“As for Kendall…” Val scratched his chin. “Fuck…I never thought I’d say this shit.” Scratching his temple, he cleared his throat. “Exile her somewhere. Johnnie love her. He’s pissed with her, but if anything happens to her, he’ll lose his fucking mind.”
“He gonna fuckin’ find it again,” Christopher said, tired and wanting to check on Megan.
“What that mean, Prez?” Mort asked, a silent observer to this heartache. Bailey stood next to him, a frown of concern on her face.
If only Roxy was there, she’d slap Kendall into fucking line. Fuck, if Roxy had been there, Kendall might’ve toned her shit down a little.
“I ain’t…” Christopher swallowed and leaned against the wall, tipping his head back. “It mean I’m killin’ Kendall.” She’d left him no choice.
Her bullshit with Daphne proved to him that she’d do anything to hurt Megan.
Mort bowed his head. “That mean you have to kill Johnnie, too, Prez.”
The idea sent chills down his spine. His whole life had been spent protecting Johnnie.
“Meggie love Johnnie, Outlaw,” Val said. “As her friend and brother-in-law.”
Christopher knew what Val meant.
“You kill the motherfucker, she’ll be heartbroken.”
“Yeah, Outlaw, she might even start to get ideas about Traveler,” Digger said.
He’d have to convince her otherwise, but he would kill Kendall and Johnnie. She’d fucked with him one time too many.
“Christopher,” Fee sniffled, tipping to him. She hugged him again. “I’m so sorry. Forgive me, please. I’m begging you. Kendall is off her meds and I thought I could be her friend. I thought she’d back off. Yes, I was afraid for Cash and Stretch, but—but, please.”
Christopher pushed her away from him. “Get the fuck outta my house and don’t ever set fuckin’ foot in it again,” he told her and stormed to his bedroom, where he found Megan laying on the sofa, curled around CJ. Neither of them were sleeping, but the liveliness they usually exhibited was gone.
They were both silent, clinging to one another. At his approach, CJ sat up.
“’Law.”
Just one word. No inflection. No joy. Nothing.
Christopher hated Kendall a little more. He lifted CJ away from Megan, then put him on his shoulders. “Hang on, boy. We pickin’ up your ma.”
Clutching a handful of Christopher’s hair, CJ tightened his legs around his neck, not releasing his grip even after his ma had been scooped up.
He headed for the bed and laid Megan down, then sat and allowed CJ to scramble down and climb into his lap. Laying down on his side and pulling CJ with him, he then tugged Megan into his arms.
CJ squealed, caught between them, until he sat up and grinned. “You squeeze the jelly outta me, ‘Law.”
“You got a lot left, boy,” Christopher said, forcing enthusiasm into his voice.
“I tired.”
Sitting up, Megan pushed the covers down. “Climb in, buddy. Go to sleep.”
He did as he was instructed, except for the sleeping part. A minute passed before he spoke again. “I hungry.”
“They got a buncha motherfuckers downstairs and a lotta food,” Christopher told him.
“MegAnn cry, ‘Law. I saw her.”
That’s why it had been so fucking quiet when he’d walked in. CJ had found his ma in tears.
“I’ma watch her for you,” he promised. “While you eat. When you finished, come back here.”
“’Kay,” he said, climbing from the bed and hurrying off.
Christopher allowed a minute to pass before he spoke. He couldn’t imagine Megan’s frame of mind and didn’t want to say anything that would fuck up his lie. He heaved in a breath.
“What up, baby?”
“What if I did kill him?”
“What if the motherfucker killed my fuckin’ ass?”
She shuddered.
“In either or situations, you gotta choose the best, baby. Either my ass or that motherfucker. I’m kinda glad you fuckin’ picked either. Ain’t you?”
“Of course,” she whispered. “I…um…it keeps coming up. Like I did something wrong.”
“It ain’t gonna come up a-fuckin-gain, baby.” Not after tomorrow when he killed Kendall. And Johnnie.
“Okay.”
“You know I woulda fuckin’ told you if you killed that motherfucker, yeah? That shit woulda been something to celebrate, baby. I earned my red wings with you, you woulda earned your first kill for me.”
That got through to her. “You’re a psycho, Christopher,” she said with a relieved laugh.