Page 149 of Ruptured
“I refuse to allow you to go,” Johnnie said.
“She tellin’ us sowecan go with her, Johnnie,” Christopher said. “Shut the fuck up or get the fuck out.”
“Why you want to put yourself in danger like that, Kendall?” Val asked.
“Where do you want to meet him?” Stretch demanded.
“You…this isn’t a good idea,” Diesel said.
No, it wasn’t, but she needed to discover the truth some way since pulling records and sitting on her ass reading letters wasn’t cutting it. All the secrets—a girl that might be Johnnie’s daughter, the fact that Meggie supposedly owned the club, and all the family connections–needed light shed on them.
They,she, needed the real story.
“Ken…AuntKendall?”
“What, Ryan?” Kendall said tiredly.
“Bash…” He transferred an uneasy glance from Christopher to Val and finally to Kendall. “Bash is insane. You’ll put yourself in danger. Don’t go.”
“There’s a missing link,” she said quietly. “He might have it.Someonedoes…”
Rory threw accusing eyes toward Johnnie.
She didn’t look away fast enough. Christopher followed her gaze and growled.
“Johnnie, what the fuck you hidin’? Tell me now!” When he didn’t threaten Johnnie with bodily harm, Kendall wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. Sometimes, the words worked, and Johnnie fell into line. If nothing else, it stopped Christopher from picking up his gun and blowing her husband away.
“If you know something, tell us,” Kendall begged. “Please. I love you so much. Please, don’t…please help me.”
He glanced from Christopher to her, his eyes glacial. “Will you drop the fucking case and go back to beingmywife, instead of Christopher’s partner?”
Jumping to his feet, Christopher unholstered his .9mmand pointed it at Johnnie. “I would fuckin’ think by now you fuckin’ tired of gettin’ fucked up. I’m tired of wastin’ my bullets with warnin’ wounds. Hear me? Now, fuckin’ talk.”
Johnnie smirked. “I don’t have anything to say.”
“It wasn’t my dad, Uncle Christopher,” Rory blurted. “It was me. He hasn’t been watching Mom, and Bash is lurking. I-I did…Ido, so I went to her office and stole a letter. It was…it was from a girl named Hopper.”
Christopher didn’t lower his weapon. “What the fuckaboutHopper?”
All Kendall’s years of loving Johnnie, of hating him, crying over him and laughing with him, flashed through her head.
“Her son needed money and took documents Big Joe left with her to Bash,” Rory whispered, shaking.
Kendall ran to him and wrapped him in her arms, hugging him tightly. Wanting to protect him from the world. Thislife. His father. “It’s okay, son.”
He returned her hug. “It isn’t, Mom!” he sobbed. “It isn’t all right. Hopper left a number, but I don’t remember it.”
“Where’s the letter, Ro?” CJ pushed out, ill-prepared for the adult world of club politics he was so insistent on entering. “Get it and bring it to my dad.”
“I-I t-t-tore it up,” Rory said faintly.
Shaking her head, Kendall closed her eyes and held her son tighter. If that was possible. She could barely breathe at Rory’s lie. He’d helped her sort out all the documents, so it was unlikely he’d receive a letter about Bash and then tear it up. Instead of going to her or Christopher–or even CJ–he probably brought it to Johnnie, andthatmotherfucker tore it up.
The report of a gun momentarily deafened her. Her scream blended with Johnnie’s. She spun around and saw a bloody mess, formerly known as Johnnie’s index and middle fingers.
“Rory ain’t did a motherfuckin’ thing to that motherfuckin’ letter, assfuck,” Christopher snarled. “Youfucked that letter up.”
“Uncle Christopher—”
