His throat burning, Stretch nodded, afraid Outlaw would strangle him anyway. “I thought she knew,” he choked out.
“Don’t fuckin’ think nothin’ about my girl. If you don’t know, shut the fuck up. Hear me?”
“Yes,” he said, unable to curtail the slight tremble in his voice.
Releasing him with an angry snarl, Outlaw turned to Val. “Know what, motherfucker?”
“What?” Val croaked on a flinch.
“I keep tellin’ my-fuckin-self you wasn’t fuckin stupid e-fuckin-nuff to try and force your fuckin’ cock in my wife. You one of my best fuckin’ friends and Bitsy old man. Ain’t matterin’ how the fuck much I press Megan, she ain’t changin’ her fuckin’ story about arguin’ over a fuckin’ dinner. If I ever get the fuckin’ proof I fuckin’ need that you fuckin’ tried to force yourself on my Megan while you was fuckin’ high, you fuckin’ dead. I just need real fuckin’ proof cuz that’s what the fuck she expectin’ of me. Not to kill motherfuckers randomly. To have a good fuckin’ reason to blow your fuckin’ brains out. Most days I ain’t believin’ you did something like that. Other days, like now, I ain’t too sure and it’s all I can fuckin’ do not to pull my piece and kill you.” He looked from Val to Mortician. “We all fuckin’ clear?”
“Yeah, Prez,” Mort answered as Val nodded.
The door opened again. Leaning against it to keep it open, Meggie sighed.
“Slipper and the others are getting restless. Zoann suggested we all return to the club and she’ll stay overnight.”
“You ain’t come to tell my fuckin’ ass that, Megan,” Outlaw snapped irritably. “You came to see if I fucked up these motherfuckers.”
“I did,” she admitted. “But I also really wanted to relay that message.”
Mort looked at her. “Meggie girl, we so sorry.”
She offered him a sad smile as Outlaw heaved his shoulders.
“I love you so much, Christopher,” she told him.
“I love you more than I love my own fuckin’ life, baby. Ain’t never wantin’ nothin’ to hurt you.”
“Living hurts,” she told him. “In the sense that we all have to face tragedy and heartache. How we live amidst those times, beyond those times, is what makes the difference.”
“Yeah, baby.” Throwing a last glower to Val and Stretch, he allowed Meggie to take his hand guide him off the landing.
Arriving back at the club at almost two-thirty in the morning, Cash joined Outlaw at his corner table with Johnnie, Val, Mort, Digger, and Stretch. Needing to be near Stretch, Cash stayed as close as possible without arousing more of Slipper’s suspicions. Cash understood both Johnnie’s and Meggie’s positions. However, with Fee in ICU and only immediate family members about to see her, Cash needed to be close to Stretch.
Every now and then, the asshole, Slipper, walked to the table, under the pretense of wanting updates, but Cash knew he was being a nosy motherfucker.
Outlaw knew it, too, and glared him away the last time. Slipper hadn’t brought his funky ass over in almost twenty minutes as brothers kept arriving to offer support and eat the breakfast Meggie and Bailey cooked.
“Should I do more coffee?” Meggie asked Outlaw around a yawn. She rubbed her eyes, reddened from all the crying she’d done and plain fatigue.
Outlaw pulled her onto his lap. “Fuck no. You tired, baby. Whatever the fuck we ain’t got, we ain’t needin’.”
“We’re out of eggs,” Bailey announced, walking to the table and stopping next to Mortician. “We need to cook more.”
“Hey, pretty girl,” he responded, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“You and Megan go the fuck to my old room, Bailey,” Outlaw ordered, kissing Meggie on the mouth. “Sleep for a minute ‘til we through out here.”
“Are you sure?” Meggie asked, getting to her feet and swaying.
Cash wondered how long she’d been awake. Probably close to twenty-four hours.
“Fuck, Megan.” Rising up, Outlaw swept her into his arms. “Follow me, Bailey.”
Bailey yawned, then kissed her husband, stumbling behind Outlaw.
Val held up his phone. As usual, he was texting his wife. “Puff said Fee sleeping peacefully.”
“She’s going to make it, right?” Stretch asked, not looking at anyone in particular, but also not covering the fear and devastation in his voice.
“Rein it the fuck in,” Johnnie warned, surprising Cash. “Christopher isn’t stupid. One look at you and he’ll know that your falling apart has to do with more than you finding her close to death.”