Page 14 of Misrule
“One of the things Kendall has to recognize and accept is how much I admire Megan. She’s my friend. I’m not giving our friendship up. But I’m tired of discussing my wife. Why don’t we talk about the state of your relationship with the woman you haven’t gotten down the aisle yet?”
“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m giving in and sleeping here at the club house.”
“That should win you points with the woman.”
Knox lifted a brow. “The woman has a name, asshole.”
“She also has a nose that she sticks in my goddamn business too fucking much. She thinks she knows what’s best for Kendall—”
“She knows better than you do,” Knox growled. “Kendall acts like a spoiled goddamn child and you’re the idiot who agrees with everything she says. For whatever damn reason.”
Johnnie stiffened. “Really, fuckhead? If I agreed with everything, she’d still be here, so that line is tired. Find a new one.”
Glowering at him, Knox finished off his drink then poured himself another one. Before Kendall and while they’d been together, Johnnie would never have thought to drink such an expensive alcohol out of plastic. Now, it was an unimportant quirk, developed to flip off his wife’s dictates. Scotch was scotch and did the job it was meant to do, even if he drank it straight from the bottle.
“Okay, I’ll put the reticence argument to bed,” Knox conceded. “How about this one? You two shouldn’t be together. You’re toxic. You don’t like Roxanne interceding on Kendall’s behalf, onyourbehalf? Then fuck you. You’re a shitty excuse for a husband with the way you handle the Megan situation, but, at heart, Kendall is a mean-spirited witch who means you, Roxanne, her children, Megan,no one, any good.”
“Watch it, Knox. You’re treading on dangerous territory. I’m a moment away from taking you to the meatshack and draining you of blood in slow degrees.”
“Stop acting like Outlaw. All the barbarian does is threaten to kill people. Me, especially. I’m your friend, Johnnie. You and I have bonded almost from the moment we met. And you know that. You also know what I’ve said is true.”
“Not about Kendall, it isn’t,” Johnnie warned. “If you don’t have anything good to say about her, keep your fucking mouth shut. Wearefriends, Knox. But you cross the line when you degrade Kendall. Believe me or not. I will torture you and then kill you if you keep it up. The agony won’t last as long since we’re friends.”
“Gee, how fucking thoughtful of you,” Knox spat. “I have a stipulation of my own: Check your resentment for Roxanne.”
Johnnie smirked. The fucker had balls. “Or what? You’ll beat my ass or something?”
“Yes,” Knox said tightly. “Roxanne’smine. She means well and that’s all that matters. Stop downing her or else.”
Johnnie hooted with laughter. “Or else,” he echoed, banging on the table.
“I’ve gotten into a few fist fights in my life. I served on the force for a number of years,” Knox reminded him.
“Child’s play,” Johnnie dismissed with a wave of his hand. “I’ll stomp you to the fucking ground if you lay your hands on me, so find another way to protect Roxanne.”
Knox gave him a nasty grin. “I’ll tell Mortician.”
Johnnie’s humor fled. Mortician wouldn’t win in a battle against him again. Not like he had when Kendall had drugged Johnnie. Still, it would be one hell of a fight. One that Johnnie didn’t care to engage in. “Let’s just drop the goddamn subject.”
“Yeah, I thought so.”
“I’ll ignore that,” Johnnie gritted, thinking of Kendall and how lovely she’d looked last night at the ball. He’d kept his distance from her. If he hadn’t, he would’ve spent the night at her house. They didn’t need sex. They needed tolerance and acceptance. Understanding.
“I have to save Kendall from whatever.” Johnnie scrubbed a hand over his face. “Christopher let her off too easy, Knox. She was almost responsible for Megan’s death. She was the reason he shot me. And, worst of all, she almost hit CJ.Punchedhim.”
“In the face,” Knox supplied, as if the mere knowledge wasn’t bad enough.
“In the face,” Johnnie echoed bleakly.
“If you feel as if Outlaw has something dire planned, talk to him. He’s direct. He’ll tell you if he plans to kill her or have her killed.”
The words echoed in Johnnie’s brain, in his heart, and a chill passed through him. That was it. More than likely, Christopher would personally kill Kendall.
“Do you know she arranged a gun deal after Christopher had turned it down?”
The bleakness Johnnie felt at the admission made him ignore Knox’s shock.
“It ended up being a set-up,” Johnnie went on, trusting Knox to keep this confidence. “She stowed away on the plane carrying the arms and didn’t listen when I told her to stay in her rented room. She, along with Val and Christopher, were kidnapped.”
