Page 258 of Ruptured

Hatred blazed in CJ’s eyes as he looked at Johnnie. “You’ve gotten your wish, uncle. Rory will lead the club when the time comes.”

Over her dead body. “Excuse me?”

“CJ disobeyed me, Megan,” Christopher said cautiously. “He refused my direct order. Ever since his overdose, I been noticin’ he ain’t cut out for club life. This just proved it.”

She thought about this morning, when Christopher insisted CJ go to school, when for days, he hadn’t cared one way or the other. She wanted her son to graduate, so she hadn’t questioned her husband’s sudden change of heart and backed him up.

“What was the order?”

He hesitated. “Beat up Rory.”

“Beat up…have you lost your mind?”

“Nope,” Christopher said without remorse. “Rory lied to me about a letter Hopper sent. It’s about Bash andyou.”

“It had to do with Randolph,” Johnnie cut in.

“Where’s the letter?” Meggie asked.

“Johnnie tore it the fuck up,” Christopher said, explaining the situation and CJ’s part. “Rory shouldna brought it to Johnnie. He shoulda came tome. He ain’t told me the truth.”

CJ’s gaze beseeched her to understand. “It wasn’t my fight, Mom.”

“Tell him, Megan,” Johnnie gloated, pointing to Christopher. “Tell him how wrong he was.”

She looked from CJ to Christopher, both struggling to find solid ground, to remember joy and laughter.

Bonds beyond the club and common ground within.

“You mad, baby?”

“I’m right, aren’t I, Mom?”

“Tell your husband he wanted to abuse my son, Megan.”

“I can see both Outlaw and CJ side, even if Ryan would never suffer such a moral dilemma, Meggie.”

“What you say, Meggie girl? We all want to knowyourverdict. CJ especially. It might ease him.”

“Or fuck him up more, Mort. Since you don’t have my cookies, you got something else to eat?”

Comments and questions flew at her and, even though Kaia and Bishop remained silent, they all stared at her, waiting.

“Do you want to be a part of the club, CJ?”

“You know I do, Mom,” he said, his voice trembling. “For as long as I can remember.”

Right. An obvious answer to an equally obvious question. She hit him with another one, so his disobedience sank in. “Did you enjoy shutting me out when your daddy said it was club business?”

“Of course not, but I couldn’t disobey—”

“Finish it, CJ,” she instructed in a hard tone.

“Mom–”

“Finish. It.”

CJ shifted, looked at Christopher, Mortician, Val,Johnnie, and finally her, before hanging his head. “I couldn’t disobey my president.”