“Mom would take you, Ax,” Ryder said. “Just like she did before.”
“Only ‘cause she thought you and Ran were mad at me.”
“Mom knows your loyalty is with her over Dad,” CJ told him. “She’d want you with her.”
Christopher winced. Val and Mortician’s surprise didn’t help his guilt. Even though he’d told his sons there were no sides, they still had it in their minds that there was, so it had been a battle zone for months.
“If Mom leaves and I go with her, I’ll have to leave my men,” Axel said miserably, then turned to CJ. “Mom didn’t like swimming?”
“Mom played volleyball with us,” Ransom reminded him, a fact Christopher didn’t know.
By the time he led his merry band of motherfuckers to the house with Stretch pushing Cash’s wheelchair and Mortician incharge of Digger’s, Megan had been in the kitchen with Bishop and Kaia.
“She taught us all how to swim,” CJ said. “If you’d upset her, she wouldn’t have been teaching Gunner.”
“But Mom’sMom.” Axel’s eyes brimmed with tears, but he seemed determined not to cry. “She loves us a lot and she don’t care if she get upset as long as we’re happy.”
“Aunt Meggie’s the Blonde Warrior,” Diesel said, looking as nonplussed as the rest of them and as Christopher felt by Axel’s observation. “She’s a strong woman. She also stands up for herself when she can’t take any more bullshit.”
“Before we go downstairs, why don’t we stop in the den and check on Mom?” CJ suggested.
Diesel stood and dusted off his jeans. “In the meantime, why don’t you tell Knox whatever you needed to say?”
“I don’t feel like it no more. I want Mom.”
“A good attorney, like a good biker, ignores his personal problems for the good of a client or his brothers,” Diesel told him.
“Right.” Axel thought for a moment. “Mom’s my client, huh?”
Diesel nodded.
“I was defending her against Uncle Knox always asking her to get a lot of stuffs.”
Although Axel hadn’t asked a question, Diesel nodded again.
Stiffening his little shoulders, Axel marched back to Knox. “Sorry for the delay in your sentencing, Uncle Knox.”
“How can you sentence me without a trial?” Knox asked with less indignation, probably softened by the reminder that Axel was just a kid.
“Because the evidence proves you’re guilty,” Axel said. “You don’t need a trial.”
“It’s due process, Axel,” Diesel said, behind the bar once more, a cigarette jammed in the corner of his mouth. “Innocent until proven guilty.”
“But the evidence—”
“The defense deserves to have access to whatever evidence the prosecution has,” Diesel explained.
“I can win,” Axel insisted. “Even against you and Aunt Kendall, Diesel.”
“Kendall—”
Christopher turned a look on Johnnie that promised swift retaliation. The motherfucker snapped his mouth shut.
“Kendall is a brilliant attorney, Ax,” Diesel said, sucking on his cigarette. “She’s hard to beat even during mock trials.”
“State your argument on Uncle Knox’s behalf, Diesel,” Axel ordered, fully engaged and moving past the temporary episode over his ma.
“Exhibit one is Aunt Meggie’s email to everyone, asking what they wanted her to stock,” Diesel said.
