Page 200 of Misrule
Val clutched his head. “What was that for?”
“Lagniappe,” Outlaw answered.
“That’s Roxanne’s word,” Val complained. “You can’t steal it from her.”
“Prez, Val right,” Mortician said. “Keep throwing licks on his head and what brains he have left will be knocked the fuck out.”
“Do you all spend your entire lives insulting each other?” Knox demanded.
“That’s how we show our love,” Mortician said with a grin.
“Johnnie,” Outlaw started, “what about this Emily-chick? How you still so torn over Kendall if you runnin’ after another bitch?”
“You all up my ass and you sniffing after new pussy, motherfucker?” Val asked, outraged.
Johnnie snatched Rory closer to him and covered his ears with his hands. “I’m not! And I’ll thank you not to talk about another woman in front of my son.”
Outlaw’s wince surprised Knox.
“Sorry, John Boy,” Val said, duly chastened. “We just got carried away.”
“Yeah, motherfucker,” Outlaw added. “I apolo-fuckin-gize. Don’t wanna upset your boy.”
“I’ve been thinking about going nomad,” Johnnie announced into the ensuing silence. “Take Kendall and our kids and move away. She wants me to come to a session with her. After that, I’ll make my decision.”
Shock settled into Outlaw’s features, and he swallowed. “You love her that fuckin’ much?”
“Yes, goddamn it, Christopher!” Johnnie roared. “What the fuck don’t you understand about that? Why is it so fucking hard for you to believe that a couple other than you and Megan can share a deep, abiding love?”
“That ain’t hard for me to be-fuckin-lieve withotherfuckin’ motherfuckers. You and Kendall, though? If you two motherfuckers got a deep, abidin’ fuckin’ love than it would be a blood-fuckin-bath if there was fuckin’ hate there. You don’t know the fuckin’ meanin’ of bein’ in love and she ain’t believin’ she can be loved. So how the fuck that equal you leavin’ the fuckin’ club to make that bitch happy?”
“You tried that before,” Mortician reminded Johnnie. “You was miserable.”
“Were,” Knox heard himself saying. “Youweremiserable.”
Mortician glared at Knox, but didn’t comment.
“I left for Kendall to be happy. This time, I’ll leave for both of us to be happy.”
“Think hard before you do this,” Val advised. “You’ve been so carefree since she moved away. Almost back to your old self. Kendall don’t bring out the best in you.”
“Excuse me,” Knox cut in. “Rory is still present. How can this conversation be any better for him than the other one that was off-limits?”
“You’re right, Knox,” Johnnie said. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” Knox responded.
He looked at Outlaw again, but the man seemed unaffected by it all, turning a blind eye to Johnnie’s weary sadness.
Attempting to hold herself stiff, Roxy sat on Knox’s lap, later that night, wishing death on Mortician.
She’d gone through the torture of the fitting, knowing it was an exercise in futility and opening another wound in her already broken heart. She’d also been on edge, worried about how the girls would act toward Kendall and, more importantly, how she’d act toward them.
Her concern had been for nothing. Though Kendall arrived late, it had all gone smoothly. Everyone had been polite to her and she’d been on her best behavior. The fittings had turned into a party-like atmosphere where one of the girls used her phone to play music. They’d laughed and talked and danced, having nothing else to do once they were finished with their fittings. Roxy, Bailey, Harley, Bunny, Kendall, Matilda, Meggie, and Rebel had been a far cry from the eighteen men on the other side. If Jordan and her daughter had been in town, and Roxy’s mother and two daughters had flown in from New Orleans, the playing field would’ve been a little more level, even if Cam would’ve also been with the men.
Roxy had kept up the pretense of happy bride-to-be, but she’d been so relieved when the day was coming to a close. As they were all heading to their cars, Mortician had announced they needed to meet at his house for dinner and to make sure all the plans were moving forward.
That had been simple enough.
