A Very Christopher Christmas (A Death Dwellers MC Novella) (12 page)

Stiffening, he narrowed his eyes. “I beg your pardon.”
 

“I spoke loud and clear, Johnnie,” Meggie retorted. “What happened to you? How did you go from being Johnnie to…
you
?”
 

“I’m still me. But I’m me with a wife. I’m me supporting his woman.”
 

“You’re ‘you’…” she used air quotations, “letting your woman walk all over you.” It still irritated her that Kendall had walked into the bathroom while Christopher was in only a towel and that was making her grouchy. She had no reason to insult Johnnie. She released a noisy breath. “Forget I said that.”
 

“No. Tell me what the fuck that’s supposed to mean,” he ordered. “Because as I see it, you walk all over Christopher.”
 

“There’s a difference,” Meggie insisted, gentling her tone and softening toward Johnnie at his confusion and irritation. “I listen to Christopher and he listens to me. We hear
each other
. He lets me get away with only so much—”
 

“Which is everything.” He indicated her belly. “Your latest pregnancy is an example. You weren’t supposed to have the twins and you shouldn’t be pregnant this time. Instead of covering his cock or keeping it out of you so he won’t risk your life—or even forcing you on birth control—he has you spitting out baby after baby.”
 

“You’ll leave Christopher out of this. As a matter of fact, if you want to say anything to me about my husband, you’ll say it with respect or keep it to yourself. Tell me what you want and then leave,” Meggie demanded. His words outraged her. Her pregnancy wasn’t his business and she certainly wouldn’t discuss it with him, given her current condition. She might say the wrong thing and then Johnnie would run to Christopher and upset him even more.
 

Johnnie finished the second beer and grabbed a third. “I want us to be friends,” he said after downing half the contents. “The same thing Kendall wants with Christopher. This is the holiday season. A time for cheer and new beginnings.”
 

The same thing Kendall wants with Christopher.
 

The statement rolled around in Meggie’s head and she snatched her pillow and pitched it in his direction. “You’re a moron for letting Kendall talk you into this. This is the problem. It’s always about her. When is it about anyone else? Even you? You know how you were saying all that crap just now about my pregnancy and what Christopher should do? Well, sometimes, it’s up to you to tell Kendall when she’s going too far instead of allowing her free reign on everyone. For instance her meds. You should’ve taken a firm stand and demanded she not stop them. You know as well as I do that she has to be miserable but as long as you don’t stand up for yourself, you’re not standing up for her. She wanted to talk to Christopher, so she invaded my bedroom without consideration to his state of undress.”
 

“His state of undress? What the hell are you talking about?”
 

“Why does that matter to you, considering you did the same thing to me?” she fumed, ignoring his question. If the idiot didn’t know Kendall had cornered Christopher in the bathroom, she wasn’t going to tell him. “Never mind. Just go, Johnnie. You want us to be friends? I’ll give you another chance. That’s what families do. Forgive each other their faults.”
 

He scowled, looking as if he wanted to press the issue of her meaning, then he sighed. “I’m sorry if I hurt you when I yelled at and shoved you. That wasn’t my intention. I needed you to move so we could get Christopher in bed.”
 

“If that was the only time, I could understand. But every time something is wrong, you take it out on me or Christopher.”
 

“I know, and I’ll try to do better.”
 

She nodded. “Okay. Now, would you please get out of my bedroom?”
 

“Sure, sweetheart,” he said, the relief in his eyes unmistakable.
 

 

“Where the fuck the Christmas shit?” Christopher growled, trying not to let Johnnie and Kendall’s visit ruin the evening. It hadn’t with Megan. She stood next to him in the garage, wearing candy stripe pajamas that matched CJ’s, Rule’s, and Rebel’s and purchased for this occassion. She hadn’t even wasted fucking money buying a pair for Christopher. She knew he wouldn’t be caught fucking dead in that stupid looking shit, although on her, with her round belly, it looked a-fucking-dorable.
 

“Some of the boxes are along that wall and the rest are in the attic,” she answered, pointing to the back wall of their garage as CJ and Rebel chased one another, screaming at the top of their lungs.
 

To get Rebel’s attention, Rule grabbed her hair and jerked, sending her on her little ass. In response, CJ shoved Rule to the ground as Rebel collapsed over in tears.
 

“Stupid fuckhay!” he yelled. “You hurt Webel.”
 

Megan rushed to them and kneeled down, annoying the fuck out of Christopher.
 

“Yo, baby, you stand the fuck up. Rule, come the fuck here. Rebel, go to your ma and let her check you,” he instructed as CJ helped Rebel to her feet.
 

“Okay, Web?” CJ asked.
 

She nodded as Megan dusted her off, ignoring the fuck out of Christopher’s orders. The only one who listened was Rule. His boy was already standing next to him, looking up, tears filling his eyes. Not because he was afraid of Christopher, but because of CJ’s treatment.
 

Christopher lifted him into his arms. “It’s okay, boy,” he promised. “All the fuck you gotta do is join them little heathens runnin’ all the fuck ‘round. Okay?”
 

Rule nodded. “Okay.”
 

Like Christopher, Rule’s hair was black and straight and had been from birth. Megan had recently cut CJ’s hair and he’d lost his curls.
 

“You all right. Hear me, Rule?”
 

Green eyes, identical to his own, stared back at him.
 

“And you gotta stand up to your brother. I love the lil’ motherfucker, but if you let him get the fuck away with shit, he gonna kick your fuckin’ ass up and down this motherfucker. Don’t let no motherfucker intimidate you. Under-fuckin-stand?”
 

Megan glared at him as she got to her feet and helped Rebel to hers. “Language, Christopher.”
 

