“I’m taking Rebel and Gunner to LA,” she said calmly.
“No,” Christopher barked. “You fuckin’ said you wasthinkin’ about a girls’ trip. And the last fuckin’ time I checked, Gunner got a fuckin’ cock.”
“He does,” Meggie confirmed. “But youlosthim when I left a couple of weeks ago.”
“I ain’t lost that lil’ motherfucker, baby. I just ain’t knew where the fuck he was. But it wasn’t like he was in the fuckin’ wilderness. I knew he was at some motherfucker’s house.”
“Were you one hundred percent sure of his whereabouts?” Meggie demanded.
“You shouldn’t be alone in LA,” Diesel said before Christopher got over his outrage. “Traffic is a nightmare and that isn’t our stronghold. I’ll come with you.”
Meggie glared at him and made a snap decision. “No, you aren’t. Kaia’s coming with us. He can drive us around and help me with Gunner while I see to Rebel.”
“No!” Christopher, CJ, and Diesel chorused as if they really had a say. Clearly, they thought they did.
Meggie knew otherwise.
Axel nudged his head against her, tears streaming down his cheeks, and sniffling as if his heart had broken. “Don’t go, Mom. Please,” he sobbed. “You might not come back.”
Sliding her seat back, Meggie tugged Axel onto her lap and hugged him. “I’m not angry with you, your brothers, or your daddy. Reb needs me, Axel. She needs my full attention. I also want to see Rule. Talking to him over the telephone isn’t the same as seeing him. If he were closer, I could visit him more. So could Rebel.”
As long as Rule wanted to see her. On second thought, close proximity would be harder on Rebel than the distance. At the moment, there was an excuse for why Rule couldn’t see her. But if he couldn’t see her because of his mental state or just because he didn’t want to, that would hurt Rebel worse.
“Did Rebel leave the party early because she missed Rule?” Diesel asked, knowing why she left better than anyone else.
“Shut up,” Meggie snapped as Axel slid from her lap and returned to his seat. “Before I stab you. You know exactly why Rebel left, Diesel Caldwell.”
Christopher lifted his brows and pointed his fork at Diesel. “You wanna stab this motherfucker?”
“She told you?” Diesel choked.
Meggie growled, ready to launch herself across the table, and beat that idiot to a pulp.
“What the fuck you did, assfuck?” Christopher demanded on cue, glaring at Diesel.
“Maybe I can talk to her, Meggie,” Jana offered.
Diesel winced, a moron who wanted to die at Christopher’s hands.
Instead of either beating or stabbing Diesel, Meggie wrestled her temper under control and focused on Jana. “Would you like to come to LA with us, Jana?”
Hope flickered in Jana’s eyes. “LA?”
“Rebel couldn’t shop properly on Rodeo Drive the last time we were there. I’ll get you your own room if you’d like,” Meggie offered. “You’ll finally get a wardrobe.”
“You’d take me shopping for expensive clothes?” Jana squeaked. “Me?”
“Yes,” Meggie said. “Of course. You’re going to be a part of the family.”
Jana looked at Diesel. “May I go?”
Meggie pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to interfere and tell Jana she needed to stand up to Diesel, though she foresaw the outcome. Diesel didn’t want her and Rebel to leave. He definitely wouldn’t agree to Jana going, too. Not when she gave him so much control.
“No, you may not,” Diesel responded, just as Meggie knew he would. “If Aunt Meggie wanted your input, she wouldn’tgo so far away.”
“I won’t interfere.” A horrified expression settled into Jana’s face and she looked at Meggie. “Are you leaving because I’m here?”
“Of course not, love,” Meggie answered without hesitation. “I’ll allow no one to run Rebel or me from our home.”
