Page 28 of Relentles
Feel better?
Folding her arms, Rebel lifted a brow. “Who’s texting you?”
At the suspicion in his daughter’s face, he shoved his phone into his pocket, guilt settling into his gut like a stone. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Windows surrounded the NICU department, so anyone could see how innocent his interactions with Torie were.
“Who are you texting?”
“Uh,Mom,” Ryder piped in and shook his head. “Girls are stupid and suspicious.”
“Because boys are jackasses and cheaters,” Rebel retorted, glaring at Diesel.
“If you’re referring to me, I’m a fucking man, sister,” Diesel said coldly.
“I must have hit a nerve, if you felt the need to respond,brother.”
Ordinarily, Christopher wouldn’t like the conversation or the tension. He was just so fucking glad Ryder and Diesel distracted Rebel, he kept his mouth shut.
“Dadistexting Mom,” Axel said.
Ransom thumped his shoulder. “Fucking dummy.”
“No, Daddyisn’ttexting Momma,” Rebel insisted. “She’ll text him, but if she has that much to say to him, she’ll call him.” She shrugged. “She loves the sound of his voice.”
Mortician mouthed, “tell her,” but Christopher didn’t know what to say. Megan would understand. Rebel wouldn’t, and she’d blow everything out of proportion.
He returned to the topic of Rebel not wanting kids. “Just cuz your ma…fuck!” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “You’re healthy, Reb—”
“Oh, god,” Johnnie groaned. “My shoulder’s hurting so fucking bad.”
Anger washed over Rory’s face, as if a switch had been flipped. One minute, he was scared and concerned, but the moment he heard Johnnie’s voice, his emotions veered in a different direction.
Over the past weeks, Johnnie fucked up Rory and Kendall. More than that, though, the motherfucker had fuckedwithMegan, so much that she’d begged Christopher to stop him. The first chance she got, she’d punched the fuck out of Johnnie and accused him of gaslighting her.
“Potter, bring the fuckin’ rubbin’ alcohol,” Christopher called, setting Axel on his feet and getting to his own.
“I’ll do it, Uncle Chris,” Rory volunteered.
Rule urged Rebel into the seat he’d vacated. The moment she sat, Diesel leaned forward and whispered to her. Christopher might’ve objected, until Rule crouched down and joined in the conversation.
“Here, Prez,” Potter said, walking up to the table and handing Christopher the unopened bottle of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.
Rory snatched the bottle from Christoper, opened it and poured a quarter of the contents onto Johnnie’s covered wound.
The motherfucker yelped. Breathing in deeply, Rory set the bottle on the table.
Lighting a smoke, Christopher took a few puffs, then jammed it in the corner of his mouth. Megan’s face rose in his head.
“Just…please…please, God, make him stop. Please.”
She’d spoken those words to him last night. He’d spent most of the morning searching for Johnnie to fuck up the motherfucker. Then, she’d cut the legs out of his plan when she’d said she hadn’t meant she wanted him dead.
Well, she wanted that motherfuckersomething.
Walking around the table for better access to Johnnie’s injury, Christopher studied the motherfucker’s throat. Very few times in his life had he actually imagined strangling Johnnie or burying a knife in his jugular. But he could almosttastehis blood. For Megan to beg Christopher…
“Prez?”
Mort’s voice reached Christopher through a haze of anger.
