Page 109 of Remorseless
CJ gave her a hard look. “All Rebel did was defend herself after you punched the fuck out of her.”
“That isn’t true!” Harley said wildly.
“Why you punched Reb, Harley?” Christopher asked.
She ran to Christopher. “I didn’t, Uncle Christopher. We were sitting down enjoying ourselves. CJ and I were talking, and Rebel didn’t like that—”
“Bro,” Mattie said with disapproval, shaking her head.
“And you wonder why I don’t want to fuck with you, Harley,” CJ barked. “You create fucking chaos then play the victim. I’m so fucking sick of your fucking games.”
“Excuse me, young man,” Bailey said, turning to CJ. “You will not talk to my baby like that.”
Meggie inserted herself between Bailey and CJ. “Excuseyou. Both you and your baby can leave and never come back. Back away from CJ.”
“Fuck, efuckinuff.” Christopher stalked from behind the bar and weaved his way through the kids, where only Ryan and Rule were absent. He stopped next to Meggie, shielding both Rebel and CJ from Bailey. “You overworked right now, Bailey, so lemme explain a couple things to you. My kids a lot of things, but they not liars.”
Axel squeezed next to Meggie. “Yeah, Aunt Bailey. Dad says a liar the worst motherfucker in the world. You can’t trust nothing they say. Reb might be the Blonde Viper, but she’s a honest Blonde Viper.”
Ryder dragged Lou forward while Ransom held onto Kaleb’s hand.
“Tell your mama about her daughter, Lou,” Ryder said.
“This is getting out of hand,” Bailey said sharply.
“You think your sons lie, Aunt Bailey?” Ransom asked.
“Of course they don’t. Neither does Harley.”
“Bailey—”
“Shhhhh, Dad,” Axel huffed sternly, placing a finger over his mouth. “We got this. You and Uncle Mort shouldn’t stop being friends cuz of Harley and Rebel and if you keep talking, you’re going to lose your temper. Then me, Ryder, and Ransom won’t be able to play with Lou, Kaleb, Mark JB, and his brothers no more.”
“How my boys got thrown in this?” Digger asked.
“Cuz if Uncle Mort mad at Dad cuz girls are stupid, then you’ll be mad, too,” Axel decided.
Pursing his lips and thinking on it, Digger finally nodded. “You right, little dude.”
“Mommie, Daddy, don’t listen to any of them. Not even Lou and Kaleb,” Harley said. “They’ll lie on me.”
“What’s your story, Harley?” Mort asked. “Let’s hear that.”
“That’s good, Uncle Mort,” Axel said. “Then we can have expert testimony and then the suspects.”
“No, big head,” CJ said, adding his laughter to the chuckles. “Harley’s the defendant, Rebel’s the plaintiff, and we’re the witnesses. We have to decide who’s a witness for the defense—Harley—and who’s for Rebel—the prosecution.”
“Rebel’s an attorney?” Axel asked.
“Forget it.” Meggie kissed the top of Axel’s head. “We’ll explain later.”
“This is what happened,” Harley started, gazing from Meggie to Christopher, then to Mort and Bailey. “We were all talking and then…then CJ was joking with me. Rebel didn’t…” She shifted. “Rebel got jealous of the attention CJ was giving me and said she heard Ryan and me were dating. She called me desperate and threw a punch.” Sniffling, she pointed to her black eye. “I had to defend myself,” she finished pitifully.
“Uh huh.” Mort looked at CJ. “Tell me what happened, little dude.”
“Of course you’re asking CJ,” Bailey spat, rounding on Mortician. “Sometimes, I think you love him more than you do our kids.”
Mortician scowled. “I’m not dignifying that with a fucking response.”
