Page 136 of Rebellious

“Who, baby?” Lolly asked, missing CJ’s initial explanation.

“Fuck, I’m on my way.” Dad disconnected.

“It’s Aunt Kendall, Lolly,” CJ said, his words tripping over each other. “She’s—”

“I heard the last part,” she said, hurrying out of the house, calling over her shoulder, “Knox!” She ran down the steps without waiting for Pop. “Show me.”

“What’s wrong?” Pop asked, appearing in the doorway, immaculately dressed in a custom-made suit.

Lolly had already disappeared around the side of the house.

“It’s Aunt Kendall,” CJ said, urging Pop to follow him.

By the time they reached her, Lolly was cradling Aunt Kendall in her arms.

“Fuck, is she breathing?” Pop asked.

Lolly nodded, not looking up. She began rocking her.

The sound of Harley pipes broke the stillness and CJ sagged in relief. Dad parked his bike and walked to them. Without saying a word, he lifted Aunt Kendall into his arms and brought her into Lolly’s house.

“Where can I put her?” he asked.

“In the master suite,” Lolly said thickly. “The fireplace is on in there. She needs to warm up.”

“She needs to sober the fuck up,” Dad grumbled, carrying her up the stairs with Lolly hot on his heels.

CJ dropped onto the sofa and scrubbed a hand over his face while Dad pounded up the stairs. “Her clothes are still outside,” he said woodenly.

Pop squeezed CJ’s shoulder. “I’ll get them.”

A moment later, Dad walked downstairs and dropped next to CJ. “You did good, boy,” he told him, dropping next to him.

“I wanted to see if Harley would ride with me to school,” CJ said. He was certain he’d told his parents, but he was shell-shocked, trying to place the cologne, knowing it wasn’t Uncle Johnnie’s, and wondering if Aunt Kendall was okay.

“It’s a good thing you planned to invite Harley to school in person. Kendall needed outta the elements. It ain’t as cold as it was during winter, but she needs to warm up.”

“Do you think someone hurt her?”

“Ain’t saw no visible signs of trauma,” Dad said. “I think she was drinkin’, tried to get home, and couldn’t make it.”

“But why’s she naked?”

Dad shrugged. “Probably cuz that’s how she sleeps at night and thought those leaves and dirt was her bed.”

“Goddamn.”

“Yeah, boy. Get to school. We’re gonna take care of her.”

“Okay, Dad.”

After not hearing from him last night, Jana didn’t expect to see Diesel so early in the morning, although his unexpected arrival at the treehouse calmed her fears that he’d abandoned her.

He stood near the door, glancing around, not speaking, merely taking everything in.

“I-I talked to Rebel,” she said to break the ice, but she was lost and confused, wanting to hold onto her anger and resentment toward Rebel while missing her desperately. She was sorry she’d been so mean, though she couldn’t drum up the courage to text her again. “She forgives me.”

Diesel nodded. “She told me.”