Page 29 of Ruptured
Dad was hiding something.
CJ wasn’t sure what. He just knew it to be a fact. Dad said one thing, but his action pointed to something else. HesaidRebwas expected to make a full recovery, yet he didn’tallowanyone to see her.
Part of CJ wondered if paranoia guided his thoughts. After all, Dad had no reason to lie. CJ also understood Rebel had been through a lot. It stood to reason, she was traumatized and might not want motherfuckers inundating her as she recovered. However, she wouldn’t answer CJ’s texts. Bad enough. Not responding to Diesel, though?
Yeah, that pointed to sneaky fuckery. Backed up by Bishop’s actions yesterday evening.
Bishop refused to allow either of them in her room, even under threat of Diesel’s violence.
“Kill me then, Diesel,” he stormed. “You’re not the prez. Outlaw is and he’s Reb’s father. He told me not to let anyone in, so take it up with him.”
“That’s my little sister in there, motherfucker!” Diesel snarled, face red with fury.
“Fuck! I’m so glad I don’t have sisters if this is how they make you act.”
Diesel began to tremble from rage, and CJ snapped his brows together, speaking before a homicide was committed. “Motherfucker, you just told me about your pregnant sister. Or the one who just had a baby. I thought you had three or four.”
Hadn’t CJ met them?
“I told you around Christmas I just had brothers,” Bishop mumbled.
“Then who–”
“You fucking played us so you’d take Rebel on a date and fuck her,” Diesel interrupted, unravelling by the minute. He snatched Bishop’s collar and dragged him off his feet.
“I can explain!” Bishop cried.
Placing his hand on Diesel’s shoulder, CJ nodded at Bishop. “Let him explain, D.”
Diesel dropped him but still crowded him against the door.
“Hurry up,” CJ ordered. “Dad will return shortly from the cafeteria. We were hoping to see her while he’s downstairs. So tell me, do you have brothers or sisters?”
“I have both. Okay? I wanted to protect my sisters and keep their existence a secret to keep a target off their back. Then Billy and Eric happened. Made me really nervous and scared for them. When everyone was so against Reb going out, it’s like a mirror. Lola all over again.”
“The fifteen-year-old with the baby?” CJ asked.
Bishop nodded. “I haven’t always been the big brother she needed, but Mama demanded I lay down the law and tell her, all my sisters, they can’t date. Do normal teenage stuff. Instead of listening to Lola, I listened to Mama and it turned into a disaster.” He smiled sadly. “Lola and me are the cooks in the family. We take after our grandmother. From the age of ten, she told me she wanted to own a restaurant with me as the head chef.”
CJ shifted. “You enjoy cooking that much?”
“Yeah, C. Lola was five when our dad died. I was almost thirteen and instantly became the man of the house. I resented that shit, so when Mama told me put my foot down about the girls dating, I did. I thought it was easier than having to watch over them.”
“You still want to be a chef?” CJ didn’t know what else to say. He knew Bishop brought most of his earnings from the club to his mother. He’d thought it was to help with rent and utilities, but it was probably to help with his siblings and niece or nephew. “There are excellent schools around.”
“I don’t have money for that.” Bishop shrugged, then smiled, his carefree mask back in place. “It’s all good. I just want you to know I didn’t lie to you without good reason.”
“Are you sure a small part of your lie wasn’t because you want Rebel?” Diesel demanded, relentless in his miserable fuckery.
“I do want her,” Bishop blurted, and raised his hand at Diesel’s growl. “That came out wrong.”
“It’s okay,” CJ inserted, thumping Diesel’s shoulder. “She likes you too, so–”
“So you understand you and Rebel willneverhappen, correct?” Diesel said, his face a granite mask of fury. “When she’s released, back the fuck away from her.”
“Hey, fuckhead?” CJ barked, fed up. “She isn’t twenty-one yet. Remember our agreement.”
“Rebel almost died, CJ,” Diesel said, anger and despair combining. “I’m not waiting until she’s twenty-one. If she wants me when she turns eighteen, then I’m hers. We almost…Ialmost lost her.”
