Misfit(183)

“’Law! ‘Law! ‘Law!” CJ chanted as Christopher walked into the dining room to find his children in their respective seats and Ryder in his high chair as Megan and Bunny sat dishes of steaming food on the table runner.

With Bunny living there, Digger was a frequent dinner guest. Tonight, even he was working on Christopher’s ass, piling food onto his plate as the girls set the dishes out. Megan’s stern look or Bunny slapping his hand away didn’t deter him.

“Wait for mommie, Ashfuck Dig,” CJ ordered. “Her get food first.”

Digger stuffed an oyster into his mouth. “I’m hungry, kid. Hunting down motherfuckers take a lot out a man.”

Christopher frowned at Digger as Megan returned carrying a pitcher of lemonade. She sat it near him. “Fresh lemonade and tequila,” she announced.

Bunny held up a second pitcher. “Plain lemonade.”

“You make some dope ass drinks, girl,” Digger complimented around a mouthful of food, holding up his glass. “I want a big glass, Meggie.”

Rebel wrinkled her nose. “No talking with food in your mouth.”

“Too late for the motherfucker to know that, Bug,” Christopher told his girl.

She giggled at him, just as he always did when he called her that.

“Bugs be squished,” CJ pointed out, then clapped his hands together. “I gonna squish you like a bug, El.”

“And I’ma beat your lil’ fuckin’ ass, boy,” Christopher snapped, not smiling as Megan filled his glass with her spiked lemonade.

Tears filled Rebel’s eyes. Megan rushed to their girl’s side. Most nights, Christopher appreciated the chaos at dinner. Him at the head. Megan to his right, with Ryder’s high chair angled between them. CJ sat next to his ma and Diesel two seats from Megan. When he ate with them, Digger sat to Christopher’s left in the seat Rule usually occupied. Tonight, Rule’s booster chair had been set up in the chair to Digger’s right, then Bunny, and then Rebel.

Digger was the only motherfucker chomping while Megan stroked Rebel’s hair, still whispering to her. CJ gave Christopher an under-eyed look.

“Come here, Rebel,” Christopher instructed.

Rebel lifted her head from where she leaned on Megan’s tit. Climbing from the chair, his daughter ran to him, her little arms outstretched.

Raising her up, he sat her on the end of the table, unsure what to do about her tears and red-splotchy face. On the rare occasions he watched her, he made funny faces and loud noises to entertain her. He never thought he’d have to do the shit around other grown motherfuckers. But he was Rebel’s old man in public and in private, whether he was happy, sad, frustrated, tired, or sick.

He tuned everybody out. Drawing his brows together, he crossed his eyes. Immediately, she grinned through her sniffles, eating his attention up.

“CJ ain’t mean to make you cry,” he said, hugging her close.

Without her sidekick, Harley, Rebel seemed afraid of CJ.

“CJ wants to squish me, Daddy. He’s mean.”

“I not!” CJ yelled, the food in his mouth muffling his words. “You scary.”

“After you eat, get ready for bed,” Christopher snapped, Rebel’s new tears hurting his head. “You ain’t playin’ on no iPad or comin’ with us to the den after dinner. You goin’ to your room.”

“MegAnn,” CJ called around pitiful sniffles, tears sliding down his cheeks.

“I’m not listening, potato. I’ve told you to be nice to your brothers and sister. You were very mean to Rebel.”

“I sorry, Mommie,” CJ wailed.

“I know, buddy. Apologize to Rebel and stop crying, okay?”

“O…” His body shuddered with the force of his sniffs. “Kay.”

Fuck, Christopher should’ve gone to the club and explained he’d gotten tied up. For a few minutes, they ate in relative silence, broken only by CJ’s hard sniffs. Reminding himself this was a normal fucking day at his house, Christopher sat his fork aside and made the sound of a motorcycle revving. Or what the fuck he hoped sounded like the motherfucker.

Rebel squealed and CJ smiled, quieting for the first time in ten fucking minutes. Finally, fucking order was restored.

Ryder swiped his plate, filled with fucked-up baby food, off the high chair tray, shrieking as motherfucking pureed shit flew every-fucking-where and his plate crashed to the floor.

Gritting his teeth, Christopher finished his meal, then went the fuck upstairs, which was what he’d wanted to do all fucking evening.





“Wake up.”

Opening his eyes, Christopher found Megan looming over him, her bare tits in his face. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep but he felt much better, especially with his girl waking him up as she was.