“Not high praise since he’s a fucking idiot,” Kendall retorted.
“He’s still my son. Donotinsult him.”
Kendall wouldtryto keep her opinion to herself. “Do you have any way for me to get money to you?”
“No.”
“Is it only because of Bash?”
“Nowadays, yes.”
“We’ll talk about the money Outlaw would still like to give you in a few minutes.” She set her phone on her desk and enabled the listening device on it. “Please tell me the contents of the letter.”
As Kendall listened to Hopper, she realized the woman had been correct. The information she provided wasn’t much different than what Bash told Kendall yesterday. One thing was clear: she needed to get to Roxy’s house and she needed tosnatch Father Wilkins and hang him upside down from a meat hook.
He hadn’t accidentally burned that rectory to the ground. It had been purposely torched. Either to destroy the real will or to kill him. One meant he was a traitor and the other meant he was a traitor with a target on his back.
That fuckhead knew what was going on. If he had the willall this fucking time, he’d betrayed Outlaw, Meggie, and the entire club. More to the point, he’d put Meggie’s life at risk.
“Thank you for all the information and your willingness to help,” Kendall told her.
“Is it odd that I feel as if I’ve betrayed Bash?”
“No,” Kendall said. “You two seem to care for each other. And you haven’t betrayed him. You are just fair and know Meggie didn’t deserve such a brutal fate for no reason at all.”
“I’m doing it for Outlaw and Meggie, but also Big Joe. He loved her very much.”
“So I’ve heard,” Kendall responded.
“How is…?” Instead of asking the question, Hopper sighed. “Never mind. Take care of yourself, Kendall.”
“Johnnie is okay,” she said. Whether Johnnie knew about Jana didn’t matter. He shared her with Hopper and it made sense she’d want to know about him.
“That’s good to hear. Still wickedly charming, I guess.”
“Age has mellowed him,” Kendall said, wishing that were true.
“I bet. And Outlaw?”
“Insane,” Kendall said with fond laughter. “As over-the-top as ever where his wife is concerned.”
She made a noise in the back of her throat and then said, “The others?”
“Mortician is the resident sage, especially to us. The women,” Kendall clarified. “Digger is still his shadow.”
“He always was.”
“Val turned his life around and has become such a wonderful husband and father.”
“I always thought he had the saddest childhood. The way he was abused as a kid and never knew where his father buried his mother’s body. He was kind, though. A little dense sometimes, but always sweet to me.”
“He’s still the same lovable Val,” Kendall said. “Just older and wiser.”
“Listening to you makes me a little wistful. I left before peace was found, but I always adored those guys. Even when Joey and Rack called me a traitor because of it. I adored Joey, too. It was puppy love, though.”
“You protected Meggie, Hopper. Yes, your son fucked up. But you aren’t alone. You will always be a Dweller girl. Respected and cherished. If Bash is telling the truth, then Christopher will keep him in line. I foresee alliances. Maybe, you and Bash do have a future. He’s so fucked up, but I think he wants to do better.”
“Should I give him a chance? Let him stay with me a few days? I live off the grid. I’m a ghost. I have no bank accounts. No bills. No mailing address. As far as anyone knows, I’ve fallen off the face of the earth.”
