Page 61 of Remorseless

She hoped they choked on a chicken bone. Or a fish bone. Strangled on soup. Suffocated on bread.

Snickering, she paused to make sure the shower was still running, wondering why Momma cried the entire way toRebel’s room.

Thankfully, her room was completely dry. Their smart sprinkler system was only supposed to release water in the room where smoke was detected. Rebel bet it malfunctioned.

Unimportant, considering her mother’s mental state.

If she’d been in Momma’s place, she would’ve bought a flamethrower and burned those motherfuckersanda bitch or two to the fucking ground, watching as their ashes blew away in the fucking wind.

Momma wasMomma. She put up with more fuckery in a day than Rebel had patience to deal with in a fucking hour. Momma ignored more bullshit, forgave more insults, than Rebelevercould. She just didn’t have time to deal with fucking petty Bettys, liars, cheaters, bible thumpers, Johnnies, schemers, bitches, whores, motherfuckers, mischief makers, or flirters. The lot of them would fall into line, stick to her rules, or suffer the fucking consequences.

Period. The end. Case fucking closed.

Momma survived each day with a smile on her face and a sense of humor. She thrived and loved and laughed. Yet she hadn’t been able to stop her tears.

When Rebel guided her into the bedroom and flipped on the light, Momma fell into Rebel’s arms and sobbed her heart out. Rebel never saw her mother so torn up.

Even thoughRebelwould’ve cast Axel, Ransom, and Ryder out into a Siberian tundra in the dead of winter, Momma usually accepted their mayhem. The angriest she’d ever gotten was over Poop Gate. Yet the Triplets trying to give her a spa bath based on Daddy’s sarcasm because they were stupid little fuckheads finally broke her? Despite theend result, Rebel gave her brothers props for having good intentions.

So, what gave?

An image of a handsome man, whom Momma thought was the most beautiful person alive, rose in Rebel’s head.

Daddy.

Daddywas the only reason her mother had fallen apart. He held her heart in his hands and…

Anger and distaste surged into Rebel. Jumping to her feet, she snatched her phone from the pocket of her jeans. Her heart pounded and her pulse thumped. How dare he hurt heragain.

Something had happened before Rebel arrived at the club. During their time in the kitchen, Momma gave no indication that she was close to the breaking point. She acted normally,spokenormally. Did her usual and helped Rebel through her feelings. Rode hard for that man she dedicated her life to.

If Easton Love was on her Channing Tatum radar, Momma barely batted an eyelash. At the very least, she could’ve fucked with Daddy and gave him a taste of his own medicine. The only way he could ever appreciate how Momma felt with all those other women—Torie—fawning over him was to have to endure another man paying attention to her.

Rebel was one of those petty Bettys. If a man did to her what Daddy constantly put Momma through, Rebel would have that motherfucker in tears. Oh, her father adored Momma. He was just a goddamn himbo. Sexually attractive—ewwwwww—brilliant but dumb as fuck—blind?—to how much he took Momma for granted.

Trembling in fury, she searched for her shadow app. Mattie had installed it for her so Uncle Stretch and Daddy didn’t detect her spying. Mattie knew how to go around, over, and under firewalls and whatever other security in place. The student was now leagues ahead of her teachers. Uncle Val didn’t monitor the security systems like Uncle Stretch but he’d taughtMattie too.

Rebel scrolled to the time she arrived at the club. The place was a beehive of activity, so it would’ve taken her forever if she didn’t have a starting point.

She pressed on the clip.

“Fuck!” she growled. The app was fucking up. She couldn’t hear the audio.

Whatever. A picture was worth a thousand words.

Scrolling…

Daddy arrived not long before Rebel. Uncle Fuckhead and Easton Love was hot on his heels. She understood why her father looked so annoyed. He had an idiot and a sexy motherfucker behind him. But he went to the table and focused on Momma. Maybe, he was innocent. So who—

An auburn-haired bitch rose in Rebel’s head. Her fury morphed into rage. Shewouldbuy a fucking flamethrower and incinerate Nyx if she’d fucked with Momma.

Scrolling…

Why was CJ tending to Momma’s hand?

Scrolling…

Rebel halted, her finger still on the screen. A chunk of recording had been swiped from the servers.