Page 154 of Misrule
Meggie glanced in Roxy’s direction. “Oh no. That’s why they were taking him to the meatshack.” She frowned. “But…but what did he say to you for Christopher and the rest of them to have such a reaction?”
“I called her a gold digger.” Knox sounded close to tears. “I told her she just wanted my money. I told her to live the rest of her life in wretched loneliness without me or my money.”
Humiliation returned, lurking just beneath the surface of Roxy’s emotions since the argument. “Shut up, Knox!”
“He said those things to you?” Zoann asked, aghast.
“Yeah, baby, but—”
Zoann released Knox’s head, allowing it to hit the ground.
Squat!
“Oh, shit,” Bunny blurted as Knox’s eyes rolled back in his head and he lost consciousness all over again.
“Oh, Mama.” Bailey hugged Roxy again. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Because she hadn’t known how to say the words to the girls. Knox’s accusations strengthened Duke’s claims about her.
No! She wouldn’t address those thoughts now. There were more urgent matters at hand.
Standing, Zoann snapped her medical bag closed and dusted off her legs.
“We can’t leave Knox unattended,” Roxy protested.
“The fuck we can’t,” Zoann snapped.
“Nope, we can’t,” Meggie insisted. “He needs attention.”
Offering Meggie the stink eye, Zoann knelt again. “He has a concussion,” she grouched.
“We need to get him inside,” Roxy said.
Knox. was a big man, tall and well-built, with well-defined abs that she loved touching. She couldn’t see much of his toned body now because he was dressed in trousers and a button-down. That didn’t matter, though. His muscles were imprinted in her mind.
“Get ‘Law, MegAnn,” CJ instructed. “Him can get Uncle Knox inside.” He tipped his head back to see if his mother agreed.
Meggie grinned at him and ruffled his hair. “We don’t want Daddy or any of your other uncles near Uncle Knox,” she said.
CJ nodded, then thought for a second. “Aunt Kenda…Kendall,” he corrected. “Aunt KenDall?”
“You know how to say her name, potato.”
“I like Aunt Kenda better,” CJ informed Meggie. “Aunt Zo let me call her Aunt Zo and don’t get mad and try to beat me, Mommie. Why Aunt KenDallgotta be so mean?”
Meggie stared off into the distance and her chin wobbled. “She doesn’t mean to be, CJ. Aunt Kendall has a lot of problems.”
“Yeah,” Zoann agreed as Knox moaned again. “Bitch crazy.”
“A psycho cunt like ‘Law say?” CJ asked.
“Christoppphhheeerrr,” Meggie moaned, then gave her son a sharp stare. “Donotcall Aunt Kendall those names. It isn’t nice.”
“Why, MegAnn? ‘Law say those names and he nice.”
“Daddy is very nice,” Meggie agreed. “He’s also a grown man. You aren’t. You’re a little boy and you have to respect adults.”
“What were you going to say about Kendall, bud?” Bunny asked after a moment of silence while CJ considered Meggie’s words.
