And he’d given Molly up to them out of spite.
“Molly’s dead, isn’t she?” he croaked, beginning to sob.
“Maybe,” Cleaner said with a shrug.
Wally, Jr. lifted the gun to Diana’s head. “Maybe not.”
He pulled the trigger.
Chapter Forty
February 14th
“How do I look?” Grinning from ear-to-ear, Rebel spun on her pumps.
Seeing her daughter brimming with excitement overjoyed Meggie. It also helped her to take her mind off Christopher. Not only had he left after giving Rebel a Valentine’s Day present, but he hadn’t given Meggie one—not even flowers—nor had he been interested in the ones she’d bought him. She already knew they wouldn’t spend alone time together this evening, but it shocked her that he’d left so early, hadn’t bought her a present, and only called her once today.
After she’d gotten home from her visit with Jordan, she’d waited for Christopher. She’d wanted to talk, but he said he didn’t have time and had continued to go out of his way to avoid her since then.
She’d allowed Rebel a dayoff from school so they’d prepare for her first date. After breakfast, they visited Jo, then spent hours at the spa before heading home.
Although Meggie tried to talk Rebel into a comfortable shoe choice for the blue lasercut mini dress, she wanted Rebel to feel confident, so she gave up the argument. At least Reb changed her mind about wearing six-inch platform boots.
She’d styled Rebel’s hair into the same curly ringlets as her own.
“Are you ready to get to the club, love?”
Rebel squealed and Meggie smiled.
She hadn’t intended to go to the club, but she wanted to let Christopher know they were heading out.
A few minutes later, she was behind the wheel of her Stingray while Rebel fidgeted in the passenger seat. Christopher and the boys were already at the club, preparing to do whatever it was that prevented Christopher from spending the evening with her. With the exception of their first Valentine’s Day together because his mother had been recently killed, each one thereafter Christopher went out of his way to be a romantic motherfucker for her.
Except this year.
She’d planned to ask if they could spend the evening at J’s. Up in the manager’s office with all the cameras and a bird’s eye view of the main floor. As much as she wanted to trust the men on her detail to protect herandbelieve in Rebel’s ability to defend herself, Meggie just couldn’t bear to think of her daughter all alone on her first date.
WithKaia.A nineteen-year-old who’d flirted with Meggie and whom she’d haveto pretend not to know since no one could remember if they’d told Rebel if Meggie had met him at a football game.
She hated her hypocrisy, which was why she’d scratched all the plans she’d told Christopher about before Rebel asked if she could go on her date. Meggie’s first inclination was to decline, but it was unfair of her to deny Rebel a chance at a teenage rite of passage on the most romantic day of the year. If that meant Kaia taking her out, then Meggie would adjust accordingly.
She’dnever dated a boy in high school. She wanted Rebel to have whatshenever did. Options. Crushes. Giggles. The excitement of Prom. Meggie wanted Rebel to move past almost losing CJ.
The teenage boys she’d known had been gossiping jerks. Both her mother and stepfather kept her on a tight rein. If Meggie had liked a boy and Mama got wind of it by whisper or observation, she told Thomas and there were consequences. IfThomassuspected Meggie liked a boy, there’d been consequences.
A main reason Meggie wasn’t allowed to be on birth control was because that was the one firm stance her mother took against Thomas. Had she been on the pill, her stepfather would’ve forced her to have penetrative sex. If she’d gotten pregnant, his teddy bear persona would’ve been destroyed.
She wanted Rebel to have normalcy because Rebel desperately craved it. Meggie didn’t like the five-year-age difference, but shehatedher daughter’s fixation on Diesel. Perhaps, she was as wrong in the way she was handling Rebel as her own mother had been toward her.
Kaia should’ve taken Rebel out days ago. The hold up created a collision course with one of the most important annual days for Meggie and Christopher.
Meggie swerved to a stop a few feet from the clubhouse entrance. Two probates rushed to each car door, but didn’t try to open either since Meggie hadn’tdisengaged the locks yet and gave them the thumbs up sign.
“Ready, love?”
Rebel clasped her hands together. “Suppose I don’t know what to say? Or…or I get popcorn in my teeth at the movies? That is the worst, Momma. Then, he’ll notice food in my teeth instead of seeingmeand all the money on my outfit and the hours spent doing my hair and—”
“Reb!” Meggie reached across the console and laid her hand on her daughter’s arm. “It will be fine. You got this. Before you leave for the restaurant, excuse yourself and go to the ladies’ room to check your appearance and refresh your makeup.”
