Page 27 of Rebellious

“How’s Rebel?” Kendall asked, rushing up to them from toward the parking lot. She hugged him and then Mortician. “What happened?”

“Kendall, why don’t you take the kids upstairs?” Johnnie suggested, escorting Rory, Mattie, and JJ from the same direction Kendall had come.

“Hi, Uncle Christopher,” Mattie greeted, hugging him just like her ma had.

Christopher hugged her woodenly.

“Hey, Uncle Mort.”

“Hey, baby,” Mort greeted, returning her hug.

Before any of them said anything else, Val, Ryan, and Devon walked up.

“Harley wanted to stay with Puff,” Val revealed once their greetings were over. “I appreciate that so fucking much. Zoann just devastated.”

“How’s Rebel?” Ryan asked, looking and sounding as if he truly cared, which Christopher believed he did.

“I was just about to go upstairs with Mattie,” Kendall answered.

She sounded normal, but Christopher detected something off about her. He couldn’t put it together right now. His thoughts were so fucking jumbled. He couldn’t place the look in her eyes. It could’ve been worry for Rebel, but it was…haunted. Vulnerable. She couldn’t know that Charlotte was dead. She’d loved that cunt. She would’ve been inconsolable.

“We can all go up together,” Kendall added just as Christopher’s phone started ringing.

He looked at the device and frowned. Nivins flashed across the screen. Wasn’t that the manager at Diesel’s condo?

“Yeah?” he answered as Kendall guided Mattie, JJ, Rory, Ryan, and Devin into the building.

“Outlaw, we have a situation,” Nivins greeted

“I’m busy,” he barked. He wouldn’t leave the hospital for Tabitha’s bullshit. “Call my son. Whatever his wife did—”

“I can’t reach Diesel. I regret to inform you that your daughter-in-law has been found dead.”

The news was so fucking shocking that Christopher gasped.

“What’s going on?” Johnnie asked, not close enough to have overheard Nivins.

“Thanks for the call,” Christopher said, getting control of himself so he wouldn’t clue Johnnie in. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He disconnected, his mind spinning.

Tabitha was fucking dead?

But…?

“Christopher?”

Remembering Johnnie’s question, Christopher lifted his gaze, suspicious of that motherfucker’s concern. Johnnie weaponized everything.

His thoughts racing, Christopher looked at Mortician and thrust his chin toward the hospital entrance. “Mort, check on Kendall and—”

Worked like a fucking charm.

Johnnie stiffened. “Excuse you, Christopher. I’ll check on my own fucking wife.”

Christopher shrugged. “I thought maybe you’d want Mort to do it so you can ride with me to the club for a bitch situation.”

“No, fucking thank you,” Johnnie barked, storming away.

The moment he disappeared inside the building, Val shook his head. “Even I know that’s a smokescreen, Outlaw.”