Misfit (Death Dwellers MC #6) (76 page)

“I’m sure. Megan’s owed a great deal of gratitude by many of us.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think she can save Kendall right now. Outlaw was angry enough to kill Daphne
in front of Meggie
. After this afternoon, he’s just as angry with your old lady.”

“Can I go with Mother?” Rory asked softly.

Johnnie turned to his son. “No, but I promise we’ll see her as much as possible.”

“Yes, sir,” he said in a sad voice, and went back to coloring.

“If you can, bring her to one of the nicer places.”

“You got it,” Cash agreed.

Ten minutes later, Kendall was ready to leave. Since he didn’t own a vehicle, he used Johnnie’s Navigator to bring Kendall to a small house, located in the middle of nowhere, halfway between Oregon and California.

Hopefully, too far away, for Outlaw to leave Megan to get to, in the event the man tracked her location.

Fee shuffled into Zoann’s kitchen and sat at the table in the breakfast nook. She’d spent most of the night in tears, making her throat hurt and her head ache. Kendall’s betrayal sucked everything from her, leaving her empty and ashamed. She almost wished Noah had finished her off. The family she’d so cherished, her beloved brother and sister, had disowned her, thanks to her misguided trust of a woman whom her brother had warned her about.

“Fee?”

She flinched at the sound of Val’s voice. He’d checked on her throughout the night. His kindness deepened her guilt.

“I’m going to make coffee,” he said gruffly. “Would you like a cup?”

Sniffling, she shook her bowed head, feeling like hell, tired and in pain. Emotionally and physically. She wanted to sleep forever.

“Fee? Have coffee with us.”

Zoann? Afraid to believe the gentle call came from her sister, Fee looked toward the doorway. Dressed for the day, Zoann’s eyes were as red as Fee’s. Unable to control the river of tears that kept flowing like a waterfall, she looked at her big sister.

“I…thanks, no, Zoann. I don’t think I can keep it down.” She drew in a sobby breath. “Please don’t hate me. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt any of you. You, Christopher and your families are all I have left in the world. Please, forgive me.”

Zoann rushed to her and drew her into her arms. “Stop it. I’m very angry, but I could never hate you. That bitch took advantage of your trust and fucked you royally. I understand the dilemma you found yourself in.”

Not really. She’d just guessed that Kendall would’ve just as easily screwed with Val. She hadn’t known for sure. “Then…then you forgive me?”

“Yes. I love you. You’re my baby sister.”

“Do you th-think Christopher hates me?” The thought devastated her. She’d been so focused on Cash and Stretch, so wrapped up in wanting to believe Kendall, she’d given a cursory consideration to the consequences of her actions. “Will he ever forgive me?”

“He’s pissed beyond reasoning,” Zoann admitted. “You let that bitch fuck with his marriage. That means you fucked with Meggie.”

Fee bowed her head. “I’m so, so sorry,” she whispered, tears cascading down her cheeks.

Val walked next to Zoann. “Don’t cry, babe. Outlaw will get over it. Meggie will make him understand your side.”

Nodding in agreement, Zoann bent to hug Fee. “My God! You’re burning up.”

“I don’t feel so good.”

“I guess not,” Val told her. “Up all night crying doesn’t do anybody good.”

Zoann hugged her again. “I’m cancelling my appointments for the day and getting you in to see your doctor. You’re still recovering and this can cause a major setback.”

“I’ll be fine,” Fee responded. “Stick to your plans. If I rest, I’ll feel better.”

Zoann’s brow furrowed.

“I’ll watch over her, Puff,” Val said, ending the indecision. “If she gets any worse off, I’ll call Outl…I’ll get her to the hospital myself.”

Val’s slip-up started Fee’s tears all over again. Flushing at Zoann’s warning glower, he guided her back to her room. “If you need me, just call me on my cellphone,” he instructed, before leaving Fee alone with her miserable thoughts.

She’d just cried herself to sleep when she was shaken awake. Turning, she met Meggie’s unreadable gaze.

Fee bolted up and held out her hands, knowing Christopher had told his wife about how she’d helped Kendall.

“Meggie, I’m so very sorry. Please, accept my apology.”

“May I?” she responded, nodding to the edge of the bed, next to Fee.

She scooted over. “Of course.”

Sitting beside her, Meggie grabbed Fee’s hand. “You do feel warm. Val called and told me you might have fever.”

She felt like crap, too. “I’m fine.”

“I’ll come back later, when you’re feeling better.”

“No! Please. Stay. I’ll never rest if you leave now. How’s my brother?”

“Christopher’s very angry.”

“I know! I’m sorry I gave in to Kendall’s demands. Don’t hate me.”

“Of course I don’t hate you. I’m angry with Kendall more than I am with you. I went to talk to her, but Johnnie said she’s gone.”

“G-gone? What does that mean?”

“I suppose it means he’s hiding her from Christopher,” she said with a sad sigh, releasing her hand. “As upset as she has me, I pity her more than scorn her. What sane person throws fuel on my husband’s temper? What
logical
woman goes out of her way to get another man’s attentions when she has a husband who loves her as Johnnie does? She doesn’t even see that because she’s so fixated on Christopher.”

