“MOM!” Axel yelled, barreling into the kitchen full speed ahead, then skidding to a halt at seeing Jana. “Oh, hey, J. Where’s Diesel? I got to talk to him about something really important.”
Why did she have toalwayssave stupid idiots because of howotherpeople felt about them? Axel adored that moron. Diesel’s death would hurt him.
Axel narrowed his eyes, then straightened. “You’re mad, Mom. Who I got to blow up so you don’t leave no more and cry so much?”
On the surface, Axel took Meggie leaving Christopher as well as he could, but inside it had affected him deeply. He’d watched her suffering and set himself up as her protector. She didn’t want anything else to hurt him, so she drew in a deep breath.
“I’m fine, Sweet Pea.”
He beamed at her. “My men and I have been talking. Since CJ is potato and I’m sweet pea, Ryder has to be Pumpkin and Ransom will be Honey.”
“What about Diesel, Rule, Rebel, Jo, and Gunner?” Meggie asked.
“Diesel is Eagle. Rebel’s the Blonde Viper. CJ calls Jo ‘Squiggles’. Rule is Jesus Boy—”
“Rule isnotJesus Boy,” Meggie snapped.
“Priest Boy?”
“No, Axel.”
“I’m sweet pea, Mom.”
“Not when you disobey me.”
His lower lip trembled. “But I’m not. I’m doing nicknames like you asked me to.”
“Everything doesn’t have to be black and white,” Meggie said. “There’s a gray area. For instance, you can take your time and think of a more suitable nickname for Rule.”
“I’m a man of the law, Mom,” Axel scoffed. “Diesel says things are black and white in the courtroom. Guilty or innocent. No in between.”
Meggie wouldn’t even try to win an argument with Axel about Diesel. The odds were against her.
“Can you show Jana to Diesel’s room, Ax?”
“Sweet Pea,” Axel corrected. “You got to say that all the time, especially in front of CJ.”
“Now you’re being messy.”
“Yeah, you’re right. But that motherfucker deserves it. I don’t think you would call me potato, since CJ has had it for so long. Otherwise, that’s the name I’d want.”
“Don’t add to your brother’s stress,” Meggie scolded.
“He added to yours. If he can’t take the burning don’t jump into the candle.”
Meggie smiled. “An Axel saying?”
“Uh huh.”
“Hi five, buddy.”
After hitting his little hand against hers, Axel hugged her, then grabbed Jana’s hand. “Come on, big-big sis. Do you want some sausages? You should’ve cooked with Mom and…” His little voice faded away as he got further away from the kitchen.
“Do you need me to do anything else?” Kaia asked.
“Just get the expenses and enjoy your day off.”
Once Kaia left Meggie, she looked at the clock on the microwave. It was almost eight. Two more hours and Christopher, Diesel, CJ, Bishop, and the others would’ve been gone twelve hours.
