“Nuh uh. Mom would executehim,” Axel spat.
“Mom loves Dad,” CJ said.
“She loves us more, stupid. Oh, brother. Another fucking thing I got to add to my wall stuffs.”
“If you fuck up a wall—”
“Shut up, Diesel,” Axel ordered. “Dad’s helping me.”
CJ’s jaw dropped and he stiffened, not that Axel noticed. He was facing off with Diesel.
“What, Axel?” Diesel gritted.
Axel gave a long-suffering sigh. “I expect better from you, dick breath. That’s what. As my attorneyandmy brother.”
“I didn’t do anything with Rebel!”
Folding his arms, Axel scowled. “You brought Jana here. That was enough. That upset Reb a lot and you know it did. You live in the frying pan andstilljump into the fucking fire. Calling CJ perfect wasn’t being nice neither. To me,you’reperfect, Diesel, but I don’t think it was the way I heard you say, fuckface.”
“I wasn’t saying anything that wasn’t true,” Diesel sneered, doubling down.
“That meansyou’rea fuck up then,” Axel said darkly. “’Cause you said that too.”
Hurt crossed Diesel’s face and he looked at Axel, a wealth of pain on his face that made CJ feel so sorry for him.
“I don’t care if you’re upset, Diesel,” Axel told him. “You upset CJ, and that wasn’t fair neither. I already fucking told you we all love you and I’m not a man who likes to repeat himself. But lately that’s all I’ve been doing with you motherfuckers.”
“I guess you’re disappointed in me too, Axel?” Diesel said, the words brimming with resentment.
“Why should I be if it don’t matter to you, motherfucker?” Axel yelled. “I’m not wasting my fucking time on no motherfucker who don’t waste his time on me.”
“I didn’t do you anything!”
“You were mean to CJ for no fucking reason. If it was upside down, I’d be mad at him, too!”
“Reversed, Axel,” Diesel gritted. “It’s reversed.”
“It could be fucking sideways and it still don’t make it right,” Axel said.
“You don’t know the full story.”
“I don’t got to know the full story. Context clues tells me CJ said something about you and Rebel that would piss Dad off and send that tempora mental motherfucker over the edge.”
That should’ve been temperamental, but the spirit was there, so CJ remained silent.
“I don’t exactly know how CJ tried to take up for you, but I know he did. That’s what C. does. And, motherfucker, if you don’t know always wanting to fucking help people don’t make you perfect, but the opposite, then you’re fucking stupid.”
“Do you know what Aunt Meggie did, Axel?” Diesel barked. “She pretended she was concerned about my mother then said she’d disown me because of Rebel.”
“Motherfucker, put some respect on Mom’s name or I’m blowing your fucking tongue out of your mouth,” Axel warned. “That way you’ll live the rest of your fucking life never being able to talk again.”
“I’m not disrespecting her! She disrespected me!”
Axel narrowed his eyes, then turned and closed the door. “Explain.”
Stomping back to the bench, Diesel sat. Axel nodded to CJ, indicating he take the spot next to Diesel. Sighing, CJ complied, watching as Axel paced with his hands behind his back as Diesel told the story. Here and there, CJ clarified a point or added his own take, but mostly he remained silent.
“So, genius, what the fuck is your verdict?” Diesel demanded when he finished.