She was just as fixated on Meggie, but Fee held her tongue.

“She can’t see that she’ll ruin our family if she drives Christopher to kill her. My family is
her
family. The woman is impossible.” Meggie tipped her chin down, her shoulders wilting. Nine times out of ten, she found a positive spin on everything. Today, tension, fatigue, and sadness surrounded her.

“I didn’t know what to do. I went to Johnnie,” Fee admitted, knowing Meggie wouldn’t hold it against her, though she’d never confess Kendall’s role in her stabbing. That was a secret she’d take to her grave. “I told Cash and Stretch, but they were as afraid of Kendall as I was.”

“You could’ve told Christopher. Yes, he would’ve been angry,” Meggie added quickly when Fee opened her mouth to interrupt, “but he wouldn’t have been betrayed as your brother
and
your boss.”

“I’m not going to take the payment he offered,” Fee swore. “Even if I decided to go back to school. I’ll find a way to pay for it myself.” She drew in a sob. “I thought Kendall needed a friend. I thought…I felt…Oh, Meggie!”

“You felt as if everyone had deserted her,” Meggie guessed.

“Yes.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. I felt the same way at one time. While it’s true Kendall
does
need friends, she needs to be one herself. I admired her a lot, but she never allowed me to be me. She never respected the person
I
wanted to be.”

“Christopher tried to warn me,” Fee confessed. “When I first started working there, he said Kendall would get me on her side and make me forget what he needed me to do.”

“He’s always maintained that she isn’t my friend. Never has been and never will be.”

He was probably right, but enough heartache was going around. She didn’t need to tell Meggie that and add to the drama.

“It hurt me at one time,” Meggie went on. “He and Johnnie are so close, I wanted Kendall and me to be. I put myself in her place, though. All the hurt and grief she went through. Knowing Johnnie had been in love with me.”

Crap.
What?

Another sad smile from Meggie. “Maybe, I stuck by her out of guilt. Wanting to make up for the fact that, at one time, Johnnie compared us and tried to mold her to be like me. I hated that so much. That isn’t to say that Kendall didn’t have it in for me from the moment I said ‘hello’. Well before I knew who she was to him. She never understood how much I loved Christopher. The moment I met him, I was lost. Part of the reason Kendall walked away from Johnnie was because of me. She needed to do that, though, to make him realize
her
value. Guilt also drove her away. She’d come on to Christopher.”

“What a tangled history you two share.”

“Yes. I wanted you to have some insight into her. I wanted you to know that though I understand the root of her problems, her behavior is still unacceptable. I overlooked a lot from her but after what happened with that gun deal. I refuse to enable her any longer. Kendall will always have a place at my table. In my house. In my life. As Johnnie’s wife. As Christopher’s sister-in-law. But that’s it. I won’t divulge secrets to her nor will I trust her.”

“What can I do to have Christopher forgive me? Even though she blackmailed me and I told myself I wasn’t her friend anymore, she still hurt me. I’m so sorry Meggie,” she blurted again.

“Apology accepted, Fee. Let’s move on. This is just a day in the life of being Christopher’s wife.”

Fee hugged Meggie. They’d befriended each other from the moment Christopher introduced them over the last Christmas holiday the entire family had been together.

“I could’ve ruined your marriage,” she whispered, the impact of that statement hitting her hard.

“I had to get it all together in my head, Fee. Christopher wouldn’t cheat on me. My heart told me that, but my head was something completely different. Mortician once pointed out how the heart and the head don’t match sometimes.” Meggie picked at imaginary lint on her sundress. “Women are always around Christopher. I hate it, but he has his brothers to think about. My husband’s an open book to me. Why would he give me access to his phone, his computers, his mail, his pickup, his office,
everything
, if he intended to cheat? Were those emails and text sent from his accounts? Yes. It just wasn’t adding up, though. But you didn’t know that. That’s the anger and hurt I have to get over toward you. The fact that you
could’ve
hurt what me and Christopher have.”

“Zoann wouldn’t have listened to anything Val has to say,” she blurted. “She doesn’t have the patience.”

“So Kendall did intend to have Daphne screw with Val, too? Or was it either-or?”

Why had she opened her mouth? She and Meggie were talking the situation out like reasonable adults. Between Zoann’s forgiveness and Meggie’s explanations, Fee had started to feel better.

“Never mind, Fee. Your silence says it all.” Meggie wrinkled her nose. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this but since you went along with Kendall’s crazy scheme, you chose wisely. Zoann loves Val, but he would’ve had a hard road ahead before she would’ve listened to any explanation he had. It would’ve been a mess. I told Christopher that this morning when he explained what happened. He agreed, although he’s still angry. You hurt him.”

“I know. Tell me how to make it up to him.”

Standing, Meggie gave her a gentle smile. “Give him time. He’ll come around eventually. Meanwhile, you focus on getting well and I’ll check on you later.”

After giving Fee another hug, Meggie departed, leaving Fee to breathe a little easier in the wake of her forgiveness.