Misfit (Death Dwellers MC #6) (34 page)

Christopher sat at his desk, studying the card that he supposedly gave to Daphne. Whoever had forged his handwriting had done a fucking ace job. Everything about it screamed
him
. Except it wasn’t. Everyone understood what Megan meant to him. Including Megan.
Especially
Megan. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have forgiven him.

Even with her pardon, he wanted to get to the bottom of Daphne’s games. He still believed Kendall was the mastermind. Megan had
already
decided this was behind it. However, his girl also wouldn’t ever outright accuse Kendall, if only to save that bitch’s life.

By hook or fucking crook, Megan would put up a united front on behalf of the fucking club. Not only were she and Kendall his and Johnnie’s old ladies, they were fucking related. They might be a bunch of dysfunctional motherfuckers behind the scenes, but to the world, those two were B-fucking-FFs.

Kendall didn’t fucking realize how much in danger her life was when Christopher
did
notice her. Or she just didn’t fucking care. When he thought like a psycho cunt, that reason made more sense than wanting a fucking job back. With Kendall, he couldn’t be sure. Johnnie had more patience than Christopher ever could. Something else Kendall didn’t understand. As much as Johnnie
still
wanted to fuck Megan, he loved Kendall.

Kendall was a scheming manipulator. For whatever reason, Johnnie admired that. It probably appealed to his psychological torturer side. Her self-image and depression issues brought out Johnnie’s protective instincts.

Cash, on the other hand, would give Daphne dick and dollars. What could Kendall give her? Money, yeah, but so many fucking insults. Daphne would have to be as fucked in the head as Kendall to suffer verbal jabs
and
risk her life just for bills.

Knowing he wouldn’t get answers by sitting the fuck in his office, Christopher got to his feet and walked to the main room, finding Cash, Stretch, Val, Johnnie, Mortician, and Digger at his table. It was early evening and brothers were arriving, some of them looking to eat. Megan had cooked earlier and left the food out, buffet style. She was usually there with their kids, greeting the brothers and seeing to whatever she might’ve forgotten. In the weeks since they’d made up, she’d only come in four times. Kendall’s bullshit might’ve been the fucking reason, though he doubted it. He suspected the real reason was the Bobs being on premises almost every night lately, thanks to Cash.

After getting a bottle from the bar, Christopher went to the table and sat. “Where the girls at?” he asked no one in particular. They hadn’t stepped into the club for the same amount of time as Megan. “Bunny ain’t even been here to see you, Digger.”

“As long as Meggie coming only sometimes, they all will, Prez,” Mortician told him.

“Any leads?” Johnnie asked. “On the sender of the card.”

“Fuck all,” Christopher answered with frustration.

Val sighed. “Damn, Outlaw.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Cash asked, looking at each of them.

“You done e-fuckin-nuff,” Christopher growled. “I sent a copy of the card to Riley. He gettin’ it to a fingerprint analyst. Stretch already pulled the footage. All it show was Daphne going to my office with me and coming out a few minutes later. No suspicious activity. Fuck all.”

Spying Daphne walking into the club, dressed in her Bob-wear, Christopher jumped to his feet, pulling his nine.

Digger sucked in a breath. “Fuck. This bitch not serious.”

“I can’t believe you told her to come here, Cash,” Stretch barked. “In that keyhole thong and high heels?”

“I didn’t!” Cash hurried out as Daphne arrived at the table. He got to his feet, inserting himself between Daphne and Christopher’s line of fire.

“Move the fuck outta the way, Cash. Ain’t givin’ a fuck who told her to fuckin’ come here. I’m fuckin’ her up.”

“You told me to come, Outlaw.” She opened her wallet, which turned out to be a phone carrying case, and pulled up an email on the phone.

Come suck me off before Megan get here

He read the message two more times, growing so angry his hand shook. As sure as he fucking knew the size of his cock, he
knew
Megan was a second or two from walking the fuck in.

“What’s going on now?” Kendall’s exalted exasperation pissed Christopher off a little more. “Oh my God! You’re back, Daphne.”

Daphne smiled. “He wants me to suck him off again.”

“I can’t believe you, Outlaw,” Kendall hissed as Megan walked in and came to the table. “Wanting this slut to suck you off.”

A disbelieving Johnnie pulled Kendall to his side, shoving her behind him.

“Christopher?”

“Look who’s back, Meggie,” Kendall said before Christopher responded to the question in Megan’s voice.

