Page 90 of Ruptured

“No. Not until she apologizes to me.”

His temper spiked again, and he gritted his teeth. “That’s our baby, pretty girl. She needus.”

“Easy for you to say. She didn’t disrespect you to the nth degree.”

“What the fuck you mean? I was the motherfucker she originally disrespected.”

“I’m her mother. I rode hard for her. It’s different.”

Shaking his head, Mort turned his back on her. He loved his children with everything in him. Parenting was so fucking important. Yet, without a solid foundation,parentslost themselves in the everyday upheaval. Mort still couldn’t believe his and Prez’s marriages were near the breaking point under the strain of child rearing.

“I want another baby. Having Harley here will cause too much stress for me, Lucas.”

“You want another baby when we can’t even agree on how to raise the motherfuckers we got?” he asked, lifting his brows.

She lifted her chin. “I’m ovulating.”

“What that mean?” He knew, though. She wanted him to make love to her. After seeing Prez with Jo, Mort wasn’t opposed to a new baby. When he’d agreed they could try, it had been because Bailey wanted it. But shit was just so fucked up between them.

“I’m fertile.”

“And?” he asked, unable to meet her gaze and see her accusation and disappointment.

“What do you meanand?” she asked in a trembly voice.

“Bailey, do you even understand why I was so upset about what you wanted to do to CJ? Do you even care that Meggiegirl could use your support and friendship right now? And what about Harley? She a teenager. Chances high she won’t apologize anytime soon to me or you. But do that mean we just turn our fucking backs on her for the rest of her fucking life?”

“Of course you bring up Meggie and CJ first even before your daughter, who’s suddenly daddy’s little girl again.”

“Fuck, Bailey! What the fuck you want from me?”

“Fairness! I want you to keep your fucking promise,” she cried. “You swore we’d try for another baby. Youswore.”

“Then I fucking lied. I’m not putting a kid in you until you get a fucking clue. We going around and around about the same motherfucking shit. Not making a fucking step forward or backward. Why the fuck we even together at this point?” he yelled, the words exploding from him. But once they were out there, he couldn’t take them back. Fuck, he didn’t want to. He raised his hands in supplication. “I’m tired, Bailey. I’m tired of fighting for us when you stopped fighting foryou. You damn sure don’t fight for me. You just lost in your misery. Not even trying. Just throwing bullshit out into the world. A lack of communication,miscommunication, would be easier than this fucking disconnect. I don’t know you anymore.” Tears clogged his throat, but he couldn’t t hide his watery eyes or his devastation. Not that she cared. She didn’t move or say anything. She merely stared at him. “I don’t know if I want to try to save us anymore.” He bent and kissed her cheek. “I’m moving out, Bailey. I can’t do this anymore.”

He walked back into the house to pack his things.

Kendall barely spoke to Johnnie when he arrived home late last night. If not for JJ and Blade, he would’ve been completely alone, stewing in aggravation. He couldn’t fucking believe Kendall threatened to get a lover. His momentary happiness that she’d begun calling Christopher by Outlaw again disintegratedand all he thought of was how close they’d become recently. Christopher and Kendall were just alike. They’d fuck out of some type of sick revenge toward Johnnie when he’d done nothing wrong. Megan bore the brunt of the blame. He hadn’t wanted to love that little cunt for so long; she’d made him do it.

He was so fucking furious with Kendall and her fucking unfairness, he could barely see straight. She hadn’t barred him from their room, so he’d climbed into bed and yanked her into his arms, holding her so tightly, she couldn’t even shift. It was only her tears wetting his skin in the middle of the night, that soothed him. She cared. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have cried.

Maybe, if he pushed her to the edge, played on her fear, he’d get her on his side again. While she’d showered, he’d gone into the bathroom and watched her, ignoring her violent glowers, licking his lips at the sight of her beautiful tits and shaved pussy.

“Johnnie,go,” she’d ordered, gorgeous and damp as she stepped onto the bamboo rug, her body pink from the warm water she favored, her red hair plastered to her head.

Instead of following her orders, he’d stepped out of his pajama bottoms, displaying his erection.

“You’re an asshole,” she hissed, storming out of the bathroom.

Proud he’d gotten under her skin, Johnnie strutted to the shower and prepared for the day. It didn’t surprise him to find she’d already left with JJ when he went down to breakfast. Blade was with Ella, so Johnnie hummed happily, texted Rory, Mattie, and JJ to have a good day at school, and talked to his youngest child about his stubborn mother.

Receiving Rory’s response that he and Matilda hadn’t gone to school annoyed Johnnie, but he let it go. He had an action plan to create on driving Kendall to the brink and then reeling her back in.

Ella had just taken Blade to his nursery when Johnnie’s day went to hell.

Bash: Get your fucking ass to Logan’s old house IMMEDIATELY.

Johnnie’s mind raced and unease settled into his gut. He knew Bash didn’t mean the farmhouse. It was rubble and overgrowth. No, he was almost certain the motherfucker meant the place where Big Joe had stored money and drugs in the basement.