Page 59 of Remorseless
“You leaving soon, Mort?” Digger asked.
Squeezing the bridge of his nose and setting his phone in front of him, Mortician shook his head. “I’m taking Bailey out. She might’ve gone home to change out of her work clothes.”
One reason he’d left was to give her space to prepare for their date. In Mort’s eyes, she didn’t need to do much, but his woman usually took at least two hours to choose an outfit, style her hair, and make up her face. Their marriage wasn’t in a place where he could send her teasing texts about the amount of time she took to dress compared to him.
“I didn’t know you was taking her out,” Digger said irritably. “I thought you came to hang out with me.”
“Look, motherfucker, get your goddamn ass home to your woman. If you know what the fuck’s good for you, I suggest you limit your fucking comments about Bailey.”
Digger gave him a sour look. “You doing everything you can to make up to her.Shetripping. If she wasn’t so pissed at Meggie, I’d blame her—”
“About Meggie—” Torrin called, still sitting at the bar. He and Bishop moved closer to Narci after Outlaw left. “The bet’s off.”
Nods and grumbles of agreement rose around the club.
Narci swiveled the stool in Mort’s direction. “Did you know she could throw a punch like that?”
“Shocked the fuck out of you, huh, motherfucker?” Mort said with a smirk.
“CJ always talk about his mama,” Bishop confessed. “He never once mentioned she knew how to fight.”
“Meggie just threw a lucky punch,” Digger muttered.
“I fucking swear if you don’t lay off Meggie girl, I’m fucking you up,” Mortician growled. “What the fuck happened to your dumb ass? Did you not fucking hear Outlaw?”
“I want it to get back to him,” Digger snapped. “I want to see if Meggie care about me enough to save me like she always save Johnnie. Bunny live and die by that bitch. Sometimes,youvisit Meggie before you hang with me.”
“When you fucking slip up in front Prez, I’m not speaking up to save your miserable fucking ass,” Mortician said coldly. “You stuck on the same tired song. I just pray Meggie girldolike you enough to intercede.”
“How I’m the wrong motherfucker when Meggie got my bitch, your bitch, and most of the bitches on her side? Not only that, Bunny been whining about another baby. A fucking girl. Meggie put that shit in her head. I bet she responsible for Bailey wanting a girl, too. The only thing I appreciate is not dealing with Bunny period and saving money on tampons—”
“Shut the fuck up. That’s the most disrespectful shit I ever heard. Coming from a motherfucker who wouldn’t have a fucking dime left if Bunny didn’t rein in your fucking spending habits and Meggie didn’t invest and pay out dividends.” Mortician snatched his phone again, praying Bailey would rescue him from his brother. Nothing. He threw his phone down and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m sick of yourbullshit toward Prez woman. I’m sick ofallthe bullshit toward her from you, Johnnie, Bailey, the younger brothers, and the new bitches.”
“Bailey think Meggie hurt Harley,” Digger snapped. “She think Meggie keeping CJ from my niece.”
“Your niece keeping CJ from your niece,” Mortician retorted. “Now tell me what the fuck’s really wrong. You keep talking about Torie. You keep hating Meggie. You barely at home and when you are, you don’t want to be bothered.”
Digger hung his head and drew in a deep breath. He leaned closer. “I fucked up, Mort,” he whispered.
A variety of scenarios ran through Mortician’s head—bankruptcy, infidelity, betraying the club,leavingthe club, impending divorce—none of which he wanted to imagine his brother facing.
“Didn’t lay with another woman,” Digger said, reading Mort’s expression. “I might’ve had a crush on Torie andimaginedfucking her, but I love Bunny. I love how calm she is. How she know how to make me smile even when I’m a grouchy motherfucker. I love waking up to her next to me. Sometimes, I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
Mort swallowed. “Are you sick?”
“Sick? I’m healthier than some twenty-year-olds.”
“Then…?”
“Fuck, Mort.” Digger scratched his jaw. “Bunny want another baby. I still blame that shit on Meggie. Even if it’s not her fucking fault,” he said quickly, preventing Mort from talking.
Didn’t do any fucking good anyway.
“Our house not big enough. I want to surprise my woman with a bigger house.Shewant a bigger house. It’ll be further back in the forest, past Johnnie’s house. Even if I could afford to buy it from the club, the land would have to be cleared. Prez probablywouldn’t foot the bill to build infrastructure that far out like he did originally.”
“Talk to Bunny,” Mort advised.
“I said it was a fucking surprise,” Digger growled.
