Page 100 of Relentles
Axel flipped her off.
“Enough,” Mom said, getting to her feet and trudging toward the door as Tabitha sailed back into the room. “Start without me.”
“Megan—”
“I’ll be fine, Christopher,” Mom said sadly.
“Megan, listen up. I know…what I said was fucked up, but,fuck!” Dad yanked at his hair. “I was thinkin’ about you. I didn’t…baby, you couldn’t see inside my head…”
“It’s okay.”
Actually, itwasn’tokay. Uncle Johnnie was psychologically torturing mom, while she was at her most vulnerable. CJ despised that motherfucker.
Dad went to Mom and pulled her back into the room.
“I’ll be fine,” she reiterated. “Iamfine.”
“Uh, yeah, Mom, that would be ano,” Ryder said with disapproval. “You look and sound fucked up.”
“Like a clown abominable snow elf,” Axel added with a nod.
Mom snapped her brows together, uncertainty filling her face.
“Ain’t Ijustbeat your motherfuckin’ asses yesterday?” Dad asked, sighing.
“Ignore these future solitary confinement residents,” Rebel said sharply.
“Yeah, no matter how red Mom’s nose is,” Ransom said. “You could’ve said Rudolph, dummy. Clowns are fucking terrifying. They haunt my dreams. When I get a gun, I’m picking off all those motherfuckers.”
Axel’s eyes lit up. “We can travel around the country, going to circuses to fuck up all the clowns.”
The three little assholes hi-fived, ignoring the alarm filling Mom’s eyes.
“Premeditated murder will either get you fucking locked up or put to death, dickhead,” Rebel said with a snort.
“We live in Washington State.”
“Jurisdiction goes according to the state laws where you commit the crimes,” Rebel scoffed. “If you’re going to be a criminal, at least study basic laws.”
“I might have a new respect for you,” Ransom said.
“I might not give a fuck if you do or not,” she retorted.
“Youcannotjoin the fucking club, Rebel,” Diesel said tightly.
“I can do any-fucking-thing I please, jackass. And I don’t want to join the club.”
Mom rubbed the back of her neck. “Just become the special enforcer, huh, Reb?”
CJ noted that his father’s anger had eased. He stood behind Mom, his arms wrapped around her.
“Can we please open the motherfucking presents?” Axel yelled.
“Can you please show some respect?” Mom replied.
“I can’t wait until everything’s back to normal,” Rebel said dramatically. “You three will be fucked up on the regular for your lack of disrespect.”
The irony.
