Page 7 of Ruptured

Uncle Mort nodded. “Meggie the voice of reason,” he agreed, though his severe look annoyed CJ. “One day you’ll recognize just how important she is to Prez and the club. You need to look at the bigger picture, especially ifyouwant to rise to the top one day.”

“Now, you’re underestimating my dad and making it seem as if I don’t have what it takes to be in the club,” he said glumly.

“If chicks could be patched in,Meggiecould be a member,” Uncle Mort said.

“Never,” CJ disagreed with certainty. “Mom’s too sweet. She’s going through a phase right now because of all the fuckery but she isn’t ruthless. It’s why Dad protects her so fiercely and plans to take some secrets to the grave. Mom could never knowingly kill someone or do all the things required to be a Dweller. It’d haunt her.”

“Refer back to my previous statement,” Uncle Mort replied.

“Which one? We’ve both said a lot.”

“You’ll figure it out eventually. As for ruining my marriage because Bailey wanted to betray you. That’s only one component. What she wanted to do betrayed me, too. She betrayed Meggie. Prez.Harley. You not a good parent by letting your kids do what the fuck they want and upholding all their bad fucking decisions. That’s a fucking betrayal, too.”

Mom moved on the bed and CJ glanced at her, hoping she’d open her eyes. Other than a soft groan and turning her head, she remained asleep. He pressed his lips together.

“Go talk to Bishop and Grant. Give the brothers out there an update.”

“I don’t feel like it, Uncle Mort. I want to wait until Mom wakes up.”

“If she wake up, I’ll run and get you.”

“But—”

“Part of being a leader is putting your personal issues aside and looking after the members, CJ. They waiting for an update and they worried, too.”

“If Dad can’t go, can’t Diesel?”

Uncle Mort shook his head but didn’t explain why that wasn’t an option. “Right now,yourepresent the family and Outlaw. This part of your training, too. Staying strong when the world crumbling around you.”

“I don’t feel very strong,” CJ whispered. “I feel as ifI’mabout to fall apart.” He winced. “Forget I said that.”

“Your feelings valid.” Uncle Mort got to his feet. “You lucky, little dude. I need a cigarette. Otherwise, I’d make your little ass go.”

As he headed to the door, Uncle Mort clapped CJ’s back and left without another word.

CJ grinned, feeling marginally better.

February 24th

Kendall sat in her office, staring at the stack of folders, afraid to open any of them and discover one more disturbing tidbit about the original members of the club.

Logan Donovan and his daughter, Patricia, Sharper Banks, and Wally Bart, were next level psychopaths.

Cee Cee Caldwell…Kendall didn’t like him, but he’d had what the others didn’t: loyalty. As cruel and as fucked up as he was, he had that one redeeming quality. He wasn’t a one-dimensionalevil creep. Joe Foy and Kaleb Andrews were fucking tragedies, whose lives should’ve turned out so differently.

Kendall grieved for them, when she was only briefly acquainted with K-P and had never met Big Joe. She thought Johnnie and Christopher were polar opposites. Two more different men than Kaleb Andrews and Joseph Foy had never existed.

Pressing her lips together, Kendall glanced around. Her and Johnnie’s beliefs and values were farther apart than she ever realized, embodied in their offices. Unlike the luxury and excess of her husband’s office, hers was understated and quiet filled with a sintered stone and iron desk, a wood credenza, topped by sintered stone, and comfortable chairs. Shades of cream brightened her space and highlighted the colorful paintings on two of her walls. The degrees reminded Kendall of her accomplishments and the photos of her loved ones helped her to stay centered.

Unlike when she’d been a junior partner in a high-rise office building, she’d foregone windows. All an asshole needed to discover was her location and use her head as target practice to get the club’s attention. Or to retaliate for their transgressions.

Given the vileness of the founding members, she was certain more enemies than she knew of existed.

She glanced at the folders again, thinking of Meggie. Christopher.Johnnie.

Somewhere inside the mountain of papers were the answers she sought. Especially about Logan and company.

And Johnnie, Hopper, and Jana.