“Yeah, boy,” Christopher said to Diesel and banged the gavel. “Five-minute break. Rory, come here. Diesel wanna talk to you.”
“What?” Johnnie shook his head. “No! Rory’smyson.”
Ignoring the motherfucker, Rory made his way over to where Diesel and Christopher stood. It didn’t surprise Christopher that Johnnie followed the kid. He was just a fuckhead like that.
“Go to my office, Diesel,” Christopher started.
“So he can fill my son’s head with bullshit?” Johnnie asked. “No, what has to be said can be done here.”
“Johnnie, give your kid a fucking break,” Mortician snapped.
“You think you have all the fucking answers, don’t you, Mortician?” Johnnie spat.
“The motherfuckin’ break five fuckin’ minutes,” Christopher inserted before Mortician responded. “Two of those motherfuckers already fuckin’ gone.” He looked at Diesel. “Say what the fuck you got to say, boy.”
Diesel nodded and leaned against the podium. “Losing someone you care about is so hard, Rory. You’ve known Gypsy all your life and I met her not long after I arrived. It’ll be strange knowing she isn’t in the world any longer.”
“It will be,” Rory whispered.
Digging in his cut, Diesel pulled out his pack of cigarettes and offered one to Rory before taking his own. After handing the pack to CJ, he lit his and Rory’s.
“I liked Gypsy a lot,” he said quietly. “She made me laugh. I thought she was really pretty.”
“She was,” Diesel told him.
“No one else saw it.” Rory hung his head. “Not Derby and not Dad.”
Johnnie closed his eyes, a temporarily self-aware fuckhead.
“Derby is a fuckhead, Ro,” Diesel said. “But she chose to stay with him. She could drink with the best of us. And shewaspretty. Even now when Derby and your dad didn’t see it. Mainly because she didn’t.”
Rory’s shoulders slumped. “I asked her to stop sleeping around. I didn’t think she needed to do that. Mom and Aunt Meggie wouldn’t just to get Dad and Uncle Christopher’sattention. They would’ve left. She wanted Derby and he didn’t consider me a threat. I guess she slept with you again?”
“Not in years. I realized her game and I thought she was out of her fucking mind to use me. I was the last motherfucker who’d put up with her bullshit. Besides, I didn’t want to garrote Derby for fucking with me because he neglected her.”
“You wanted to avenge her honor too?”
Diesel gave him a half smile. “She was a damsel in distress for just a moment to me.”
“Me, too,” Rory croaked.
“But I was twenty-five years old, Rory. She knew better than to push me.”
“I used to give her money.”
Johnnie choked. Christopher and Mortician exchanged glances. That fucking bitchhadlost her motherfucking mind.
Rory sniffled again. “She told me Derby didn’t care about me and her. She thought he’d care if she slept with CJ.”
CJ’s eyes widened.
Diesel exhaled a plume of smoke. “Yeah, and Aunt Meggie would’ve had that bitch tortured before she was killed.”
“Derby wouldn’t have cared, Rory,” CJ said.
“I think you’re wrong, CJ,” Rory said. “A Caldwell boy is worth his weight in gold.”
“Wait a goddamn minute!” Johnnie said, always a predictable motherfucker. “We’re Caldwells.”
