Page 63 of Remorseless

Val nodded. “She know?”

“Mom?”

“Ummhmm.”

“About me losing my balance or about me wearing her robe?”

“The robe. Your Aunt Zoann got one similar. She paid about seven hundred dollars for it.”

Ransom leaned over and lifted the hem. “It looks cheap.”

“Well, the motherfucker ain’t,” Outlaw snapped.

Mortician hid a smile. Not at Prez’s rightful attitude, filled with fatherly annoyance and, perhaps, a little spousal concern. It was because the Triplets didn’t fear the consequences of their mayhem.

There were times when they went too far and,mostly,Outlaw beat their asses when that happened. Mainly, he allowed his boys to express their very creative shenanigans with amusement and exasperation. Mortician believed Meggie girl had a lot to do with Outlaw’s outlook toward their sons. Not completely because Big Joe had been notorious for overlooking a lot of Prez’smischief.

Outside of Johnnie—and Cash—how the wives responded to any number of situations, the husbands followed suit. Johnnie was a fuckhead and Cash was a control freak. Red and Ophelia had different situations.

If Lou and Kaleb prepared a ‘spa bath’ for their momma with that hellish concoction inherbathtub, there would’ve been consequences. She wouldn’t have excused them for trying to cheer her up. Or as boys being boys.

Mort understood. Until K-P took him under his wing, Sharper had been neglectful or abusive toward Mort, who protected Digger from their father’s vileness. Even K-P drew lines Mortician couldn’t cross.

Certainly, Big Joe punished Prez when he went too far, but those time were so fucking rare Mort could count it on two or three fingers. Even when he felt the Triplets needed their little asses beat, Mort understood Prez’s leniency.

Meggie’s momma, however, was raggedy. Tore up from the floor up. He’d heard some of the stories in the years since Dinah’s death. From Prez, Digger, Roxanne, Red, and Bunny. From Meggie girl herself.

The level of Dinah’s displeasure at such a stunt couldn’t be overstated. She would’ve flipped her fucking lid. Yet here were her grandsons, escaping the consequences of a good deed gone awry because her daughter knew when her children needed real punishment and when they were just acting like kids.

“Can me and Ryder have an advance on our allowance?” Ransom asked.

“What doesmymoney have to do withyourstupidity?” Ryder demanded. “I told you don’t go in Mom’s closet. She has all those pretty clothes in there.”

“You sound like a girl,” Ransom said.

“And you look like an idiot,” Ryder responded. “I’d say that’s more fucked up.”

Axel raised his head. He covered Prez’s mouth with one hand and wiped his snotty nose with the other. “See what I have to put up with, Dad?”

“We put up with—”

“Oh damn,” Axel said, interrupting Ransom, staring toward the archway.

Rebel was storming in their direction.

“Fuck,” Outlaw said.

Harley rose in Mort’s head, then he shoved the image away. Yet, she was insistent, memories of the sweet girl she’d once been, and the person she’d become, pushing through. None of those recollections resembled the girl nearly upon them, so fucking furious demons were snapping at her boots. Rebel was so fucking confident in her own skin. Once, Mort believed Harley was too. But it was just camouflage. Deep-seated insecurities might have driven her to become mean-spirited, violent, and petty. However, Harley didn’t want to change. She thought her behavior was justified.

Rebel went through a similar phase. To be fair, Meggie’s collapse precipitated her quick and drastic reversal. Still, Meggie and Outlaw stood united in trying to get Rebel back on the right track. If there were any disagreements over their daughter, they kept it between themselves. With Harley, Bailey didn’t give Mortician that same courtesy. And Harley played the long fucking game, using the divide and conquer tactic to maximum effect.

“Fuck,” Outlaw said again, planting himself in Rebel’s path as she reached the foyer. “Get the fuck back upstairs, Reb. Nyx not even at the fuckin’ club.”

Her face reddened and she narrowed her eyes. “How do you know…?”

“They told me all about it, so I know that’s the only thing to set you off. Shit been peaceful otherwise. I guess your ma told you.”

Rebel smiled nastily. “Call that bitch to the club, Daddy.”