Chapter Thirty-Three

The morning after the taste-testing party, Mortician awakened from his spot on the sofa, grabbed his pack of cigarettes, and walked outside onto the front porch. If he felt like socializing, he would’ve gone out back, where Roxanne had a clear view of what she and Bailey called the veranda.

Last night had been painful for Mort. On the surface, he and Bailey looked fine. Deep down, where it counted, and in private where they lived most of their lives, their relationship was in shambles.

He lit his cigarette and stared, not seeing the stands of trees, the gardens, or the stone walkway that led to the mansion he’d built for his wife.

The biting temperature bounced off his bare chest, abrading his face and ears. It was almost February and still cold as a motherfucker.

The door opened. Mortician didn’t bother to look up to watch as Lou and Kaleb came to where he leaned against the banister. After Harley was asked to leave, the boys checked on Mortician regularly, even when he’d told them their mama needed them more. He’d just been preparing to have a sit down with his boys to explain how unhappy he was at their treatment of Bailey. First, he’d had to gather the trash for one of the Probates to pick up and bring to the club’s dumpster.

Mort wasn’t sure what it was—fate, karma, the law of averages. A loosely tied drugstore bag spilling out of the can and opening when he’d yanked the trash bag out wasn’t new. His boys were criminal in their disregard for overflowing trashcans.

Seeing the pregnancy test—and the results—had sent equal parts consternation and annoyance through Mort. He’d wondered why Bailey hadn’t told him she might be pregnant a few days ago.

Except the test hadn’t been for Bailey. It had been Harley’s.

When Bailey dissolved in tears, Mort could only hold her tightly, grateful that Harley hadn’t been carrying a baby. Then, as Bailey’s words sank in, and he’d realized she told Harley to pin a pregnancy on CJ. Once Harley discovered she wasn’t pregnant, instead of doing the righteous thing and moving the fuck on, she’d decided to pretend she was a virgin and guilt CJ into a relationship. Which was what led to the fucking fight between Harley and Bailey.

“Lucas?”

His wife’s voice floated over his senses. One of his boys hadn’t walked outside. Their mother had.

Releasing smoke through his nostrils, Mortician stiffened. He’d been on the sofa for the past week. He was so hurt and disappointed in his wife and daughter, he couldn’t look at either one of them the same.

“Momma is furious.”

He clenched his jaw.

“I-I thought you told her what happened. What I did. T-told Harley to do. She called a little while ago and asked what was up with us. I asked her to reason with you about—”

Tossing his cigarette, he sidled a glare at her. She stood next to him, looking sweet and delicate and miserable. “About what, Bailey?” he demanded. “How you tried to get me fucking killed?”

Her face crumpled. “That isn’t true! I was just trying to protect Harley.”

He spun to face her. “If you told me she was carrying CJ’s kid, you don’t fucking think I would try to break him in fucking two?”

“No! You’d be disappointed in him, but then you’d see it was for the best.”

He shook his head. She just wasn’t getting it. “I been knowing that kid since before he was born, Bailey. We had a heart-to-heart a few months ago. He knew where the fuck I stood. If I thought he’d betrayed me, you don’t fucking think I would’ve been madder than a motherfucker? Harley was my baby girl.”

“She still is—”

“No, don’t tell me that fucking lie, Bailey. Please have more fucking respect for me than that. She not my baby girl. And she not your baby girl. I don’t know who the fuck she is anymore. She is young, though. I might be able to give her a pass about this scheme you concocted if she hadn’t turned into her.”

“I thought this…” She drew in a deep breath. “Haven’t you always wanted Harley and CJ together?”

“Not through manipulation! Have you lost your fucking mind? I don’t give a fuck how close I am to Outlaw, how much I love CJ, Harley my daughter. I wouldn’t have felt nothing but betrayal and addressed the matter that way. Then what? Whether I killed CJ or just hurt him, Prez would’ve carved my fucking heart out. He would’ve killed my brother to nip any fucking retaliation Digger might plan in the bud.”

Bailey paled, gasped, her eyes widening.

