Page 207 of Remorseless

“Nope, babe. Modesty got nothin’ to do with it. Just speakin’ fuckin’ fact.”

She was a couple years younger than him. Way back when, she’d been one of Derby’s favorite strippers, until Sis took her as his old lady. Christopher never knew why the motherfucker wascalled Sis. He married Edie, but their relationship fell apart under the weight of grief.

“We need bigger jumpsuits,” Christopher said. “Sew ass and hip pads into mine. I don’t think Megan’ll see me—” At least he hoped fucking not. “In case she do, I don’t want her recognizin’ my ass.”

“He means his literal ass,” Diesel clarified, sounding too fucking amused.

Christopher flipped him off and his sons laughed.

“I’ll let you know if Rory’s fit,” CJ said.

Rory was at school, so he hadn’t been able to come to the fitting with them. CJ would bring Rory’s to him later.

“We need everything by the 12th,” Christopher told Edie.

Though it was three days away, she didn’t flinch. “You bet.”

Once Christopher paid the bill in full, he ushered Diesel and CJ out into the cloudy, chilly afternoon, and walked to where he’d parked his Harley next to Diesel’s Mercedes.

“Want a smoke?” he asked the boys.

Diesel nodded, while CJ said, “Sure, Dad.”

Although Diesel and Christopher kept a steady conversation, CJ smoked his cigarette in silence.

“What’s up, boy?” Christopher asked a few minutes later as he flicked his cigarette away.

CJ shrugged and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

CJ was quieter these past few days. More contemplative. Christopher understood why. It made him want to kill a few more motherfuckers, but Megan had revoked his license to freely kill.

Not that it mattered how many assfucks Christopher grounded.CJhad to work through the emotions of almost losing his life. A hard lesson at a youngage.

It still disturbed Christopher that one fucking bad decision on his part drew CJ into the club earlier than anticipated and had such dire consequences. Because of CJ’s changed status, he was so much more accessible.

“Are you okay, little brother?” Diesel asked, finishing his cigarette too, and tossing it.

“I want to drop out of school, Dad,” CJ announced.

The night of his overdose CJ and Christopher promised Megan he’d graduate. “CJ—”

“Hear me out,” CJ interrupted Christopher. “The only reason I’m going back next week is to earn a grade for Molly. A girl who might be dead. I don’t belong there anymore.”

“You can’t drop outta school, son,” Christopher said.

Memories of a similar conversation decades ago wrapped around him. Only then, he’d been the kid, younger than CJ, and Big Joe had tried to persuade him to at least obtain his high school diploma.

“Aunt Meggie wants to see you walk across the stage,” Diesel said.

CJ clamped his jaw and glanced away.

It was a full circle moment, one Christopher had been determined to avoid from the day CJ was born. Christopher always swore his kids would do better than him. Even if they were destined to patch in, they would do so better educated and with more options than he’d ever had.

“I don’t want to see Ember and have to call herMs. LeBan. She sucked my dick in a fucking restaurant.”

Christopher and Diesel smiled at each other, then congratulated CJ again.

“You can play teacher and student,” Diesel said.