Misfit(234)
She smiled. “We can bargain. You tell Meggie to open up her meeting, I’ll tell you what I meant.”
Meggie opened her mouth to speak, but Outlaw shook his head. He lit up a cigarette, dragged on it, then released the smoke into the air. “Ain’t fuckin’ bargainin’ with you. You tell me what the fuck you meant about goddamn secrets and you ain’t gettin’ fuck all in return.”
“I hate you.”
“Obviously not fuckin’ e-fuckin-nuff.”
“You started the party without us,” Val said, weaving his way through the crowd with Zoann and Fee hot on his heels.
Damn, but she was so pretty in her mint-green sundress. She no longer had bandages and her wounds were healing, but the scars didn’t seem to bother her. Noticing his scrutiny, she blushed. Stretch grinned and winked, forgetting their company, who was still engaged in an argument.
“As soon as they’re finished, you and I will talk.” Fury darkened Johnnie’s eyes. “You don’t fucking listen, determined to have your fucking way. I told you to drop it.”
“I’m having a baby,” Kendall wailed, reaching for Johnnie before turning to Meggie. “Talk to them, Meggie. They’ll listen to you.”
“Ain’t no need to talk to my ass,” Outlaw said, skewering Stretch with a considering look.
“Is dinner ready?” Father Wilkins asked from the hallway.
“Almost,” Meggie answered.
“Let’s clear the fuck outta this motherfucker, so Megan and the girls can finish the fuck up.”
Stretch didn’t trust Kendall not to tell Meggie about Dinah’s betrayal. Or, even worse, about the fact that she’d killed a man. “Cash, can I talk to you?” He wanted to protect both Fee and Meggie from Kendall’s pregnant emotions.
Cash frowned at Stretch, but nodded as the other men left, and walked over.
“Kendall threatened to tell Meggie about Traveler and Dinah,” he whispered, desperation in his voice. “She’s also pissed with Fee.” He explained why.
“Fuck.”
“Can you talk to her?” If he got anywhere near that bitch, he might shoot her.
“Fuck, no.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Kendall inquired, closing the distance between them, always too far above the other women to do kitchen work. Meggie, Zoann, and Fee threw curious looks their way but went about transferring the food to serving dishes.
“You,” Cash said calmly.
She nodded. “The most interesting woman around.”
Tipping his chin down, Cash scowled at her. “Can I borrow some of your confidence?”
“I don’t give away anything. You can buy it from me.”
“You wound me, Kendall. I thought you’d give me whatever I needed.”
“You’re a dirty flirt,” she complained, her face reddening prettily.
Cash was a dirty flirt, able to convince a woman he didn’t like that he wanted her. “If you do me a favor, name your price. But it’ll be our secret.”
“I’ll have to tell Johnnie,” she said primly.
Cash shrugged. “That’s up to you.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t make any waves for Sweetness or Fee. You don’t want to do that, darlin’.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Who are you trying to protect, Cash?”
“Fee,” Cash answered, though Stretch bet Meggie was in there, too. Telling Kendall that would worsen matters, however. “Sweetness doesn’t need my protection. She has her husband’s.”
Kendall sniffed. “Right.”
“So do we have a deal?”
“Yes, Cash.”
Stretch doubted Kendall’s sincerity but hoped she’d hold her tongue. At least until the meeting ended.
Walking into Outlaw’s man cave, Stretch headed to the refrigerator behind the bar, while Cash took his seat at the table, unsure why Outlaw had spared him, only thankful that he had. If hanging in the kitchen wouldn’t have looked so suspicious, he would’ve stayed with the girls to protect Fee and Meggie from Kendall’s wrath.
“Anybody else need a drink?” Stretch asked, still behind the bar.
“I do,” Digger announced, joining them in the room and coming straight to the table. “What the fuck going on in here? Why such sad, mopey faces?”
“No reason,” Mort said.
No fucking reason at all. Just fucking Kendall, up to her usual bullshit.
Digger plopped into a seat. “Where my woman?”
“Up-fuckin-stairs, assfuck. With my kids,” Outlaw responded, while Johnnie swiped one of the buds.
A few minutes of silence went by as they passed around their rolls. With the door ajar, it was easy to hear the girls laughing and talking, while setting shit up in the dining room.