Page 171 of Ruptured

“I don’t want to talk about Rebel,” Diesel snapped. “This is about you and me. So answer me.”

Axel narrowed his eyes. “Dad says a screamed dog always kicks, motherfucker.”

“A kicked dog always hollers.”

“Yeah, that. Whatever, ‘cause you screamingandkicking, and kickingandhollering. CJ told me that means a guilty motherfucker makes the loudest noise. Andyou’refucking guilty.”

Diesel straightened. “Of what?”

“Of leaving me and Reb and CJ and Mom and Dad.Youprobably don’t considerusyour real family.”

“That isn’t true!”

Axel kicked him. “Shut up! You made Mom and Rebel cry. They barely wanted to eat or nothing. They just kept staring at your stupid spot.” Tears rushed to his eyes again. “I didn’tcare,” he yelled. “Me and Ransom and Ryder threw all the stuffs you used in the garbage ‘causeyouthrew us away.” Swiping at his tears, he poked Diesel’s chest. “You stopped visiting and everything.”

“I called you, CJ, and Uncle Christopher.”

“You’re stupid,” Axel declared.

“Axel—”

“I’m not listening! You bring a man to your house, don’t feed him, don’t have nothing to do, and then be mean and say he don’t see you as his brother.”

Axel constantly referring to himself as a man amused the fuck out of Diesel—but the kid was right. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Do you know how you feel about Rule? You still love him but you don’t like him?”

“Yeah.” Suspicion laced the word.

“That’s how I feel about my biological parents.”

“Why do you love them?”

“I never said I loved them.”

“But…” Axel’s little face scrunched up. “You said I got to read the lines sometimes.”

“Read between the lines. I did say that.”

“Context clues.”

“Correct.”

“You mentioning me loving my brother but not liking him and then saying that’s how you feel means you love them. You didn’t got to say it.”

“I didn’thave tosay it. I disagree with your assumption—”

“It’s not an assumption. You interfered it.”

“Inferred. I did not.”

“Gaslighter,” he accused. “Pretending I don’t know what you mean ‘cause you didn’t say it. Whether you admit it, you can’t love nobody that just left you. Me, Ran, and Ry talked about it. If Mom and Dad leftus, we’d call them motherfuckers and hatethem for the rest of our lives. We’d blow them up. We’d build a mud dungeon, throw them in all hogtied, and then let bugs, snakes, and worms eat them. We’d wrap them in Saran wrap and smother them. We’d—”

“I get the point,” Diesel interrupted, impressed by their creativity. “As I said, love is complicated.”

“If you stopped loving them, maybe you’d know how much we love you.”

“I do know.”

“Nuh uh! You wouldn’t keep saying we don’t think you’re our brother ‘cause we ask you about those stupid motherfuckers. It don’t matter whattheydid.Welove you.”