Page 148 of Remiss

“Who got to you, Dad?” Ransom asked. “I didn’t know you left club grounds.”

“Roxanne,” he pushed out. “And Bitsy.”

“You’re going to tell Puff I did talk to you, right, Outlaw?” Val asked.

Uncle Christopher nodded.

“I don’t think Red or Chester knew about the dropping thing, Prez,” Mortician told him. “You’d probably have a few broken bones.”

CJ’s eyes widened. “Lolly beat you up because of Mom?”

“Yeah, boy.”

Axel stepped next to Diesel and studied Uncle Christopher, cracked his knuckles, and stormed away.

Fuck.

After helping Uncle Christopher to his bedroom, Diesel found Jana in the kitchen, feeding Gunner more sausages and eating more herself. Having her sleep next to him last night was odd because he knew she would be a permanent fixture in his bed.

All the days of planning, the insistence that it would ease him, left him restless. Part of the reasonwasAunt Meggie. It shook him that not only hadn’t she come home yesterday, but she’d also only talked to Axel today.

Jana’s hug felt stifling, and he hated that. He hated his annoyance. He didn’t want to do anything that would send her spiraling. Or even frighten her. Or send her in search of a hit.She didn’t own a car, but the clubhouse was minutes away where drugs were so fucking easy to obtain.

Instead of spending the day with her and taking her shopping for new clothes, which she was in dire need of, Diesel changed out of his suit, put on his cut, jeans, T-shirt, and boots, then went to the club where his bike was parked. He didn’t have a particular destination in mind. He just wanted the freedom of the road. It always cleared his head, allowed him to outrun his demons.

Guilt. Inadequacy. Inferiority.

Lust. Shame. Abandonment.

All hidden behind stubbornness and arrogance. As he thought about how Axel crucified CJ, some of the words hit too close to home, especially when Diesel combined them with all that Uncle Christopher said about him.

Not only wouldn’t he deserveRebelunder different circumstances, he wondered if he deserved Jana. Or even if he could handle her, now that he had her.

Certainly, she needed counseling, but he knew once Rebel returned, his life was going to be hell. With just a fucking look, Rebel would make him feel like a fucking snake. And when she opened her fucking mouth…

It was best this way, he reminded himself. He cared about Jana. She needed him. Once Aunt Meggie returned and he knew she forgave him for his crimes against her, he’d breathe easier. Once the Band-Aid was ripped away from Rebel and she met Jana, he could get back to that place where he’d mapped out his life and accepted the girl hecouldhave.

Instead of riding to Tee’s in one vehicle, Kendall suggested they arrive on their own since they all had different destinations after they left the diner.

Symphony was just unlocking the door when Kendall, Zoann, and Roxy pulled up, got out of their SUVs and headed inside.

The girl made a face at Kendall, barely nodded to Roxy, andbeamed at Zoann, unaware that she wasn’t only playing with fire, but a raging inferno. Zoann would beat her into the ground and not lose sleep over it.

“Sit wherever,” Symphony announced, offering Kendall another glare. “I’ll come out to take your orders as soon as I can.”

Roxy smiled. “It’s fine, sugar. Get on to whatever you got to do. We’ll be here.”

“Just don’t take too long,” Kendall added, wondering at Roxy’s game.

“You can always call Tee and have him serve you,” Symphony sniped.

“I’m sure he won’t mind,” Zoann said. She walked to one of the few round tables in the place and sat, then hung her purse on the back of her chair. “Send him to us.”

“I was joking,” Symphony said. “I’d love to serve you, Zoann.”

Nodding to the table, Roxy took her own seat and placed her designer handbag in the chair next to her. “I haven’t seen Tee in a minute, baby. Send him out.”

Symphony laughed nervously. “As long as I can serve you. Everything’s so expensive nowadays, so I can use the big tip you like to leave.”