Misfit (Death Dwellers MC #6) (20 page)

Kendall shrugged and changed the subject, knowing she’d won. “Do you like your gift?”

“Thank you but I’m not interested in it. Keep it.”
And shove it.

“Don’t be silly,” she said indignantly. “I bought it for you. We’re friends.”

Fee glared at Kendall.

“We are!” Kendall insisted. “You’ve got to believe me. I wanted you to help me, of your own free will, not through any other means.”

“What would you have done if I hadn’t told you my secret? You had nothing to use against me.”

“I do believe there’s the matter of a party you attended, one where you disappeared with Stretch, and reappeared with both him and Cash.”

Fee gasped, appalled. “You knew about the three of us?”

“Daphne told me you were there. Neither of us know with absolute certainty that Cash fucked you. We suspected.
You
confirmed it.”

Fee shook her head, hurt at how neatly Kendall lured her into a web. Time and again, she believed in the wrong people, and had her trust trampled.

“As for that camera, it’s yours. You were going to school to be a filmmaker. I’d think you’d be very happy with the gift. Then, again, I never hear you talk about filming movies. Nothing to indicate that’s your true passion.”

“I took theatre in high school as an elective. We had two video projects to complete and I enjoyed it so much, I thought I wanted to pursue that career. Then, my mother was killed, and it didn’t seem so appealing.”

“It was ridiculous to begin with, Fee. You need a realistic profession. As your friend, it’s my duty to point that out. Right?”

“Fuck no!” Fee snapped. “You’re confused about what your duty really is. I hope you don’t discourage Matilda and Rory if they have what you feel are unrealistic dreams.”

“My children will grow up as grounded and pragmatic as I am. Rory will be a doctor and Matilda the head of a company, so fuck off.”

Kendall sounded so certain, Fee didn’t want to waste her breath reminding her that her son and daughter might feel differently. Besides, Kendall had an amazing ability to tune out whatever she didn’t want to hear.

For the rest of the day, the weight of Kendall’s intentions wore on her. She went back and forth about walking away from the job, and giving Christopher some lame excuse as to the reasons why. Just as quickly, Fee would decide to stick it out, rationalizing that once Kendall achieved her goals, things would return to normal. Kendall would feel whole again. Being back at work would also occupy her time and keep her out of trouble. It would give Fee a legitimate reason to stop working for Kendall. One that Christopher could accept. She certainly wouldn’t need Fee’s assistance at the firm.

Before any of that happened, though, a lot was at stake and anything could go wrong.

Tomorrow morning, first thing, she’d visit her brother. Test the waters. If she saw something amiss…Oh my God! What would she do?

She had to tell Cash and Stretch
tonight
. Warn them that they might go public with their relationship sooner rather than later.

“We’re done for the day,” Kendall announced as she walked back into the room after having disappeared a couple of hours ago.

Uninterested in talking, Fee nodded, then opened the drawer to get her purse, a cute hobo bag she’d purchased a few weeks ago during a shopping day with Meggie and Zoann.

Zoann.

Fee groaned at the thought of Zoann’s reaction to Fee being party to Kendall’s mischief. Her sister would be angry with Fee and furious with Kendall.

Her mood dipping a little lower, Fee stood and put her bag across her shoulder. “Later,” she mumbled, heading for the door.

“Wait, Fee. Please! You’ll return to work tomorrow, right?”

“Does it matter? Or if I don’t will you find something else to blackmail me for?”

Kendall flushed. “You have to come back tomorrow. Otherwise, this won’t work. What reason would I give to Johnnie for you not returning?”

“You weren’t thinking about Johnnie earlier.” Kendall didn’t need to know that Fee wouldn’t have a good excuse for Christopher if she suddenly quit. “I’ll be back. For me, not you. I need the money,” she lied.” Not about needing money. After all, she had expenses. But about needing
Kendall’s
money. If not for Christopher, Fee would’ve found a job someplace else.

“Afternoon, ladies.”

“Speak of the devil,” Fee mumbled under her breath at Johnnie’s greeting.

