He was going to do more than hurt Kaia. He was going to kill that motherfucker. Rebel’s loyalty to him and defense of him enraged Diesel.
“He was making Jana laugh,” he spat.
Rebel snapped her brows together. “You’ve lost your ever-loving mind,” she said after a moment.
“Jana’smine.”
“Thank you, Diesel,” Jana said, sniffling. “I love you so much.”
Yeah, Diesel would’ve labeled Jana as pathetic had he been an outsider just looking in and thinking they knew what the fuck was going on. But she was sweet and kind, in need of love, and in love with him.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Jana added.
Rebel’s outrage annoyed the fuck out of Diesel.
“Not a fucking word, Rebel.”
She jabbed her finger in the center of his forehead. “You should be fucking ashamed of yourself. She’s not a fucking piece of furniture that you claim ownership of, put somewhere to rot, and then bring her out at your convenience.”
“I don’t do that.” Diesel looked at Jana. “Don’t listen to Rebel, sweetheart. She doesn’t know what the fuck she’s talking about.”
Allowing those words to hang in the air, Rebel made her way to Kaia. Instead of standing up to defend his “girlfriend” against Diesel, emo boy let Rebel do the heavy lifting. Seeing her touch his jaw, cluck in sympathy,whisperto him…
Diesel took a step toward them, but CJ pulled him back.
“Control yourself,” he ordered, low.
Jana sniffled again and his stomach turned. He started to pull away to strangle Kaia, until he saw Mattie and Harley standing side by side. They were both bruised,scarred, and Diesel’s show probably didn’t help their mental state. He heaved in a breath and glanced between them. He wouldn’t address what was going on now because his emotions were too raw. “What I said to you yesterday was unworthy of me and the two of you. I’m sorry.”
“Whatdidyou say to them that would make you fix your fucking mouth to apologize?” Rebel demanded, because she couldnevershut the fuck up.
“We’ll tell you when we get back in the room,” Mattie told her.
Rebel eyed him, her blue eyes inscrutable. “That fucking bad, huh?”
“Just Diesel being Diesel, Reb,” CJ told him, dropping his hand from Diesel’s shoulder.
“What happened to the new and improved you?” she asked.
Dieselalmostanswered her. They’d had a simple bonding moment in this very hallway. But the way she was looking at him and behaving toward Kaia unsettled him.Hewanted a different type of reaction from Rebel to prove he meant more to her than motherfucking Kaia.
“The only woman I answer to is Jana,” Diesel said coldly, and smirked at her flinch.
“Stop it, fuckhead,” CJ warned.
“If I may say so, Reb?” Diesel continued, ignoring CJ. “You put too fucking much worth in yourself.Janaismygold standard.”
“Nice fucking try, dickface,” Rebel said, down but not out. “Jana is very pretty. It doesn’t take away frommyfucking beautyormy fucking worth.And, you miserable fucking fuckface, I look in the mirror every fucking day and thank God I have two beautiful parents who created such perfection.And, if you treated me the way you treat JanaorTabitha—and I despise that bitch—I would either kill you or put a fucking hit out on you. You’re so fucking lucky you married a vain, brainless twat and are engaged to an insecure, spineless twit!”
“Bro,” Mattie chided, shaking her head.
“Did you fucking have to say that, Reb?” CJ nodded to Jana, who looked so fucking mortified that Diesel wished he’d left well enough alone.
Rebel scowled. “Jana, I’m about to lose my fucking mind. I’m not a life coach,” she yelled, lacing her fingers through Kaia’s.
Diesel almost losthisfucking mind.
“Repeat after me,” Rebel said, glaring at Jana, who didn’t respond. She was just lost and pitiful. “Repeat after me.”
