Page 234 of Misrule
Brooks sighed and looked to Johnnie, who clamped his jaw, his look implacable.
On a sob, Charlotte turned.
“Kendall is going to survive,” Roxanne cut in.
Charlotte turned toward Roxanne. “She will?” she asked with hope.
Roxanne nodded. “I can’t stand your ass, but in your own fucked-up way, you do care about Kendall. Besides, she sees Brooks as a father, so even ifyoudon’t deserve the courtesy of knowing her prognosis, he does.”
“Thank you, Roxanne!” Charlotte said.
“Fuck off,” Roxanne retorted. “You don’t mean that phony bullshit, so I’m not interested in hearing it.”
Her lips tightening, Charlotte scowled at Roxanne, then started off. “Come, Brooks.”
“Will you keep me up-to-date about Kendall?” Brooks asked.
“I’ll do it,” Knox said. He didn’t want Roxanne disturbed with minutiae.
“Thank you, Knox,” Brooks responded, then walked away, catching up to Charlotte down the hallway, in front of the bank of elevators.
“I’m going to Kendall,” Johnnie announced, then walked off, leaving Knox alone with Roxanne.
“Oh, Knox,” she said in a broken voice, running into his arms. “This has been one of the worst days of my life. I just knew something wasn’t right,” she said tearfully. “She was on a cold floor, all alone and dying.”
“She survived, sweetheart. That’s all that matters.”
“You’re right,” she whispered, holding onto him with all her might. After a moment, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “Thank you for coming.”
Knox brushed her lips with his own. “Of course, sweetheart. I wouldn’t dream of you doing this without me at your side.”
She smiled through her tears. “I would’ve thought Outlaw and Meggie would be here by now. Bunny didn’t come, and Digger didn’t stay. Johnnie said Digger dropped him off downstairs, then sped off.” She sighed. “I know Outlaw is past done with Kendall. I guess Meggie finally had enough of her, too.”
Knox knew he’d have to tell her Megan was in the midst of her own crisis, but he’d wait until her emotions settled down from the shock of Kendall’s actions. For now, he’d leave the focus on Kendall, and pray Megan’s condition wasn’t too serious.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Pacing in the private waiting room of Hortensia General, Christopher thought he’d lose his mind. The last he saw of Megan, she’d been seizing on the gurney, while the paramedics tried to stabilize her. Digger rushing Johnnie out and the ambulance arriving for Megan had been a sea of chaos.
Brothers had been shouting, kids had been crying, sirens wailing. Megan hadn’t been moving. She’d been pale and lifeless. Until she hadn’t been. He’d wanted to get to her, but Cash had held him back, insisting the paramedics would take care of her.
Christopher hadn’t seen Cash arrive, and he’d sworn he’d kill the motherfucker if he didn’t allow him to get to Megan. Cash hadn’t relented until they were wheeling her out.
Unlike when Megan had been shot, Christopher was able to sit in the passenger seat of the ambulance and accompany her to the hospital. He’d wanted to be in back with her, but had been told they needed the room to work on her.
Now, it seemed as if hours had passed. Doc Will had arrived not long after the ambulance did and said things weren’t looking good. Megan needed to deliver immediately if there was any hope to save her or the baby’s lives.
The words had made him reel back, as if he’d been kicked in the gut. All the planning he’d done to protect her had blown up in his face.
All the scheming to get rid of Kendall…he couldn’t finish the thought. He hadn’t completely converted to strict religious beliefs, but Megan and Roxanne had influenced him enough, for him to feel as if Megan’s state was the result of what he’d done to Kendall.
It no longer mattered if his actions had directly led to her overdose. For instance, if he’d told her she had to kill herself or he’d do it for her. Or if she’d one day discovered Johnnie giving a relationship with Emily any consideration and couldn’t live with that. Christopher would know he was responsible for whatever happened to Kendall because his plans had led to it.
It might’ve been anything, though—from her separation with Johnnie to her inability to handle her life to paranoia about feeling watched. None of it mattered. If he’d wanted Kendall dealt with for Megan’s kidnapping and for trying to punch CJ, Christopher should’ve handled as he usually did in matters such as these—he should’ve shot the fuck out of her and been done with it.
Thatwould’ve been justice. This was just drawn out torture that had given him satisfaction until he realized he’d reap what he’d sown.
Johnnie needed as many brothers by his side as possible. With Megan near death, however, Christopher wasn’t there. Since many of the members preferred her over Kendall, they were with Christopher, leaving Johnnie with a very few people at his side.