“You were the one that wanted to leave the fucking club because you worried Prez would decide to fuck me up like he was doing Johnnie and Digger.” Fury pounded through him at her double manipulation. “That shit make sense now. You knew you was risking my fucking ass with your bullshit.”

“No!” She shook her head frantically. “I didn’t even know Harley suspected she was pregnant at that time. I would never risk you, our marriage, or your life. I was just trying to protect our daughter.”

“By fucking over the son of the club president,” he snapped. “Let’s forget Outlaw a minute. How the fuck you think Meggie would respond to that?”

Her throat working, Bailey opened her mouth, snapped it shut, opened it again, unable to find words.

He rounded on her and thrust his face into hers. “Exactly,” he snarled. “Meggie don’t play about her kids, especially CJ. If you don’t fucking think she wouldn’t have ordered us drawn and fucking quartered and our carcasses hung on the fucking fence to rot, then you not been paying attention all these fucking years.”

“I have! I even told Harley that Meggie would climb up on something and take a swing.” She laughed nervously.

Finding absolutely nothing amusing about this situation, Mortician didn’t crack a smile.

She laid her fingers on his arm. Despite his anger, her touch swept through him like a jolt of electricity. But she still didn’t understand why he was so upset, proven by her remark about Meggie.

As long as Bailey was so willfully ignorant, what she did had the potential to happen again. The way she’d allowed Harley to come between them was egregious enough, under the circumstances. He thought Bailey understood the dynamics of the club.

For so many years, it seemed as if everything was mapped out and going according to plan. Marriages were solid. Club was untouchable. Kids were well-adjusted.

“What are you angriest about?” Bailey demanded, hostility suddenly dripping from her.

“The fact that Harley might’ve been pregnant and I didn’t tell you or I wanted to pin the baby on your precious CJ?”

Her scorn hit him like a bullet.

“Go over what the fuck you just said in your goddamn head and you tell me what the fuck I’m angriest over,” he yelled, furious.

She stared at him, and swallowed, her delicate throat working. He’d never been as livid with her.

“Maybe, I should go to California with the kids over the summer. You can stay here.”

“That might be for the best, Bailey. Maybe, we need space to figure out what we want to do.”

“You don’t want to be married to me anymore?”

“Don’t put this on me. You checked out long before me.”

“But I love you—”

“No wonder Harley got such a fucked-up understanding of love.”

Her lips trembled.

“You don’t pull the bullshit you fucking did on somebody you love. None of it. I didn’t mean to not notice you were pregnant, but you got a fucking mouth. You should’ve opened it. You fucking know I would’ve dropped everything.”

“Lucas, please—”

“No, goddamn it. I don’t even want to get into Harley again. But CJ? Meggie? Outlaw? Even if they not important to you like I fucking thought, they important to me. CJ still a kid. How would your fucking ass feel if some desperate mama tried to fuck over one of our boys like that?”

Her eyes widened. She’d never considered such a possibility.

“I’m going shower, then I’m heading to the club,” he said tiredly. He started past her. “I’ll stay there until summer when you and the kids go to California.”

He bent and kissed her cheek, not knowing what else to say.

He pushed open the door to go inside when she called his name.

“Lucas?”

Though he halted, he didn’t say anything.

“I’m so sorry. Please, please forgive me. I don’t want to lose you.”

He didn’t want to lose her either. He loved her. But he hadn’t been the one to suggest time apart.

“I love you so much,” she said. “I swear I’ll never hide anything from you ever again.”

“Shit feel broken, pretty girl.”

Not only between them. A cloud hovered over the entire club.

“It can be fixed. Please, Lucas. If you want to continue to sleep on the sofa, that’s…that’s fine. Just please don’t move back to the club. Please. I won’t go to California. I-I thought you’d decide to come with us.”

Loving Bailey and laying the world at her feet had long ago become his number one priority.

He turned. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

She shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “No.”

“Stop with the fucking games. If there’s something I need to know, tell me.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

“Then, I’ll stay, Bailey,” he said, equal parts relief and uneasiness filling him.