Close enough to hear Fee, Kendall laughed nervously. “Fee was just leaving. It’s almost six o’clock.”

Johnnie came and kissed Fee’s cheek. “Have a good evening, sweetheart. I think I’ll take advantage of Ella’s late night and escort my gorgeous wife to dinner.”

“Yeah, okay. See you two later.”

Seeing Johnnie’s roguish wink to Kendall, Fee couldn’t understand the woman’s mindset. He wouldn’t be happy with Kendall’s plans, would he? Maybe, she needed to tell him. On the other hand, Fee doubted he’d want
her
with both Cash and Stretch. Just as Kendall pointed out. Then, Cash and Stretch would still be in jeopardy. If she confessed to Kendall’s actions, then she’d have to tell him how his wife had gotten Fee to agree.

“Hey, um, is Christopher still at the club?”

“No. He’s riding with Megan. Why?”

“Just wondering who was there. I, um, I was thinking about Mother’s Day, you know? I wanted to throw Meggie and Zoann a dinner or something.”

Lifting her eyebrows, Kendall cleared her throat. Not that Fee was surprised. Mother’s Day was almost five weeks away.

“You, too, of course. And…and Bailey.”

“How sweet. Of course, Meggie isn’t Outlaw’s mother. Or yours. There’s no reason for either of you to give her anything.”

“I’ll keep that in mind when I’m planning what to buy you for Mother’s Day, gorgeous.”

“Oh, please, Johnnie. You’re required to buy me something from Rory and Matilda. It’ll teach them to honor me as they grow up.”

“Just as Christopher may want to buy something to give to Meggie from their kids,” Fee said tightly.

“That’s different from what you want to arrange,” Kendall responded.

Fee threw her a dirty look. “It was just a thought.” A hasty, ill-advised one, taken from Kendall’s playbook of distraction and diversion.

“I like the way you think,” Johnnie assured her. “Why don’t you call Christopher? I’m sure he’ll love the idea.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that, I guess.”

“Anyone else there, my love?” Kendall jumped on Fee’s discomfort. “Stretch?”

“He’s there. Doing fuck-all. I don’t know what’s going to get through to him. Why? He wouldn’t want to hear about Mother’s Day.”

“What is there to get through to him?” Fee asked, shooting daggers at Kendall, grateful she hadn’t said Cash’s name.

“A bunch of shit, Fee,” Johnnie admitted. “He’s not himself and hasn’t been for a while.”

Kendall studied her nails. “Maybe, you could talk to him, Fee. Aren’t you two friends?”

“It’s worth a shot,” Johnnie answered, unfazed by Kendall’s announcement. No one saw Stretch as a threat. “About the only other girl who hasn’t talked to him is my Kendall. Megan has, as have Zoann, Bunny, and Bailey. He’s still lost.”

“He’s still full of self-pity,” Kendall corrected. “It isn’t bringing Hanson back. It’s only pulling
him
down.”

“I’m heading out,” Fee said, uninterested in Johnnie’s response, wanting away from Kendall’s baiting. “I’ll stop in and say ‘hi’ to Stretch.”

“Do that,” Johnnie responded.

Without another word, Fee headed to her car, sighing at the cloudy skies. It looked as if it would be a rainy night, so she needed to pop in at the club and get home before the heavens opened. She was also unsure how long Christopher and Meggie would be out.

Instead of walking along the pathway, she jumped in her car and drove the access road that Christopher had paved specifically for the girls to have their cars at their houses instead of at the club. She parked along the perimeter of the clubhouse, near where the road began.

A few bikes filled the parking lot, including Cash’s. Perfect.

The moment she walked in, she spotted Cash and Stretch at Christopher’s table, eating. Cash had his back to her. Other members were grouped in twos and threes at various tables. Four were engaged in a game of pool. Potter leaned against the bar, plate in hand. As he scarfed down his food, he also looked at the monitors above the bar.

“Fee!” Slipper shouted from the pool table area, spying her first since she hadn’t moved from the doorway. “Prez not here. Him and Meggie going for a spin.”

