“Dad, stop,” Axel cried.
“Shut the fuck up, boy. This ain’t your fuckin’ games where I look the other way while you think you can stand up to grown motherfuckers. This about Rebel and her knowin’ her fuckin’ place.”
“Come here, Ax,” Diesel said.
Sniffling, Axel ran to Diesel’s side. He immediately hugged Axel to him.
“Apologize to me, Rebel,” Christopher ordered.
“So sorry, Father. I didn’t mean to have a fucking brain of my own or any outrage that you only pay attention to me when you’re angry.”
Christopher growled.
“I will live by your miserable rules, but the day I turn eighteen, I’m leaving. You can give all your attention and approval to your boys.”
Axel jerked away from Diesel and ran to Rebel, hugging her. “You can’t, Reb. Mom will be too sad. You’re her baby girl.”
“You ain’t movin’ when you eighteen, Rebel,” Christopher said, panicked by the very idea. What the fuck was wrong with her?
“I’ll be legal, Daddy. You couldn’t stop me.”
“Youmydaughter. I could stop you if I fuckin’ want to.”
“No, you fucking termite, you couldn’t. I’d beeighteen. You remember that number, right? It was the same age Momma was when you met her.”
“You ain’t your ma.”
“According to you I’m just a fucking mongrel. I’m not like you. I’m not like her. Just a big old mutt who doesn’t belong to anyone.”
“Mom said you’re just like Dad,” Axel told her, hugging her tighter. In turn, Rebel tightened her grip on her crutches. “You’re not a mutt.”
Christopher glowered at Rebel, and she glared at him.
“All of this is unnecessary, you big man baby,” she told him. “It would make everyone’s life easier if you just told me not to have any contact with Diesel because I can’t fucking win with you. If I get upset over him, I’m horrible. If I’m nice to him, I’m horrible. If I treat him like my brother, I’m horrible.”
“You could’ve asked CJ for the fucking champagne,” Christopher grouched.
“Did he have the fucking champagne, Daddy?” Rebel yelled, nodding to CJ. “He doesn’t evenlikeit. This is about Diesel and me.”
“I ain’t said the way you and Diesel were talkin’ pissed me the fuck off.”
“At least give me that much credit. Anyone with a bit of sense saw when you flipped on me.”
He threw Diesel a dirty look that he transferred to Rebel. “More than one girl have led stupid motherfuckers to their deaths. You get something in your fuckin’ head and you don’t give a good fuck about nothin’ but gettin’ what the fuck you want. Wasn’t no motherfuckin’ reason for you to tell me you hangin’ out with Kaia and Kayceexceptto make that motherfucker jealous.” He jabbed a finger in Diesel’s direction. “Tell me I’m fuckin’ lyin’ and I’ll callyoua motherfuckin’ liar.”
“It just amazes me how you actually saw me for once. For all the wrong reasons but you still got it, so kudos to you, Daddy. By. The. Way.”
He narrowed his eyes at her unnecessary inflection. She still didn’t back down. Besides Axel, she was the only one of his children who didn’t fall into line with pushback.
“You willnotcontrol my life for me to live asyousee fit. I will start looking for colleges to move far away from you. Hopefully, I catch the eye of a forty-year-old professor so I can bring home for the holidays and watch you foam at the fucking mouth.”
“If you…Rebel…I will fuckin’kill…shut the fuck up,” he finally settled on, so outraged he couldn’t form a fucking coherent thought.
“He won’t be a club member. He won’t be my adopted brother. He won’t be in your network. I will be eighteen.Youwon’t have a say.”
“You ain’t goin’ to fuckin’ college,” Christopher said, frustrated to fuck, just wanting to force Rebel to back down. “You stayin’ here for the rest of your fuckin’ life.”
“Are you going to hold me hostage? If so, make sure my guards are hot so I can have an affair with them.”
