Misfit (Death Dwellers MC #6) (64 page)

More than one issue with Kendall was at work. Killing Brooks wasn’t the answer and it would cross a line. “He’s a club attorney. Wouldn’t Outlaw have to sanction it?”

“He’d understand.”

Maybe. Maybe not. Outlaw still had a club to run. The attorney had already proven himself loyal.

“Brooks has been at our side for a lot. I’m sure we’ll find another attorney, but it’ll be a process.”

“Then, I’ll kill Charlotte. That bitch hates me.”

Johnnie needed to kill to calm the beast inside of him. The one he hid with his charm.

“Killing Charlotte’s an option,” Cash agreed. “I suggest you wait until after Outlaw’s released. Otherwise, Brooks will be too torn up.”

“He loves her as much as I love Kendall. Kendall,” Johnnie repeated, as if saying her name calmed him. “Kendall can tell me anything, but she won’t talk. If she’d admit her attraction to Christopher, I’d tell her I understand. She’s human. Of course, she’ll notice other people.”

“John Boy, what the fuck all those bitches doing in the main room?” Val asked, coming into the hallway and interrupting the conversation.

“For Cash, I suppose,” he said with a shrug. Whether Potter had called him and alerted him or if he was just too wrapped up in his Kendall problems, he sounded quite unconcerned. “Daphne hasn’t been replaced yet.”

Val narrowed his eyes at Cash. “Interesting.”

“What?” Johnnie asked, hearing the sarcasm in Val’s voice.

So Val knew about him and Fee. That had to be the reason he looked as if he wanted to fuck Cash up. Cash imagined him running to Zoann with the news.

“It isn’t what you think, Val.”

“It’s exactly as I think, motherfucker.”

“What are you two talking about?” Johnnie asked in confusion.

That was the difference between him and Outlaw. Johnnie was lost in his personal dilemma, so he couldn’t see Cash’s problem revolved around Fee. Somehow, Outlaw doted on Meggie but still kept a pulse on the club. He would’ve known immediately what bothered Cash.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you about giving up my position with the Bobs,” he said, skirting around the issue of Fee. “Stretch and I are going to give it another go. I want to do right by him.”

A half-truth. He also wanted to do right by Fee.

“Do you have a replacement in mind?” Johnnie questioned.

No, he didn’t. All his friends were happily married, so he couldn’t ask them to do the interviews. They’d decline. They knew how to balance their families with their club lives. Something that took compromise on everyone’s part.

“What about Potter?” Val threw out into the silence. “He’ll patch in in a couple of months.”

A couple of months wasn’t good enough. Cash needed a solution
now
. He hadn’t even been able to be at the house to greet Fee upon her release because he had to be at the club. To have his cock sucked. The flowers he’d had delivered to the house wouldn’t be good enough. Not only would she insist on him and Stretch being together without her, the knowledge of why he hadn’t visited would disgust her.

Johnnie’s phone rang again. Glowering, he answered on the second ring. “What, Megan? Oh, hey, son. Yeah, I’m on my way. Sure, we can talk until I get there like Aunt Meggie suggested.” He moved the phone from his ear. “My son needs me. I have to go.”

“Keep your cool,” Cash advised, not truly understanding Johnnie’s turmoil until today. He’d been too wrapped up in himself to notice anything halfway serious. “You love her.”

Nodding, Johnnie walked off. “Do whatever you need to with the Bobs, Cash,” he called.

“Don’t tell Zoann,” Cash said the moment he and Val were alone.

Val huffed out a breath. “Don’t fuck over Fee.”

“I won’t.” A promise he meant to keep.

“You don’t even want to, do you?”

Cash shook his head.

“I’ll take over bartending duties for the rest of the afternoon from Potter, and tell him to prepare to have his cock sucked raw. Does a man good to return to his roots. I started out as a bartender here.”

Cash hadn’t expected Val’s help, but appreciated it. “Thanks, brother.”

“Outlaw not clued in because he not around. Johnnie can’t see past Kendall. All the rest of us
know
. That mean Meggie going to start working on Outlaw as soon as he released. We all putting our asses on the line for you. Don’t fuck it up.”

“I won’t,” Cash promised again, knowing Outlaw would only forgive Meggie and Zoann for keeping the secret. The rest of them? Not so much. “Thank you.”

“Another word of advice.”

“What’s that?”

“You fucking with Puff baby sister. Outlaw won’t have to do you a fucking thing if you fuck over Fee. Zoann will get to you and have you screaming like a bitch.”

“You know this how?” Cash was fucking with Val. Zoann had knocked the fuck out of Johnnie a time or two.

Val flushed. “That’s not important, motherfucker. Take my fucking advice or not,” he growled and stomped off, flipping Cash the finger when he guffawed in laughter.

Stretch glanced at the time, anxious to leave Meggie and get upstairs to Fee. He’d spent yesterday afternoon with her in her room, admiring the bouquets of flowers she’d received from Georgie and Sloane Mason, Josh McCall, and Cash. He and Fee had laughed and talked, just enjoying each other’s company. Later, Cash had shown up. The three of them had eaten dinner together.

