Shaking his head, CJ put down the pool cue he’d been holding the entire time, waiting for Axel to relent. “Come on, big head. Let’s go to the basement. We have a meeting, remember?”
“Let me finish with Uncle Knox, ‘k, C.?”
CJ nodded. “Okay, Ax,” he said, sighing.
Folding his arms, Knox looked at Axel. “I’m listening.”
“When did you give Mom your list?” Axel asked.
“What list?”
“How old are you?” Axel asked suspiciously.
“Does it matter?”
“Ax probably think you senile like Outlaw, Knox,” Val volunteered.
“He forgets a lot, too,” Axel said with a decisive shake of his head. “Mom tells him not to do stuffs and that motherfucker still does it. That’s why she left. You don’t remember the list you gave Mom, Uncle Knox. Didn’t youjusttext her, asking her where your stuffs was?”
“You didn’t specify what list you meant,” Knox retorted.
“You’d just mentionedthatlist. I shouldn’t have had to pacify.”
“I said specify.”
Axel looked at Christopher.
He nodded. “He did, boy.”
“Are you sure? I heard pacify, Dad.”
“Don’t worry, Ax,” Ryder said. “You probably have a bunch of ear boogers.”
“That’s true, Ry,” Axel agreed. “Do you think Reb will get them out for me?”
“If you’re tired of living, ask her,” CJ said. “Otherwise, I’d advise that you don’t.”
“But I like beautiful girls taking care of me.”
“Ask Mom,” Ransom said. “She’s themostbeautiful girl.”
“Nope. We won’t disturb Mom unless it’s for fun stuffs,” Axel said. “Like today when we went swimming.”
CJ looked at Christopher with meaning. “In the natatorium, Dad.”
Axel lost his smile, gazing from Christopher to CJ before settling on Diesel. “Did I do it wrong? Mom didn’t have fun? She got mad?”
Christopher couldn’t think of a response. As much as a fearless little motherfucker Axel was, he was still just a kid. He didn’t realize how traumatizing it must’ve been for his ma to go back in that fucking room. Almost as triggering to Christopher as walking into Rule’s room the night Megan and Rebel came home from the hospital.
“Did I make Mom want to leave again?” Axel said, sniffling.
Diesel walked from behind the bar, got down on one knee and hugged Axel. “Aunt Meggie had a lot of fun today, Ax.”
“Yeah,” CJ said. “She’d never get mad at her Sweet Pea.”
Christopher kept a neutral expression, even though he was so proud of CJ. Megan’s nickname for Axel upset their boy to high fucking heaven, yet he pushed his hurt and jealousy aside to comfort his little brother.
Ransom and Ryder ran to Axel, but didn’t pull him away from Diesel, Axel’s favorite brother, even aside from his two partners in fuckery.
