Page 64 of Rebellious

Maybe they were right. CJ was so used to looking after Mom, Reb, Harley, and, most recently, Mattie, he just used his go-to methods with Skye.

“You want Harley back?” Ryan asked as Grant turned into the Ratcliffe driveway, then reversed out, pointing the SUV in the direction they’d come. “Right, cuck?”

“I want us to rekindle our friendship.”

“That means you don’t care if I take Skye out, right?”

“I don’t,” CJ confirmed. “But I want you to know, I just gave her money because we didn’t place first.”

“You’re telling me this why?”

“Before you believe whatever story she tells you for whatever reason, ask for my side.”

“I don’t want to date her, CJ. I just want to fuck her. As long as you’re cool with that, you could give her the Caldwell fortune and I wouldn’t care.”

“Fuck, Ryan, you’re forever an asshole,” Grant growled.

CJ couldn’t have agreed more, but since Grant said it so eloquently, he remained silent the rest of the ride to the hospital.

Dear Kaleb Paul,

Every now and then, I think about what those motherfuckers planned to do to my daughter and I can’t believe them. Fuck them all.

I intend to live forever. Protect my girl from those fuckheads. I’m especially thinking about it today, on Meggie’s 17th birthday.

This is my official notice that next year on her 18th birthday, I will give her half the fucking club. I will give a quarter of the club to my first grandson. If she pushes out girls, then I’ll keep that portion forever. The remaining quarter goes to Roxanne, effective today. I’m changing the deed to the club tomorrow. All that land goes to Meggie. I will make sure she does right by you, Christopher, Mortician, and Val if she ever decides to sell. Fuck those motherfuckers. My girl will be wealthy beyond her dreams and they’ll get nothing.

Stay safe, little brother,

Joe

Dear Joe,

You would’ve signed Meggie’s death warrant. You were too fucked up to comprehend the gravity of your actions. I’d planned to ream your ass out when you came down from your bender. I never expected you not to be here. Gone forever. To me, you were invincible, big brother. The hole in my heart is deep. For you. For Joey. For Christopher.

Maybe if I would’ve walked away all the many times I threatened, I could’ve gotten you away, too. I cannot believe just days after your beloved Meggie’s birthday, you were taken. I understand the reasons but damn if it doesn’t hurt. My hope now is for reconciliation between the boys. If Christopher and Joey can get past their differences, they will make a formidable team. I will try but Rack has already poisoned Joey. It might be a lost cause. The only thing I can do in that case is help Christopher through his grief and find a way to keep Meggie safe for you. She doesn’t know I exist and it will take a miracle to heal that boy.

I love you and I miss you. I’ll keep your letter safe until Meggie’s 18th birthday. If Cee Cee, Logan, and Sharper have somehow joined you in the afterlife in the next twelve months, I will honor your wishes. If note, the last will you wrote and left with Reverend Marion will stand.

Fly, brother. You’re free.

Kaleb

Following Johnnie off the elevator and onto the floor with the Death Dweller unit, Kendall tightened her hold on Mattie’s hand. From the moment they exited Johnnie’s Navigator, Kendall and Mattie held hands. Kendall couldn’t remember who reached for who, but it didn’t matter. They comforted one another.

On her other side, JJ stuck close to her, while Rory kept in time with his father. Blade was too young for a hospital, so Kendall left Ella teaching him lines from Shakespeare and listening to Kendall’s favorite Opera playlist.

The buzz of conversation reached her before the bikers came into sight. If Mattie hadn’t wanted to see Rebel and Kendall didn’t want her daughter subjected to Johnnie, she would’ve stayed home, locked in her office to search for more letters between Big Joe and K-P.

She’d found a letter, maybe a smoking gun, that threatened everything. But Mattie begged to see Rebel and Johnnie was a motherfucker.

Kendall stalled until nearly 4PM and finally gave in when Johnnie warned her that he was heading to the hospital with or without her. She hadn’t found anything else to help her in her quest, so she gave into the inevitable.

Now, she zeroed in on Bash, and blinked, then remembered that that bitch was dead. He’d probably come because of that. Outlaw stood next to him, a much handsomer version of Bash. Cleaner lounged nearby and glared at her. But it was Tio and his fixation on Mattie that made Kendall stiffen.

“Gorgeous!” Bash crowed at the same time Tio called, “Matilda.”

A tremble traveled from her daughter’s hand into Kendall and she glanced at Mattie. She was pale and wide-eyed.