Reckless: The Legacy Begins, page 35
It would’ve kept Daddy from Momma.
At the turn onto the dead-end street that led to the club entrance, Slipper gunned ahead and CJ took the lead on his moped with Orange and Fuse on each side of the SUV. Momma barreled through the already-opened gates, speeding behind CJ toward the private access road.
Of course, Daddy was waiting when she swerved to a stop in front of their house. Rebel intended to sit until everyone else went inside. Instead, the back passenger door swung open and Daddy snatched her out and carried her like a ragdoll all the way to the house.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Rebel chanted, though he ignored her.
Inside the foyer, he released her, not caring that she fell on her ass.
“Mom, do you need anything?” CJ asked, guiding Momma to one of the benches.
“Aunt Meggie, Maman is bringing dinner.”
“Slipper didn’t know what to order for everyone,” Harley said, “so I told him to only order for him, Orange, and Fuse.”
“Tabitha, can walk to Aunt Kendall’s,” Diesel said.
Knowing he was present infuriated Rebel again and made her forget fear of her father’s wrath. “No one asked for her help,” she snarled, scrambling to her feet.
“Shut the fuck up, Rebel,” Daddy warned, in a tone he never used with her, as her pack of brothers descended on the hallway. He looked at CJ. “Next time, boy, beat her fuckin’ ass. Appreciate your lil’ ass callin’ me and askin’ permission, but when she actin’ spoil and disrespectin’ your Ma, fuck her up.”
“You’re nothing but a bitch, CJ,” Rebel yelled, swiping angrily at her tears. “Lumbly’s right. You’re just a waste of space. Die!”
The hurt on CJ’s face vindicated her as much as the silence because her words left everyone speechless.
“Rebel, shut up,” Momma ordered. “You’re embarrassing no one but yourself.”
Rule set Gunner on his feet and he ran to Momma, climbing next to her then crawling onto her lap.
“Apologize to CJ,” she continued. “You were out of control, and I certainly couldn’t handle you.” She kissed the top of Gunner’s head. Unlike earlier, when she’d been so lively and gorgeous, she was frighteningly pale. “Diesel, find a way to vacate Lumbly’s contract. Buy him out. I don’t care.”
“Mom, don’t worry about that now,” CJ said, scooping Gunner into his arms.
“Are you hungry?” Diesel persisted. “Tabitha’s at the club, waiting for my text.”
Mattie shook her head and glanced at Rebel. “Maman’s on the way, D. Tell, uh, let Tabitha chill at the club.”
Momma got to her feet. “I’m going upstairs. I’m not too hungry right now.
Daddy started toward Momma. “Rebel, stay your fuckin’ ass here.”
“No, Christopher, deal with her.” Momma nodded to Rebel, not looking at her. “I’ll be waiting for you upstairs,” she said, leaning into Harley as they started toward the staircase.
In silence and carrying Gunner, CJ followed Momma and Harley. They’d just disappeared up the stairs when Uncle Johnnie, Aunt Kendall, and Rory arrived.
“Here, son.” Aunt Kendall handed Rory a covered dish. “Bring it to the kitchen. Mattie, set the table for your aunt, uncle, and cousins.”
“Okay, Mom.” Rory headed right, toward the hallway that led to the kitchen, dish in hand.
“Aunt Meggie is upstairs, Maman,” Mattie said timidly because she was a stupid, fake bitch. “I don’t think she’ll be able to eat at the table tonight.”
“Fix her a tray, darling,” Aunt Kendall responded. “Me, you and, Rebel will set up a buffet for your Uncle Christopher and your cousins.”
“Not,” Rebel said. “I’m not a fucking maid, Aunt Kendall.”
Daddy released smoke from his cigarette. “You is a fuckin’ child and if you ain’t wantin’ another ass whippin’ tofuckinmorrow night, you apologizin’ to Kendall and treatin’ her with respect.”
“You can’t spank me! I’m a girl.”
“Can I beat Rebel’s ass, Dad?” Ryder asked. Even though he had blond hair like her and Momma, his expressions and mannerisms were all their father.
“Apologize to Kendall now,” Daddy ordered, barely recognizable in his anger.