Christopher couldn’t take this anymore. Whatever the fuck was going on no longer mattered. He didn’t even fucking care who’d put Daphne up to her stupid shit.

Jerking Megan to him and holding her against his chest, so she wouldn’t see Daphne’s death, he raised his piece and emptied the clip into Daphne’s head, drowning out Kendall’s scream.

“Fuck, Prez. I got to go home with blood all over me,” Mort complained.

“Christopher!” Johnnie barked around Kendall’s sobs. “You can at least warn motherfuckers so we can move out of splatter range. Fuck all these bits of brain on my T-shirt.”

Christopher tuned them out, caring about fuck all but finally getting this bitch the fuck away from Megan. The sudden halt to the conversations didn’t matter.
Nothing
. He’d been as patient as he could with Daphne. He’d even warned her to leave and never come back.

“You killed her!”

At Kendall’s angry words, Megan shook against him.

“Oh my God!” Kendall sobbed again. “I can’t believe you killed her.”

Johnnie pulled his bitch into his arms and whispered to her, his face a mask of rage.

“Shut her up, Johnnie,” Christopher ordered, cradling Megan’s face between his hands. He kissed her wet cheeks. “I ain’t asked that bitch here. Hear me, Megan?”

“You killed her,” Megan squeaked out.

“I gave that bitch a bunch of chances. Too many chances. More than she deserved. But now she comin’ the fuck in here with some fake ass message. Any fuckin’ body coulda sent a email from my goddamn account. My patience only last so fuckin’ far.”

“Fuck, not much left to her head.”

Megan flinched at Digger’s words.

“Just get her out of here,” Christopher ordered.

“Prez, blood and brain matter every fucking where,” Mortician said. “You going to have to carry Meggie girl out, although the back of her full of Daphne.”

  Megan shook a little more, though Kendall’s hysterics drowned out her tears.

“Red, girl, calm down,” Digger said.

“Come on.” Not waiting for Kendall to move, Johnnie swept her into his arms and carried her out.

Mort began clearing Daphne’s body away, while Val and Digger got mops, bleach, and hot water. Stretch sat in a chair and started to clean up the area closest to him. The clear regret on Cash’s face revealed he hadn’t meant for this bitch to get killed.

Christopher kissed Megan’s forehead. “Listen up, fuckheads. This a fuckin’ warnin’. My patience fuckin’ gone. I’m shootin’ first and askin’ questions later, so if you wanna stay the fuck alive, stay the fuck outta my way.”

His point made, he lifted his girl into his arms and stalked the fuck away.

Christopher had officially walked the fuck out. They’d wanted Outlaw?

Well, he was fucking back.

Despite Kendall firing her, Fee spent a sleepless night concerned about her, after receiving a call from Meggie, regarding Daphne’s death. Meggie assured Fee that she was fine and then explained Kendall’s hysteria after what they’d all witnessed. Apparently, Christopher had pulled Meggie to him before shooting Daphne in the head, without warning anyone.

Note to self: Look away if she ever saw her brother shielding Meggie’s eyes and pulling his weapon.

Meggie didn’t believe she was the best person to check on Kendall, given their recent disagreements. Fee agreed. Meggie didn’t know a smidgeon of Kendall’s antics. Right now, thanks to Charlotte’s goading, she wasn’t the most stable. Fee didn’t trust the outcome of a meeting between Kendall and Meggie, therefore, she’d agreed to go to Kendall.

The woman’s ambivalent personality made it almost impossible to maintain a good relationship. Nevertheless, Fee understood that whatever drove her to mayhem was uncontrollable and didn’t discriminate. Daphne had been caught in Kendall’s all-encompassing net, at the ultimate cost. Kendall would condemn herself for Daphne’s death before somehow laying the blame on Meggie.

After witnessing Kendall’s behavior at the dinner, Fee believed Kendall would fault Meggie for every calamity that befell her. In spite of, or maybe
because of
, Fee’s affinity to both of them, she felt responsible for this entire situation. If she would’ve done the job Christopher hired her to do, this could’ve been avoided.

More than that, Kendall was family, and families stuck together, no matter what.

Keeping that uppermost in her mind, Fee arrived at Kendall’s house bright and early. Without speaking, Jane opened the door and let her in.

Fee straightened her shoulders, in no mood for the housekeeper’s snobbery. “Would you please tell Mrs. Donovan I’m here?”

Before Jane answered, Johnnie strolled down the hall, changing direction when he spotted Fee. “Hold on a minute, Ella,” he said as the nanny rushed to catch up to him. “Fee, what are you doing here?”

