Page 203 of Ruptured

“Is it Rule?” she whispered.

He kicked the pillow she’d thrown at him and started toward her, but CJ got to his feet.

“Just answer her question, Dad. Calm down and then you can approach her.”

“What’s wrong with Rule?” Rebel cried.

Christopher shoved his hands in his pockets, glanced away, then stiffened and narrowed his eyes. “Not a motherfuckin’ thing except what the fuck been wrong with him since he lost his goddamn mind.”

“This is difficult for us, too,” Meggie said, determined to stay strong for her family. “A couple of days ago, I thought about howsimple our lives were right after Axel came home and all the kids were small. Diesel was still in high school, and CJ was my little buddy—”

“This your fuckin’ problem right there, Megan,” Christopher snarled, going off on her again. “CJ.CJyour goddamn whole motherfuckin’ problem. Your entire fuckin’ life about him and where the fuck I stick my cock when you know it ain’t goin’ in no other pussy but yours.”

“Ewww,” Axel complained as Meggie gasped and said, “that isn’t true! I love all my children.”

“Debatable,” he sneered. “Cuz, Megan, goin’ back to that fuckin’ time cut out Gunner and Jo, but no matter what the fuck you claim, you don’t want her. You ain’t want her from the time you found out she was in you. And Gunner?” He laughed bitterly. “That lil’ motherfucker alwayssomewherebut with you lately. You want me to exercise parental rights? I’m puttin’ Jo up for adoption.”

“What?” Meggie cried, unable to distinguish her children’s gasps. “I already said no.”

“I ain’t givin’ a good fuck.”

“You can’t…I love her. I love both of them. You misunderstood what I meant.”

“Fuck you. I ain’t lettin’ her in this fuckin’ house so you can ignore her—”

“No!” Meggie sobbed, jumping to her feet and running toward Christopher, but he backed away. “Don’t do this. You can’t. I would have to sign, too.”

“Not if I fuckin’ give her to a bitch who want her. Which ain’tyou. I might give away Gunner, too,” he added viciously. “Youdon’t fuckin’ deserve them.”

“I’m sorry, Christopher,” she said, falling apart at the thought of losing her youngest children.

“If you give away JoorGunner,” Rebel bit out, “sleep with your motherfucking eyes open because I will cut off your goddamn hands and open your chest cavity to see how black your heart is.”

“Oh, cool!” Axel cried. “Could I watch?”

Arms wrapped around Meggie. “It’s okay, Mom,” CJ whispered, guiding her back to the bed, and hugging her tightly, then gently helping her to sit. Ryder, Ransom, and Axel ran to her and hugged her, too. Rebel engaged her daddy in a stare-off, while Diesel stood just behind Christopher, always his staunchest ally.

Christopher thrust his fingers through his hair. “All you get the fuck out. Me and your ma not finished havin’ a private conversation.”

“Not happening,” CJ said. “You’ve gone off your rocker, Dad.”

“Yes, my good man,” Axel added. “Maybe, if itwasa private conversation, we’d agree. But I’m sure even Jesus Boy heard you and he ain’t even here no more.”

“We can’t call him that anymore,” Ryder reminded him.

“I object,” Axel said. “It’s a cool nickname.”

“Overruled, Ax,” Diesel said. “You can be sued for slander.”

“But I didn’t speak nothing false about him,” Axel argued.

“The capacity in which you use the term is slanderous,” Diesel explained.

“Can you recuse yourself? You’re prejudiced. When Rule is nice again, he’ll even laugh. Right, Mom?”

CJ blocked Meggie’s view from seeing Axel, but she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know if Rule would ever be the same again. She’d never told Christopher about the day their son called her a cocksucker and the level of disrespect he’d reached. She’d sincerely believed his resentment stemmed from teenage rebellion and not necessarily mental illness.

But itwaseasier. Toriehaddistracted her. The idea of her hysterectomyhadconsumed her. Rebel and CJ’s social lives—sexual lives—preoccupied her. Then, there was the club and all its problems, along with trying to get Christopher back to the place he needed to be.