“I’m fine,” Meggie swore. “Your sister and I are talking.”
“Fine,” Axel said with a long-suffering sigh. “I guess I’ll allow that.”
“What time is Bishop coming home?” Ransom asked. “Why isn’t he cooking this morning?”
“I gave him the day off,” Meggie said.
“And Diesel?” Axel asked. “He didn’t come home last night.”
“He’s probably with Jana in the treehouse.”
“Nope. We checked.” Ryder beckoned her forward. “We looked at the cameras because we thought Bishop left. Only Dad went out of the gate. Bishop and Diesel didn’t come home.” He leaned closer to her ear. “And neither did Kaia.”
Diesel, Bishop, and Jana staying out didn’t bother Meggie. Only one person at the club would tempt him into not coming home.
Fia.
“I see.” Anger flashed through Meggie, but she cleared her throat and nodded. “I’ll be down as soon as I can.”
Her boys nodded.
She hugged Ryder. “Thanks for your discretion, son.”
Ryder smiled. “Reb’s sad enough. It might be nothing, but Fia was there andrumorhas it she likes Kaia and still hates Rebel.”
“Factswill be her gruesome death if she hurts Rebel,” Meggie said flatly.
Axel’s eyes lit up. “Fist bump, Mom.”
Meggie obliged, then sent them off and returned to the room, where Rebel had curled up on the sofa.
“I can help you with breakfast, Momma,” Rebel offered. “We can talk then.”
“It’ll never happen. Your brothers will take over the conversation.” Meggie sat next to Rebel again, wanting to find Kaia but needing to know about Diesel. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”
“Diesel set me up,” she started without preamble. “He was mad at me.”
“Did you insult Jana?” Even if she had, it didn’t give Diesel the right to hurt Rebel. Frankly, Rebel’s protectiveness toward Jana shocked Meggie. “I’ll talk to him—”
“I kissed Kaia,” Rebel admitted, and explained about the spin the bottle game, and her reasons for it.
She told Meggie how Diesel barged in, right after she and Kaia kissed.
“At first he was angry because I stole his bottle of champagne, but then he was livid because Kaia kissed me.”
If Kaia had spent the night with Fia after kissing Rebel…yeah, no. Anger burned into Meggie.
“I’m sorry, Momma. Don’t be angry with Kaia, and I see how red you’re turning.” Rebel hugged Meggie again. “But Diesel was so mean. I trusted him. I…he convinced me to go to the natatorium. He told me…I knew…his words sounded like a threat. And…and they were. Helured me in there so I could see him and Jana together. He knew what happened to me…how hard it was for me to go in that room,” she sobbed, holding Meggie tightly.
Clenching her jaw, Meggie held Rebel close, her burning fury lessening just enough to sing a couple of lullabies to her daughter, the way she once did.
When Rebel calmed herself, she gave a play-by-play of how Diesel convinced her to go into the natatorium.
“Reb—”
Another knock came on her door. Irritated, Meggie released Rebel and went to the door.
“Hey, Mom,” CJ said when she opened it. “Axel said he’s already come upstairs, so maybe you’d start breakfast for me. Will you? We’re all really hungry.”