Even at Ryan’s birthday party, when he’d taken all her privileges, he had an air of parental exasperation. Now, disgust and fury percolated in his eyes. He’d forgotten how he spoiled her for her entire life. Given her whatever she wanted. Sometimes, without Rebel asking. Suddenly, her anger toward Diesel and her parents made her the bad guy. Well, she wasn’t.
After discarding his cigarette in the standing ashtray, he unbuckled his belt. Pulling the leather through the loops took forever. Catching both ends and halving it didn’t minimize its length.
He stepped toward her, the belt raised. Regret softened his anger. “Apologize, Rebel,” he said, gentler, almost a plea.
“Will you still beat me?”
“For the way you disrespected your ma, fuck yeah,” he answered without hesitation.
Of course, he would! “You’re such a fucking simp,” she snarled.
“I ain’t givin’ a good fuck if you think my ass a simpleton, Rebel,” Daddy snapped, ignoring the laughter of his sons and Diesel.
Mattie bit her lip to stifle her amusement. Stupid bitch. Uncle Johnnie and Aunt Kendall stared as stupidly as Daddy.
“Dad isn’t a simp, Reb,” Ransom said with disapproval.
“At least one of you lil’ motherfuckers think my ass got fuckin’ sense,” Daddy grumbled, setting off Diesel and her brothers’ guffaws again.
“Dad, stop being old!” Axel ordered. “Simp don’t mean simpleton, man.”
“Dad’s old, dummy,” Ransom responded, shaking his head.
“Draw Dad some word art with current slang and the meanings, Rule,” Ryder suggested, nodding to Rule.
“Dad doesn’t need a dictionary,” Rebel chirped, her panic settling. Her father didn’t intend to spank her. He wouldn’t have allowed this stupid conversation to continue. Whenever he punished her brothers, nothing deterred him. Along with everything else, he was full of fucking hot air. “He is a simp behind his wife.”
Dad snapped his brows together and all the humor died.
Condemnation slipped into Rule’s green eyes. “Reb that’s so unworthy of you. What Dad shares with Mom is a blessing.”
Rebel narrowed her eyes at her twin. “Shut the hell up. You’ve been ignoring me for months, fuckhead. Keep the tradition going.”
“I love you, Reb,” Rule said quietly. “I’m going to say an extra prayer for you.”
Axel frowned. Until Gunner, he’d been the baby of the family, but took the new baby in stride. Being seven with their little brother was born might’ve helped. Or, maybe, because there were so many boys in the house, another one hadn’t mattered. Being the only other girl aside from her mother set Rebel apart. Now, with a little sister on the way, she’d become Momma’s afterthought, too. “In between your chants and devotions, do what Ryder suggested, Rule.”
“This gettin’ the fuck outta hand. What the fuck a simp?”
“In simple terms,” Axel started with a grin, “simp’s an acronym meaning sucker idolizing mediocre pussy.”
“What?” And then: “Boy, you fuckin’ ten. How your lil’ ass know what and my ass don’t?”
“’Cause you’re old, Dad,” Axel said. “And we can’t give away all our state secrets. Before we know it, parents will be invading our territory, trying to be cool.”
“Sucker idolizin’ mediocre pussy,” Dad repeated, the meaning finally dawning on him. He glowered at Rebel. “You callin’ your Ma pussy ordinary?”
“Is that what you got from the definition?” Rebel yelled in disgust. “I wasn’t referring to Momma at all, Daddy. I was talking about you. A simp also means a man who is stupidly obsessed with a woman. In your case, Momma.”
“If you meanin’ that to insult my ass, you ain’t. I am stupidly obsessed with your Ma.”
Diesel folded his arms. “It refers to men with—”
“Not only men, Dee,” Axel said. “It’s gender neutral.”
“Yeah, weirdo fits the bill more than Dad,” Ransom piped up, thrusting his chin toward Rebel so everyone knew the ‘weirdo’s’ identity.”
“Fuck you, crybag motherfucker,” Rebel managed, livid. They didn’t mind labeling her, instead of their stupid, baby machine mother. “I’m not a fucking simp.”
“Simps, no matter the gender, are generally ignored or unwanted by the object of their desire,” Diesel said through tight lips. “They have an unsuccessful expectation of earning sex and attention.”
“Entitled sex and attention,” Ryder said.
“Shut up, stupid,” Ransom commanded. “Before you spill the beans about Simp Nation, the best porn movie I’ve ever seen!”
