“And you do?” Dieseldefinitelydidn’t deserve Rebel, but they both provoked each other. If Christopher gave a fucking inch, he might get Diesel to behave at least until Rebel was eighteen.
“I know I’m not good enough for her.”
“Ain’t asked you that, Diesel.”
“No, I don’t deserve her.”
“You know what watchin’ you and CJ made me realize?” Christopher asked, ignoring Diesel’s heartfelt response.
“I don’t.”
“That you might not feel like my kid, a Caldwell, so you ain’t seein’ Reb as your sister.” Admitting Megan helped Christopher to realize that would seem as if he only paid attention to CJ. “We all know you a fuckin’ sex addict. You look at Rebel and see her…her…” He frowned and drew in the deepest fucking breath he’d ever taken. “Her…her breasts and hips,” he pushed out. “Not her age.”
“Her age is uppermost in my mind. It has to be.”
Was this motherfucker high or stupid? But Christopher got control of his temper and let that revelation slide.
“I ain’t ever gave you a fair fuckin’ shot to follow in my footsteps, boy, and I’m fuckin’ sorry. Ain’t able to change it now. One, you so fuckin’ fucked up and so fuckin’ over-the-top with your cruelty. Runnin’ the club about more than brutality. Motherfuckers would fear you but that only get you so far. You a Caldwell, Diesel. Never think no different. I understand it’s about more than money and power. It’s about belongin’, and probably only Rebel and Axel make you feel as if you belong anyfuckinwhere.”
Instead of softening, Diesel’s anger returned. Christopher understood. When he was younger, he’d been so fucking angry over a bunch of shit.
For a moment, Diesel morphed into Snake, hiding Big Joe’s rejection and clear favoritism of Christopher underneath fury and fuckery.
“It isn’t only them, Uncle Christopher,” Diesel muttered, and Snake’s image faded away.
Christopher wouldn’t ask him to clarify. “Rebel turnin’ eighteen in three fuckin’ years.” He allowed the roiling in his gut to settle before he forced out his next words. “Prove to me you deserve her. Make yourself worthy and I’ll step the fuck out the way when she legal. I’ll let her drive you fuckin’ insane like Megan do me.”
He'd murder that motherfucker but they all needed peace for now.
“What about Jana, Dad?” CJ cut in. “He’s not breaking his fucking engagement. Like you said, he wants Rebel until he fucking gets her. He’s a motherfucker like that.”
“CJ, what the fuck you meant by sayin’ you lost your ma to your brothers?” He purposely saidbrothers, instead of calling Diesel and Axel by name. CJ had to get it through his head that Diesel was a Caldwell, too. “You know Megan love all you motherfuckers.”
“It’s fuckin’ obvious what I meant, Dad,” CJ cried. “Axel’s Mom’sSweet Peaand she just gave Diesel my fucking treehouse without even asking me. And she used to talk to me abouteverything. IfIwas still Mom’s potato, she would’ve talked to me, especially aboutmyshit.”
Turning away so he wouldn’t lose his fucking temper, Christopher walked to the rack on the wall and grabbed the rubber apron. Once he put it on, he got gloves and a face mask. He’d use a power saw for Nardo’s extremities, but for that motherfucker’s head, he opened the cabinet and grabbed one of the machetes. After covering his boots, Christopher slid his hands into the disposable gloves.
“Aren’t we stripping him?” Devon asked, sounding as relieved as Mort and Val had when the shit blew over between Christopher and Snake.
But it had never truly ‘blown over’. It morphed into bitterness, hatred, and division.
“I can take his clothes off,” Rory said, then eyed Christopher and snapped his mouth shut. “I-I mean if we’re undressing him.”
“Nope,” Christopher answered, face mask in one hand and machete in the other. “He a minor.”
“You need help, Prez?” Mort asked hopefully, already suited up with apron and gloves.
CJ and Diesel had Christopher’s fucking nerves shot. Add Rebel into the mix and he either had to dismember fuckhead or smoke a pack of cigarettes and drink a gallon of tequila. “Nope.”
Diesel hadn’t moved from the spot where Christopher ordered him to stop. CJ stood nearby, angry for a different reason. He was going to be even angrier when Christopher called him down in front of everyone. But as Big Joe once told Christopher, if he aired dirty laundry in front of everyfuckingbody, then they’d clean that motherfucker the same way.
“Show me where the fuck your fuckin’ name on the fuckin’ deed, CJ. If you ain’t able to do that, you can’t claim exclusive ownership of the treehouse.”
Hurt rose in CJ’s eyes and he stiffened. Christopher ignored how upset he suddenly felt at coming down so hard on his boy. But the little motherfucker was losing his way. Before he losthimself, Christopher had to do this.
“You’re taking Diesel’s side, Dad?”
“You a Caldwell son and Diesel a Caldwell son. When you two argumentative fuckheads fuckin’ bring your goddamn argument tomyfuckin’ ass, then I give the motherfuckerwith the most right his fuckin’ due. If both you motherfuckers wrong, I say that too. In this fuckin’ case,youwrong like a motherfucker, boy.”
