“What?” he grouched.
She lifted herself on the stool’s footrail and slapped Diesel across the cheek as hard as she could.
“Ow!” He grabbed his reddened cheek. “What the fuck was that for?”
“You’re an idiot,” she snapped. “You lost your mind. Thumper could’ve really hurt CJ.”
“I wouldn’t have allowed that.”
“You shouldn’t have allowed any of it.”
“I’m sorry.”
She waved an impatient hand. “Where’s Jana?”
“At the treehouse.”
“Am I ever going to meet her?”
Diesel hesitated.
“I already know her connection to Johnnie.”
“I was thinking to keep her out of the way until after Kendall met with Bash.”
Meggie drew in a deep breath. Kendall needed to know. She glanced at her watch and shelved that problem until later. “Do you have anything important happening at the office?”
“A case to prepare for.”
“Is it urgent?”
“Do you need me for something, Aunt Meggie?”
“Celia Caldwell invited me over for lunch,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m being set up.”
“What do you need from me?”
“I need you in your cut, armed, and ready to kill.”
Meggie expected honesty from Christopher.
Quid pro quo.
She had to give honesty in return.
While she changed into her ‘Property of Outlaw’ cut, leather pants, and leather boots, she called Christopher and brought him up to speed.
“You gonna like Celia, baby,” Christopher said in another sign he still wasn’t where he needed to be. “Don’t just take Diesel. Bring two or three motherfuckers. Celia cool, but you can’t be too fuckin’ safe.”
“I’ll call you when I’m on the way home,” she responded. “I love you.”
“I love the fuck outta you, baby.”
Once she disconnected, she put her hair in a ponytail, opted for no makeup, and then left her freshly painted bedroom. The colors didn’t match, but another redecoration was coming up in a few months, so that would be taken care of.
Downstairs, she found Diesel, Narci, Torrin, Huck, and Pike waiting for her. “All of you?”
“We aren’t all going inside, Aunt Meggie. Narci will wait in front of the house. Torrin will canvass the neighborhood and Huck and Pike will stake out the main road.”
