Why was that a motherfucking question?
“You not sure?” Val asked.
“It can wait until later,” Ryan said irritably. “Whatever it is.”
“No, actually it can’t,” Mattie said, patting his shoulders, harder than necessary.
Ryan jerked away from her. “Stop it! Fuck. What’s wrong with you?”
“Yeah, uh, Rebel’s outside in the car,” Harley said.
“Her ma with her? Cuz Rebel don’t fuckin’ drive.”
“Kaia drove us,” Mattie responded. “Aunt Meggie didn’t think Rebel could hop through the forest and she didn’t think Kaia could carry her so far.”
Diesel grabbed his pint of rum and downed half the contents.
“This won’t take long, Ryan,” Harley said, unease on her face. And something else: shame. “If we don’t bring Ryan outside, she’ll come in.”
Mattie laughed nervously, bent and rested her chin on Ryan’s shoulder. “You’re a gentleman, Ryan. You don’t want our poor injured cousin to come in when you can go to her, right?”
Christopher straightened, turning fully so he could better look at Mattie and Harley. “What the fuck all three of you need to talk to Ryan about?”
“Whatever it is, we want to know,” CJ said, smiling.
“I don’t think you do,” Mattie mumbled, straightening, suddenly looking as miserable as Harley.
Since the boys didn’t react, Christopher doubted they heard her, buthedid.
“We really need to talk to Ryan on his own about something. Without anyone else, so please come with us,” Harley insisted. “It’s important.”
Standing, Val walked to the table. “What the fuck you did, boy?”
“Nothing,” Mattie said brightly.Toofucking brightly. Her eyes glistened and she just seemed to be wrung out. “We just need his help with the cameras. Apps, I mean. A-apps.”
“Definitely apps,” Harley agreed, nodding vigorously.
That clued Ryan in because that motherfucker widened his eyes and sprang to his fucking feet like a jack in the box.
“You’re right, Mattie,” he said, pale as a fucking ghost. He swallowed and looked at Harley. “I can explain.”
“No, motherfucker,” Rebel said from the doorway where she stood next to Kaia. That motherfucker was using that fucking cast as an excuse to hang around her. “I really don’t think you can.”
Leaning on her crutch instead of Kaia, she walked toward them.
“Rebel—” Ryan started, backing away until he realized he was going into a corner. He held his hands up. “Listen to me.”
“What the fuck you did, Ryan?” Christopher asked, because enough was fucking enough, especially since that little motherfucker looked ready to piss himself.
“A minute, Daddy?” Rebel asked sweetly, then smiled at Kaia. “Hold my crutch, Huahua.”
Christopher didn’t exactly blame Diesel’s growl, because that nickname was past the goddamn limit.
“Do you know what’s up, Kaia?” CJ asked.
“No,” Kaia responded. “Meggie asked me to drive them here because they needed to talk to Ryan.”
Rebel stopped in front of Ryan and smiled viciously. “I just had to see my favorite cousin.”
