Page 241 of Ruptured

“To protect her,” Diesel gritted. “I think he’s still hung up on Harley.”

“Mortician’s split tail?”

“Jesus, you’re disrespectful.”

“Answer the question. I’m not trying to win brownie points with you, fuckhead,” he snarled, his tone completely different from what it had been.

“Yes, Mortician’sdaughter. Molly is his friend and—”

“Mollywashis friend.” Bash laughed at his own tasteless joke. “You like that? Didn’t my joke liven our conversation?”

Diesel felt sick to his stomach at the insinuation that Molly was dead. CJ would be devastated. Still, he needed to know one more thing before he ended the conversation.

“Ryan gave up her location, didn’t he?”

“Tom Harris is in law enforcement, motherfucker,” Bash yelled, and snickered again. “Was. Can’t be anywhere anymore. Just had his brain cleaned from the wall. He had his own resources to find that cunt.”

Question answered. “You’re bored. I’m tired,” he lied. He was wide the fuck awake. “Can I go?”

“You best heed my fucking warning, Diesel. If you fuck over Tabitha, it’ll beJana’sbrain we’re cleaning off my fucking wall. Nice talking to you, nephew.”

The moment Bash disconnected, Diesel called Outlaw.

Opening the door to Kendall’s office, Meggie pasted on a smile, hoping her emotions weren’t written all over her face when it felt as if the shambles of her life laid in tiny pieces around her.

Part of the reason she stayed away from Christopher was because she missed him so much and when she happened upon him, the regret in his eyes and his hangdog expression tore her up. She wasn’t even sure what she wanted fromhim. An apology? She knew he was sorry—she knewhim. Understanding? Normally, she had to gentle him down so he’d see reason, even toward her. A promise that all their kids would return home? Every day she awakened fearing Jo and Gunner would be gone. She still couldn’t believe he’d threatened to give them away so they didn’t have Meggie as a mom.

That devastated her on so many levels.

Was turning into the Hell Goddess Christopher deemed her, ruining their lives? She couldn’t imagine being his Sweet Angel again when they’d been living in hell for weeks.

No one answered her questions about Rule, at least those who answered her phone calls, which didn’t include Bailey, Diesel, and Father Wilkins. Zoann promised to look into it. Val, Mortician, and Stretch told her to talk to Christopher. Roxy and Jordan implored her to focus on herself and the rest of her children, although Jordan reluctantly allowed Meggie to schedule her hysterectomy.

During the day, Rebel glued herself to Meggie and seemed to look forward to their daily visits with Jo. Rebel and Gunner were growing closer than ever before. Kaia drove Meggie wherever she wanted to go, told her jokes, and played music. Before and after school, the Triplets tried to cook for her when club business called Bishop away. Ryder and Ransom prepped, while Axel did the actual cooking. It’s probably why last night’s pasta was barely cooked, burned, and had whole stems of parsley along with a mostly raw chicken breast next to it. Or why this morning’s scrambled eggs were both crispy and runny.

Then, there was Digger, and his betrayal, only discovered yesterday when she’d started reconciling that account for the first time in months. She’d texted that idiot earlier and told him she needed to see him. He responded with,not today.

Kendall snapped her fingers in front of Meggie’s face. Unable to do anything else, she stepped into her sister-in-law’s open arms and sobbed.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Kendall whispered a little while later, stroking Meggie’s hair. “You’re safe here. Cry in private and torch motherfuckers in public.”

Nodding, Meggie smiled, a little more in control of herself. Kendall guided Meggie to the chair in front of her desk, then sat in the one next to her. “Mattie texted me during her lunch break. She thinks Kayce likes her.”

“She told me he goes out of his way to sit with her during lunch,” Meggie responded, appreciating Kendall’s small talk as she sat her handbag on the desk.

“How’s Rebel and Kaia?”

Swiping at her still-wet cheeks, Meggie blew out an agitated breath.

“Oh, no. The plan is backfiring?”

“Not in the way you mean,” Meggie grouched. “I gave him a garment bag and told him the clothes inside needed dry-cleaning. His interpretation was pouring bleach on my things and throwing them in the clothes dryer. He said I didn’t saythe cleaners.”

“Does that motherfucker not read? The words ‘dry cleaner’ are always somewhere in one of those places. On a sign. Painted on a window.Somewhere.”

“That’s the problem. He said his family never bought clothes like that and if he doesn’t use it, he doesn’t pay attention.”

“You docked his pay?”