Page 157 of Remiss

“Are you hungry?”

“A bit. Not too fuckin’ much. I just need—”

Oddly subdued, Axel walked to Christopher and took his hand, tugging him forward. “Come on, Dad. I’ve been waiting for you. I made you some coffee.”

“I didn’t know you brew coffee,” Christopher remarked, allowing himself to be pulled along, pretending it didn’t hurt.

Axel tipped his head back and smiled. “I learned just for you.”

Hiding a smile, Christopher didn’t protest when Axel guided him to the breakfast room. His boy shoved him down without warning, and Christopher bit the inside of his cheek to stop his moan.

Axel cocked his head to the side, studying him again. “Do you miss Mom?”

“Yeah.” He couldn’t get into much more than that. If he did, he’d look like a bitch-faced pussy. “I miss her a lot,” he added when Axel didn’t respond or move.

“Why’d you hit Mom?”

Christopher stiffened. “I ain’t ever hit your ma. Before you tell that fuckin’ lie, I’ll ground you for the next ten fuckin’ years.”

Axel glowered at him. “This is your last fucking chance to answer right.”

“Or what? You a kid. You ain’t lyin’ on me or fuckin’ chastisin’ me. I ain’teverhit Megan.” The very idea fucked with his head.

“Whatdidyou do to Mom?”

They’d gone through this ad nauseum. Christopher refused to repeat it again. Sick of the little motherfucker, he returned Axel’s mutinous look.

“Whatever the fuck it was, it’s fuckin’ done. I ain’t able to take it back. And it aintcha fuckin’ business.”

“Delulu,” Axel said with disgust. “It is my fucking business. And CJ’s. And Diesel’s. And Ransom’s. And Ryder’s. It’s even Rule, Rebel, and Gunner’s. Why? Becauseyoumade it our business. From the time I was a kid,yousaid to protect Mom. You didn’t say to decludeyou.”

“What the fuck they teach you in school?” Christopher said in frustration, resenting Axel’s read. Especially since he was right. “It’s exclude. And I’m her fuckin’ husband. Excludin’ me a given.”

“Not,” Axel retorted. “You don’t get to change the fucking rules ‘cause you acted like a fucking jackass.”

“You got one more fucking time to curse my ass and disrespect me.”

Axel backed out of Christopher’s reach and folded his arms. “By the time you get your broken ass up, I’ll be upstairs. And by the time you get to my room, that motherfucker’ll be locked and barricaded. And by the time tomorrow comes, you will have forgotten we even had this conversation.”

“You act like I’m a senile old motherfucker.”

“You’re all three. Notice, Dad. I didn’t call you a senile old motherfucker. You called yourself that. You have one more chance.” He curled his index finger up and down. “One.”

“Or what?” he demanded again.

“Never mind,” Axel huffed.

“Yeah, I thought not.”

“I’m done trying to reason with you,” Axel announced and turned on his heel. “Be right back,” he tossed over his shoulder.

Christopher didn’t want fucking coffee anymore. He had half a mind to leave before Axel returned. Except the little motherfucker was right. By the time he reached the fucking staircase, Axel could’ve made two circuits around the first floor. Instead of a shower, maybe he’d soak in Megan’s bathtub. He only ever got in it with her, but the jets might soothe him. He was almost certain he was black and blue.

Roxanne laid down the fucking law. When…if…whenMegan returned, he’d keep himself in line. Her lesson, leaving him, would stay with him forever. But Roxanne’s ass-beating? Yeah, he’d take that shit to his grave, too.

“I made coffee for both of us,” Axel announced, carrying two glasses and returning to Christopher’s side. “It’s iced coffee with whipped cream.”

He set a glass in front of Christopher and smiled.