Page 30 of Remorseless

“I’m out here with you.”

“Less egregious than being in my room.”

He tugged her into his arms.

Appreciating the warmth of his body, Rebel snuggled against him. He chuckled, opened his jacket, and pressed her closer so the leather shielded her sides. She felt safe wrapped in his embrace. Desire flared inside her.

She didn’t trust Diesel, though. She was learning there was a lot of ugliness underneath his beautiful façade.

“Get inside, Rebel.”

Not only did her twin’s voice startle her, but Rule’s harsh tone alarmed her. She jerked out of Diesel’s embrace and turned.

“It isn’t what you think, brother,” she said, walking closer to him. “Diesel hasn’t done anything wrong, so you don’t have to tell Daddy.”

Hatred brimmed in Rule’s eyes. “You’re a fucking whore,” he spat, too low for Diesel to hear. “Not only do you look like that Jezebel, but you act like her, too.”

Rebel recoiled.

Diesel stepped next to her and grabbed her elbow. “I need to sleep,” he slurred.

“You’re in no condition to drive, Diesel,” Rebel said, still reeling from Rule’s accusations.

Nothing but misery and regret rose inside her. Rule’s derision came without warning,too swift to try and course correct. Maybe she’d called him a name. She didn’t suffer fools, even those she shared blood with. Maybe she’d smacked him or defended herself when Rule aligned with the Terrible Triplets, their younger brothers staggered in age and height but consolidated in mayhem.

She threw her arms around Rule’s neck. “I love you. Whatever I’ve done, forgive me. Please. I love you so much and I miss you.”

He forced her arms away and glared at her. “You’re filthy. Unclean. You don’t care how you tempt men.”

“My thought exactly,” Diesel muttered.

Coming from him was bad enough, but Rule looked at the situation on another level and in a different way. He saw her as a walking sin, a holy abomination. Diesel just saw her as pure temptation, accepting no responsibility for his role in fostering their flirtations.

The only guys who never failed to defend her or protect her were Daddy and CJ. Boys overran their family. She had only two biological female cousins in Mattie and Winona. Even when she included Harley Banks, Brynn Mason, and Ava Baptiste, the male-female ratio fell short.

Early on, Rebel learned to fight back either with words or fists. Momma couldn’t physically fight. Rebel couldn’t remember her mother ever throwing hands, but she put people in their places and had a distinct kind of strength.

Self-worth. She valued herself. It made it so much easier to value others, walk through life with genuine kindness and a demand to receive the respect she afforded everyone.

Folding her arms, Rebel lifted her chin and met her twin’s hard gaze.

“I did nothing wrong, Rule. If you believe otherwise, fuck you. What you aren’t doing is shamingmy desire noworever. It’s my body and if I want to fuck a battalion of motherfuckers, it’s alsomysoul.”

“And their fucking asses,” Diesel snarled.

“Oh, my God. You’re both such dickheads. Good night. I hope the bed bugs bite.”

She hoped those motherfuckers ate those assholes alive.

Chapter Five

Sitting in class on Monday proved a chore for CJ Caldwell. After all the club business, he still wasn’t back to normal. He definitely wasn’t in the mood to be a high school student. For the entire weekend, he hadn’t socialized much, just coming downstairs in the evening time for dinner and then returning to his room, pondering the past days. His father had spent a long time with him Friday evening, talking about everything and nothing, seeing to CJ’s well-being.

CJ finally convinced Dad he was fine. He just needed space and time alone. When he arrived at school this morning, he’d thought the situation put to rest. Instead, his thoughts strayed away from his lessons and back to his father. And Torie. Not her specifically—the way she died. The manner in which Dad had killed her.

No doubt she deserved retribution. She ignored everyone’s warnings to back off. CJ’s. Diesel’s. Aunt Kendall’s.Dad’s.

Mom’s.