Page 98 of Remorseless

“Take that, assface,” Axel chortled.

Ryan stepped forward. Ransom and Ryder jumped to their feet, though Axel didn’t budge.

“Can you fuckheads behave?” Mattie said crossly.

“What’s that?” Rule looked up. “Don’t let Ryan hurt Axel?” He nodded. “Yes, sir.” He got to his feet, a determined gleam in his eye. He pulled a blade from the inside of his jacket. “I’ve been told to cut your fucking tongue out, Ryan.”

Stumbling back, Ryan paled and raised his hands. “N-n-n-n-noooo.” He plastered himself against the wall and snapped his mouth shut.

On each side of CJ, Rory and JJ shifted uneasily. Mark JB, Lou, and Devon looked ready to bolt.

“Sit the fuck down, Rule,” Rebel ordered, throwing her cell phone on the table and glaring at her twin.

Rule turned to her. “Aren’t you afraid you’re on my list? You’re bad. A sinner.”

“And you’re a fucking hypocrite,” she snapped. “You kill defenseless animals for your own fucking perversions.”

“I do as I’m told, Jezebel. Temptress. You got two men killed. Now, you’re going for a third.”

Mattie went white. Eric and Billy’s deaths still bothered her. She pretended it didn’t, but CJ saw the haunted look in her eyes, not present until after those two fuckheads were killed.

“Diesel calledme, jackass,” Rebel announced, unaware of Mattie’s distress. She was dealing with her own problems—wrestling with her feelings toward Dad and wanting to protect Mom. “I was asleep.”

What? Diesel called Rebel for a clandestine meeting? Was that motherfucker insane?

“He called you because you’re a whore.”

“I’m a whore?Not.”

“You are.” Rule smirked at her and pointed up. “Theytold me.”

“Theycan go and fuck themselves. I was asleep and he called me,” she reiterated in a hard voice. “After that jackass broke into my room and watched me sleep. If I’m a whore, what is he?”

A dead fuckbag if he didn’t behave.

“What areyou?” Rebel continued without mercy, throwing Rule a vicious look. “I’ll tell you what you are. A goddamn pathetic loser with a God complexand an insane fucking brain. At least I’m liked. You’re a fucking joke. Batshit crazy, so fuck you.”

If CJ hadn’t paid close attention, he wouldn’t have jumped to his feet and caught Rule just as he lunged. He grabbed his collar, anticipating retaliation.

When Rule arced the blade toward him, CJ grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm behind him. The blade fell onto the carpet and Rory took possession of it. CJ yanked Rule flush to his body.

“You fuck with Rebel, Dad will kill you.” If Diesel didn’t get to him first. “You fuck with me,Iwill kill you. Behave,” he snarled. “If you don’t end up fucking dead, you’ll end up in a mental institution. Do you fucking want that?”

Rule deflated and shook his head.

CJ wished his brother didn’t have such a hair trigger temper that made him lose all reasoning. Like Rebel, his twin. Thinking about their similarities decided CJ. If Rule agreed to his terms, he wouldn’t tell their parents about this incident. As long as Rule kept his cool, he wouldn’t act irrationally. It wasn’t as if he’d hunt their sister to hurt her.

“If you swear you’ll stop fucking with Rebel, I won’t tell Mom and Dad. It’ll stay between us. But you’re godly, so I expect you to live by the tenets of the bible. Don’t break your word.”

“She’s unclean.”

“She’s a fucking virgin.”

“The only virgin in here is Harley.”

Shame slid into Harley’s face. She glanced at Ryan.

“And Rebel and you,” CJ said to Rule, dismissing whatever was going on between them. He suspected Harley had slept with Ryan.