Page 136 of Ruptured

“You not fucking hearing me! I didn’t fucking say I took moneyfromMeggie.”

Digger lifted his gaze to Mort, then flinched and quickly lowered his lashes. Meanwhile, Mort turned Digger’s words over in his head, his mind whirling, unwilling to accept what that motherfucker didn’t have the balls to say.

“You want to die,” Mort managed.

“I’m fucking dead if I don’t replace that motherfucking money!”

“You took Meggie money?” Mort asked in disbelief. “You stole from Prez woman?”

“Yeah, Mort.”

“How the fuck you even got access to her account?” Mort asked, then snapped his mouth shut.

One reason Digger had become so resentful toward Meggie girl over the past few weeks was because he couldn’t hang out with Prez at their house. Mortician imagined Meggie trusting Digger with the run of the place. Not only because of Bunny, butbecause ofhim. She wouldn’t even question him if he happened to be in her office. Where her checkbooks were.

“I just wanted to build a bigger house for my wife, Mort. Please believe me. I know it sound like it was for me. Maybe, part of it was. But Bunny put up with so much from me, the kids,Meggie…” He spat her name like a curse. “She should at least come home to the type of house I always wanted to put her in.”

Worry and rage combined inside Mortician. He couldn’t believe Digger was so fucking stupid that he’d stolen fromMeggie. He could’ve stolen from anyone else,even Outlaw, and the man wouldn’t have seen it as such as egregious affront. “Where the fucking money, motherfucker?”

Digger gulped and glanced away.

Digger had won a lot of money at Derby’s table in December. Mort hadn’t asked where he’d gotten the buy-in fee, just assuming Bunny gave it to him or Prez paid it. But, no, he’d taken the money he’d stolen from Meggie to gamble. He’d won big that night, though that didn’t mean shit to Digger.

“Where the fuck her money at?”

“Gambled away.”

“Motherfucker!”

The word exploded from Mort in a burst of fury and outrage. He pounded his fists on the table. Once, twice, three times, momentarily losing his fucking mind. Not caring that every motherfucker in the diner turned his way. Symphony came running. Tee booked it onto the floor, just in time to see Mortician lunge for Digger and punch him in his fucking mouth.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Mort! I’m sorry.”

“You fucking sorry all right,” Mortician roared, losing complete control, blinded by the fuckery of his family. His wife. His brother. His daughter. He hadn’t even seen his mama-in-law as much because Bailey and Harley were so goddamn fucked up.

“What the fuck?” Kendall’s yell broke through his rage. She grabbed his arm and tried to jerk him away. “Stop! Stop it now! You’re going to fuck him up! Goddamn it! Stop it, Mortician.”

Her order seeped into Mort’s fury and he realized he was choking the fuck out of Digger. The moment his grip slackened, Kendall wrapped her arms around his neck, dragged him away, and hugged him.

“It’s okay,” she soothed. “Whatever it is. It’s okay.”

No, it wasn’t. His life had never been farther from okay. He returned her hug and held her tightly, distraught. Outraged. Just fucking done.

“Sit,” she instructed.

Breathing heavily, he followed her order. He didn’t have it in him to protest. He was fucking spent.

“Symphony, bring us a round of beers,” Kendall said crisply, ignoring the girl’s wide eyes and the absolute silence in the place. She addressed the room at large, mainly workers from a nearby construction site. “Assholes, you’ve seen nothing. This is a family dispute.” Drawing herself up, she narrowed her eyes at Digger. “What the fuck did you do?”

“Nothing!” he yelled. “Why it got to be me anyway, Kendall?”

“Because you’re an immature, greedy, unappreciative, spoiled manbaby, motherfucker. Mortician will only lose control overyouand his wife. Since I see hide nor hair ofthatbitch,you’rethe fucking bitch of the day.”

Mortician didn’t try to defend Bailey.

“I resent that!” Digger spat.

Words deserted Mortician. Fuck,logictook a walk, too. What the fuck was wrong with his wife and brother?