A Very Christopher Christmas (A Death Dwellers MC Novella) (34 page)

The photos transfixed Kendall. It finally dawned on her exactly what these men meant to her husband. They were important to him.
 

They were his family. As much as she, Rory, and Matilda were, and she’d tried to come between them. All because of Outlaw.
 

Christopher
.
 

It shamed her to admit that she
did
feel an attraction to him, and she hated him because of it. She hated that it wasn’t reciprocated so she wouldn’t feel as if she were cheating on Johnnie in her head while Christopher went unaffected. And she hated that he had that power over her at all.
 

Even if he wanted her, she’d never act on it. She loved Johnnie so much, but she had to accept that she’d ruined any chance of her and Christopher
ever
being friends. Her determination that he notice her, acknowledge her, had backfired. The only reason he had accepted her back into the fold was because of Johnnie.
 

It was time for her to put her big girl panties on and accept that.
 

Rory shifted his weight, the movement tugging her hand and reminding her of her son’s presence. As always, he was quiet, just as she’d taught him.
 

“Fucka mudna!” CJ yelled at the top of his lungs, speeding down the hallway.
 

Huffing in annoyance at his bad language, she turned and faced him, leaving him no choice but to stop. “Time out, mister!” she said forcefully. “You’re a child and children do not use such filthy language. Do you understand me?”
 

He blinked at her.
 

She pointed to a spot between a bench and a table. “Sit in that corner until I’m ready to walk downstairs.”
 

“No. I okay.”
 

CJ started to turn, but Kendall didn’t tolerate disrespect from
her
son. “I said sit,” she gritted through clenched teeth.
 

“I
say
I okay,” he retorted and ran back the way he came.
 

“He’s due for a spanking,” she announced to Rory, who was taking an avid interest in the scene. “Show me where you slept.”
 

Thoroughly annoyed, Kendall allowed Rory to guide her to the room, decorated in gray and coral with its own fireplace and private bathroom. It was both elegant and cozy, with a work of abstract art that appeared to be just an orange blob. Kendall easily saw the sun,
the sand and an ocean of fire within the splashes, discernible by the bolder patinas and sharper strokes.
 

“You slept in here with Johnnie…
Dad
?” she amended.
 

He nodded. “Yes, Kennaw.”
 

“Call me Mom, please, sir. Thank you.”
 

“Mom.”
 

Hearing her son using the term unfurled something in her and tears rushed to her eyes. “Mom,” she repeated.
 

“There you are,” Meggie said from behind her.
 

Dabbing at her eyes, Kendall faced her sister-in-law. “Here I am,” she said with a pat smile. “Rory wanted me to see where he slept while I was away.”
 

Meggie nodded, easily accepting Kendall’s lie. “Would you like to play with the other kids, Rory? They’re playing hide-and-seek. You might enjoy that.”
 

“I’m his mom. Ask me. Not him.”
 

“Right,” she said but didn’t follow through until Kendall lifted a brow. Meggie sighed and rolled her eyes. “Is it okay if Rory plays hide-and-seek, Kendall?”
 

“Of course.” She released her son’s hand. “Go ahead. I need to discuss your cousin’s behavior with Aunt Meggie. Please, excuse us.”
 

Without further encouragement, Rory ran out of the room.
 

“Your son disrespected me,” she said the moment she and Meggie were alone.
 

“He told me what happened. Just as you want me to ask you if Rory can play, I expect you to tell me or Christopher if one of our kids misbehaves.”
 

“I’m his aunt. I have the authority to chastise him.”
 

“I’m not playing this game with you, Kendall. I can remind you I’m Rory’s aunt as well. But we’d go around and around and we’re past this.”
 

They were. Kendall knew it as well as Meggie did. For some reason, silently admitting her attraction to Christopher had put her in a shitty mood. “What do you want?”
 

“To talk to you. See how you are.”
 

Turning her back on Meggie, she walked to the window and gazed out, finding it too dark to see anything. She went to the bed and smoothed her fingers over the comforter, before turning to the nightstand and opening the drawer.
 

A small photo of her and Rory greeted her, one she recognized as being from Johnnie’s bureau. He’d brought it here with him.
 

“The guys are on their way back,” Meggie announced into the silence. “Christopher called me.”
 

“Don’t you find it odd that they left when they did?”
 

“He went to buy something for me.”
 

“Of course, you would believe him.”
 

A moment of silence went by before soft laughter filled the air. “Christopher does what he must to do what’s necessary. Do I think he’s involved in something else? Yes. Will I pressure him and demand answers? No. When he’s ready, he’ll tell me. If he doesn’t, it means it isn’t something I need to know or want to know.”
 

Kendall shoved the photo in her pocket and faced Meggie. “And you’re okay with that?” This had always bothered her. She may as well ask now when everyone thought her nothing but a crazy bitch. As she began to feel better, the questions wouldn’t rankle as much. She wanted to know, though, so she’d use this window of opportunity. Already, she felt her edge slipping. “Suppose it involves another woman? Johnnie has to tell me where he’s at every step of the way.”
 

Meggie glared at her. “Stop talking about Christopher. If you can’t say something nice, shut up and don’t say anything at all. I’ve told Johnnie the same thing. Frankly, this conversation gets old.”
 

“Go ahead defend his virtuousness.”
 

