“No,” Christopher said. “You want fuckin’ coffee, these motherfuckers go a-fuckin-lone, Megan. Ain’t havin’ you or Bitsy goin’ fuckin’ nowhere ‘til I get my fuckin’ hands on Noah.”
She groaned.
“They can’t go on lockdown, Christopher,” Johnnie argued. “They have a business to run. Remember?”
Fuck the business. He wasn’t risking Megan. They’d just have to start something else. Christopher opened his mouth to announce his decision.
“Everything will be fine, Christopher,” Megan interrupted. “Let’s not worry about anything else but Fee right now.”
“Hey Puff,” Val greeted, walking into the room and heading straight for Zoann.
Stretch and Mortician followed close behind, drawing everyone’s attention thanks to the way Slipper had called the situation out. Noting how Cash stiffened and scowled at Slipper, Megan whispered, “Let me get them out of here before Slipper insinuates something about Stretch, and Cash loses it.”
Irritation surged into Christopher. “Ain’t no insinuation, baby,” he whispered back. “They was probably fucking and Slipper know. Or almost caught them, since I sent his ass to get Cash.”
“Please?” she pressed. “Cash is really protective towards Stretch. It can get really bad. Let me diffuse this.”
“Fuck. Fine,” Christopher growled.
She gave him another quick kiss, then turned to Cash.
“Can you come with me for a minute? You too, Johnnie.”
John Boy lifted a brow, but rose without hesitation, following her to the door, where she paused and pulled out her phone. She frowned at the screen, and Christopher recognized it for the ploy that it was. “Shoot, Mort, Val, and Stretch, you come, too.”
Christopher would have to impress upon Cash to be more fucking careful. Otherwise, they’d have another bloodbath on their hands and, this time, Christopher might not be around to save them.
“Why we here, Meggie girl?” Mort asked as Meggie led them out of the waiting room and to a nearby stairwell.
Stretch couldn’t imagine why she’d escorted them to this landing to do nothing but lean against the wall and frown between him and Cash. Looking at Cash, Stretch got no indication as to Meggie’s intentions. Her fucking sigh didn’t clue them in either.
“What’s up, sweetheart?” Johnnie asked, at peace with her again.
“There are idiots lurking,” she answered, sadness softening her words. She and Fee were close. After losing so many people, she might lose another. Only this loss would affect Stretch as much or worse. “I couldn’t single Cash and Stretch out. I mean there’s been enough bloodshed. The minute Stretch walked in, Slipper, Fritz, and Orange honed in. They’re idiots. We all know it, but your expression said a lot, Cash. We aren’t thinking of hiding our feelings, right now, so it was just easier to get you out of there.”
Her words touched a nerve in Stretch, already scraped raw by all that had happened. “Maybe leave the club too, huh, Meggie? At least that’s how Kendall feels.”
Johnnie growled, but Mort placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded to Meggie, who glared at Stretch. She’d grown up, learned to hold her own. She needed neither Outlaw or John Boy to defend her.
“I don’t feel that way, Stretch,” she snapped. “If I did, I’d tell you nor would I go through the trouble of attempting to protect you.”
“My wife had a point.”
Johnnie’s cool words felt like a betrayal. If Stretch could count on anyone, he always thought it was the men with him. “Thanks a fucking lot, John Boy.”
Folding his arms, Cash leaned against the wall. “I understand what Johnnie’s saying, Stretch. With all the discrimination, a biker club’s the worst place in the world for us to be. If we can’t hide our feelings, then we don’t need to be here.”
Mort clapped Stretch’s back. “You always been a quiet motherfucker. Kind of gentle. Since all that shit went down, you just not been the same, brother. Otherwise, you’d understand the meaning behind Johnnie’s words.”
His resentment increased. They thought circumstances made him overly sensitive. That wasn’t it.
“Kendall said that before the bathroom incident,” Stretch reminded them.
“It doesn’t matter when she said it,” Meggie interrupted. “She was telling you to be careful.”
Stretch laughed without humor. “Really?”
After the way Kendall had fucked with Meggie’s marriage, he wondered if she’d defend Kendall if she was clued in. “Kendall was concerned about me?”