“’K, Reb.” Axel shifted. “Wanna help me, Uncle Bash?”
“Of course not,” Tabitha said, still hanging onto Diesel as if she was growing out of his goddamn side. “I would miss Uncle Johnnie so much.”
“That’s because you’re stupid like him,” Axel said flatly. “No motherfucker with sense would miss that motherfucker. We wouldn’t miss you either.”
“Watch it—” Tio started.
Diesel cleared his throat.
“If I were you, I’d shut the fuck up, Tio Caldwell,” Celia snapped.
Whatever Easton told Bash and Bash related to Celia had father and aunt very upset with Tio. Kendall considered that a small victory.
“Kendall, get on with it,” Johnnie gritted.
No matter how Kendall behaved, Johnnie wouldn’t change his mind about having sex with her. If this was the only way to make him suffer, she’d take what she could.
“Outlaw, Bash and Celia are also your half-siblings.”
“Am I related to them?” Johnnie asked.
“If you’re related to Uncle Christopher and he’s related to Bash and Celia, that seems obvious, Dad,” Rory said.
“It’s Uncle Bash and Aunt Celia,” Kendall told her son, placing the current page under the stack in her hand. “They are your father’s half siblings.”
“Only if Dad tells me to call them that,” Rory retorted.
“Why do I have to tell you if Kendall already said it, son?” Johnnie asked.
“Unlikeher, you keep your promises, Dad.”
Ryan snorted. “Since when, cuck?”
“Mom left,” Rory said flatly. “She left, not caring she’d made a promise to me.”
“What the fuck promise was that?” Outlaw asked, his anger ignited. “You already hurt the fuck outta your ma. Now, you talkin’ about some fuckin’ promise?”
“What’s Christopher talking about Kendall?” Johnnie demanded.
“It doesn’t matter,” Rory said. “Mompromisedme she’d take me to view Gypsy’s body, then she just fucking left. She knew how important this was to me, but she didn’t fucking care.”
“I’ll take you to view the body,” Diesel offered. “Spare your mother that experience.”
“No!” Rory said, sniffling. He jabbed a finger in Kendall’s direction, not caring how mortified she was. “I want her to take me. She promised me! She promised.”
“Kendall doesn’t owe you a fucking thing, Rory,” Johnnie exploded, getting to his feet, but unable to reach Rory because of the crowd. “How fucking dare you put that burden on her, talk to her in that manner, for any fucking reason? I know why she changed her mind—”
Typical,” Rory said bitterly, swiping at his tears. “She falls apart if you’re gone more than a fucking day but thinks she can betray me when it was so important that I tell Gypsy goodbye.”
“Why?” Rebel scoffed. “Was she fucking you like she fucked Diesel?”
“Ew,” Mattie said, though CJ elbowed Rebel.
“Listen up, Rory,” Outlaw said before Kendall put it all together in her head, “you couldna fuckin’ saw nothin’ of Gypsy but motherfuckin’ ashes. Derby had her cremated, so shut the fuck up.”
Rory’s gasp joined everyone else’s, except Meggie and Bunny’s. Neither one of them reacted, so they’d known already.
“She’s cremated, Uncle Christopher?” Rory squeaked.
