Page 167 of Ruptured

“You’re a disrespectful little motherfucker.”

“And you’re a fucking asshole, so we’re even.”

Mattie gasped and laid her hand over CJ’s, offering silent support and cringing at Daddy’s glacial glare.

“So fucking high and mighty, nephew.” He sounded just short of addingtsk-tskand transferred his glower to Diesel. “I had a very interesting conversation with your wife recently.”

“Good for you,” Diesel said, bored.

If Mattie had heard the rumors about Diesel’s violence against enemies, Daddy had, too. Two things came to her: Diesel considered Daddy the enemy and Diesel wanted to kill her father.

Badly.

The savagery in his gray eyes frightened her.

“Talking to her might be good for me,” Daddy barked, “but I’m sure it’s bad for you.”

“I’m done with that cunt,” Diesel said, not falling for the bait. “Talk to her for the rest of your fucking life. I don’t care.”

“You should.” Daddy smiled. “Call off your little brother or I swear to Christ I’ll tell Christopher about you and Rebel.”

Diesel cocked his head to the side. “What about me and Rebel?”

“Don’t pretend you’re fucking ignorant,” Daddy sneered. “You know what the fuck I mean because you flaunted Rebel in front of Tabitha.”

Diesel stiffened and balled his fists at his side. “Are you fucking implying I’ve slept with Rebel?” Fury layered his outrage.

CJ stood. “You know what, Uncle Johnnie?”

Daddy really thought he had one up on CJ. He couldn’t even detect the exasperation Mattie clearly heard in her cousin’s voice.

“What, nephew?”

“I won’t ask you why the fuck you met that bitch for her to sayanyfucking thing about my little sister, but you’re a jackass to believe a woman as untrustworthy as her. You know Rebel.You don’t know Tabitha from jack, motherfucker, so fuck you and your stupidity.”

“I’m an officer of the fucking club!” Daddy roared, on the verge of an apoplectic fit. “You talk to me with such disrespect and you have repercussions. A fucking stomping.”

Lightheaded at the violence brewing around her, Mattie covered her mouth with her hands.

Somehow, the place got even quieter. Everyone shifted. Except Diesel. He planted himself next to CJ, a Caldwell boy to the bone at that moment.

“Yeah, well fuckhead, luckily, I’m not a fucking member,” CJ said, not intimidated in the least. “This is family business, not club business. You fucking touch me and I’ll lay you the fuck out. Don’t fuck with me. I’m sick of you, Kaia,andmotherfucking Diesel. You all want to fuck with Rebel and she hasn’t done a motherfucking thing, you bunch of fuckheads.” He glared at Diesel. “I wonder where that cunt got that idea to smear Rebel’s name, you stupid motherfucker.”

“Not from me, CJ,” Diesel snarled, not showing CJ the grace he’d given Mattie. “Watch your fucking accusations, motherfucker.”

“Fuck you,” CJ barked, toe-to-toe with his brother. “You didn’t fucking discourage her. You’re leaving Tabitha and she’s still playing her fucking games because she sees a fucking child as competition. Rebel’s over her crush, so tell that bitch to fuck off.”

Mattie appreciated CJ’s quick fudging of the facts, while still reading Diesel. What she didn’t like was how everything,every blessed situation,turned into a fist fight or a war of words. Mostly because of something her father instigated.

In case he didn’t realize it, he couldn’t win against CJ and his brothers. They might try to kill each other, but they’d quickly band together to defeat an outside enemy.

And Daddy definitely counted as that.

“Get the fuck upstairs now, Matilda,” Daddy ordered.

Arguing would do her no good, so Mattie jumped to her feet and hurried away, glad she’d escaped so easily.

Closing the door behind Axel, Diesel smiled at his little brother and led him to the kitchen, since he didn’t have much in the penthouse to keep children entertained. He should’ve left Axel at the hospital while he confronted Tabitha, but Axel arrived from school just as Diesel was heading out and he didn’t have the heart to tell him ‘no’ when he asked to go with him.