“I didn’t know you were here,” Fee responded.

“I was trying to settle my wife before I left.”

Fee nodded. “I-I’m concerned about her, too.” At his lifted brow, she cleared her throat. “Um, you know, after what happened yesterday.”

“Nothing’s a secret in the club,” he said tightly, clearly unamused.

Fee wouldn’t mention Meggie’s call, especially in front of Jane and Ella. “I’ve come to check on Kendall.”

Bending, Johnnie kissed her cheek, the anger lifting from his features. “Thanks, Fee. She can use a friend.”

If only Kendall believed that she did have friends in both Fee and Meggie. “Where is she?”

“She’ll appear at any moment,” Johnnie answered. “I convinced her to come down for coffee. Why don’t we go to the kitchen to wait for her?”

“Sure.” Without waiting, Fee headed to the kitchen and pressed the button on the simple coffeemaker. Simple, according to Kendall’s standards. After leaning against the counter, Fee realized how comfortable she’d made herself, as if she still worked there. “I’m sorry for overstepping my bounds,” she said to Johnnie, who’d followed her.

“You’re fine, sweetheart.” Johnnie faced the nanny. Fee was happy Jane chose not to go into the kitchen with them. “Ella, my wife’s not feeling well today, so take special care to keep Rory away from her and Matilda quiet.”

“Of course, Mr. Donovan,” Ella responded, then straightened, a step away from standing at attention and saluting as Kendall shuffled into the kitchen. “Oh, Mrs. Donovan,” she clucked. “Good morning, ma’am.”

Tears streaked Kendall’s puffy eyes and she sniffled, rubbing a lacy handkerchief across her reddened nose. “Morning, Ella,” she mumbled, trancelike and wide-eyed.

“I was just going to Mr. Rory and Miss Matilda.”

“Hi, Kendall,” Fee said, ignoring Ella bustling away.

Kendall’s gaze fell on Fee and recognition cleared her face. “Fee? Oh, Fee,” she sobbed, rushing to Fee and throwing her arms around her. “He killed her. He shot her! He shot her.” She wailed so pitifully that tears rushed to Fee’s eyes. “He killed her.”

Johnnie pulled Kendall into his arms and stroked her hair, crooning softly to her. “It’s not your fault, gorgeous.”

“No, it isn’t,” Fee agreed.

“Yes, it is!” Kendall shrieked wildly. “I wanted…Oh my God! I used her to…and now… I can’t believe…she’s
dead
!”

“Let’s have coffee at the table.” Johnnie guided Kendall to the dining room and onto a chair, then sat on the seat next to her and took her hand in his. “Fee, get her some coffee.”

Fee rushed to do Johnnie’s bidding, ignoring Jane’s hawk-eyed stare. Being a recommendation from Charlotte explained Jane’s disapproval and made her easy to ignore. When she returned to the dining room, she found Kendall leaning on Johnnie’s shoulder, sobbing softly.

“I have your coffee, Kendall.” Fee set the mug near her.

“Gorgeous, I have to leave,” Johnnie told her. “Christopher’s called a meeting, and I have to be there.” He turned to Fee. “Can you stay until I return?”

“Oh, absolutely,” she answered without hesitation, her heart breaking for Kendall.

Standing, Johnnie bent and kissed her on the mouth. “See, sweetheart? No one’s angry with you, especially not Fee.”

“Thank you, Fee,” Kendall said on a sniffle. “I’m so sorry I fired you.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Fee said, sitting next to Kendall, in the seat Johnnie had occupied. “We’re family—”

“I’ll call you as soon as I can,” Johnnie interrupted, planting another kiss on Kendall’s lips before strolling out of the room.

“Oh, Fee.” Kendall sucked in a breath.

“It’s okay,” Fee reassured her, taking her hand and squeezing. “Go back to bed until you feel better.”

“Yes, but come with me. Please, don’t leave me. Christopher might’ve called Johnnie away from the house to come in and murder me.”

“No! Christopher wouldn’t shoot you in cold blood. You have to stop stressing.”

Instead of responding, Kendall got up and stumbled out of the room, leaving Fee no choice but to follow her. In the bedroom, Fee once again admired the gray and black décor, huge bed, elaborate chandelier, and stone fireplace. While Fee headed to the sofa, Kendall threw herself across the bed.

“Remember the baby.”