Just as Kendall reached the edge of the property that belonged to Roxanne and Knox, she noticed Meggie walking toward her from the opposite direction.

Unlike the beaded jumpsuit with feathered embellishments she wore last night, this morning she dressed simpler in a long-sleeved mini polo dress with a white collar and knee-high boots.

During the reception last night, Kendall had confirmed with Bailey that she was still in possession of the boxes with her father’s old letters. They’d set up a mid-morning date, but then she’d taken it upon herself to invite Meggie.

She didn’t want the rift between Meggie and Bailey to affect Mortician and Christopher. Mortician had long been Kendall’s friend, even before Johnnie, and she loved him like a brother. She didn’t want him hurt.

“You look cold,” Meggie said, pointing to Kendall’s fur coat.

“You’ve never walked through half the fucking forest on a winter morning,” she retorted. “I love the view, but I wish Johnnie had built our house on this side of the clearing.”

For a moment, Meggie remained silent. It looked as if she’d lost her best friend, then she drew in a breath.

“Cherish your location, woman,” she said with mock severity. Forced levity. “My house is ground zero. It’s the first one you see once you leave the trail.”

“Your house would be ground zero anywhere it was located.”

She nodded. “True.”

Meggie’s sadness compelled Kendall to hug her. Torie was still texting both of them. Despite Meggie’s bravado, that bitch’s accusations had to sting.

Torie was a cunt and Bash was a motherfucker.

The end.

When she met with Christopher this week for her update, she’d give him a little homework of his own.

Find that bitch.

Kendall certainly hadn’t been able to.

Grabbing Meggie’s hand, she tugged her toward the porch, not releasing her even after she rang the bell.

A moment later, Bailey swung the door open. “Ken—” Her gaze fell on Meggie, and she snapped her mouth shut. “Lucas isn’t here.”

Meggie snatched her hand away. “This was a bad idea, Kendall. I’m going home.”

Kendall lifted a brow at Bailey as Meggie turned to leave.

“Wait, Meggie.” Bailey opened the door wider and stepped aside. “You’re here now. There’s enough coffee and donuts for all of us.”

It wasn’t the friendliest invitation, but it was something.

Bailey indicated they come in. “Please?”

Meggie wasn’t thrilled, but she didn’t walk away. She stepped into Bailey’s house. Kendall followed, her gaze falling on six file boxes stacked against the wall near the door.

“I’m not sure of everything that’s in there, Kendall,” Bailey said, nodding to the boxes. “I have read some letters. If I remember there’s an old tape in there. VHS, I think. I could never find a player.”

“I’ll return everything to you, my dear,” Kendall said briskly.

Bailey nodded. “It’s still too painful…” She swallowed and cleared her throat. “Otherwise, I might’ve digitized the files and put the boxes in climate-controlled storage.”

Meggie’s phone buzzed and she scowled.

“One of the kids working on your nerves?” Bailey asked, laughing nervously.

“It’s most likely Torie,” Meggie responded. She clenched her jaw, a combination of hurt and anger in her eyes.

“I thought…I thought she was no longer an issue,” Bailey said.

“As long as she’s alive, she will be an issue,” Meggie said flatly.

Bailey licked her lips, glanced at Kendall, then looked at Meggie again. “Did I miss a memo? I-I m-mean…” Her brows snapped together. “You were angry at Outlaw’s birthday, so you t-told him to k-k-kill Johnnie and T-Torie. I-I thought you’d change your mind. Especially about Torie.”

“Why don’t we have coffee?” Kendall suggested. The tension was thick enough to stop a bullet.

Throwing Bailey in Meggie’s path away from their committee meetings might be asking for trouble.

“That’s a great idea.” Bailey forced a smile. Free of makeup, her face showed visible signs of the strife going on in her house. Circles ringed her eyes. She looked paler than normal and her features were drawn. “Follow me.”

