Page 242 of Ruptured

“Unless I do it for the next two or three months, docking one time won’t cover the cost of my ruined clothes.” Meggie shook her head. “And, more often than not, the kitchen is a wreck. He’s obsessed with sweeping. When I questioned that, he said to trusthim. Bishop had to use a wet vac to clean up the layer of water after Kaia’s attempt at mopping.”

Kendall and Meggie shared a look, then burst out laughing. The humor felt as good as her tears had and helped to release a little more tension.

“Thank you, Kendall,” she said finally. “I appreciate you so much. But I was thinking about a mani and pedi after I visit Jo. Gypsy has been wanting to talk to me, so I may call her.”

Not cooking for her family left her a little lost. As much as she needed the respite, she was at loose ends. Maybe, she and Bishop needed to alternate days.

“Why do you think I demanded you come to the office, honey?”

“You’ve found information about Rule.”

“I have,” she said gravely.

Alarm raced through Meggie. “What’s wrong with my son? Where is he?”

“On the day you and Rebel were released, Rule jumped out of a second-story window and broke his leg.”

“What?” Meggie cried, all her other problems falling to the wayside. “Oh my god! My poor baby, he’s going through so much, and Rebel is beside herself with worry. I have to tell Christopher—”

Kendall snorted. “I assume he knows. It’s probably why that motherfucker went insane a few hours after you arrived home.”

“Christopher…knows?” Meggie asked, recalling his fury and bitterness. His distress. “Why…why do you say you suppose he knows?”

“The facility was expensive as hell and not particularly big. Rule had been in a straitjacket and in complete darkness. The doctor in charge of Rule, one nurse, and an attendant were found, er,deceased. The authorities claimed it was a deadly love triangle.”

“Wh-why?” Meggie whispered, Diesel’s absence suddenly making sense. “Do you doubt it, I mean.”

“Do you really want to know the gory details, sweetheart?”

Aware of the results of Diesel’s retribution with Tío fired her imagination. “Not really,” she said faintly.

“Another nurse was in a car accident,” Kendall continued. “Another attendant was found drowned in his bathtub. The other doctor fell to his death from eighteen stories. On the surface, they’re accidents, Meggie. But it’s too coincidental to not have been connected to Rule.”

“Who’s your informant?”

“Freya finally called me this morning and I spoke to Father Wilkins.”

“He’s there?”

“For the time being, he’s homeless, so I suppose there is as good a place as any.”

“What do you mean he’s homeless?” Meggie demanded.

“The rectory burned down last Friday afternoon.” Anger darkened Kendall’s eyes. “None of those fuckheads told us.”

Struggling to find words, Meggie gaped at Kendall. If she looked at the priest too long, he wanted money. Other than dropping Rule off at the rectory once or twice over the last few weeks, she hadn’t been to Mass in months.

Kendallheaved in a breath. “As much as I know that news distresses you—”

Distressed? More likenumb. She couldn’t even summon anger at the cover up. Christopher thought she was a terrible mother, unworthy to know about their son or stand at his side as matriarch of the family. After almost a week, no one had thought she deserved to know.

“You talked to Father Wilkins, you said?”

“Yeah, honey. The little fuckhead is alive and well.”

“Good.” Possessions were replaceable; lives were not. “As for Diesel’s reign of terror, I couldn’t give a flying fig about him killing the idiots who drove my son to jump out of a window. As long as he’s careful, I hope he makes every single one of them pay.”

Kendall searched her face, then a small smile tipped up her lips and she nodded. “My sentiments exactly.”