Page 54 of Rebellious

“Nope. I’m not about to give my fucking agreement until I know exactly what’s going on with Bailey.”

“I’m breaking my wife’s trust, fuckhead. That’s a big fucking deal. She’s trying to get through to Bailey but she doesn’t want to damage her anymore.”

“Damage her?” Mort echoed, and stiffened, as sensitive as an emotional chick. “Are you implying I damaged Bailey?”

“Fuck.” Closing his eyes, Knox gritted his teeth. A bleak expression settled into his face. He shook his head. “It isn’t you. It’s Johnnie. Since the first time he brought information to her, she’s started drinking, Mortician. A lot. Roxanne is trying to convince her to get help.”

Mort widened his eyes, everything else flying out of his head, except… “What the fuck you mean by the first time Johnnie talked to Bailey? That motherfucker fucked with her again?”

Knox nodded with the barest movement of his head.

“What’d he say?”

“I can’t tell you,” Knox said quietly. “Just know it was bad.”

“What the fuck that motherfucker said?” Mort snarled, pounding his fist on the table. The napkin holder, salt and pepper shakers, and condiment containers shook and rattled. “Tell me now.”

“Either you calm the fuck down or I’m leaving. I’m betraying Roxanne to keep you from making a monumental mistake. Ask like a grown man and have some fucking self-control, asshole.”

“Fuck you.” He pulled out his cell phone. “If Johnnie don’t tell me—”

“Do you really want to give Johnnie the satisfaction of a confrontation?” he whispered. “The opportunity to sanction you as a club member if he twists the situation and gaslight his friends into believing you wronged him as an officer?”

“I want to kill that motherfucker.”

“You can’t do that either. I don’t think Outlaw cares, but Kendall does. So do Mattie and her brothers.”

Mort blew out a heavy breath and shoved his cell phone away. Knox was right.

“Besides, you’re focusing on the wrong thing. On Johnnie, when it should be on Bailey and her drinking problem.”

It was so fucking hard to believe that Bailey was an alcoholic. On the other hand, the life he led, the one he’d brought her into, wasn’t an easy one. “You right.”

“Roxanne…the reason Bailey didn’t want to see you is because she’s drunk off her ass.”

“What?”

“Yeah, Mort. It’s bad. Roxanne didn’t know until she opened the door and found Bailey mumbling on the floor, holding a fucking bottle of vodka, in a pool of vomit. She fell and hurt herself, and…”

Mort appreciated Knox risking Roxanne’s wrath by telling him the truth, but he had to see his wife. Pushing back from the table, he got to his feet. “I’m sorry, Knox,” he said, turned, and hurried out the clubhouse.

***

Knox dogged Mortician’s heels for the entire walk back to Roxanne’s house, but Mort ignored him. He didn’t even greet Grant, who sat in the same spot at the breakfast bar that Mort had a little while ago. He stormed by, into the living room, and up the staircase, barreling toward the guestroom, where he knew Bailey would be. Instead, the door swung open and halted him. Not allowing him even a glimpse of her daughter—his wife—Roxanne walked out and shut the door.

Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes, but she tipped her chin down, avoiding his gaze.

“Why are you here, Mort?” Her lips trembled. “B-Bailey don’t want to see you.”

Alarm raced through Mortician. Some real fucked up shit was brewing. Because of Johnnie.

Knox clearing his throat reminded Mortician of his presence. “I tried to stop him, but—”

“I need to see my wife,” Mortician inserted, studying his mama-in-law. If Knox hadn’t wanted him to storm the place, he should’ve kept some of that shit to himself.

Defeat slid across Roxanne’s face and her shoulders slumped. Sighing, she transferred her watery gaze from Mortician to Knox. “You told him.”

Fuck, a shocking lack of aggression filled her words. She just sounded tired and scared, a concerned mother instead of the fierce mama-in-law he knew and loved. This was so fucking bad.