Page 209 of Rebellious

That’s my dad was on the tip of Rory’s tongue, but he didn’t trust CJ or Ryan not to hit him. “I don’t want him to die.”

“That motherfucker should be roasted over an open spit like a rotisserie chicken,” Rebel snapped.

CJ frowned.

“But I understand the world would be a bleaker place for you if he wasn’t in it,” Rebel said. “That’s the problem, though, Rory. You chose Uncle Johnnie over decency. As awful as Ryan’s actions were, he had a reason. Yours was protecting a man who has betrayed your mom, the club, and everyone for a very long time.”

Tears filled her eyes, and Rory had never felt lower.

“Don’t cry, Reb,” Ryan said, frowning. “I can handle a lot from you, but not…don’t cry,” he repeated.

CJ put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

Her sniffle broke Rory’s heart. His visit with Derby soothed something inside of him. The man had shown Rory amazing grace. Rory could do the same toward his cousin. If she hadn’t started speaking again, he would’ve begged her forgiveness.

“I asked Bishop to take me to the clubhouse because Axel would not let me be. The clubhouse was a mistake. I just want to be…never mind…”

Dropping his arm, CJ narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, but she continued talking.

“You were one of us, Rory. Until you became one of them,” she spat.

“There shouldn’t be an us and a them, Reb,” Rory told her. “We all want the same thing.”

“Do you?” she scoffed. “You want whatever your father does. It isn’t peace. It’s control, especially of my—”

“He doesn’t want control of Uncle Christopher. He wants peace.”

Rebel gave him a putrid look, a sound of tearful annoyance escaping her. “I was going to say my mother, fuck face. He wants control of Momma. Everything else is collateral damage. He hates me because I look like her. He ruined every fucking thing because he’s always seen my father as inferior. Well, look around you, fuckhead. The next fucking time you see him tell him, he wouldn’t be anything without Big Joe Foy, Christopher Caldwell, Lucas “Mortician” Banks, and Megan Foy Caldwell. Big Joe and Daddy made the fucking deals, got the medical lab and hydrogrow business off the ground; Uncle Mort funded upgrades and projects, and Momma took money Big Joe left her and made money for us. She cleaned that money and shared it with everyone, including him.”

“Sometimes, it feels as if I’m the only one Dad has in his corner.”

“Whose fucking fault is that?” CJ asked.

“His,” Rory said miserably.

“Ding, ding, ding, ding,” Rebel chimed, clapping. “You finally got it right.”

“But…the more time I spend with him…” Rory sighed. “He’s just rubbing off on me. The more I act like him.”

“Simple,” Rebel snarked. “Whatever you think that motherfucker might do, you do the fucking opposite. Problem solved. Because, motherfucker, he would’ve pulled the same bitch move that you made with Mattie tonight. You’ve barely spoken to her in days and you had the fucking gall to ask her to come in here and save your raggedy ass from CJ. A classic fucking Uncle Johnnie move.”

“She told you?” Rory gasped, embarrassed that he’d been caught, though CJ had already figured it out and didn’t react.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Rebel asked resentfully. “Mattie thinks everything she does upsets someone. You know why? Because of Uncle Johnnie. She’s very upset. She was also worried that CJ would hit you. I had to ditch my plans for the rest of the night because of you, who still hasn’t fucking apologized to me.”

Rory went to her, kneeled and hugged her neck. “I’m sorry, Rebel. I shouldn’t have hidden the secret. I shouldn’t have looked at the videos…”

She pushed him away and started to cry in earnest, covering her face and sobbing as if her heart had broken. He’d never seen Rebel so emotional. Her pain compounded his shame and regret.

CJ hugged her, allowing her to cry in misery, in a way a big brother was supposed to act, when he, as Mattie’s big brother, had abandoned her because she’d defended Mom.

Combing his fingers through his hair, Ryan blew out a heavy breath. Her tears affected him, too.

“I want Momma, CJ,” Rebel said. “Call her and ask her to come home. Please? I shouldn’t have said I’d be okay. I’m not.”

“At least let them have tonight, sweetheart,” CJ said, stroking her hair. “They may not even have reception wherever they’re at. They need time together.”

“Didn’t you tell me you had more shopping to do?” Grant asked.