckers, watch your fuckin’ back. Both clubs already spilled the other fuckin’ blood. Motherfuckers say they want in the fuckin’ club, but they ain’t come correct. That mean they up to fuckin’ no good. Not a motherfucker in here mention who Randolph old man is to my woman. If I gotta fuck him up, I ain’t wantin’ her to know.” He glared at his table, where the other club officers sat. “Fuckin’ family and shit.”
Mort winced, and Johnnie glanced away.
“Any-fuckin-thing else?” he growled.
Nobody said a fucking thing.
“This meetin’ over,” Christopher declared, banged the gavel, and stormed the fuck away. He didn’t have fucking time for motherfuckers who wouldn’t be honest with him about who had tried to take Megan’s life.
DESPITE HER LINGERING ANGER AT Kendall’s latest stunts that, once again, wreaked havoc, Meggie followed Roxy’s suggestion and focused on the Valentine’s Day Ball. After telling Christopher she’d like to have the celebration, she called the girls and invited them to her house to exchange for menu ideas.
Death Dwellers Motorcycle Club:: Fifteen Bad Boy Biker Books Page 440