“That’s so easy for you to say. All of it! You haven’t pissed off that fucking barbarian. I never thought he’d kill her! He’s an abusive liar. He always claimed he’d never hurt women. I knew he did. My worry for Meggie was justified, but all the stupid cunt ever does is protect him.”

“Kendall, stop! Meggie isn’t what you called her. My brother isn’t abusive. From what I understand, he warned Daphne to back off several times.” According to Meggie. Since she had no reason to lie, Fee believed her. “Daphne chose to continue with her stupid games for whatever reason. Her death is on her. It isn’t your fault and it isn’t Meggie’s fault.”

“It
is
my fault. I believed Christopher when he said he didn’t hurt women.”

“If you believed him, then why is it so hard to believe Meggie when she says my brother doesn’t abuse her?”

“What does that matter?” Kendall cried. “I trusted
him
, and Daphne trusted me, and I got her killed.”

Getting up, Fee went to the bed and sat on it, rubbing Kendall’s back. She ran through what might soothe Kendall’s guilt and panic. “It wasn’t your fault,” she insisted again, needing to reiterate that until it got through to Kendall.

“Then whose was it?”

“Daphne’s,” she reminded her.

Kendall face-planted on a loud moan.

Worried, Fee furrowed her brow. “Um, and Christopher’s.”

“How did you reach that conclusion?” Still face down, Kendall was hard to understand, her words muffled by the comforter.

“Daphne didn’t have to comply with your schemes.”

Kendall lifted her head and glanced over her shoulder. Fee continued to rub her back. “Well, no, but how is it Christopher’s fault? He’s your brother. Why would you even blame him?”

That should’ve been obvious. “He’s the one who shot her,” Fee said on a sigh. “She complied with your demands to fuck over him and his marriage. You both knew that wasn’t smart. Anything affecting Meggie is taboo. She gambled her life for money, and lost.” It had to have been a lot of money for Daphne to risk herself as she had.

“So Christopher shot her,” Kendall sneered, vacillating between despair and disgust. “He disregarded the fact that she was a woman. Now…now…oh my God!” she sobbed. “He’ll probably kill me.” Her voice trembled as tears slid down her cheeks.

Fee had never seen Kendall in such a state, disheveled and falling apart. She’d never seen her so vulnerable and genuinely afraid.

Leaning over, she got a tissue from a silver holder and passed it to Kendall. “Dry your eyes,” she said gently. “Christopher won’t kill you.”

“He will! He hates me. He’s been wanting me dead since first meeting me. What will become of my children when he murders me? I don’t want Meggie raising them. She’s the first person Johnnie will run to. Then she’ll have both of them.” Kendall bolted upright and grabbed Fee’s shirt. “Oh my God! You have to hide me before he hunts me down, ravishes me, and then strangles me.”

Ravish?

“Or…or…or stabs me two hundred times, and keeps my head as a trophy. Or…”

“Kendall!” Fee screeched. “Stop it. Are you listening to yourself? You’re becoming hysterical.”

“No one’s threatening to have sex with you before shooting you twenty times.”

Fee shook her. “No one’s threatening to do any of that to you. Stop it before you make yourself sick.”

“I’m so terrified,” she screamed. “Tell me how to save my life. Johnnie’s life. Christopher is going to blow the back of Johnnie’s head off, take me without mercy, and then cut me into small, little pieces, taking chunks out of me while I’m still alive.”

“Listen to me,” Fee shouted, shaking her again before taking her wet cheeks between her hands. “It’s over. All right? I promise you have nothing to worry about. If my brother wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.”

Her lips trembling, Kendall thought for a moment, then swallowed. “W-would I?”

“Yes.”

“Why would he spare me? He shot Johnnie.”

“He shot him, but he didn’t kill him. You know why? We’re family. Family. We. Are.
Family
. Christopher’s really big on family. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, what you’ll do, he won’t hurt you. He holds family in the highest regard. You’re Johnnie’s wife and you’re pregnant. If one of those facts doesn’t save you, then the other will.”

“Right.” Kendall pulled away from Fee’s hold and squeezed her tissue into a ball. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, like a light went off in her head. “You’re right.” New confidence strengthened her tone. “If he killed me, he’d hurt Johnnie. He wouldn’t do that. No matter what I do, just like you said.” Smiling, she sat up and hugged Fee. “The barbaric Neanderthal.”

“Kendall!”

“I…all right…I’ll lay off the name calling.”

“Please do. Now, what would you like to do until Johnnie returns? Do you want to shower and then spend some time with Rory and Matilda?”