Page 35 of Restless
They all snickered.
“What are you reading, Dad?” Rory nodded to the stack of papers on the desk.
An oddly guilty look crossed Uncle Johnnie’s face. “Nothing to concern you.”
“But—”
“What brings you here, nephew?”
CJ’s relationship with his uncle hadn’t been the same since the night he’d walked into this house and found the entire familynaked.He’d thought Uncle Johnnie was the go-to man about Bash because his uncle set himself apart from everyone else. He wanted to be Top Dog. Uncle Mort, Uncle Digger, Uncle Val…anyof them would handle the situation but they’d also insist on telling Outlaw, when his main focus should be Mom. All CJ needed was Uncle Johnnie to shake the fuck out of Ryan and force him to do the right thing.
He also needed help with Molly’s situation.
“CJ?”
On the other hand, Uncle Johnnie would probably look down on her. He treated his own daughter without an ounce of regard for her wellbeing.
“Uh, never mind. It’s…I shouldn’t have disturbed you.”
Awkwardness settled between them.
Uncle Johnnie sighed. “Something’s bothering you, CJ. Talk to me. I won’t pass judgment.”
“It’s a lot to unpack, uncle,” CJ said quietly.
“Try me.”
“I was at Turn Creek Bridge yesterday afternoon,” he started, choosing his words with care so he wouldn’t get his cousins in trouble.
“You cut class?”
“Not really. I left with fifteen minutes to go.”
“You cut class.”
“Dad, focus,” Rory said with exasperation. “I cut class, too.”
“What?”
“That’s not important right now, man!” Rory flared.
“The fuck it isn’t.” He stared at the papers on his desk. It seemed as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Then, his assholery returned, and he glared at CJ. “You’re a bad influence on my son.”
“CJ wasn’t even with us at first and he isn’t a bad influence on us,” Rory argued.
Uncle Johnnie snatched the stack of papers from the desk, opened the drawer and threw them in, then slammed the drawer shut and locked it. He stalked to the liquor table, grabbed the decanter, and swigged from it.
“Never mind,” CJ snapped, starting for the door. “Thanks for living up to my fucking expectations, Uncle.”
“No, wait, CJ!” Rory called. “I think he’s trying to tell you about Bash, Dad.”
A moment of silence slid by before the sound of shattering glass made CJ spin around. Uncle Johnnie stood at the bar, ashen with shock. The decanter he’d held, filled with expensive whisky, was nothing but glass shards in pools of amber liquid.
“Bash?” he pushed out.
“You know that wretched motherfucker, Dad?” Rory demanded.
“Bash?” he repeated.