“I owe you or no one else a defense of Christopher.
I
know the man that he is. What I do demand is your respect of him. You almost got him killed. If you hadn’t accepted that stupid deal, he wouldn’t have left. Wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped. Instead of insisting I act a certain way with my husband, sit down somewhere, preferably in the corner you sent CJ to, and talk to yourself, Kendall. We’re your family
if
you want us to be. We’re living our lives, with or without you being a part of it.”
 

Instead of thinking of a retort, Kendall felt tears rush to her eyes. “You hate me.”
 

“You’re putting words in my mouth,” Meggie said evenly. “I don’t hate you. I love you like a sister, but hear me well. If you ever,
ever
risk my husband again, I’ll see to it that you never set foot on club grounds again. Am I clear?”
 

“Perfectly,” she said faintly. Hearing the steel in Meggie’s voice reminded Kendall of the war they’d waged when she’d first arrived. The girl was far from a pushover. She’d just ceded to Kendall in respect to her illness, but even that went out the window when her husband was threatened.
 

“I’ll see you downstairs,” Meggie announced and left Kendall on her own.
 

 

Give Love At Christmas
blasted through the house as Johnnie followed Christopher inside, the jewelry box secure in his cut. They’d had a lot to do to clean the conference room and get the bodies in Christopher’s pickup. Because of time constraints, they’d return tomorrow to give the room a deeper cleaning.
 

The Luminol test had failed spectacularly today, which reminded Johnnie he needed Mutt and Jeff to supply them with more. Situations arose where it came in handy.
 

“Where’ve you been?” Kendall asked, appearing amidst the crowd.
 

He smiled and pulled out the jewelry box. “Getting a present for you, gorgeous. To thank you for my beautiful daughter and for being the amazing mom you are.”
 

She accepted the gift and opened it, finding a pair of topaz and diamond earrings.
 

“They’re lovely!” She studied them closely, then gave him a teary-eyed grin. “Thank you for being the wonderful man you are. I know I’ve been a beast. Can you ever forgive me?”
 

Johnnie pulled her into his arms. “Forever and always, sweetheart.”
 

Before she responded, Digger called everyone to attention. “I know we almost a hour late.”
 

“Two fucking hours,” Roxy called. “But who the fuck counting?”
 

“I love you, too, Roxanne,” Digger responded, throwing her a dirty look. “As I was saying, I want to thank Prez and his old lady for opening their house to us. When my shit built, me and Bunny not letting rowdy motherfuckers in,” he joked.
 

“Don’t give a fuck, brother,” Mortician shot back. “I got my own fucking crib.”
 

“I’m not answering. If I do, I’ll never give Bunny her gift. Bunny, where you at, girl?”
 

Bunny weaved her way through the crowd, CJ running behind her.
 

“Ash fuck, Dig,” he greeted, his eyes bright, grinning wildly at all the snickers his words brought about. As usual, he wore his cut, motorcycle boots, and jeans.
 

“Hey, kid. Can I borrow my woman?”
 

“Bun-Bun?”
 

Digger nodded.
 

“Come here, boy,” Christopher instructed, lifting his son into his arms and whispering something to him.
 

“He in sugar shock, huh, Bunny?” Digger asked, shaking his head at Christopher’s son.
 

“He bit through a bag of jelly bell candies, chewed half, then spit the rest out, so I’d say he is.”
 

“No wonder he’d been bouncing off the walls,” Kendall whispered, for Johnnie’s ears alone.
 

“No shit,” he answered, wondering Rory’s whereabouts.
 

“Bunny,” Digger said, recapturing Johnnie’s attention. He took her hand in his. “When I met you, I was in a bad place. I wasn’t looking for love and didn’t think I’d ever find it. Then…then I found you.”
 

“Then you fuckin’ kidnapped her, motherfucker,” Christopher called from where he sat on the sofa next to Megan.
 

“Yeah, keep it real in this motherfucker,” Mortician told him.
 

“Omigod, you guys, let him finish!” Megan demanded, glaring between Christopher and Mort.
 

“He can now that we know the fuckin’ truth.”
 

“Who didn’t know the fucking truth, Christopher?” Zoann asked. “I mean, the entire club was shot up.”
 

“
ANYWAY
,” Digger spoke over the comments. “Don’t fucking matter how I got you in my life. I’m so happy I did.” Still holding her hand, he got down on one knee and pulled a glittering ring from his pocket.
 

Megan squealed as Bunny gasped.
 

“He’s proposing, Lucas,” Bailey whispered.
 

“I didn’t think you had so much romance in you,” Zoann said with a smirk.
 

Sighing, Digger looked at Kendall. “Say what you have to, so I can ask my woman to be mine legally.”
 

“I have nothing to say,” Kendall said quietly. “But congratulations, and it’s about time you came to your senses and recognize a good woman.”
 

“I couldn’t have said it better, sugar,” Roxy agreed.
 

Kendall deflated and Johnnie kissed her forehead, securing his arm around her waist. While he knew Roxy’s support was important, Kendall wanted the other women to accept her. But they had to rebuild their trust. Just as the guys had to do with him. At least, they were being given the opportunity to do so.
 

“Bunny,” Digger started, “will you marry me? I love you so much. You’re sweet and kind and loyal. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Have as many children as you want.”
 

She laughed through her tears. The more he spoke, the more she nodded. “Yes!” she cried happily. “Yes, yes, yes.”
 

“Bun-Bun cry, ‘Law,” CJ whispered loudly.
 

“Them happy tears, CJ. Ain’t no need to kick his ass.”
 

CJ nodded and Digger sniffed as he got to his feet and kissed Bunny. He slid the ring on her finger.