“He has one more fucking thing to do to you.”
“If you kill him, Christopher—”
“Won’t do a motherfucking thing. Methinks my little brothers don’t get along.”
They didn’t. Maybe she’d talk to Meggie and ask her to talk to Johnnie directly. He’d always listened to her, even over Kendall. “I’m tired,” she said miserably.
“Can I call you tomorrow and check on you?”
“If I encourage a friendship with you, you will hurt Johnnie. I can’t risk that.”
“You really love that braindead fuckhead?”
Not at the moment. “Yes.”
Bash snickered. “Ah, gorgeous, you sure know how to make a man’s cock hard. Johnnie fucked up royally, so you probably aren’t too fond of him now, but I admire your allegiance. If I promise to keep my little brother’s head on his shoulders, will you let me call you just to see how you and your girl are?”
“Fine,” she said tiredly.
“You’ve just made my fucking night, babe. Later,” he said, and hung up.
Wednesday, March 27th
“Do you want me to sweep the stairs?”
Kaia’s question broke through Meggie’s frantic worry at just after six the next morning. She hadn’t slept a wink because Christopher, Diesel, CJ, and Bishop had been gone the entire night. Hunting, orscooping upas Christopher called it, rarely took so long. They’d get their target and bring them back to the meatshack. He’d text her that they were on club grounds and she’d get a few hours’ sleep until he finished.
“Meggie?”
Shoving her fingers through her hair, she turned and wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to pull herself together. She’d planned to cook breakfast for Axel, Ryder, and Ransom and then bring them to school, until she remembered the school had been compromised.
“Meggie?” Kaia called again, concern in his voice.
“What are you doing up so early?”
His hours were from eight to five and Kaia rarely showed himself before then.
“Did I do something wrong?”
Hearing Kaia’s unease, Meggie forced herself to focus. Her worry wouldn’t abate until she saw Christopher and the boys. Falling apart helped nothing.
“You look exhausted, Kaia.”
He gave her a small smile. “So do you. CJ texted me last night and told me what happened. He wanted to make sure Rebel stayed in the house until he got the all-clear from Outlaw. I’ve been awake, checking the back hallway, listening for her.”
The back end of the club’s property, where the forest met with farmland, was at risk for intruders.
Christopher wanted to personally fund an iron fence not far from where the secret turnoff was, but he was vetoed, so he and Mortician had discussed going ahead with the idea anyway, but Johnnie convinced them that flaunting wealth and mixing club funds with personal assets wasn’t a good idea. He hadn’t been such an idiot and the argument was valid.
More people were aware of the little used back path than the other security risk. Christopher and his inner circle knew the farmland that bordered the club had been Logan’s property where that horrendous orchard contained as many bodies as apple trees. Since Rack had once been such a vital part of the club, it made sense that his son would know the vulnerable locations.
“Do you want me to wake up the Triplets?” Kaia asked.
“They aren’t going to school today.”
“In-service?”
“Danger.”