Uncle Johnnie clapped his hands over Mattie’s ears.
“You watch porn?” Aunt Kendall gasped.
“Dickhead!” Axel hollered. “CJ said don’t tell nobody Diesel burns pornos for us!”
“You little motormouth assfuck,” Ryder bit out, stalking toward Axel.
He ran behind Dad and wrapped his skinny arms around Dad’s waist. “If you hit me, fuckbag, I’ll dig up ten tons of earthworms and unleash them while you’re asleep.”
“Efuckinuff!” Dad roared.
“Uncle Chris,” Diesel started.
“Shut the fuck up, boy.”
“Don’t kill Diesel, Dad,” Axel begged. “If it wasn’t for all those stupid firewalls, big bro wouldn’t have been involved.”
“We even asked Mat…”
Ryder shoved Ransom and shut him up before he revealed some of perfect little Matilda’s secrets.
Ouch!” Ransom cried, starting for Ransom.
Dad snatched Ransom by the collar and dropped him next to Axel. “Shut the fuck up. This fuckin’ chaos workin’ my last fuckin’ nerve. Ima deal with all you lil’ motherfuckers later. Right now, I need to check on Megan. All this fuckin’ bullshit gotta be disturbin’ her.”
“Can I explain, Uncle Chris?”
“Ain’t interested in hearing right now, Diesel, so—”
“You should be!” Aunt Kendall inserted. “Your children are watching porn supplied by their adult brother.”
“No one asked for your opinion, Aunt Kendall,” Rebel said, bringing the situation full circle. Her words brought the original bullshit back front and center.
“You ain’t knowin’ when to shut the fuck up, Rebel,” Daddy said coldly.
“You threw the gauntlet, Father,” she responded. “I’m merely picking it up. If we’re keeping score, I’d say it’s your move. By the way, unless you change your mind about punishing me for dissing your wife, I’m still not apologizing to Aunt Kendall.”
Her brothers had gotten spankings and all Daddy did was hit them on their ass and legs three or four times. She could handle that. She lifted her chin.
His face hardened again. “Fine, Rebel.”
Axel slid in front of their father and wagged a finger at her. “You’re stupid. Dad’s so old, he’d forgotten he was beating your ass.”
“Until you opened your big mouth again,” Ransom added with disgust.
“Learn the art of subterfuge, sister,” Ryder said sternly.
Daddy glared at the three little idiots and started toward Rebel.
“Wait!” Mattie cried, rushing to Daddy and grabbing his wrist. “Reb’s been horrible today, Uncle Chris, but she’s hurt and confused. She doesn’t mean it. She loves Aunt Meggie and appreciates everything. Give her tonight. To think about her actions. Please? For me.”
Daddy placed a hand on Mattie’s shoulder. “Baby, listen up, I ain’t even able to exfuckinplain how much it’s tearin’ my ass the fuck up, knowing I gotta spank Rebel. But she did the fuckin’ crime, so she gotta do the fuckin’ time. And if the shit Rebel doin’ ain’t bad, her ma wouldna left her lil fuckin’ ass to me. That your Aunt Meggie turnin’ her fuckin’ back on her princess tellin’ me everyfuckinthing I need to know.”
“But—”
“Shut up, Matilda! Just shut up,” Rebel cried, hurt and angry and tearful. “You’re just a fucking pathetic fake loser! Trying to get in my mother’s good graces by tapping Ryan’s fucking phone and mincing around Uncle Johnnie and Aunt Kendall because you’re too chickenshit to be real. And, now, you’re trying to steal my father.” Not thinking, she charged into Mattie. On the floor, she rose up, ignoring the screams and curses. “I hate you. They’re my parents. Tabitha stole Diesel from me and that stupid fucking baby stole Momma. I hate all of you. I hope they both die.” She didn’t know the ‘both’ she referred to and didn’t get a chance to ponder it.
Somehow, Mattie got the upper hand and punched Rebel so hard, stars twirled in front of her. Dad plucked Rebel from the melee and the first blow of his belt landed on her ass, the second on her legs. Even though he alternated, she lost count of the number of strikes he gave her. At least twelve! The fucking gall. Then, he let her fall onto the floor to scream and cry in anger, pain, and humiliation.
“Get up,” Aunt Kendall ordered later.
