Page 98 of Ruptured

She didn’t fling a comeback his way. Alarming on its own. Then, she sat meekly and fell silent.

“Johnnie still actin’ like a fuckhead?”

Tangling her fingers through her hair, she nodded. “I’m so fucking furious with him. Maybe, if I understood why he’s so upset, I wouldn’t be as angry.”

“Hold on.” Christopher beckoned Kenny yet again and had the skinny little motherfucker bring a fifth of tequila and two glasses to the table. He filled both glasses to the brim then slid one to Kendall. “Johnnie’s nuts chafed cuz I ain’t went to him for assistance. I asked you.”

She was smart, so she must’ve known that. Kendall’s problem was she expected better from that motherfucker.

Kendall sipped her tequila. “Why did you ask me and not him?”

“You the attorney and I can’t trust that motherfucker.”

“If he’d helped you, you could’ve kept an eye on him. Kept him on the straight and narrow.”

“Here I was just fuckin’ thinkin’ you a smart bitch, but that’s the stupidest shit I ever fuckin’ heard,” he growled.

Narrowing her eyes, she stiffened.

“Not a motherfuckin’ word from you, Kendall,” he ordered, shutting her down immediately. “You know why I barredyouin the first fuckin’ place?”

She opened her mouth, but mutiny still gleamed in her eyes, so he raised his hand.

“Think about what the fuck you about to say cuz you ain’t blamin’ Meganorme.”

She folded her arms.

“I barred you cuz I couldn’t trust you and I ain’t got fuckin’ time to babysit no grown motherfucker if it ain’t my girl. I ain’t got time to babysityourmotherfucker either. Especially that assfuck. I shouldn’t have to, Kendall. He either fuckin’gettrustworthy or deal with the fuckin’ consequences.” Christopher gulped his drink. “He should be fuckin’ happy that you finally got what the fuck you wanted. Nosin’ the fuck around club business.”

She fingered the rim of her glass. “That’s one thing he’s most infuriated about.”

Finishing his drink, Christopher poured himself another one. Kendall followed suit and held her glass up.

Christopher grunted, hesitating. Kendall seemed down and he didn’t want alcohol to add to her depression. She wiggled her glass.

Fuck it.

He didn’t feel like arguing with her, so he filled her glass.

“You wanna bail outta helpin’ me? Probably the only fuckin’ way that motherfucker gonna be happy.”

“I do, but I’m not. I’ve even gone back and forth on whether to call you Outlaw again. It might soothe Johnnie, but I don’t want to insult you.”

“Baby, I ain’t givin’ a good fuck what you call me. Fuck, you call me whatever the fuck come to your fuckin’ mindanyway. If callin’ me Outlaw pacify Johnnie and makeyouhappy, call me Outlaw.”

“Honestly, did you say I could call you by your given name because of you or because Meggie told you to do it?”

“Megan knew, but it wasn’t her idea. It was mine. Whatever the fuck else you say about me, my family important. My sisters, Bitsy and Fee.” He shrugged. “I see you as one of them. A lil’ sister, Kendall. You get the same rights as them.”

“Okay,” she whispered, tossed her drink back and forced a giggle. “The jury’s still out on what I’ll call you but I refuse to give up my opportunity to dip into club business.”

Snickering, Christopher shook his head. “You always been so fuckin’ busy.”

A moment later, her happiness fled again, the pendulum of her moods a little concerning. Hopefully, it was only because Johnnie was a confused, moronic, clueless, spineless fuckhead and not because she was still off her meds.

“Johnnie ain’t ever gonna appreciate you workin’ with me one on one. He ain’t ever gonna like me and you bein’ friends. It’s sendin’ him off the deep end,” he told her, hoping she got it through her head that Johnnie was close to the edge. “You either got to be strong enough to withstand him bein’ a motherfucker to you or you got to walk away.”

“I love my husband.”