He smirked at her, his bad fucking mood floating away at her exasperation.
 

“You gotta admit I’m fuckin’ better.”
 

“You are.”
 

“Wasn’t even no bloodshed to-fuckin-night. I just let the motherfucker walk the fuck out.”
 

“Yep.” She said nothing else. Probably didn’t want to set him the fuck off.
 

After Christopher had gone to the den expecting to find Johnnie and Kendall and had only found Kendall, he’d been fucking furious.
 

“So Johnnie ain’t here?” he’d yelled.
 

“Yes, he’s talking to Megan.”
 

“Megan upstairs in our fuckin’ bedroom. How the fuck…”
 

He couldn’t believe the triumph in Kendall’s eyes and knew Johnnie had gotten to the third floor using the back staircase.
 

“I’ma rip his fuckin’ dick off.”
 

“You curse too much,” Kendall had called, halting him. “In case you’ve forgotten you have children.”
 

“Know what? You breathe too much, so shut the fuck up,” he’d retorted, then rounded on her. “This was a fuckin’ setup, yeah? You get my ass while John Boy talk to Megan. Or, fuckin’ maybe, you two fuckheads find me and Megan where we can’t run the fuck away and gotta listen? But, bitch, you fuckin’ lucky I ain’t fuckin’ pulled you in the goddamn shower and drowned the fuck outta you. Solve my fuckin’ problems and John Boy dilemma over what the fuck to do with you.”
 

“He loves me. There’s nothing to do with me.”
 

“Fuck you up.
There’s
something that bring a smile to my goddamn face.”
 

“I hate you.”
 

Why the fuck had he engaged Kendall, he didn’t fucking know. Megan hadn’t talked to Johnnie in fucking months. If she said anything to him now, it wouldn’t be anything the motherfucker particularly liked. It just seemed like a good fucking idea to handle Kendall while Megan put John Boy in his fucking place.
 

After Christopher put Kendall out, he’d started upstairs and found Johnnie on his way down.
 

“I just wanted to talk to Megan.”
 

“And your bitch wanted to talk to me. You motherfuckers got what the fuck you wanted so get the fuck out.”
 

“Where’s Kendall?”
 

“Already fuckin’ out.”
 

Johnnie had scowled. “You made her leave?”
 

“Ain’t asked her here in the first goddamn place.”
 

That was all it took to get rid of Johnnie. Instead of going to Megan immediately, he’d gotten a fucking drink and she’d come down half an hour after Johnnie stormed out. Although she’d had the kids, she’d told Christopher exactly what went down. Her words made him one happy motherfucker. Hopefully, she’d gotten through to John Boy when not a motherfucker alive seemed to get through to his bitch. She was just fucking asking to be fucked up.
 

“Christopher?”
 

He smiled at the question in Megan’s voice. “Just thinkin’ ‘bout them two motherfuckers.”
 

“Thank you for not getting too angry about Johnnie coming in our room.”
 

“Fuck, my ass fuckin’ pissed, but what the fuck you told him saved his fuckin’ ass. Besides, his fuckin’ bitch finally drove him the fuck over the edge. Motherfucker went insane like her.”
 

“Let’s just focus on our original plans.”
 

“Sound like a fuckin’ plan to me.” He crooked his finger at CJ. “Come on, boy. Me and you goin’ look in the attic. Hang tight. Okay, baby?”
 

“I’ll get the egg nog and roasted apples.”
 

Every year, Megan found recipes online to try during the holidays. Christopher looked forward to sampling the dishes, even tasting the virgin egg nog she’d made last year for CJ. The twins had been too young then and she and Christopher had added rum to their drink—although this year she’d have to stick to the non-alcoholic version.
 

After an hour of bringing shit to the garage with CJ’s help, they finally had everything in place. A table had been set up with the bowl of egg nog and mugs. Next to it were dishes containing roasted apples, buttered pecans, and sugar cookies.
 

“Where the twins?” he asked.
 

“They were tired, so Bunny took them upstairs,” Megan responded.
 

Not answering, Christopher poured rum from his flask into one of the mugs, then added a drop of egg nog and downed it. When Megan handed CJ his mug, he mimicked Christopher and gulped it.
 

CJ set his mug down and ran to the lawn decorations. “Woodolph, MegAnn,” he piped up.
 

“Yes, buddy,
Rudolph
.”
 

Megan worried that their boy had a speech impediment. Christopher figured he needed more time to develop pronouncing his ‘Rs’.
 

“I want Woodolph in my woom.”
 

“That motherfucker too big for inside, boy.” Christopher fixed more egg nog and rum. “He fuckin’ belong in the yard.”
 

Megan scowled at him and dropped into the chair. “Christopher!”
 

“Oh, yeah, language, huh, baby? Listen up, boy. Reindeer keep their asses outside. They ain’t no lap dogs. Even big ass wire ones.”
 

“‘Kay, ‘Law.” He ran to the table, grabbed the ladle and scooped egg nog into it, transferring it to where his mug sat at the edge. He spilled more of the liquid than he actually poured. “Where Dee-Sell?”
 

Heading off Megan before she hurried to CJ to give him more egg nog and clean up the mess with the napkins next to the punch bowl, Christopher did the tasks himself. “Yeah. Where the fuck he at, baby?” He hadn’t seen Diesel all evening.
 

“He went to a movie with some of his school friends,” Megan answered. “He’ll be home shortly. For now, help me go through the decorations for inside while Daddy tests the lights.”
 

“Yeah, for when the fuck…Megan. Lemme see. I’ma separate the outside shit for when the Probates come to light the fuckin’ house and yard. Better, baby?”
 

Shaking her head and laughing, Megan rolled her eyes as CJ ran to one of the boxes and started picking away the tape.