Page 235 of Remiss
“Which do you want it to be? Both options make me look great.”
This time when Kendall laughed, it was out of amusement. “Youarea Caldwell. As insane as you are charming.”
He snickered and stood a little taller. “No one’s ever called me insane as a compliment.”
“There’s a first for everything.”
“I take it you call Johnnie insane?”
“She wouldn’t dare!” Johnnie barked.
Kendall tuned him out. “He doesn’t have that type ofawareness,” she said, sighing, sincerely wishing he did. “It’s Christopher.”
“I knew it! You still want to fuck him, Kendall!”
Keeping a smile on her face, she pretended the accusation didn’t humiliate her and give her the answer about why Bash referred to her as ‘gorgeous’. Without prompting, Johnnie revealed secrets better left unsaid.
“Johnnie, please shut the fuck up,” Bash said, annoyed. “Let your woman talk to me. If you got a problem, take it up with herlater. Meanwhile do the job you rode over to do and keep watch on me, so I don’t steal her from an undeserving motherfucker like you.”
“I didn’t come to protect her,” Johnnie said with triumph. “I came to end her stupidity of meeting with you.”
“You’re proud you don’t want to protect your bitch?” Bash demanded, the disdain in his voice only embarrassing her further.
If someone like Bash saw the flaw in Johnnie’s words, yet her husband didn’t, what did that say about him?
“Shut the fuck up, Johnnie,” Christopher’s voice blared fromsomewhere, and scared the living shit out of everyone. “Sit the fuck down, or I ain’t only fuckin’ shootin’ your goddamn fingers off, but your tongue, too. Let Kendall do her motherfuckin’ job before I motherfuckin’gutyou.”
“I should’ve known you were listening,” Johnnie yelled. “Where the fuck are you, motherfucker? Show yourself.”
“Ain’t gotta. I’m at the clubhouse. But if you don’t shut the fuck up, you gettin’ your fuckin’ ass shot off.”
“Is that a fucking threat, Christopher?”
“No, motherfucker, that’s a motherfuckin’ promise. Now, you wanna fuckin’ try me?”
Obviously not, because Johnnie snapped his mouth shut. Bash pressed his lips together, clamming up before her very eyes.
“Let’s talk in private,” she said, nodding toward the conference room. She didn’t want her brother-in-law overhearing anything he shouldn’t.
“That ain’t part of the motherfuckin’ plan, Kendall.”
“Neither was Johnnie being an asshole,” she said flatly. The excuse had dropped right into her lap. Why not use it?
“Oh, I like that, Kendall,” Johnnie raged.
“My god, motherfucker, please shut the fuck up,” she snarled, fed up. “I’m trying to undo the fucking bullshit you so finely fucked up. I’m trying to talk to your fucking brother and find common fucking ground, you miserable motherfucker. I’m out of fucking patience with you, John Donovan. Sit down and shut up or get the fuck out—”
“It’s get to fuckin’ steppin’, baby,” Outlaw supplied.
Snorting, Kendall shook her head and turned on her heels.
“Kendall, wait,” Bash ordered.
“What?What,motherfucker?” she cried, facing him. “What?”
“I’m not going in there with you until I get a drink. Preferably rum.”
“No.”