In the kitchen, Kendall stood next to Meggie, waiting for Bailey’s invitation to sit. It occurred to Kendall how little she visited Bailey and Mortician’s house. When she went to Meggie or Roxy’s place, she felt at home. She sat without an offer. She poured herself coffee or wine or grabbed a bite to eat. Roxy and Meggie did the same at Kendall’s house.

As they waited for Bailey to finish placing the donuts on a tray, Mortician walked in.

“Red!” he greeted, hugging her, and then acknowledged Meggie in the same manner.

To Bailey, he said nothing. He barely looked at her. Her hands had begun to shake.

“I got the alert on the phone that we had visitors,” he explained. “When I looked, I saw you and Meggie. Figured my muscle was needed for those boxes.”

Kendall nodded, and looked at Meggie, waiting for her to intercede. If not on Bailey’s behalf, then Mort’s. Instead, she turned her head.

“We were just about to have coffee, L-Lucas,” Bailey stammered. “Would you like to join us?”

“No, Bailey.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I got shit to do at the club. I just came to help Kendall with the boxes.”

Bailey glanced at Meggie. Then Mort, so Kendall looked at her, too.

Meggie glared at Bailey. “I’m not interested in helping you when you tried to trap my son.”

“He was the better choice,” Bailey said in frustration. “Why can’t anyone understand that! I was just trying to protect Harley.”

“You can’t protect your daughter at the expense of my son.”

“What would you…never mind!” Bailey flared. “This is your fault anyway. You stopped CJ from visiting.”

“I didn’t invite Meggie over to rehash the past,” Kendall inserted.

Mortician was conspicuously silent. Usually, he had a joke or a lighthearted comment, but Kendall saw she’d get no help from him.

“I invited Meggie over so you two can talk.”

She also wanted something to reach Meggie.

“She can at least own up to stopping CJ—”

“I didn’t stop CJ from doing anything, Bailey. That’s all on you.”

Bailey gasped. “Me? CJ could’ve been more understanding—”

“My son was very understanding,” she said coldly. “All you needed to do was sit down and try to talk Harley down. You co-signed everything she did. Never mind, this is ridiculous. Harley’s a child. She should be held accountable for her behavior, but it is easier to excuse. You’re a grown woman. You told her to sleep with CJ and make him think the baby was his.”

“CJ has known Harley her entire life. He’s a fine boy,” Bailey said quietly. “He would protect her.”

“When he discovered the baby wasn’t his, he could’ve taken her to court,” Kendall said.

If Bailey wouldn’t look at it from a moral standpoint, perhaps legalities would get through to her.

“I don’t believe—”

Meggie interrupted Bailey. “I don’t care what you believe. You owe my son an apology. You owe my husband an apology. Your idea threatened his friendship with Mortician.”

“Lucas said he would’ve gotten killed, but—”

“And Digger,” Meggie inserted. “And your sons and nephews if they decided to avenge their fathers when they grew up.”

Although Mort bowed his head, Kendall and Bailey gaped at Meggie.

“You would’ve interceded,” Bailey said faintly.

“You think?” Meggie shot back. “Why interfere because of an idiot when my sons are at risk, too? I’m no one’s savior and I don’t care to be.”

With a last glare, she started off. Kendall would’ve let her leave because she didn’t know what to say, but Mortician moved quickly and caught Meggie’s hand. He dragged her to the table and gently pushed her onto the chair at the head, then sat on the bench to her right.

“Prez already said the boys safe, Meggie girl.”

“What about rival clubs? I’m constantly targeted as Christopher’s wife. What do you think they’d do to one of his sons?”

“The same way you boxed up all that fear for Outlaw, you got to do the same for CJ. And the rest of the boys,” Mortician added.

Kendall went to where Bailey stood at the counter and hugged her. “Come on, darling,” she whispered, so only Bailey heard. “Maybe we can help get through to Meggie.”

Bailey nodded, then grabbed the tray of donuts and headed to the table.

“Do you mind if I pour the coffee?” Kendall asked.

“Why would I mind?” Bailey responded in surprise.

“No reason, honey,” Kendall said, opting for silence.

It was the better part of valor. Telling Bailey that she’d always felt like a guest wouldn’t help matters.

