Page 145 of Remorseless

Diesel couldn’t remember Stretch ever acknowledging him as a Caldwell. Of all the men deemed ‘uncle’, only a handful referred to him as Outlaw’s son.

“I’m not a Caldwell,” he said quietly.

“I should show Outlaw that video just for those traitorous words. If you ever say that to Meggie, it’ll crush her.”

“Would it really?”

Stretch glared at him.

“Sometimes, I feel as if I don’t belong anywhere.” Even after CJ’s touching words. “I wonder what I did to have run across Uncle Christopher and Aunt Meggie on a fluke.”

Folding his arms and resting an ankle on a knee, Stretch leaned back. “I was once a self-pitying fuckhead, too, Diesel. It almost ate me alive.”

Diesel remembered. “I didn’t think you or Cash deserved Fee. I was in love with her. Or I thought I was.”

Stretch shrugged. “It worked out as it was meant to. I love her and my kids. I love my husband. I just want to shoot that motherfucker sometimes.”

“You didn’t think he’d have the same outlook on life if Ophelia ever delivered his son, did you? He loves himself too much to risk the only child to carry his name into the next generation.”

Anger washed over Stretch’s face. “I love my kids, too. I don’t want anything to happen to them, but we’re in the fucking club. He can’t demand peace all of a sudden now that he has a son. He’s the fucking bomb tech. He detonates shitandmotherfuckers. Besides, I thought we shared children.”

“Your sons have your last name,” Diesel pointed out.

Stretch glanced away. “Cash wanted their names to be McCall. I refused. I have a name to carry on, too.”

Interesting, given the way he’d been treated by the Kings. “What did Ophelia say?”

He shrugged. “She’s happy as long as we are. She left it up to us to decide.”

She sounded like a bore with no opinion outside of Cash’s. He definitely ruled the roost.

“I didn’t come here to talk about my problems or my dickhead husband.” Stretch shoved his fingers through hair just beginning to gray. On his next birthday, he’d turn forty-three. “I’m supposed to report everything to Outlaw. My loyalty’s to him, notyou. Don’t ever put me in this fucking position again. Am I clear?”

Diesel nodded.

“I took care of the volume during the argument before I showed it to Outlaw.”

“Why—”

“Just say thank you, fuckhead.”

“Thank you,” Diesel blurted, still wanting to know why.

“Meggie’s going through enough. She doesn’t need to be saddled withyourissues. She’d worry about you and Rebel. She’d worry about your drug addiction. Shit was just starting to right itself and you threw CJ to the fucking wolves.Youwant to fry your fucking brain with drugs, that’s your business. Don’t send your kid brother on that same fucking path.”

“I already said I was sorry! What the fuck do you want from me? Blood?”

“Nope. That’s Meggie’s call. Once Outlaw spills it on her behalf, you won’t have fucking reserves for anyone else to make you bleed,” Stretch said darkly.

“You’re a funny motherfucker.”

“Do you fucking see me laughing? Cash, Ophelia, and I had just had a decent fucking night and were inbed, basking in the afterglow. I almost fucking ignored my ringing phone. I didn’t feel like dealing with stupid motherfuckers who don’t want their old ladies’ pussies revealed in video footage. Or who don’t want to be seen as a weak bitch because they can’t hold their fucking liquor. Or any of the bullshit they disturb me for.”

Diesel never considered the annoyances Stretch put up with.

“I got permission from Outlaw before I started deleting that shit. Potter was supposed to call me if he’s there and Outlaw or any of his family comes in. No matter what the fuck I’m doing, I drop everything. The motherfucker might’ve repeatedly warned you to behave, but he didn’t call. If he would’ve called me…” His eyes watered and he drew in a breath. “Do you know what hearing Ophelia’s sobs did to me? Potter called me and said,CJ OD’d. I think he’s gone.The motherfucker hung up with those words ringing in my fucking ears.” He fell back against his chair. “I was so fucking shocked, I don’t remember what I did, except blurt to Cash and my Fee that CJ was dead.”

Stretch glowered at Diesel, allowed those words to sink in. CJ wasn’t dead and was expected to recover but the horror that statement conjured was a feeling he never wanted to experience again. It left him dizzy with grief and made him feel as if his heart shattered.