“Wait,” Axel said, beckoning Diesel over. “I need to pre…conferwith my attorney.”
“Make it quick,” Diesel said irritably. “I’ve had a long fucking morning.”
“Motherfucker, I pay you five fucking dollars a month,” Axel said. “I can take all fucking day.”
“In your fucking dreams, Ax,” Diesel replied.
Folding his arms, CJ ignored his headache, and tipped his head back, waiting until Axel told Diesel about Marvey. He couldn’t hear their conversation, but he knew Axel preferred immediate justice. Diesel didn’t give a fuck. He’d snatch that motherfucker in broad daylight and bury him.
They were both kind of like Rebel, all three of them impatient and violent. Dad was, too, but he worked smarter not harder.
“Go to Turn Creek, Ax,” Diesel said, rising to his full height after Axel finished filling him in. “I’ll take care of the situation here.”
“Are you signing your brothers out, Mr. Caldwell?” Dr, Marvey demanded with a smirk. “Otherwise, they will face repercussions.”
The cruel twist to Diesel’s mouth chilled CJ. Either Marvey was blind, stupid, or crazy.
“Of course, I’ll sign them out,” Diesel said affably, giving no indication of the insanity lurking underneath the normal as fuck surface. “Get whatever paperwork that’s required.”
Puffing up like a preening peacock, Marvey nodded curtly, and stalked back to his office.
CJ closed the distance between him and Diesel. “We have ten or eleven weeks left to school, fuckhead,” he whispered. “Scoop him up over the summer.”
“He frightened Axel and almost made him cry,” Diesel said blandly.
“When?” Rory blurted.
“Right before I arrived,” Diesel said.
“Axel told you that?” CJ asked to be sure.
Diesel nodded. “Did that motherfucker not raise his voice and all of you jumped?”
“He did.” CJ wouldn’t win this one. Marvey had fucked with his family more times than he could count, so the motherfucker deserved what he got.However… “Talk to Dad first. Meanwhile, Harley’s at Turn Creek with Ryan. Get her and bring her back to the club. If Uncle Mort isn’t there, call him and let him know what’s going on.”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
“I’m going to the auditorium to find Nardo.”
“CJ—”
“No, Diesel. He hurt Harley. I’m not waiting—”
Diesel grabbed CJ’s arm and snatched him closer. Axel’s gasp barely registered.
“Look, fuckhead,” Diesel said through gritted teeth. “If you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing, you will get caught and then what? Don’t go off half-cocked. Get to Turn Creek.” He shoved CJ away. “And that’s a motherfucking order.”
Worried about Harley, Mattie slipped away amid Diesel and CJ’s showdown. Those two argued at a moment’s notice and if they decided to throw hands she didn’t want to be anywhere near.
Her bookbag was still in the auditorium. With Harley’s play premiering this Friday, she was spending most of her time there, so Mattie stopped in and checked on her on her way to her French class. What she hadn’t expected was seeing Harley on the floor in tears with her nose bleeding and claiming she’d fallen from the catwalk, which was nowhere near.
The catwalk wasabovethe stage and Harley wasawayfrom the stage, in an aisle.
Harley begged her not to worry Uncle Mort and Uncle Christopher and swore her injuries happened as she described. Mattie did the only thing possible and got Harley to the nurse, then ran to CJ’s class to get him, so Harley wouldn’t return to the auditorium after her triage. When Wally had been terrorizing Mattie at school, she made illogical decisions too. Insanely, Harley’s trauma not only worried Mattie on behalf of her friend, but it also made her feel as if she was the target again.
Skidding to a halt, she glanced around. Pressed her fingertips to her wet cheeks. Drew in harsh breaths, since she’d run all the way to her current location, as if she was trying to outrun her own demons. She sniffled, wanting her mother.
Swiping her wet cheeks, she took her cellphone out of her blazer pocket.