Once coffee was poured for everyone and two glazed donuts a piece served, Bailey sat on the other side of her husband while Kendall squeezed into the booth.

Everyone except Meggie ate and sipped their piping hot coffee.

Kendall wasn’t sure what was on Mort’s and Bailey’s minds, but her own husband was uppermost on hers. She, Mattie, and Johnnie were still in the media room when Rory arrived home not long after their welcome home toast.

He seemed genuinely pleased to have his father back in the house and had joined them with a beer. He didn’t care for any type of wine, but especially red.

The four of them ended up debating “The Juniper Tree”. Mattie and Kendall aligned against the fairytale, while Rory and Johnnie united in favor of it.

Kendall thought it was one of the more gory, horrific tales in the Grimm catalog. When the kids finally went to bed, Kendall announced she was turning in, too.

More than just his treatment of Mattie had caused their rift. They had yet to resolve the argument from their trip. He’d wanted sex. She’d informed him she was perfectly happy with her clit massager. By the time she finished preparing for bed, he’d been asleep.

When she awakened this morning, he was already in the library behind closed doors. She’d left without speaking to him.

Mortician grabbed one of Meggie’s donuts and chomped.

“I was going to bring those to Christopher,” she complained.

“There’s four left,” Mort answered, chewing his stolen donut with contentment. “Take them.”

“The boys don’t eat donuts?” Meggie asked.

“Harley loves them.” Bailey looked at Kendall. “Have you seen her?”

Kendall shook her head. “No.”

“She’s fine,” Meggie chirped. “Ryan even gave her his room.”

“That was nice of him.” Bailey pursed her lips. “H-how do you know that?”

“CJ went to visit her,” Meggie said coolly. “When she didn’t get her way, she went into hysterics, so Zoann called me since I’ve spent so much time with her.”

“And you didn’t think to call me?” Bailey demanded. “I’m her mother!”

“I’ll remember that the next time and let your daughter scream herself into a coma.”

“How dare—”

“Thank you, Meggie girl,” Mortician interrupted. “You didn’t have to help with Harley at all.”

“Tell her she should’ve called me, Lucas!”

“God can tell me I should’ve called you, and it wouldn’t make a difference. You put her out, so obviously you were too angry to deal with her.” Meggie narrowed her eyes. “Do you see where I’m going with this?”

“I can put you out.”

“I can leave, never come back, and don’t lose sleep over it. Next.”

The phone buzzed again and Meggie visibly gritted her teeth.

“Give me the phone, Meggie,” Mortician demanded, holding out his hand.

“Only if you track her and kill her. Shoot her. Cut her in half. I don’t care!” Meggie sounded like she was on the verge of a breakdown. “I can pay you. I’ll pay you. Whatever you want.”

“Calm down, baby,” Mort said gently. He wiggled his fingers. “The phone.”

Standing, Meggie dug in the pocket of her dress and pulled the cell phone out, then held it out to Mortician.

“Unlock it.”

She did as instructed.

Mortician lit a cigarette, then scrolled through Meggie’s phone, presumably her text messages. Here and there, his eyes widened; he chuckled; he lifted his gaze to Meggie; he said, “ummhmm.”

“I’m about to ask you some rhetorical questions.” Mortician leaned over Bailey and slid an ashtray closer to him. He rested his cigarette in one of the slots. “Okay, Meggie?”

She glanced away.

“You not saying ‘no’, so I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

“Flawed reasoning and dubious consent,” Meggie grumbled.

Mortician snickered. “You always been a shady little motherfucker. Used to piss Ellen and Kiera off on the regular.”

“They deserved it,” Meggie sniffed.

“They did,” Mort agreed, “but you never thought they deserved to die, and they fucked Prez.” He held her phone up. “No matter what this bitch saying, you know deep down Outlaw never touched Torie. The last time you engaged with her, you told her you knew she was lying.”

Meggie looked at Kendall, hurt and vulnerable. Unsure of what to say, Kendall reached out and grabbed Meggie’s hand, squeezing tightly.

