Page 253 of Ruptured

Kaia and Bishop flanked her. Bishop wore an apron over his clothes, though the patches on the front of his cut were still visible. The chef’s hat was completely unnecessary, but if it made Meggie happy, he wouldn’t comment.Here. He couldn’t wait to get that little motherfucker at the club, where he’d tease the fuck out of him.

Unable to meet Mort’s eyes, Bishop mumbled a greeting, then looked at Meggie.

“S-suppose we don’t want to eat with Diesel, er, the family?” Bishop asked nervously. “Would Outlaw shoot me for turning you down?”

“He better not,” Meggie said tightly. “Besides, you and Kaia are officially on the No-Kill List. He can’t touch you. Or else,” she added ominously.

Kaia and Bishop both swallowed and looked at Mort.

He shrugged. “Her ‘or else’ has more weight than you will ever know.”

“Do you want to eat with us. Mort?” she asked. “I told Bunny to invite Digger. I need to talk to him.” Not giving him a chance to reply, Meggie nodded to the stack of dishes in the sink. “Empty the dishwasher then refill it, Kaia.”

He studied the overflowing sink. It wasn’t like Meggie having a dirty kitchen. “Do I have to put all those dirty dishes in after?”

“Youlet them pile up.”

“I’ll help,” Bishop volunteered. “I’m cooking a simple meal tonight, so it won’t take long.”

Mortician sat at the island while Kaia and Bishop started emptying the dishwasher. Sighing, Meggie sat next to Mort and smiled at him.

“If a motherfucker want to feel like a giant, all he got to do is sit next to you,” he told her.

She lost her smile. “Christopher isn’t here,” she said abruptly.

Though Mort wondered what went through her mind, he didn’t ask. “I know. I need to talk to you.”

“First, I have a question for you thatno onewill answer.”

Fuck. Mort knew what she was about to ask, but he nodded.

“How’s Rule? No,whereis my son? No one will tell me anything. Even Father Wilkins won’t answer my calls.”

“Prez got that information, Meggie girl,” Mort said carefully, hating to lie to her, but not knowing what else to do.

“I was scared Christopher wouldn’t tell me because he doesn’t think I deserve to know. That I’m an unfit mom.”

“You know he don’t really feel that way,” Mort said, walking a fine line and trying to console her while not betraying Outlaw. Prezdidn’tfeel that way, but not only didn’t the motherfucker have impulse control, he was on a quest to gentle Meggie down.

“Do you think I’m being too hard on my husband?” she asked.

Mort intended to talk to her about the argument, much preferable to the subject of Rule, but he had to save Digger first. He didn’t want Kaia and Bishop to overhear, so he lowered his voice. “I-I need to talk to you about my brother.”

Meggie’s eyes flared in surprise. “What about Digger?” she asked suspiciously.

Digger had committed a grave offense on whatever side of the law it was viewed.

On the ‘right’ side of the law, the badges would swoop his ass up. On their side of the law, Outlaw would kill him.

Fuck, but this was so fucking hard. If he’dthoughthe wouldn’t know how to get the words out, actually attempting a confession was so much worse.

“I-I saved CJ,” he blurted.

Folding her arms, Meggie leaned against the back of the stool and narrowed her eyes.

Heat and nausea rose in Mortician. Images of his brother’s dead body haunted him. More than likely,hewould have to carry out Digger’s punishment or suffer the same fate.

Even now, he risked retaliation.