Page 46 of Rebellious

He lifted his head, took in Skye Ratcliffe’s petulant expression and sighed. When he worked at the mini mart, she was a frequent patron. She’d bring in her younger sister and brother for unhealthy food or come in alone to get shit to stitch up her mother. Except she rarely had money, especially when Star—her mom—was in between wealthy men.

He scowled. “What, Skye?”

He hadn’t seen her since he’d walked her back to Ridge Moore the day she met CJ. He knew how she’d managed to get into the school. Other than saying her secret was safe, they hadn’t said much to each other.

“What floor is CJ’s sister on?”

“If he wanted you to know, he would’ve told you.”

She poked out her lip. “We lost. We placed fourth at the Science Fair. I need to talk to CJ.”

He glanced outside. Darkness had swept in without his noticing. “How’d you get here?”

Ridge Moore was at the other end of Hortensia. She couldn’t have walked.

“Someone dropped me off.” She shrugged, her necktie hanging around her neck, her blazer opened, and her trousers covering her long legs. “I don’t know their names. It was a boy from science class. He lost, too.”

At least she hadn’t hitch hiked.

“Text CJ and let him know,” Kaia suggested. “You probably won’t get anywhere near him. There are guards up there.”

Her eyes rounded. “Security guards?”

“Bikers. Bodyguards. They don’t let strangers on the unit.”

CJ might be in the waiting area, but Kaia doubted he’d wanted to be disturbed with school shit.

“CJ has a bodyguard?” Skye breathed, dazed.

Fuck. Kaia might have said too much. “Uh, yeah, don’t focus on that. Besides, they belong to his father, so don’t put much stock into it.”

“But—”

“Text CJ. Tell him you lost and you need to talk to him. While you’re doing that, I’ll call a rideshare service to get you home and order a pizza for you, Cosmos, and Dusk.”

“Momma bought food for dinner tomorrow. She told me. She even apologized that we wouldn’t have anything tonight.”

“You do now,” Kaia promised.

Skye hesitated, but in the end, food for her brother and sister won out over her desire to see CJ.

Sitting on one of the chairs in the hospital chapel, Meggie took in the solitude, unable to adequately express her thanks that Rebel hadn’t been killed.

The day began as usual, awakening in her husband’s arms, making love to him, showering, and seeing to her kids.

This morning’s breakfast had been loud and lively. The Triplets traded insults, CJ, Christopher, Bishop, and Diesel talked about motorcycles, and froze Kaia out. Rebel was anxious to get to the mall and told Meggie what she planned to buy.

It had all been so normal. Happy. As if peace planned to stick around. She was so certain that life was settling down again, she’d decided to stop her birth control. The Triplets were close in age. Rule and Rebel were twins. Meggie could handle raising Gunner, Jo, and a newborn.

Christopher wanted her pregnant again. And after the stunt he pulled a couple of weeks ago, he’d probably gotten his wish. She’d take a pregnancy test at the cabin and surprise him with the positive results, then have her tubes tied during the C-Section.

Or, if she wasn’t pregnant, tell him she planned to stop her pills, happy to concede because of her contentment.

Meggie snorted. She should’ve known better than to let down her guard. That the weight present for months would crash down and crush her.

But Rebel was spared, so it wasn’t a crushing blow. It hurt Meggie, but she’d recover.

She glanced around the interfaith chapel. Father Wilkins pressed for a Catholic Chapel to be built in the hospital. Christopher, still on shaky grounds with a higher being, refused, and so patients and their families had this, a quiet room in neutral tones. Two stained glass windows were behind the altar. A table with three candles in staggered height, stood behind a podium. There were no denominational emblems, nothing that would make someone feel unwelcomed.