Page 47 of Remorseless

“We men settled this, Blonde Viper, so you don’t get to come in and make Dad feel bad. He only put the nurse on the back of his bike once.”

Pretending Axel’s reminder didn’t annoy her to hell and back, Meggie sniffed and jerked the card out of her purse. She held it out to Easton, surprised when he purposely brushed her fingers as he took the business card.

Axel squeezed between them, forcing Meggie back. “Men! Prepare for war!”

Rebel rolled her eyes. “We’ll dismember you and use your wretched little body as buckshot.”

Screaming, Axel ran behind Meggie. “Do you hear what she has planned for me, Mom? Can I use her as a bet in a poker game? I’ll make sure I won’t bet her life. When motherfuckers from the olden days lost their mortgages? Like that.”

The innocence of children. Her son couldn’t know of his great-grandfather’s horrific bet at a poker game.

As in the dark about the vileness of Logan Donovan as her brothers, Rebel stiffened and shoved her fist in the air, then pointed at Axel. “You little asshole, how about I stuff you in a vat of acid?”

“Enough!” Meggie yelled. It dawned on her that Christopher was silent.

She no longer had the energy to prepare the dinner she’d planned. Since she’d sent a mass texttelling the brothers she intended to cook tonight, she’d tell someone to order pizza and that would be that. Once Christopher left, she was sure talk of what had happened between her and Nyx would be the topic of conversation the rest of the evening.

Meggiewouldtell Christopher, but she’d let everything settle down first. If Nyx behaved, Meggie would keep this evening’s altercation to herself until after Nyx’s initiation.

“You’re more gorgeous than I expected,” Easton told her quietly, for her ears alone, an unsettling intensity on his face.

Despite herself, she smiled, truly flattered. “Thank you,” she said and walked to her husband, planting herself on his lap and leaning her head against his chest.

His arms went around her, and his body relaxed ever so slightly.

“So, how’d you two meet?” Rebel asked gleefully.

Christopher tensed again. Meggie sat up and brushed her lips over his, then turned toward her kids. She smiled gently at Rebel.

“Reb, love, I appreciate your support but stop disrespecting your father. There is no other man for me. Ever. I love Christopher. I have always loved him, and I will always love him.”

Digger shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. Johnnie pressed his lips together and clasped his fingers. At the bar, Narci, Potter, Bishop, and Torrin stared at her. Mort, always supportive, always her friend, smiled at her, his admiration clear.

“If, when you fall in love and marry, and your husband hurts you or disrespects you, I will support however you choose to retaliate,” Meggie continued. “But Christopher didn’t cheat on me. If he had, I wouldn’t be here. I would’ve left. Somewhere deep in me, I knew the truth. I trust Christopher and I love him, butI could never live with him again if he betrayed me with another woman. No matter how much it broke me, I have too much respect formyselfto stay with a man who would cheat.” She held Rebel’s shocked gaze. “Do you understand me, Reb? Leaving is better than ending up in a vicious cycle of retaliation and humiliation.”

“But he put her—”

“I know, sweetheart. And I know how much your father hurt you over that situation. How he allowed her to talk to you. It’s over. She’s out of our lives. Christopher’s buying a brand new bike—”

“I am?”

Meggie jerked her head around and lifted a brow.

“You right, baby. I just ain’t had time to go—”

“Make the time,” she ordered.

Whether she liked it or not, that bike remindedeveryoneshe hadn’t been the only woman seated behind Christopher. Rebel had made great strides toward forgiving her father, but she still regressed. They needed all reminders of Torie wiped from existence.

“Why don’t you just order Prez to get a custom-made bitch seat, Meggie?” Digger asked irritably.

“Love the idea,” Meggie said.

He’d been facetious. She was serious.

“Make that second seat custom-made, Christopher,” she said.

“Thanks, assfuck,” Christopher growled.