Rebel couldn’t be sure the amount of time that passed, but her head was pounding from all the crying she’d done and her ass and legs were burning from her spanking.
Shuddering, Rebel turned her head to the floor and cried again. Aunt Kendall’s heels clipped to her. A moment later, her aunt drew her into her arms and hugged her.
“You’re sitting on the floor, Aunt Kendall,” Rebel realized after a few minutes.
“You’re on the floor, darling,” she whispered, stroking Rebel’s hair.
“I hate my parents!”
“You have extraordinary parents, Rebel. Meggie dotes on you and your father adores you. Stop acting so spoiled and ungrateful and cherish their love and support.”
Rebel pulled away from Kendall. “Support? Daddy said I can’t be with Diesel and I’ll bet my life Momma’s abiding his decision.”
“That’s her husband.”
“I’m her daughter.”
“She’s not here to uphold wrong choices, Rebel. Nor can you love her only when she agrees with you.”
“If she loved me, she’d welcome my choices nor would she bring another daughter into this house.”
Lifting a brow, Aunt Kendall got to her feet and dusted off her backside, elegant in gray, wide-legged pants and a black silk blouse. She leaned against the console and folded her arms. “I didn’t know Meggie had the power to decide her baby’s sex.”
Rebel hopped to her feet. “She’s gross. If she kept her legs closed, this wouldn’t be a problem.”
“You have all the answers, don’t you, honey?”
“At least someone does, Aunt Kendall.”
“I thought I did at one time, Rebel,” she said after a moment. “I almost destroyed my life, my marriage, and the friendship I had with your mother. Take someone’s advice—”
“No, never. I’m not stupid. I know what’s right for me.”
“You’re in an enviable position, Rebel,” Aunt Kendall said, changing tactics. “Not only are both your parents alive, they love you. My father was killed when I was very young. When he died, I lost the only support system I knew, and I was angry at the world. I blamed Meggie for shit that happened when she was three and didn’t know I existed. I blamed her for Johnnie’s behavior. For your daddy’s behavior. No, she was my main target, but everyone was within my site. If they came into my scope, I took aim. I was hurting and in so much pain. If I would’ve had what you’ve had your entire life, I would’ve been different. Rebel darling, it sounds like excuses. I wish I could change things, but I can’t. I can only tell you—”
“Stop telling me and focus on your own fucking daughter. You’re not a good mother or a good aunt or a good nothing because she’s fucked up. I have parents. I don’t need you.”
High color swept into Aunt Kendall’s face, and she straightened, stepping toward Rebel.
“Are you ready to go, gorgeous?” Uncle Johnnie asked, walking into the foyer carrying an empty dish.
Pasting a smile on her face, she nodded, fake.
Telle mère telle fille.
Stupid Mattie. Rebel knew French too. She didn’t even care where Matilda or Rory were.
After her aunt and uncle left, Rebel locked the door, then leaned against it and sobbed.
“Reb?”
“Go away, CJ,” she sniffled, hoarse.
“I don’t ever remember seeing Mom and Dad so angry with you,” he said, standing in the opening between the foyer and the central hallway. As if he feared her. “I’ve never been so furious with you either.”
As the words sank in, she spun and narrowed her eyes.
“Shut the fuck up,” he told her before she spoke. “I feel like putting you over my fucking knee myself. You’re a fucking brat and if any of us shoveled the shit you did, we’d be picking up our fucking teeth off the floor.”
“That’s child abuse.”
“You abused Mom. Abuse for abuse,” he said viciously. “And what you said about Dad, being old and dying soon? Get over your fucking self. You’re on Mom’s ass for having another baby because she loves her husband when you, fucking weirdo, want to fuck our brother.”
“Shut up before I punch you.”
“I wouldn’t. We’d fight in this motherfucker, Rebel. You have a hot ass, so you’re turning into a super bitch. If that’s your problem, find a motherfucker to fuck.”
“You’re a disgusting pig.”
“Am I?” he retorted. “So, what does that make you? A callous cunt? An ungrateful leech? You want Mom and our baby sister to die, Rebel. Wrap that around your miserable fucking head.”
“I love Momma!”
“You’re a liar. You fear Dad. You don’t love Mom. Anyone who loves someone wouldn’t break their hearts the way you did. If she was a bad mom, I’d understand. But look around you. Look!” he ordered when she didn’t follow his instructions.
