Chapter Seven

Twenty minutes after Rebel and Mattie walked off and two minutes after Rory dropped Billy’s head, Diesel still hadn’t restored order. Johnnie was carrying an overnight bag with Kendall running alongside him, rushing from the direction of the club, and followed by Uncle Christopher. From the forest trail, Val dragged Ryan, and Mort and Digger hurried behind, all converging on the area right outside the meatshack.

Ryan’s gaze flickered between Rory’s bloody hands, arms, forehead, and cheeks and Billy’s head. Eyes rolling back, Ryan went limp. Aunt Kendall took in the same scene and paled, stumbling back.

Scowling, Uncle Christopher knocked Billy’s head from Potter’s back, grabbed him by the neck and dragged him to his feet.

“Outlaw, I’m sorry!” he sobbed, falling against Uncle Christopher and hugging his neck. “His head is following me! I spat on their corpses for what they did to Reb and Mattie! For fucking Mattie. They told me today! They told me and I wanted to kill them! They know!”

“My God, what?” Kendall’s hands flew to her mouth. “Mattie…”

“Potter’s lying, Kendall,” Johnnie said, bitter anger freezing his eyes. He tossed the overnight bag behind him and brought his hands to the holster at his side. “I’m going to kill you for spouting those lies, motherfucker.”

“Mort, take Potter—”

“Fuck you, Christopher,” Johnnie spat, “this motherfucker’s mine.”

“R-Rory, wh-what are you doing all bl-bloody?” Kendall managed.

All the psychopathic glee deserted Rory, and he pressed his lips together, shame crystallizing in his gray eyes.

“Y-you k-killed,” she started. “Y-you’ve k-killed?”

“No, ma’am,” Rory mumbled, unable to meet his mother’s frantic gaze. “I-I—”

Mortician jammed a cigarette into the corner of his mouth and stepped around Outlaw. He tugged Kendall closer. “It’s okay, Red. Your boy not a killer yet. He just learning about the meatshack.”

She blinked, her lips trembling.

Diesel wasn’t sure how to help diffuse the situation. Outlaw spoke quietly to Potter, but everyone else seemed frozen. Except Johnnie.

Without warning, he shoved Mortician so forcefully that Kendall stumbled. If Potter hadn’t turned and caught her, she would’ve fallen.

“Get the fuck away from my wife, fuckhead.”

Mortician balled his fist, but Kendall’s scream diverted his attention.

“Motherfucker, if you like fucking living, don’t ever put your motherfucking hands on me again,” he snarled, furious. “Your woman need comforting and all the fuck you thinking about is killing a motherfucker Prez already handled.”

“I wouldn’t threaten me if I were you, Mortician,” Johnnie sneered, “and you said it. She’s my fucking woman.”

“Then act like it,” Digger said, stepping next to his brother. “What you not doing is threatening Mort in front of me.”

“Shut the fuck up all of you!” Outlaw barked. “Potter, take Ryan into the club, then go find a little pussy and bud to take the edge off.”

“No!” Johnnie stepped in front of Potter. “This motherfucker—”

“Move the fuck out the way, Johnnie,” Outlaw ordered. “You shoved Mort away from Kendall. Act like her fuckin’ husband and see to her.”

“Fuck you.” Johnnie drew his gun.

Before he moved another muscle, Outlaw trained his .9mm at Johnnie’s head. “Stand the fuck down, Johnnie,” he said coldly. “Ain’t tellin’ you afuckingain.”

Although Diesel swallowed at the fury in Johnnie’s eyes and the other men shifted, Outlaw didn’t flinch.

Huffing, Johnnie returned his gun to its holster.

“Go, Potter,” Outlaw said.

Once Potter scooped a still unconscious Ryan into his arms and soon disappeared into the clubhouse, Outlaw put his .9mm away. “Rory, bring the fucking head back to the meatshack and finish with those two.”

“No, absolutely not!” Johnnie protested. “I refuse to allow my son to go into that meatshack.”

“Lying fuckhead,” CJ mumbled, although the breeze floated the words around them.

“You’ll fucking respect me, nephew, or—”

“Rory?” Kendall interrupted in a broken whisper, her expression raw and vulnerable.

Tears filled Rory’s eyes. “What, Mom?”

