Johnnie’s phone rang again. Glowering, he answered on the second ring. “What, Megan? Oh, hey, son. Yeah, I’m on my way. Sure, we can talk until I get there like Aunt Meggie suggested.” He moved the phone from his ear. “My son needs me. I have to go.”
“Keep your cool,” Cash advised, not truly understanding Johnnie’s turmoil until today. He’d been too wrapped up in himself to notice anything halfway serious. “You love her.”
Nodding, Johnnie walked off. “Do whatever you need to with the Bobs, Cash,” he called.
“Don’t tell Zoann,” Cash said the moment he and Val were alone.
Val huffed out a breath. “Don’t fuck over Fee.”
“I won’t.” A promise he meant to keep.
“You don’t even want to, do you?”
Cash shook his head.
“I’ll take over bartending duties for the rest of the afternoon from Potter, and tell him to prepare to have his cock sucked raw. Does a man good to return to his roots. I started out as a bartender here.”
Cash hadn’t expected Val’s help, but appreciated it. “Thanks, brother.”
“Outlaw not clued in because he not around. Johnnie can’t see past Kendall. All the rest of us know. That mean Meggie going to start working on Outlaw as soon as he released. We all putting our asses on the line for you. Don’t fuck it up.”
“I won’t,” Cash promised again, knowing Outlaw would only forgive Meggie and Zoann for keeping the secret. The rest of them? Not so much. “Thank you.”
“Another word of advice.”
“What’s that?”
“You fucking with Puff baby sister. Outlaw won’t have to do you a fucking thing if you fuck over Fee. Zoann will get to you and have you screaming like a bitch.”
“You know this how?” Cash was fucking with Val. Zoann had knocked the fuck out of Johnnie a time or two.
Val flushed. “That’s not important, motherfucker. Take my fucking advice or not,” he growled and stomped off, flipping Cash the finger when he guffawed in laughter.
Stretch glanced at the time, anxious to leave Meggie and get upstairs to Fee. He’d spent yesterday afternoon with her in her room, admiring the bouquets of flowers she’d received from Georgie and Sloane Mason, Josh McCall, and Cash. He and Fee had laughed and talked, just enjoying each other’s company. Later, Cash had shown up. The three of them had eaten dinner together.
Fee had fallen asleep after taking pain pills. Stretch and Cash had intended to thank Meggie for looking the other way and allowing them to be with Fee. But they’d found her curled up in the den, in one of Outlaw’s T-shirts, asleep. Stretch knew she hadn’t been asleep for long because her tears hadn’t completely dried.
Now, at ten in the morning, he still had a couple of hours before Meggie settled in for the routine she’d adopted in Outlaw’s absence.
Nursing Ryder. Greeting CJ, Rebel and Rule as Bunny set them up for breakfast. Seeing Diesel off to whatever activity he involved himself in during summer break, and then heading to the club to feed whoever was on premises. Members now stopped in at some point every day to get an Outlaw update and to check on her.
She kept a smile on her face. In private, she cried. Many times, Stretch found her at her desk unable to do her duties for the home healthcare business she had with Zoann because of her tears.
Today, one week after Outlaw’s arrest, the rainy day added to the gloomy mood. “Do you need anything?” he asked her as she sat at the kitchen counter.
She held a check out to him. “Can you cash this for me and give the money to Bob Rose?”
Stretch grabbed the check and saw it written out for five thousand dollars. “One of the Bobs?” he asked for clarification.
“Yes. Christopher mentioned her to me when the detectives called me in to talk to him,” she explained, rubbing her eyes. “After explaining the situation, one of the girls will go along with the story for a fee.”
Was that so? This girl was under club protection. She needed to do whatever it took to protect the president without charging his old lady.
He pocketed the check. “I’ll handle it,” he promised.
“Meggie!”
At the sound of Kendall’s screech, Meggie groaned.
“I can get rid of her,” Stretch whispered.
“Meggie!” Kendall stormed into the kitchen and stopped inches from where Meggie sat, her eyes narrowed. “How dare you!”
“How dare I what?” Meggie asked in exasperation.
“Prevent me from chastising my son when he so clearly deserved it.”
“You were abusing him, not disciplining him, plain and simple. I’ll call Johnnie every time you do that. You either let your son act like a child in my house or else.” Meggie rubbed her temple. “You know what? Go home. I’m not in the mood for your stupidity.”