“According to her—” Mortician paused to smoke and scroll the messages— “this morning, you old, you…” He scrolled a little more— “…got a blonde brain.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Kendall demanded.

Bailey peeped over Mort’s shoulder. “According to yesterday’s text, a blonde brain is defined as a stupid, airhead slut.”

“That goddamn bitch,” Kendall said.

Mortician set the phone down. “Over the past three days, Torie described another sexual encounter between her and Prez in detail.”

“Yes.”

“She reminded you that your boys happily lied to you and covered for their daddy.”

“Old news.”

Mort smiled at Meggie’s claim. “She told you Rebel will end up sucking cock and licking pussy between jail stints for the rest of her life.”

Anger washed over Meggie’s face. “Torie’s disgusting.”

“She also told you that Prez needs a mother for Jo since you’re so shitty to the baby.”

She flushed and glanced away.

“She called you an assless pallid twig.”

Meggie nodded.

“She said no matter how many more babies you want to give Prez, you can’t give him anymore, whereas she can give him four or five more.”

“Is she out of her fucking mind?” Kendall gasped. “If Meggie isn’t having his babies, Christopher doesn’t want any more.”

“You call Outlaw by his given name, Kendall?” Bailey asked in surprise.

Had it really been that long since their family nights where they got together and gossiped while their men drank, and their kids socialized?

“It was past time Christopher buried the hatchet,” Meggie said. “When he told me what he planned, I applauded him.”

“Oh.”

Meggie glowered at Bailey’s small tone. “You can call him Christopher, Bailey,” she snapped. “No one ever stopped you—”

“Lucas doesn’t even call him that—”

“Lucas doesn’t have a vagina!”

Kendall broke into peals of laughter. “And Johnnie does?”

“He has his moments,” Meggie said grouchily, but relented when Kendall and Mortician roared.

Even Bailey giggled.

“What are you angriest about, Meggie?” Mortician asked once the moment passed. “You think Prez cheated? You think Torie need fucking up? You want another kid? You still Smurfette sized? What, girl?”

“There’s a picture,” Meggie said so quietly Kendall almost missed the words.

Meggie’s composure slipped. Grabbing her phone, she kept it in her possession for a moment, then gave it back to Mort, too fast for Kendall to see.

She bowed her head.

Mort glanced over his shoulder at Bailey, then looked at Kendall and shook his head. Kendall held her hand open.

“Meggie,” Mort said as he obliged Kendall and handed her the phone. “When you got that photo?”

“When I was walking out of the house to head here.”

Kendall stared mutely at a picture of Christopher, standing next to Torie in a see-though chemise, a hickey on her neck.

“When you think that was taken?” Mort pressed.

Kendall handed the phone to Bailey.

“Don’t play dumb. You know exactly when Christopher wore that sweater two days ago.” Meggie looked at Kendall. “Did he even come to your office?”

“Yes, darling. I told him he needed to find Torie because I haven’t been able to—”

“He knew where she was—”

“Prez innocent,” Mortician declared.

Anger and hurt darkened her eyes.

“Why you didn’t keep the photo in the text messages?” Mort asked. “You downloaded it, then erased it? It was still on your phone.”

A muscle ticked in Meggie’s jaw. “I erased the message that accompanied the picture, too. The one where she said Diesel, CJ, and Christopher knew exactly where to find her.”

“Fuck this bitch, man.” Mort grabbed Meggie’s hand, jumped to his feet, and started for the door. “We fucking ending this once and for all. Prez not a saint, but he not a fucking cheater, either.” He released her just long enough to walk to Bailey and take Meggie’s phone. “Red, call Stretch. Tell him to meet me at the fucking club. Then call Diesel and tell that motherfucker to get to the club stat.”

“CJ’s working on his science project,” Meggie said. “I don’t want to bring him into this. He’s learning the ways of the club—”

“And that bitch know the ways of the streets. C’mon.”

Without another word, Mort grabbed Meggie’s hand again and pulled her out of the kitchen, while Kendall hastened to follow his orders.