Page 218 of Rebellious

Releasing her, he shot into a sitting position and jumped to his feet. “Whatever the fuck you thinkin’, erase it from your motherfuckin’ mind.”

“Rebel brought up a very good point,” Megan said, a hardheaded little motherfucker created to drive him insane. “He’s her brother. We have to treat him that way, so they’ll see each other as brother and sister. She wants him to be able to visit her in her room.”

“You and her outta your motherfuckin’ minds,” he snarled, his raised voice echoing in the silence. “A bed right there. A sofa. A fuckin’ floor!”

“He can visit her as he once did, but keep the door open,” Megan said calmly.

“I got a cock. I know what motherfuckers with these motherfuckers do and think, so fuck you and her. My answer’s fuck no.”

“We have to show we trust them and give them some leeway.”

“To hang their fuckin’ selves? No. Fuck you. Fuck no.”

Sitting up, she raised the edge of the sleeping bag. “I’m cold without you next to me.”

He scowled, but stomped back to her, dropped down, and jerked her into his arms. One arm behind his head, he glowered at the night sky. “One day that motherfucker havin’ a daughter and she’s gonna drive him fuckin’ insane with worry over some old motherfucker sniffin’ behind her. Ima laugh in his fuckin’ old wrinkled face.”

“Rebel has been through so much—”

Fuck it all, he was about to burst a fucking blood vessel, then Megan would be stranded with his cold, dead corpse. “Ain’t givin’ a good fuck what Rebel been through. This ain’t the fuckin’ way to help her.”

“Can you just think about it? They are moving downstairs next week. Even better for us. We’ll be able to monitor them better.”

Rebel’s return to school in a few days would also help. And, even if Diesel wasn’t involved in the legalities of the deal with Hart, he’d be a part of Torrin and Val’s team.

Megan yawned, and Christopher drew in a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. They’d taken time away to celebrate each other, not dwell on the same motherfucking problems that would be waiting when they returned to Hortensia.

Friday, April 19th

Mom and Dad called during breakfast and said they were on their way to the cabin. They’d stopped at a roadside store at the base of a mountain pass, which gave them the reception they needed to check in.

Diesel wasn’t at the table and CJ refrained from mentioning their fight or his massive pain. But defending Rebel was worth every ache he suffered. His parents sounded so happy and that helped to ease CJ.

Mattie and Rebel stayed up most of the night. Therefore, he didn’t bother telling Mattie she had to go to school. He left her with Rebel, rounded up his brothers once he dressed, and left.

Neither Skye nor Harley were at school, which was fine by him. He didn’t want to be bothered with Skye and he’d see Harley later that night. He could’ve done without the looks, but he ignored those, too. Easton had been wherever last night, yet he knew what the fuck had happened and asked CJ if there was anything he could do.

Not if he wanted to become a full patch member. Easton took that for what the fuck it was worth and moved on.

The day moved quicker than expected. Once he got home, he discovered Mattie was gone and Rebel was in the laundry room, helping Kaia to fold clothes. Diesel taking the Triplets to a pizza parlor made CJ’s life easier and left him free to prepare for his date with Harley.

CJ never expected he’d get to the point where he’d ever take Harley anywhere other than Turn Creek, which ended in an argument because Harley hadn’t wanted him to go to Homecoming without her.

When he picked her up from Aunt Zoann and Uncle Val’s, everyone had looked at his battered face.

“What happened to you, boy?” Uncle Val asked.

“Diesel’s a fuckhead,” CJ grumbled.

“Okay,” he responded and left it at that.

Now, D. Elliot guided them to the private room CJ requested. His hand at Harley’s back, he helped her into her seat and then took his own.

“How’ve you been?” CJ asked the waiter, whom he hadn’t seen in weeks.

“Adjusting,” D. Elliot responded, no longer the happy-go-lucky guy he’d been when CJ brought Jaleena to the restaurant, the night he’d hooked up with Ember. “What can I get you two to drink?”

CJ looked at Harley.