Page 79 of Rebellious

Narci stretched out on Torrin’s neatly made bed. “I take it Miss Jekka doesn’t know?”

“Jekka knows, fuckhead,” Torrin said flatly, “so get the idea to blackmail me the fuck out of your wretched mind.”

“How low do you think I am?” Narci asked with indignation. “Bros before hoes. Besides, you’re my friend.”

“You two settle your shit some other time,” Diesel said, rapidly sobering up. He studied Torrin. “What the fuck are you suggesting, motherfucker? An affair with Rebel? She isn’t Jekka. A girl who ran a con against you. Except you forgot to mention how fucking young she was.”

“I didn’t know her age, Diesel,” Torrin snapped. “Not until Heath came after me. She told me she was legal. I don’t ask for ID to fuck a chick.”

Narci whistled. “It sounds as if she scammed you in more ways than one.”

“I’m still not following you, Torrin,” Diesel said in frustration. “I fucking know how old Rebel is. Besides, Rebel doesn’t run the streets. She’s sheltered and naïve.” More so than he realized. She hadn’t even known that she couldn’t use a school ID with a major credit card. “Jekka grew up dirt poor. Rebel didn’t.”

“I have a house,” Torrin said, without addressing Diesel’s concerns. “I bought it for Jekka because of Agatha. It’s in my name.” He glanced away and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “Jekka’s engaged. Since I refused to allow her to bring another man into a house I paid for, she left. A month ago,” he added, gritted his teeth, and then blew out a breath. “Fuck her. As soon as I find her, I’m taking my daughter from that bitch.”

“You see Agatha just a few times a year,” Diesel said, outraged at Torrin’s pettiness. To soothe his ego, he’d hurt a child. His child, at that. “She loves Jekka. You can’t traumatize your daughter because you’re ass hurt over Jekka, who’s driven you fucking insane for as long as I’ve known you.”

Sitting up and running his fingers through his hair, Narci yawned. “Jekka isn’t a common topic of discussion—”

Scowling, Torrin waved Narci’s words off and nodded to Diesel. “If you want Rebel, bring her to my place in Milwaukie.”

“I’m vetoing that idea.” Getting to his feet, Narci pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took one then offered a smoke to Diesel and Torrin. He lit all three before continuing. “Rebel would blow your cover. She’s jealous of you on a good fucking day. Imagine if you sleep with her. She’d choke these bitches. And, again, what about Jana?”

“Send Jana to rehab,” Torrin suggested, “then decide.”

“I can’t,” Diesel said quietly, setting his cigarette in the ashtray on the desk and not allowing himself to entertain the idea. “I want to…Rebel doesn’t deserve to be a secret. She doesn’t deserve to have her innocence stolen by me.”

“You wouldn’t force her.”

“She’s a minor,” Diesel gritted. “What the fuck is wrong with you motherfuckers? She doesn’t have the maturity to make that fucking decision,” he heard himself say, when for so many weeks, he’d skirted between right and wrong. “I’m not my father.”

“Maybe not—” Narci began, horrifying Diesel.

“You aren’t,” Torrin inserted, flipping off Narci, “but you are unhappy. Jana isn’t the one for you, brother.”

“Jana fucked up,” Diesel snapped. “It’s a situation between she and I. Don’t fucking interfere.”

“We won’t,” Torrin promised.

“Yeah, D. If you go through with your marriage to her, we’ll treat her the same way we always have,” Narci promised.

“Fuck, are you trying to worry him more or ease his fucking mind, asshole?” Torrin scoffed, discarding his cigarette in the same ashtray Diesel’s was burning down.

“I’m marrying Jana,” Diesel swore. One day, he’d meet that bitch at the end of an altar. “It’s best. I just have to get over my anger toward her.”

“You can always stay engaged to her until Rebel turns eighteen,” Narci suggested.

He could, but now that sanity was returning and his anger abating, Diesel didn’t want to mislead Jana. Most times, they were good for each other. He didn’t know what she was like completely sober and, until she went to rehab, he couldn’t give her a fair shot. She deserved that. Tabitha was out of the picture and Rebel had to become a non-issue.

“Can I ask you something, Diesel?” Torrin started again, repeating the same question that led to this bullshit.

Annoyed, Diesel lifted a brow.

“Would you ever let me or Narci—anyone—fuck Rebel with you?”

Diesel growled, low in his throat, black fury and hot jealousy stirring in his gut. “What the fuck gave you that fucking idea even in the smallest recesses of your motherfucking mind? With or without me, keep your fucking cock away from Rebel if you like it attached to you.”

“Didn’t we fuck your fiancée with your full participation?” Narci demanded.