Page 193 of Remiss

“Bailey, baby, none of us knew anything about what you said,” Roxanne started, sniffling and swiping at her wet cheeks.

Knox had taken position behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

“I knew about Cleaner,” Mortician confessed. “Not that he wanted some of Sharper’s money.” He thought of the video. For the first time since he’d hurt his goddamn eyes and earswatching and listening to that travesty, he smiled. “My mama money,” he amended, wondering what happened to the actual documents.

“Indeed,” Knox said, and they shared a look.

“I knew Cleaner probably Sharper son, but I haven’t confirmed it. I don’t give a fuck, Bailey.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“He just said why,” Roxanne told her, her eyes wet and vulnerable. Somehow, she managed to hold herself together to talk sense into Bailey. “He don’t give a fuck. Motherfucker probably wasn’t anywhere on Mort’s mind.”

“At some point he must’ve been. Just as what you went through…” Bailey shook her head. “All you ever said was you’d been around a while. Seen a lot. Lying to me. Knowing you didn’t give Daddy a chance—”

“That’s enough, Bailey,” Knox said sharply. “You aren’t blaming your mother for what those fuckheads did.”

“But I am blaming her for not telling me. No wonder you always made excuses when Daddy lied to me over and over again. Promising to show up, then not doing it for one reason or another. You knew you’d fucked up.”

As if she couldn’t predict what the fuck would happen if she pushed her mama, Roxanne jumped up and slapped the fuck out of Bailey.

“Half the shit you’re saying, I never knew,” Roxanne said in a thick voice, ignoring Bailey’s wide-eyed shock and the thin trail of blood dribbling from her nose. “K-P never opened his fucking mouth about being related to Big Joe. Neither did that motherfucker. The only thingIknew about was what happened to me and that didn’t include a fucking setup between K-P and the woman I found him in bed with. Had I known…” She raised her hands in supplication. “Bailey…baby…”

“Had you known, you two would’ve been together and he might’ve still been alive.”

Roxanne started to shake her head, then thought better of it and looked at Mortician. He already knew what she’d say. While he appreciated her consideration, Bailey needed to hear everything, so he nodded, his heart broken.

“I wouldn’t have stayed, Bailey,” Roxanne whispered tearfully. She glanced at Zoann and bowed her head. “I couldn’t deal with Logan Donovan. It was dangerous for me. But I also couldn’t deal with the comments from the other women. I was too immature to handle their bullshit.” Blinking, she glanced at the ceiling, sniffled, and looked at Bailey again. “K-P loved his club, sugar. It was so fucking dangerous for him. Even if there was no Logan, no women, no distance, we would’ve separated. I didn’t want the pain of one day receiving a call that he’d been killed. It didn’t matter. I was still devastated when hewaskilled. But I’d never give him an ultimatum.”

“Of course not. You just fucking left.”

“I just fucking loved him enough to step out of the way. I didn’t ask him to choose. I met him in the fucking club, Bailey.”

“Good for you. Lucas?”

It took a moment for Bailey calling his name to break through Mortician’s numbness.

“I’m going to LA,” she announced. “I’m taking the boys.”

At the moment, Mort didn’t give a fuck if she left. Their marriage had limped along for weeks. It wasn’t the outcome he wanted, but it was almost a relief to finally have some sort of resolution.

“I want to stay with Dad,” Lou cried.

“Me too, Mama,” Kaleb said. “We don’t want to leave. Harley just got nice again.”

“Bailey, don’t go to LA,” Mort said. “I’ll buy you a house away from club grounds. The kids been through enough. If youleave town, they’ll be miserable. If Zoann…Chester…I’ll…” He turned to Prez’s sister, his thoughts so fucking jumbled. “I’ll stay at the club until you find the house you want. Harley…if Chester…”

“Harley can stay as long as she wants, Mort,” she said softly.

Mortician smiled at her.

“I’ll stay,” Bailey announced. “Our kids don’t deserve to be apart from either one of us.”

“Thank you,” he said as the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it Dad,” Lou volunteered.

Knox nodded toward the bar. Mortician sure the fuck needed a drink. He needed a whole distillery. Knox had just poured their drinks when Lou led Grant and Mattie into the room.