“Okay, thanks.”

He nodded toward the table. “Cash and Stretch here, though. Cash looking pretty fucked up. Know anything about that?”

Fee frowned. “What?”

“Nothing. See for yourself.”

All the invitation she needed. “Yeah, I think I’ll tell them hello.”

Slipper snickered. “I bet you will.”

Ignoring the taunt, Fee made her way to the table where Cash slid his empty plate away and leaned back, sipping on his beer. He straightened at her approach and turned his face toward her. A bruise bloomed on his swollen jaw and chin. The skin around his eye was discolored, too.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he snarled, the moment she got into earshot, as if he didn’t look like he’d engaged in a boxing match.

By sheer will, she ignored her inclination to touch his bruises and check the extent of his injuries for herself before soothing away his pain. “What happened to you?”

“Don’t worry about what happened to me. Answer me. What are you doing here?”

Stretch shoveled mashed potatoes into his mouth, chasing the food with rum. “There’s no law that says she can’t come to the club.”

Without invitation, she dropped into the chair closest to her, next to Cash, noting something had changed in the way Stretch acted toward her. “Thank you, Stretch.”

Cash finished his beer, then barreled to his feet. Face paling, he swayed and clutched his gut.

“Are you okay?” she asked, ignoring her eye level with the bulge in his pants. The man was hot, even all bruised up.

“Fine,” he gritted, still intending to leave.

She couldn’t allow him to walk away, and she wouldn’t beg him to tell her about his injuries. She grabbed his wrist. “I need to talk to you.”

His blue eyes burned into her. “What?”

“Sit down,” she ordered. “This is important. It’s about Kendall.”

“Not interested,” he said flatly. “I steer clear of her. She’s a fucking handful and a half. Let Johnnie handle her.”

“What about Kendall?” Stretch asked, the quiet, still waters that ran very deep.

If only she could help him over whatever demons chased him. Her gaze fell to the scar on his face. It was ugly and brutal, but it gave him character, added intensity to his otherwise boyish looks. Most of the time, she barely took note of it. But it was as if she was just meeting him and wanted to drink in every fine detail of his features.

Searching for a way to fix her mouth to admit what she’d done, she rushed through her explanation, then fell silent.

Cash dropped back into his seat, wiping the sweat popping off his brow.

“I’m sorry,” she said when they both continued to stare at her.

“I can’t fucking believe you,” Cash finally said. “Of all the fucking women around here, you chose Kendall to open your fucking mouth to. You did this shit on purpose, to force my hand. It hasn’t worked. All it’s done is pissed me the fuck off.”

“I’m sorry, Cash. I wanted to unburden myself.”

Stretch studied her. “You do realize what you’re doing, don’t you? You let Kendall in on what should’ve been kept between us, and you’re forcing us to withhold this from your brother. If we go to him with Kendall’s intentions, he’ll want to know how we found out.”

“He sure the fuck will,” Cash spat. “He knows we don’t deal with Johnnie’s woman.”

“We’d have to tell him
you
told us.”

“No, please!” He’d also want to know why she hadn’t come to him with this, thus doing the job he’d hired her to do. “He’d never forgive me.”

“And he’d fucking kill us!” Cash said on a whisper-yell. “He’s fucking serious about having his orders followed.”

“Daphne is one of your girls, Cash,” Stretch told him. “Maybe, you can talk some sense into her.”

“I’ll try my fucking best. Maybe, if I give her enough dick I can convince her to back off.”

Fee fought back tears at his words. He was being unnecessarily cruel. She regretted her mistake, but he didn’t have to throw another woman in her face. Usually, Stretch offered disapproval at Cash’s tactics. This time, he only nodded.

“I’m sorry,” Fee said miserably.

“Sorry isn’t good enough,” Stretch told her, getting to his feet. “This is a huge problem. Kendall is no one’s friend.”

“You both are being unfair. To her and to me. I can almost understand why she’s desperate enough to do this.”