Christopher plopped his ass in the seat and all noise stopped. He tried to fucking speak, but just an unintelligible sound came out.
“Is it Rule, Christopher?” Megan cried.
“She wouldn’t fucking listen, Outlaw,” Mortician continued. “I told her to call you when Wally, Jr. first walked in.”
“Wally, Jr. killed Gypsy,” Christopher repeated, trying to comprehend the situation. Repeating those words in his head. Out loud. Unable to make it make fucking sense. “Gypsy dead.”
Megan gasped “What?”
“Gypsy’s what?” Diesel asked.
“Is Uncle Mort serious?” CJ called.
Megan snatched the phone out of Christopher’s hand. Rebelfrowned but otherwise didn’t react. Bishop’s mouth hung open. Kaia’s confusion made sense because he wasn’t well-acquainted with Gypsy. The Triplets sat in silence as their ma placed the phone on speaker.
“Is…is Gypsy really dead, Mort?” Megan asked, her voice already thick with tears.
“And Wally, Jr. killed her?” Christopher repeated, still not connecting the dots. She’d been a pain in fucking ass, whiny and mopey as a motherfucker, but she was Megan and Bunny’s friend, who they knew for years. More than that, she was a fellow president’s old lady, killed at a Dweller hangout by one of their enemies. “Wally, Jr. Where he at?”
“I shot the fuck out of him,” Mortician’s voice filled the room. Christopher registered the man’s shock. “I tried, Prez. Why the fuck wouldn’t she listen? FUCK! That miserable motherfucker shot her in the back of her fucking head.”
Christopher had so many fucking questions. Why the fuck was Gypsy at Tee’s? Why wasWallyon that side of town? Tee’s was along a main thoroughfare, but it wasn’t so close to Turn Creek that the little motherfucker couldn’t have found somewhere else to eat. Why ride there? And how the fuck did he know Mortician would be there?
“Gypsy called me earlier and asked if I would meet her,” Mort volunteered without Christopher saying a fucking thing. “She told me ‘Junior’ was staying with her and I just brushed her off, Outlaw. It didn’t even cross my fucking mind–”
“Do you think Gypsy set you up?” Megan asked, swiping at her wet cheeks.
“No, Meggie girl. That motherfucker used her to get to us, then shot the fuck out of her because she was convenient. Prez could’ve been sitting here with you, Val with Chester, me with Bailey…” Mort choked out, chilling Christopher’s blood. “Wecould’ve been here with our daughters. He wanted revenge for Eliza.”
“I’m on my way, Mort.”
“I’m coming,” Megan announced.
“Bodies in here, Meggie,” Mortician said. “And the place full of blood and gore.”
Her hand flying to her mouth, Megan nodded.
Axel ran to her and hugged her. “It’s okay, Mom.”
Megan held Axel tightly, not responding, her face in his neck.
“Stay here with us, Mom,” CJ said, his hands balling at his sides.
“I’ll see you in a few, Prez,” Mort said and disconnected.
Christopher got to his feet and snatched his phone. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, baby.”
“I-I have to call Bunny,” she said, her tone filled with disbelief.
When he got to the diner with Diesel and Bishop, Stretch and Val were already there, helping to clean the place up and pulling footage. Mort led him to where he’d laid Gypsy’s body on the counter after wrapping her in the blankets Val brought for this purpose.
“Wally, Jr. in the fucking bathroom for now,” Val said.
Christopher nodded and dialed Derby’s number.
“Meggie unleashed your collar a second night in a row?” he said, answering the phone on the second ring, shouting to be heard over the noise in the background. “Come back to the club. Got a new bitch here. She just sucked my cock until my fucking toes curled.”
Unlike other times when Derby fucked with him, Christopher couldn’t even summon anger. “Derby, you gotta come to—” The party suddenly seemed louder, so the motherfucker probably couldn’t hear him. “Gosomefuckinwhere quiet,” he ordered in a raised voice. “You gotta come to Tee’s—” he started when he could hear himself talk.