“You’ve gone in there before, haven’t you?”

“Enough, Kendall!” Johnnie spat. “Our son—”

“It started when you were ten,” Kendall went on, ignoring Johnnie and beginning to tremble.

Rory glanced at CJ. Diesel didn’t know if it was for encouragement, for cover, or for an answer.

“I, uh, I-I took him in there as a j-joke, Aunt Kendall,” CJ stammered. He warmed to the lie and stood a little taller. “Dad asked me to go in there with Potter and Diesel, but I challenged Rory.”

Misery pulled down Rory’s face. “Does…does that make you feel better, M-Mom?”

Kendall wrapped her arms around her waist. “Take the head away, son.”

“No, Rory’s a child, Kendall. Your child. Our child.” Johnnie smirked at Outlaw, then looked at CJ. “Let CJ remove the head.”

“Motherfucker—”

“No, Dad. It’s fine. Aunt Kendall doesn’t deserve to suffer because she’s married to a motherfucker.” Glaring at Johnnie, CJ stalked to where the head lay, its mouth open and the eyes…fuck, the eyes were missing. He snatched it by the hair, not flinching as he held it up and glowered at Johnnie. “Happy, uncle?”

“Fuck, Meggie just walked through the gate,” Val announced.

“See to Mom, Dad.” Without waiting for a response, CJ started toward the meatshack.

“Go with him, Rory,” Kendall said dully. “You want to go.”

Not needing more encouragement, Rory turned and hurried behind CJ, ignoring Johnnie’s orders to return.

If Aunt Meggie hadn’t walked up with Rebel and Mattie, Diesel wondered what would’ve happened. He started to excuse himself and return to the meatshack to help his brother and his cousin. CJ had never taken part in a dismembering, and Rory joined in with too much eagerness.

Neither was good.

But the moment Johnnie gazed at Mattie, and she paled, he barreled to her.

“John Boy, let’s go to my office and talk,” Outlaw said. “Megan, take Kendall and the girls home—”

“Talk to me about what, Christopher?” Johnnie demanded. “About the fact that my daughter’s a fucking slut?”

Aunt Meggie gasped. Mattie burst into tears and Rebel pulled her into her arms.

“Shut the fuck up now, Johnnie,” Outlaw roared. “You ain’t humiliatin’ your girl in front of me and her uncles. And you ain’t blamin’ her for what grown fuckheads did.”

“They could do nothing she didn’t allow them to do.”

“John Boy, that’s your baby girl,” Val started. “No matter what—”

“Don’t fucking interfere with my household, Val,” Johnnie said.

“Come on, Mattie,” Mortician said. “Let me walk you, Reb, Meggie, and Red back to the house.”

Johnnie snatched Mattie into his arms and shoved Rebel into Diesel. Without warning, he raised his hand to hit Mattie, but Aunt Meggie was closer and forced herself between them, receiving the slap meant for Matilda.

Aunt Meggie crumpled to the ground. Outlaw started forward, but Rebel sprung and knocked Johnnie off his feet, head-butting him in the mouth and splitting his lips. It allowed Outlaw to redirect his attention to Aunt Meggie, so Diesel, Mortician, and Val could rescue Johnnie.

Just as Diesel dragged Rebel away, Johnnie clipped her chin and Diesel lost his grip on her. She kicked Johnnie’s legs from under him and maneuvered her body so that she looped her own legs around his neck and began choking him.

“I’m going to motherfucking kill you,” Rebel snarled. “You hit my momma, fuckhead? You’re dying.”

Luckily, Outlaw handed Aunt Meggie to CJ as he ran back into the chaos.

Somehow, Diesel and Outlaw got Rebel away and held her down. Johnnie heaved in sharp breaths, red faced and sputtering on the ground.

“Stand the fuck down, Rebel,” Outlaw said. “I’m gonna handle this motherfucker myself.”

“Not correctly, Daddy!” Rebel yelled. “He needs to be put down like the motherfucking mangy, rabid dog he is.”

“Not,” Johnnie rasped. “I’m on Megan’s no-kill list.”

“Well, I’m canceling that motherfucker, you snake-in-the-grass, unfeeling, miserable little man baby,” Rebel cried, struggling in her father’s grip.

“Reb, remind me never to fuck over you,” Val said, frowning.