Fee had fallen asleep after taking pain pills. Stretch and Cash had intended to thank Meggie for looking the other way and allowing them to be with Fee. But they’d found her curled up in the den, in one of Outlaw’s T-shirts, asleep. Stretch knew she hadn’t been asleep for long because her tears hadn’t completely dried.

Now, at ten in the morning, he still had a couple of hours before Meggie settled in for the routine she’d adopted in Outlaw’s absence.

Nursing Ryder. Greeting CJ, Rebel and Rule as Bunny set them up for breakfast. Seeing Diesel off to whatever activity he involved himself in during summer break, and then heading to the club to feed whoever was on premises. Members now stopped in at some point every day to get an Outlaw update and to check on her.

She kept a smile on her face. In private, she cried. Many times, Stretch found her at her desk unable to do her duties for the home healthcare business she had with Zoann because of her tears.

Today, one week after Outlaw’s arrest, the rainy day added to the gloomy mood. “Do you need anything?” he asked her as she sat at the kitchen counter.

She held a check out to him. “Can you cash this for me and give the money to Bob Rose?”

Stretch grabbed the check and saw it written out for five thousand dollars. “One of the Bobs?” he asked for clarification.

“Yes. Christopher mentioned her to me when the detectives called me in to talk to him,” she explained, rubbing her eyes. “After explaining the situation, one of the girls will go along with the story for a fee.”

Was that so? This girl was under club protection. She needed to do whatever it took to protect the president without charging his old lady.

He pocketed the check. “I’ll handle it,” he promised.

“Meggie!”

At the sound of Kendall’s screech, Meggie groaned.

“I can get rid of her,” Stretch whispered.

“Meggie!” Kendall stormed into the kitchen and stopped inches from where Meggie sat, her eyes narrowed. “How dare you!”

“How dare I what?” Meggie asked in exasperation.

“Prevent me from chastising
my
son when he so clearly deserved it.”

“You were abusing him, not disciplining him, plain and simple. I’ll call Johnnie every time you do that. You either let your son act like a child in my house or else.” Meggie rubbed her temple. “You know what? Go home. I’m not in the mood for your stupidity.”

Pacing, Kendall threw Meggie a hate-filled glare. “Johnnie is
my
husband not
yours
. Do
not
call him as if you own him.”

Closing her eyes, Meggie heaved in a breath. “Kendall,” she started, her tone calmer. “Johnnie loves you. You’re everything he wants and needs, and so much more. You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman, and the mother of his children.” She nodded to Kendall’s stomach. “You’re pregnant again, too, so he’d never deliberately upset you. You’re his everything.”

Instead of appeasing Kendall, Meggie’s words angered her completely. “Nice little pep talk,” she sneered.

“Kendall, you’re stressing yourself out,” Stretch interjected, remembering Meggie’s words the day he’d left for Kansas City. She’d changed tactics for a go at peace.

“What do
you
know?” Kendall folded her arms and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “You’re too busy being gay to notice a woman.”

“Oh my god.” Meggie pointed toward the door. “Get out of my house right now. You and your narrow-minded views aren’t welcomed here until you straighten up.”

“Oh, please. You know I’m right. One day he’s fucking women. Then, his gay days come around and he’s running behind Cash.”

Stretch should’ve felt insulted or angry. He was neither. He was just fucking done. “You’re a bigot. I’d prefer if you never talked to me again.”

She blinked, real confusion entering her eyes. “A bigot? Me? Like seriously? Mortician is one of my best friends. He hugs me and everything. If I was a bigot, I wouldn’t want him to touch me. I’m the most open-minded person in the entire world.”

Meggie’s shock mirrored Stretch’s, and they exchanged glances. Kendall really believed her words.

“No, you’re the most delusional,” Meggie snapped.

Hurt crept across Kendall’s face. “I am not. How dare you accuse me of being bigoted because of what I said. I don’t comprehend how he can like women one day and men the next! I’d understand his sexuality better if he only liked one or the other. I don’t understand bisexuality.”

“It’s the same as heterosexuality,” Meggie pointed out.

Kendall frowned. “I-I…how?” She shook her head and raised her hands. “Never mind. I didn’t come here for sex education. I came to discuss
you
interfering with me and my son.”

“I asked you to leave,” Meggie retorted. “Since you haven’t, we’re discussing your ignorance.”

“Oh, please,” Kendall scoffed. “Stretch can fuck a monkey. I was merely making a point when he interfered in our discussion.”

“On your behalf,” Meggie shouted.

“No one does anything on my behalf. Least of all you.” She smiled in triumph. “Maybe, this will change your mind, Saint Megan.”

“Kendall,” Meggie growled.

“You deserted me and stood behind your barbarian when he insisted I give up my partnership. You want him out of jail anytime soon, you’ll tell him to allow me to go back to the firm.”

