Uncle Cash ignored Ryder. “I want them punished, Diesel. Somebody call Outlawnow. If he’s busy, I’ll beat them.”
“Yeah, no, Uncle Cash.” Maybe CJ would cancel with Ember, go to his room instead of the hospital, and hide from the world. “You’re not beating my little brothers.”
“Beat me, motherfucker,” Axel ordered. “ThenDad’llkill you and save me the trouble.”
“Axel, shut up,” CJ commanded, not taking his gaze from Uncle Cash. “I know you’re upset but you can’t hit my brothers. It’ll be Dad’s decision how to proceed when we tell him.”
“I demand justice now!”
“Cash, quit while you’re ahead,” Uncle Stretch advised. “It’s over.”
Aunt Ophelia smiled at Axel. “I appreciate your defense of me, but I promise I’m very happy, bud. I love Cash and Stretch.”
“He doesn’t understand that, Ophelia,” Cash barked.
“I do, too,” Axel said with indignation. “It’s a threeple.”
“Throuple,” Ryder said around a cough.
“Three people,” Axel replied. “Threeple.”
“Do you see why I don’t want my innocent son around you?” Uncle Cash snarled.
“Thatshould’vebeen your innocent daughter,” Ransom said with disapproval. “Tar’s got a cock. He needs to know this shit.”
“Yeah, Winnie’s a girl. We got to protect her like we do the Blonde Viper, Mattie, and sometimes, Harley,” Axel said.
“You don’t understand,” Uncle Cash repeated. “My son will carry on the McCall name. Winnie will grow up, marry, and take someone else’s name.”
“You’re such an asshole,” Uncle Stretch said. “Winona is still our daughter.”
“See?” Uncle Cash addressed them. “Winnie has a father. She doesn’t need me to hover, too.”
Aunt Ophelia lifted her chin and pasted a smile on her face but hurt flickered in her eyes. At some point, Uncle Cash forgot he had a family and only remembered his son.
“It isn’t my fault you don’t want to protect the King name,” Uncle Cash snapped. “Instead of demanding peace to protect the boys, you stay aligned with Outlaw.”
“Dad’s old,” Axel said with resentment, “so he’s protected you for a loooonnnngggg time, Uncle Cash, and you never became his enemy before.”
“You don’t get to be mean to Aunt Feeanddesert Dad,” Ryder told him. “Not if you like living.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Uncle Cash demanded.
“It means I’m building a bomb to blow you up,” Axel screamed, angry with Uncle Cash since the night they’d visited Winona.
CJ hadn’t foreseen such a virulent need for vengeance. Even after the vote that forced Dad to capitulate, Axel hadn’t said much as they’d listened to Dad and Diesel’s conversation.
“Diesel said I couldn’t bomb your house,” Axel continued. “He never said I couldn’t makeyouexplode.”
“Fuck, Axel, that should be a given.” Diesel, the fuckhead, sounded amused. “But how do you plan to only bombhim? Explosions do a lot of damage.”
“Not if we tie Uncle Cash up, drag him to the yard, and stuff the bomb in his pants.”
Uncle Cash choked, while Uncle Val laughed.
CJ didn’t care. He didn’t want any of it, especially bombs. “You’re going to blowusthe fuck up,” he complained.
“Nuh uh! I got the bomb recipe,” Axel said proudly.
