Page 35 of Remiss

Halting in front of Johnnie, Cash cocked his head to the side. “What do you meanleave?”

Johnnie glanced down the hall and found the coast clear, so he leaned forward. “I’ll go on the run,” he whispered.

Cash’s eyes widened. “I didn’t fucking hear that.”

“Two months,” Johnnie reiterated, dropping the subject of him escaping Christopher’s wrath.

“One,” Cash countered.

“Six weeks.”

“Fuck, fine. Not a day longer. The countdown is on, motherfucker.”

A moment after Cash stormed out of the house and slammed the door hard enough to shake the rafters, Rory’s footsteps pounded down the stairs and ran toward Johnnie.

“Dad!” he cried, reaching Johnnie. “They aren’t here, even though it looks like Mom or Mattie didn’t take any personal items! Ella isn’t answering, neither is Mom or Mattie.” His voice broke. “They’re gone! I tried Aunt Meggie. Rebel. Aunt Zoann. Lolly. Harley. Aunt Bunny. No one is answering.”

Sweat pouring down his body from the intensity of his run in with Cash, Johnnie panted. He got to his feet, took Rory’s face between his hands—and burst into tears. The oppressiveness hurt his head and his heart.

“We have to find them, Dad,” Rory sobbed. “Please. We have to get them back. I need Mom. I love her.”

Johnnie and Rory held onto each other tightly.

“This is just some twisted joke,” Johnnie swore through his sniffles. “I can’t live without Kendall, son. That little bitch! She c-can’t live without me.”

But she had. For six months. Then she’d been willing to divorce him and sever times permanently.

He straightened and swiped his cheeks, anger and jealousy infusing him. Of course she’d make him suffer and help Megan escape. All because Johnnie had once loved Megan.

“I’m going to shake the fuck out of her,” he snarled.

“When Mom returns, leave her the fuck alone,” Rory gritted, his eyes blazing. “You’re the fucking reason she’s gone. You and me! We drove her away. All our fucking secrets and…and club business. Allyourfucking bitterness. If you can’t say something nice to her, don’t fucking talk to her.”

“That woman has made my life fucking hell!” Johnnie roared. “Now, she thinks to one up me by disappearing? Fuck her. She’ll return bright and early tomorrow morning, pleased that she gave into Megan’s demand to teachChristophera lesson.”

Rory sat on the bench. “Do you promise Mom and Mattie will come home tomorrow?” he whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“I’m so sure, I’m going shower and then getting to bed.”

Sobbing as though he were still a small boy, Rory nodded, trusting him. “Okay, Dad. Have a good night.”

Stumbling toward the staircase, Johnnie prayed he was right.

March 16th

CJ sat in the den, staring into space. He was aware of Diesel, Kaia, Bishop, Ryder, Ransom, and Dad’s presence, as shell-shocked as him.

It was almost 4 a.m., and they’d been home for about thirty minutes. They’d searched every place they could think of. UncleStretch had tapped into as many nearby cameras as possible, but the only evidence they found of Mom was her SUV, parked at Aunt Kendall’s office.

Brooks didn’t know anything. Riley couldn’t find them. Mom, Reb, Axel, and Gunner vanished into thin air. Not to mention Lolly, Harley, and the rest of CJ’s aunts and girl cousins.

Dad considered the possibility that Bash had taken them, then dismissed the idea because it seemed as if they’d all met up and willingly left.

“Mom doesn’t like us anymore?” Ryder asked in a small voice, the question breaking through the interminable silence.

“She just loves Axel, Gunner, and Reb, Dad?” Ransom asked, sounding so pitiful.

A twinge of jealousy surged into CJ and he balled his hands into fists. At one time,he’dbeen Mom’s potato. She wouldn’t have made a move without him.