Page 218 of Remiss

Celia glanced at Diesel. He lifted his brows, not giving an inch.

“Did Christopher tell you why I went to him?” Celia asked, leaning forward and clasping her hands together.

“He did.” Hearing Celia refer to Christopher by his given name jolted Meggie. She had every right to do so as his sister, but it was just odd that a strange woman said it so casually. “You want peace. You want to save Bash’s life.”

“I love my brother.”

That was the issue. Celia loved Bash, which made Meggie doubt her true motives. “I understand.”

“I don’t think you do. I’m guilty by association.”

“The company you keep and all that,” Meggie replied.

“I mean your husband no harm.”

“Excellent to know, but I wouldn’t expect you to shout it from the rooftops if you did,” Meggie retorted.

Celia glanced at the clock and rubbed her arm absently. “Why did you come here today?”

“Why did you invite me?”

“Do you always answer questions with questions?”

Smiling calmly, Meggie shrugged. “It seems as if we’re both fishing, circling each other to see who will break first.”

“What can I do to convince you of my sincerity?”

“Tell me what Bash wants with me. My husband. My children. Will Kendall be safe at the meeting she’s hellbent on going to? Are my nieces and nephews safe? How big of a traitor is Johnnie? Show me that you meanmyhusband no harm and you might convince me.”

Celia studied Meggie for a moment, then burst into laughter. “You’re fierce. Christopher is lucky to have you.”

“I’m the lucky one. However, if you mean him no harm and his trust hasn’t been misplaced, then he’d be very lucky to have you.”

“Bash says he’s lucky to have me. I’m not sure what you’ve heard about him, but he loves me.”

Meggie thought about those stupid letters again. “He had someone to emulate.”

“Who?” Celia asked, frowning.

“Cee Cee. I understand he loved his sister very much. Bash saw that.”

“You’re offering them more grace than most people would.”

“Most people have one or two redeeming qualities. You’re that for Bash,” Meggie said. “Kimber was Cee Cee’s.” Probably hisonlyone. He was an awful human being.

“I admire someone who doesn’t pass judgment on others.”

“Show me that person.” Meggie indicated herself with a sweep of her hand. “It isn’t me.”

“I stayed with Aunt Kimber and Big Joe for a little while. She wanted me. Your daddy worked out a deal with Cee Cee and suddenly I was flying across the country.”

Meggie met Celia’s gaze. So many times over the years, she’d seen the same vulnerable expression in her husband’s green eyes. They were emerald, a mirror to his soul, and she’dalways lost herself in their depths. As much as she wanted to believe Celia’s defenselessness, Meggie knew what it would mean if it was all a game and a way to lure her into acceptance.

Sharper and his crew had once deemed her ‘the key’. She’d been crucial to their plans. Other times, rival clubs targeted her because she was essential to Christopher’s peace of mind. What if Celia was trying to win Meggie over to get close to Christopher and betray him for Bash?

“I know it’s hard to trust me. You have a lot on the line. Please believe me. I don’t want death and destruction. I want them to survive and thrive. Help me to achieve that. Please. If you think peace is possible?” Celia whispered, posing it as a question, as uncertain about the outcome of this rivalry as Meggie.

Still, Celia’s guard dropped, laying her distress as bare as her heart. She really only wanted to find a way to save Bash’s life.