“I need to let you go so I can see to your ma,” Outlaw told Rebel.

“I’m fine, Christopher,” Aunt Meggie said, the imprint of Johnnie’s fingers on her cheek.

“Stop!” Kendall cried. “Just stop! All of you. Johnnie’s my husband.” Her eyes wild, she walked to where he was struggling into a sitting position, still holding his neck. “If I don’t have a problem with what he’s done, none of you can.”

She held out her hand to him and helped him to his feet, then sniffed and glared at Rebel.

“You’re a child. It isn’t up to you to fight my husband and defend my daughter.”

“It’s up to somebody, Aunt Kendall,” Rebel snapped.

Of everything Diesel expected, it wasn’t Kendall punching the ever-loving fuck out of Johnnie. “If you fucking ever, ever raise your goddamn hand to my daughter, you’ll be missing that motherfucker, motherfucker. As for Rory, you’re a goddamn liar. You took him into that place and now you’re shaming him? Fuck you.” She kicked his shin. Ignoring his yelps, she continued. “That’s for Meggie. Now, fuckhead, sleep at the goddamn club.” With that, she kicked Johnnie again, grabbed Mattie’s hand and stalked toward the forest path.

Once they snapped out of their stunned stupor, it didn’t take long for Aunt Meggie and Rebel to hurry behind them. Rebel didn’t protest, Kendall’s attack pacifying the fiery little brat and quelling her bloodlust. As her rage dulled, Diesel bet her concern for Mattie entered the forefront of her mind.

While the violence placated Aunt Meggie’s daughter, her husband’s shock faded and his rage rushed back. Rebel and Kendall gave Johnnie’s ass a thorough beating. But only personally spilling the dumb fuck’s blood would pacify Outlaw.

Fury reddened Outlaw’s face. Johnnie inched back. Nobody interfered to save the stupid motherfucker. Instead, they parted, moving out of Outlaw’s way, and giving him easy access to Johnnie.

“Outlaw—” he rasped, just to be interrupted with a fist to his face, followed by more hits.

Johnnie’s yelps and pleas didn’t faze Outlaw, and in contrast to his brother, he was deadly silent. It was an eerie sight, the loud and brash man not producing a single sound while he beat the shit out of his VP. It was in direct contrast to the Outlaw everyone knew and loved, and Diesel worried. Yet, his shock anchored him to one spot.

Johnnie went limp, his breathing ragged and eyes closed.

“Prez?” Mortician called.

“You killing him?” Digger asked, intercepting whatever his brother was going to say.

“He can’t, dumbass,” Mortician growled, stepping toward Outlaw. “The motherfucker’s on Meggie no-kill list.”

Once the words penetrated Outlaw’s brain, he paused.

Mortician took that as a sign to continue. “John Boy deserve every goddamn ass whooping he took, but he still on Meggie list, Prez. Killing him would upset her.”

For some strange reason Diesel didn’t understand. Aunt Meggie was a kind soul, though, even to the detriment of herself.

Outlaw straightened, his breathing heavy. With one last kick to Johnnie’s side, he stalked off, going in the same direction as Aunt Meggie and Rebel.

Val, Mortician, and Digger joined Diesel in staring at Johnnie

Digger lit a cigarette. “What the fuck we do with him? Me? I say leave the motherfucker right the fuck here.”

“I’d just as soon stomp this motherfucker,” Mortician grumbled, then leaned down and hefted Johnnie over his shoulder. “Red mad at him right now, but I don’t think she want him dead.”

Yet.

“You right, Mort. Kendall don’t want him dead yet,” Digger said, as if he read Diesel’s thoughts.

Sighing, Mort turned and headed toward the club without another word.

“I got a question, Diesel.” Digger released a plume of smoke. “About Rebel.”

Diesel lit his own cigarette and puffed on it before he answered. “What about her?”

“You taught her to fight?”

“Along with CJ and Outlaw.”

Digger touched the burn Outlaw gave him because of his disrespect to Aunt Meggie. He smoked in silence for a moment before he finally said, “fuck, man,” and walked off.

Asshole knew better than to get on Rebel’s bad side. If Uncle Christopher didn’t gun for him for disrespecting Aunt Meggie, then Rebel surely would.