“Don’t matter,” Narci told her. “I’d prefer not to do that because if I something went wrong and I nicked you—”
“You fuckin’ die,” Dad said, ignoring Rebel’s glare and turning toward the archway. “Axel, come here, boy.”
“Are you mad at me, Dad?” Axel asked in a pitiful little boy voice that hid the chaos he constantly created.
“Can I talk to him, Uncle Christopher?” Diesel asked.
Dad scrubbed his hand over his hair and sighed heavily. “Yeah.”
“I’m coming, Ax.” Diesel broke away and detoured to where Rebel sat next to Kaia, scooping her into his arms. She squealed in outrage. “You’re not fucking dressed. You’re going back upstairs.”
“Since there’s no elevator in this house, who am I to argue if you want to serve as mine?” she asked sweetly and indicated Kaia follow with a regal wave.
“You aren’t welcomed,” Diesel snapped, stalking away like a jackass and drawing Dad’s attention.
The lights around the grand staircase flicked on and Mom came into view, one arm around Ransom and the other around Ryder.
“Come on, Sweet Pea,” she started, then paused at seeing Diesel carrying Rebel. “Kaia can help Rebel, Diesel.Yousee to Axel.”
“But I’m tired, Mama,” Rebel whined. “Ax can come back to my room and talk to Diesel.”
“Kaia can carry you.”
Dad narrowed his eyes again and looked at CJ.
He shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going on,” he lied.
Mad as a motherfucker, Diesel stormed back to where Kaia stood and handed Rebel to him.
Mom was in the foyer now and signaled Kaia to carry Rebel away. Fuckhead followed them until they went up the staircase and were out-of-sight.
Axel watched it play out, looking from Mom’s annoyance to Diesel’s.
“Motherfucker, I’m in trouble because of you,” Axel said. “I didn’t mean to blow up your fucking bathroom but I will beat you again. Don’t. Make. Mom. MAD!”
“How is you blowing up my fucking bathroom my fucking fault?” Diesel snapped.
“’Cause I got a fucking brain and you fucking don’t. If I could lend you mine for a day, you’d fucking realize the error of your ways.”
“You could’ve killed me!”
“Then you wouldn’t be here to upset Mom, fuckhead.”
“You want me dead?”
Axel scowled. “No, Diesel. I love you a lot, but you’re a jackass and so’s CJ.”
“How the fuck did I get into this?” CJ demanded, his irritation sliding into anger because Dad wasn’t saying a motherfucking peep. “We resolved our issues.”
“All you got to do is open your fucking mouth and then he’ll open his. You motherfuckers not fucking happy unless you’re fussing with each other.”
“You fucking think your strategy will work and stop us from arguing?” CJ asked incredulously.
“See what I got to put up with, Dad?” Axel yelled. “Talk to your fucking sons.”
“What the fuck are you, Axel?” Diesel demanded.
“His fucking daughter,” Axel barked. “What the fuck you think I am? One of his sons, but I’m Mom’s sonfirst. I told youmotherfuckers that. Do we got to repeat this every fucking day of my fucking life? Are you motherfuckers that fucking old?”