“I…what?” Meggie heaved in a deep breath, struggling to understand Kendall’s latest bullshit as much as Stretch. “What are you talking about?”

“Christopher.” She smirked. “Brooks is working out the details of an agreement that your husband has to sign if he wants to be released before his court date. Just to make sure the barbarian gets the message, Brooks hasn’t bailed him out.”

Meggie’s eyes bugged out. “Are you insane? No, is Brooks insane? Christopher will kill him.”

Grabbing her cell phone, she slid it across the counter toward Kendall. Not moving to catch it, she allowed it to fall to the ground.

“Call him,” Meggie demanded as she picked her phone up, checked the screen, then held it out to Kendall. “Tell him this is a suicide mission.”

“No. If Brooks doesn’t get me my job back, Charlotte’s leaving him. He loves his wife more than he cares about some silly threat.” Kendall shoved Meggie’s hand away with such force, she stumbled back. “Outlaw won’t do a fucking thing. Always threatening and never following through. He’d kill a stupid bitch like Daphne. She’s expendable. He’d never touch
me
. He thinks he’s so smart, but he’s at Brooks’ mercy.
My
mercy.”

“He better agree before he’s injured in a freak accident. Showers can be a dangerous place for assholes.” She chuckled. “Literal and figurative ones.”

“Get out of my house, Kendall, and don’t ever come back,” Meggie ordered. “You and I have had our differences, but you will
not
screw over my husband.”

“What are you going to do?” Kendall shoved Meggie. “Hit me? I fucking dare you. I’m the pregnant one. Me,
alone
, so I have the advantage.”

“Do you? You don’t know what I am. It’s been weeks since you’ve been civil to me.” Glowering, Meggie pushed Kendall with all her might. “By the way, don’t ever dare me again. Pregnant or not.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Kendall gasped, staring at Meggie’s stomach. “No way are you pregnant again.”

“Kendall…oomph!” Meggie reeled back at Kendall’s vicious punch to her midsection.

“Fuck!” Stretch rushed forward, managing to catch Meggie before she hit the floor. “Are you out of your fucking mind, Kendall? Suppose she is pregnant?”

“Then she won’t be much longer, will she?” Kendall scooted around them. “If you want your precious Christopher to see the light of day anytime soon, he’ll let me have my job back.”

Stretch ignored Kendall’s words as he helped Meggie back to her stool. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, her mouth tight with pain. “Give me a few minutes.”

“You want some more, Meggie?” Kendall taunted. “Come at me like a fucking woman.”

Standing, Meggie breathed in deep, staring at Kendall’s smirk. Without warning, she balled up her fist and punched Kendall’s jaw. Once again, Stretch was shocked. Not as much as Kendall, however. They stared at each other before Meggie punched her again.

Kendall reeled back, tears forming in her eyes. Holding her stomach, Meggie stumbled back to her stool.

“Get out of my house,” she puffed out.

Stretch smiled and offered Kendall a two-fingered salute as she ran away, a sob floating in her wake.

Meggie had taken care of Kendall pretty good. Outlaw would be so proud of her. Stretch was. But he also knew she’d never tell her husband. He’d
really
kill Kendall. However, Johnnie should know.

“Do you want me to tell Johnnie?”

“No. I’ll deal with Kendall myself. First, I need to talk to Charlotte.” She drew in a deep breath and pressed her fingers against her belly. “I’m going to call her to let her know I’m heading to her house to talk to her. Can you bring me?”

“Of course.”

Neither of them spoke on the drive to Charlotte’s house, later that afternoon, since the woman claimed she wouldn’t be home until then. Now, Meggie blew through more than one yellow light, her foot heavy on the pedal. She must’ve been taking lessons in speed from her husband. Or, maybe, the urgency of the matter had her driving so fast, handling her VW Beetle like a race car driver.

“You don’t have to come in,” Meggie said when she screeched to a halt along the circular driveway. “I won’t be long.”

Kendall had already punched Meggie
and
she was in cahoots with Charlotte. They were both insane enough to kidnap Meggie to force Outlaw’s hand.

“I’m not leaving your side,” Stretch promised as she rang the doorbell.

A moment later, a maid answered the door, and gave them a snooty once-over. Behind her, the fine appointments of the house made Stretch tense up. He wore his cut. Everything he’d heard about Charlotte Redding from Fee made him think she wouldn’t want him near her.

“I’ll see if Mrs. Redding is in,” the woman said sharply.

“She knows I’m coming!” Meggie declared, to no avail. The maid slammed the door in her face and left them standing in the drizzle.

Stretch felt sorry for his Prez’s girl, doubting she’d get any satisfaction from such a formidable woman. As tired and harassed by Kendall as Meggie was, Charlotte would squash her hopes.

The door reopened, revealing the same sour-faced woman. “Follow me,” the maid said.

She led them to a room with deep orange walls. Light yellow décor softened the effect of the interesting color.

“That’ll be all,” Charlotte called to the maid, crossing her legs, not bothering to stand up.