Page 213 of Relentles
She stiffened and narrowed her eyes. “Mybullshit. I’m not the one who shot up a fucking expensive mirror then disappeared for four days. I’m not the one who wants to damage a friendship I’ve worked so hard at. Meggie means a lot to me and you’re working hard to push all my fucking buttons over her.” There, she’d said exactly what she’d thought. “I’m not the one who ordered you to drop everything and leave.”
Nor was she the one who’d put them in Outlaw’s crosshairs this time.
He took her wine glass and drained it.
She gasped.
“Now, Kendall,” he said coldly, backing away with the grace of a lion and setting the empty glass on the table next to the equally empty bottle. “Sit the fuck down and listen to me. I better not regret what I’m about to reveal.”
She folded her arms. “I’d prefer to stand.”
He stalked to her. Without warning, he jerked her forward. She stumbled; he ignored her and shoved her onto the couch. She started to rise, but his icy glare stopped her. She faced forward, setting her jaw.
Releasing a heavy sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Bash wants to kill Megan.”
In the ensuing silence, Kendall absorbed the words, turned them over in her head. Tried and failed to make sense of them. “Why is he still alive?” she asked slowly. “Surely, Outlaw—”
“Christopher doesn’t know.”
Kendall blinked, opened her mouth to speak, but only managed a squeak.
Crouching in front of her, Johnnie took her hands in his and met her gaze. “There are documents, sweetheart. If they are real, Megan owns a lot of the land, the buildings, and some of the businesses.”
“Johnnie!” Jesus Christ, Meggie had a fucking target on her back. “Why won’t you tell Outlaw, so he can take her name off the documents?”
“I want to do so more than ever. But he’ll kill you and me for sure. Megan won’t be able to save us.”
“Wh-what are you saying?”
“He doesn’t know.”
“He didn’t put everything in Meggie’s name?”
Johnnie shook his head. “He’d never endanger her. It was her father, Big Joe. I’m trying to straighten this out without Christopher’s knowledge, since I don’t particularly see it as club business. It’s personal.”
“But—” Kendall’s old insecurities rose to the surface, the same ones that made her want to be seen as a fun mom and led to the Naked Incident. She drew in a deep breath. As long as Meggie was safe, it didn’t matter who saved her. Besides, Outlaw didn’t need to discover danger to her life came in another way, so soon after he’d almost lost her yet again. “Where are the documents? Let me look over them from a legal standpoint—”
“Brooks has already combed through them.”
“Brooks?” No wonder he’d ended up in the meatshack.
Johnnie stood, forcing her to tip her head back and ignore his erection now squarely in her face. “I didn’t tell you so you could involve yourself. I told you so you’d understand.”
She jumped to her feet, and he scowled, driven out of his position of authority by her movement. “Understand?Understand?” she screeched. “You’re throwing me crumbs, motherfucker. Why is Brooks keeping this from Outlaw?You, I understand.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“Did I stutter, asshole? You know exactly what the fuck that means.”
“You think it’s about Megan?” he asked with incredulity.
“Isn’t it?” Kendall turned away. “Isn’t it always? Hasn’t she always been a shadow in our marriage?” Tears threatened to overtake her. “It isn’t her fault, although it must be nice to have such devotion from two men simply because she’sher.” She stumbled toward the staircase, barely seeing in front of her. “I’m tired, Johnnie. Please don’t disturb me. Better, sleep in the guestroom.”
“Kendall, Bash has also threatened you and Matilda.”
The announcement stopped Kendall in her tracks.
“Bash contacted Brooks first. If he didn’t comply with all of Bash’s demands, he intended to…” Johnnie drew in a deep breath. “Hurt you and Mattie. Kill you. Both, maybe.”
