Ryan couldn’t imagine living in that dark no man’s land as the black sheep of the family. He deserved punishment. Maybe he was a coward because the one punishment he didn’t want was his mother’s. Going after Nardo’s father, even if it meant sacrificing himself, would be justice for all four girls.
That was why he sent Rory, Ryder, Ransom, and Axel to the auditorium and he headed to the athletic center. The day Nardo’s old man attacked Harley, Ryan swore he’d seen him skulking near the fields, then he’d blinked and he was gone.
The fucking end of day bell would ring at any fucking minute. Those fuckheads knew what they were doing, invading the school so close to three.
Instead of entering the athletic center and putting innocent students at risk, he’d go to the practice field first. Maybe, walk beyond there and check the stadium with all the bleachers.
“Ryan!”
CJ’s call startled him. He thought he was imagining shit until it came again.
“Stop, fuckhead. Uncle Val’s on the fucking way.”
Annoyance surged into Ryan. He halted and turned to CJ as the motherfucker ran to him.
“As if you fucking care what the fuck happens to me, cuck.”
“Ryan, I swear to god, shut the fuck up or I will choke the fuck out of you. Let’s go to the fucking auditorium.”
“Fuck you, beta boy. You can’t fucking order me around.” Not if he didn’t want Ryan to punch his fucking face in. “The world has to bow down to your pansy ass or the sky will fall. Well, I’m not. I’m my own fucking man.”
CJ shoved him. That motherfucker was always as ready to fight as Diesel. “I’m not fucking impressed by your fucking words. I don’t fucking care what you have to say, Ryan. You can’t fucking turn whatyourbitch ass did into a pity party. You fucked overfour, innocentgirls, you flaming piece of shit. Two of them are so fucking damaged, they might not ever recover. The other two will be scarred by this for fucking life.”
Ryan wouldn’t punch CJ. He’d already tried that and lost. He wouldn’t give that smug, self-righteous motherfucker the satisfaction of killing him. But all his anger seeped out of him. He wanted to cry and to die. “I didn’t have a choice,” he cried softly.
“You know why, fuckhead? Because you got Molly stolen in the first fucking place.”
“I’m sorry,” he sobbed.
“Until the next fucking time. Until you fuck up one thing and try to undo it by fucking up something else.”
“I’m trying to make it right!”
“By getting yourselfkilled, you selfish prick? What about Aunt Zoann and Uncle Val? Devon?”
“I like us being friends, CJ. I like being friends with Rebel, Harley, and Mattie. You all hate me. I just wanted to get Molly back.”
“I’m so fucking pissed with you, I can barely fucking see straight. I want to hate you,” CJ said.
“Why don’t you walk away,Ryan,” an older dude, who resembled Nardo, said, wrapping an arm around CJ’s neck and shoving a gun to his head.
Stumbling back, Ryan raised his hands.
“Go!” He pressed the gun harder into CJ. “Me and this motherfucker taking a little walk.”
CJ elbowed him. “Not if you want to know where the fuck your fucking son’s at.”
“Probably back in the van with that little bitch who think she better than my kid.”
“She is, but that’s the wrong answer,” CJ said.
The motherfucker didn’t seem to care he had a fucking gun to his head. If CJ was frightened, he didn’t show it, which low-key impressed Ryan.
The motherfucker turned and jerked CJ around, cocking the hammer of the gun.
Sunshine reflected off metal as Mortician stepped next to Ryan, jammed the gun in the back of Grevenberg’s head and pulled the fucking trigger.
He did it quickly, quietly, and efficiently, returned his gun to his holster and pulled CJ into his arms.
