“You’re more possessive of Mom than I can ever be.”
“CJ, not a motherfucker alive can take your fuckin’ place in Megan’s heart. Not me. Not Diesel. Not Axel. But she a good ma, son. She steppin’ out the way and lettin’ you grow up. She ain’t turnin’ her back on you or lovin’ you no less. You fuckin’ left her.Youdeserted her.”
CJ flinched. “Axel got a road name picked out,” he grumped, ignoring Christopher’s words.
“Axel got seven years before he even think about that,” Christopher said. “He just fuckin’ with you—”
“It’sSweet Pea,” CJ spat.
Christopher snickered, ignoring CJ’s putrid look, which darkened even further when Val, Mort, and Stretch laughed, too.
“Let’s circle back to you and Diesel as rivals,” Christopher said, turning serious once more. “Suppose you ain’t had the motherfuckin’ votes to be president whenIdecided it was your fuckin’ time because Diesel and his friends voted for another candidate?”
“Then, I guess I wouldn’t be president right then,” CJ said.
“We’d find a way to call for a new election after adiscussionwith a few members,” Diesel corrected. “Me. Uncle Christopher. Whoever. We’d “convince” motherfuckers to vote for you.”
CJ widened his eyes. “You’drigthe fucking election?”
“When I’m fuckin’ ready to retire, Ima do what the fuck I got to to get in who I want to take the fuck over, CJ,” Christopher said. “Hopefully, itisyou. That’s what the fuck I wanted since your ma gave birth to you. But if you act like an entitled fuckhead, motherfuckers treatin’ you like that.”
“You think I’m spoiled, too, don’t you, Dad?”
“Yeah, but you also a good kid, goin’ through growin’ pains, hard lessons, and tough choices. Now, apologize to your brother.”
“I fucking knew it! You’re breathing down my fucking throat because of Diesel. I don’t dislike him nor do I wish he wasn’t in the family. Him andmetalked about him andRebel.”
Christopher released a humorless laugh. “And you expect him to listen to you, huh, CJ?”
“About this! I just want Rebel happy. You said you’d kill Diesel. We’d lose him to death and her to fucking hate. She’d never forgive any of us. You want to talk about breakingyourwife’s heart? If that scenario plays out, Mom would be devastated.”
“Your ma would be devastated if she fuckin’ knew how you really feel about Diesel. You don’t want him in the treehouse. You don’t fuckin’ want him anyfuckinwhere on the grounds, especially if me and your ma pay for it. You don’t claim him as your brother. You don’t think he should be a Caldwell.”
“That isn’t true, Dad! I love Diesel. I’ve always seen him as my big brother. He taught me about football and guns andstuff. He taught me a lot. I don’t give a fuck about that stupid fucking treehouse. But Mom can’t just throw me the fuck aside for DieselandAxel and expect me to still like those two motherfuckers.Axelidolizes Diesel. Rebel thinks he’s a fucking god.”
“That ain’t Diesel’s fault. He ain’t in those motherfuckers’ heads.”
“Does he have to be so goddamn charming and funny with them and an asshole to me?”
“You been the fuckin’ asshole to him all goddamn night.”
CJ opened his mouth, but Christopher held up his hand.
“You ain’t even sure why the fuck you tried to get me to cut his fuckin’ head off.”
Gasping, CJ shook his head.
“The fuck you ain’t, boy. Tellin’ me Diesel did something to Rebel could’ve fuckin’ went sideways and you fuckin’ know it, unless youhaveturned into a whiny cuntanda stupid one.”
Growling, CJ glared at Diesel and Christopher, then turned and stormed away.
Diesel sighed. “I’ll go and talk—”
“Nope, I want Mort to.”
“But, Prez—”
“CJ said you give him boundaries, Mort,” Christopher said, happy to have gotten the excuse he needed to get Mortician away. “In so many words. He pissed at me, but he gonna listen to you.”
