“And a fuckhead,” CJ added because he had to be heard.
“I can do without your commentary, little brother.”
CJ ignored him and looked at Aunt Meggie again. “What about Axel? He adores Diesel. If you send him away, Ax will be crushed.”
“The thought of leaving Axel devastates me, too,” Diesel said sincerely. “I love him so much.”
“Thanks, fuckhead. You only love Axel, huh?” CJ spat.
Aunt Meggie frowned at CJ, then looked at Diesel and shook her head, aware he was about to explode.
“As hard as it is with Rule gone, I can’t imagine losing Rebel,” CJ continued. “She’d go with Diesel just to spite you and Dad. Disowning her wouldn’t matter. You know that. Please, Mom?”
“What about Jana?” she asked dubiously, once again gazing between the two of them, reducing Diesel to his fifteen-year-old self–to herson.
Bowing his head to hide his smile, he stood a little taller, eased by the realization.
“You and Diesel are being so unfair to that poor girl if you two see her as a placeholder until my daughter,your sister, is of age.”
“His adopted sister, Mom.”
“Legally adopted, CJ.”
“They don’t share blood. Is that better?”
“No!” she yelled, placing her fisted hands on her hips and looking at Diesel. “You don’t loveher. That’s as plain as day.”
Her words, her inflection, horrified Diesel. “Are you fucking implying I loveRebel?” he spat.
Aunt Meggie straightened and glanced around the room. She spotted a pair of stilettos on her desk. Stalking to it, she picked up one of the shoes and threw at his head, not fucking caring that the heel could be used as a deadly fucking weapon.
He ducked as it careened his way.
“Stop playing me for a fool, Diesel Caldwell,” she ordered, lobbing the other one at him, too.
He covered his head with his arms and waited until it thunked to the ground before he looked at her again. Afraid she’d find another weapon, he raised his hands in supplication. “I care about Jana,” he swore, the truth. He wanted the best for her. Wanted to help her however he could. “I want to make a go with her. Rebel has nothing to do with it.”
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “If you aren’t lying to me, then you’re lying to yourself.”
“What the fuck do you want me to say?”
“In a minute,nothing,” she said evenly. “Because you won’t be able to when I have your stupid lips sewn shut.”
He glowered at her.
“Mom!”
“Shut it, CJ,” Aunt Meggie ordered, ignoring the hurt that crossed that coddled fuckhead’s face.
Everything was his, but most especially Aunt Meggie.
“Is there anything wrong with Diesel marrying Jana until Rebel’s eighteen?” CJ pressed. “It would cool the situation off.”
Aunt Meggie gasped, as appalled by the suggestion as Diesel.
“If you can’t stay quiet fortwo seconds, you have to leave, so your brother and I can finish the conversation, CJ.”
“That isn’t fair, Mom!”
