Page 106 of Ruptured

“I’m so sorry, Aunt Meggie,” Diesel said in a chastened tone. “I–” He met her gaze. “Nothing untoward has happened between Rebel and me. As for Jana, please don’t take out your displeasure toward me on her. I want her with me.”

Everything she said went right over his head. Diesel heard what pleased him and wanted what he wanted.

“Kaia makes Rebel happy. Jana makes me happy.”

Diesel’s pettiness and vindictiveness escaped Rebel. “How’d you and your daddy go from you filing for divorce from Tabitha to a legal separation?”

“Uncle Christopher doesn’t know. I talked to Brooks and he agreed a legal separation is better for all concerned.”

“When Tabitha tries to take you to the cleaners, remind me to send Brooks the bill.”

“You won’t budge on that pregnancy test, will you, Aunt Meggie?”

“Sure won’t.”

“Fine. I’ll see that it gets done.”

Meggie didn’t trust Diesel not to play another game. If Jana wasn’t pregnant, he’d find a woman who was and buy her results, then suddenly claim the girl had a miscarriage, or cook up some other scheme to have his way.

She nodded to the door. “Leave.”

Getting to his feet, he dusted his trousers off. “Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled, and beat a hasty exit.

Ignoring her returning headache, Meggie got out of bed again, grabbed her IV pole, and crept to Rebel’s side.

While Meggie held her tightly, Rebel sobbed in misery.

He had to fucking get himself together.

When Uncle Christopher pinioned Diesel’s hand to the podium during Church, he’d gotten off lucky. Had the wound been in a different place on his hand, the injury could’ve been much more severe. Uncle Christopher chose a spot to get his message across but not damage Diesel too greatly.

Now, Aunt Meggie was on the warpath. He definitely didn’t want to set her off. Her working to diffuse a situation was a thingof the past. If he lost her trust, he was dead. He’d tried to play her by claiming Jana carried his child. She was right, though. It was also because he wanted to hurt Rebel for saying she liked Kaia. It made Diesel feel expendable and second best.

That was part of the reason he’d told Aunt Meggie he knew she felt as if he wasn’t good enough for Rebel—now or later. But his adopted mother—his mom—wasn’t having it.

A smile played at the edges of Diesel’s lips. Aunt Meggie was his mom. He wondered what she’d say if he ever called her Mom like the rest of the boys.

If Janahadbeen pregnant, Diesel wouldn’t have been happy. He didn’t want fucking kids. He didn’t want to bring a child into this world, look at it one day, and regret its birth. Or bring a child into the world to a drug addict mom andhim. One reason he didn’t give a fuck about what he did to anyone else was because he didn’t give a fuck about himself. Death didn’t frighten him. As a matter of fact, he saw it as an escape from all his torment and doubts.

No matter.Dyingwasn’t the issue. Uncle Christopher killing him or Aunt Meggie ordering his execution was. Either meant he’d let them down.

Sighing, he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of his Mercedes, parked at the club-owned trailer park, near the graveyard.

He reached for his phone to make a call, but the door opened and Fia slid in, much more collected than when he’d seen her in the hospital cafeteria. He’d call her on her bullshit later.

“Address?”

“7734 Merriweather Lane.”

Once she strapped herself in, he swerved away. Rebel’s sweet voice, insisting she liked Kaia, echoed in his head.

Aunt Meggie was right. Reb was young. Unlike Uncle Christopher, who was justunderfifteen years older than AuntMeggie, Diesel was a littleoverfifteen years older than Rebel. When she turned eighteen, he’d already be thirty-three. Like Rory and Devon’s birthdays, Diesel’s was in March. No one spoke of celebrating his upcoming dirty thirty. He understood. Who could think of partying when his family had almost lost CJ and Rebel in the span of weeks?

“Why are you doing this?” Fia’s quiet voice rose in the silence of the car. “I’m not good enough for you?”

“I’m not getting into a fucking relationship with her, Fia,” Diesel responded, refusing to explain why he needed to do this and see—

“Then why?” Fia demanded. “Tommi’s my little sister. That cunt already fucked my ex. Now you want to fuck her, too?”