Biting her lip, Mattie handed Rebel her crutches and helped her to her feet. Together, the girls walked out, tail tucked between their legs. He threw Kaia one last dirty look, turned, and sauntered away.
Smiling, Diesel pinned Kaia with a look of dislike. “Boom.”
He left with that figurative mic drop hanging in the air.
Instead of going to the basement sitting room and starting the meeting immediately, CJ led his brothers and cousins to the bowling alley, located next to the diner Mom collapsed in last November.
After Dad’s cluelessness, CJ needed a moment to recover from Rebel’s threat. No, her warning. His little sister didn’t make threats. She either acted or said what she intended to do and then fucking did it.
Once again, Dad had a fucking blind spot. This time toward Rebel, instead of Mom, but the results would be the goddamn same. Unlike Mom, though, if Rebel left, CJ doubted she’d come back. She’d get a taste of freedom and wouldn’t so easily give up control over her own life.
Given the choice between her leaving and her being with Diesel, it was a no-brainer for CJ. But if Dad didn’t wake the fuck up and make Rebel feel like he fucking cared about her, who knew what Rebel would do?
Now that Diesel had Jana, Rule was in LA, and Dad had Mom again, Rebel would feel as if she had no one. She didn’t trust CJ because she considered him Dad’s son rather than her brother. And she didn’t really trust Kaia, simply because of theway they’d met.
As far as CJ knew, she’d let her suspicions go, but he knew his little sister. She was as mistrustful as Dad, and that motherfucker couldn’t recognize his daughter wasjust like him.
They played one game of bowling in which Ryan’s team took the victory because CJ was so distracted before they trekked to the sitting room and took seats. Lou was a movie afficionado, so his brother, Kaleb, JJ, Mark JB, and all the boys thirteen and under—except CJ’s brothers—joined him in the basement theater.
Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Axel lifted his head. He was lying on the top of the couch in the alcove. No one sat on the sofa, so he was a turn away from rolling onto the seat and possibly the floor if his momentum was too great. “Can we start?”
“The parents are probably almost finished visiting,” Devon said. “They’re going to say we’re leaving soon.”
CJ looked at his watch. 9:30. Devon was right, especially since it was a school night for almost everyone except Grant, with them to draw a firm line in the sand against his father. If Grant had remained upstairs with the men, CJ didn’t doubt Pop would see that decision as proof Grant didn’t really want to patch in with CJ.
Rory banged on the coffee table and stood. “Our meeting is called to order. CJ has the floor.”
“Thanks, Rory.” CJ smiled at his cousin. “Let me start by explaining Axel, Ransom, and Ryder are with us because Axel has been working on a creed.”
Axel rolled onto the sofa, then slid to the floor like a little worm and crawled to CJ. “You don’t got to explain, CJ. You’re the boss.”
“A goodleaderalways explains why he goes against the rules,” CJ said. “Just because Dad constantly overlooks your bad behavior doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.”
“Still on fucking demon time,” Axel grumbled.
“You’re not using that term right,” Ryan said.
“Am too,” Axel said. “CJ’s acting like a jealous fuckhead and being mean to me. A fucking demon.”
“Ryan’s right,” CJ said. “It doesn’t mean what you think it does.”
“But—”
Ryder held up his phone. “All of you are right,” he said, “so back off Axel. If a demon is a cruel asshole and you’re targeting him, then you’re on demon time, CJ.”
“You just got to deal with it,” Ransom warned.
“Or what, you little fuckheads?” CJ asked.
“Or nothing,” Axel said. “We’re not doing anything to upset Mom. I swear I will kill all you motherfuckers if you make her leave. Behave! I got to put a bug in Dad’s ear. I probably got to remind him every day ‘cause that motherfucker don’t remember nothing. If Mom heard how mean he was to Rebel, she wouldn’t be happy.”
“Fuck Rebel,” Ransom said sharply. “She’sa mean bitch. How could Mom blame Dad with the way Reb talked to him?”
“Nuh uh!” Axel said. “Reb’s a beautifulgirl. You can’t call her no bitch. She is mean and scary and a killer vampire but she’s not a bitch.”
“Fuck, are you complimenting her or insulting her, Ax?” Grant asked, laughing.
“She hurt Dad’s feelings,” Ransom said, ignoring Grant. “Just because you were with her in LA, you think you know her. You don’t.”
