A Very Christopher Christmas (A Death Dwellers MC Novella) (19 page)

“So this why the fuck I shot them motherfuckers.”
 

Honestly, she felt like shooting Johnnie herself.
 

“Don’t be mad ‘bout John Boy. He had to pay some fuckin’ consequence for what the fuck his cunt did. I know how the fuck you feel—”
 

Thumbing his lips shut his mouth. “You did what you had to do,” she said softly, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes at the brush of his lips along her temple.
 

“I love you, Megan.”
 

“I love you, too, Christopher,” she whispered in return, already counting the days to Christopher’s return when he hadn’t even departed yet.
 

 

Leaning against the headboard in the bedroom he shared with Kendall, Johnnie groaned, the pain in his shoulder burning like fuck. Kendall sat at the foot of the bed, sobbing so pitifully after he explained Christopher’s demand about her position in the firm. He wished he could undo her hurt, but she’d gotten him fucking shot. Enough was enough. The more he catered to her demands, the more he changed.
 

The more
she
changed.
 

She’d laid down the law and he’d blindly followed.
Don’t
ride your bike.
Don’t
drink beer.
Don’t
be like Christopher.
Don’t
talk to Megan.
Don’t
spend too much time at the club.
 

Don’t! Don’t! Don’t!
 

How about don’t do anything that could get their asses shot off? She never considered that. Whatever gave Johnnie pleasure, Kendall demanded he cut from his life or curb considerably since she’d gotten pregnant with Matilda.
 

What the fuck did he get in return? A hole in his shoulder. Anger. Arrogance. Jealousy. Excuses for all her issues.
 

Fuck. Where was the fairness? Where the fuck was Kendall’s love for him? The love he knew she had. The love he’d seen when she’d taken her medicines.
 

She demanded everything from him and he broke his fucking neck attempting to deliver it to her. He did so
because
he loved her. He did it because he didn’t want her to worry. He didn’t want her to feel abandoned or neglected. Also, worry caused stress and stress could harm the baby.
 

But fuck!
 

All of their actions, his and her own, benefited Kendall. Not him. Not one fucking thing. Love was a two-way street. So where were his benefits? Why couldn’t he get Kendall to recognize how selfish she was being in their relationship?
 

“J-Johnnie, pl-please. Talk to him,” she cried, her cheeks stained with tears. “I can’t give up my position.”
 

His heart twisted in his chest at how pitiful she looked and sounded. “I know, gorgeous,” he said in a soothing tone. “Let him calm down. I’ll talk to him when he returns.”
 

“Calm down?” she wailed. “He shot you and…and…and he wants you to buy out my contract with the firm and…”
 

“It’s already done,” he announced, his muscles tensing when she swiveled her head to him. But he had to stand firm. Nothing would change unless she changed. And she wouldn’t change unless he
made
her do it. “After Cash dug our bullets out.”
 

She jumped to her feet. “No! You can’t do that. That isn’t legal.”
 

“Maybe not, but it’s lifesaving. Christopher will fucking kill me and Brooks. He had every right to do it now.”
 

“Because he’s an asshole and a barbarian and a—“
 

“And the club president,” he snapped. “He’s responsible for whatever decisions that affects the club. And, Kendall, you have to fucking know accepting that goddamn money and guaranteeing Christopher deliver those guns affected every fucking member in the organization. If he didn’t deliver, we would’ve had a fucking war on our hands. What the fuck don’t you understand about that?”
 

“Fuck you! I see how it is!” she said wildly. “You promised me you’d stick by me no matter how bad I got. Well, I’m at my worst. Prove to me you aren’t sending me away or turning your back on me.”
 

“Fuck
you
,” he spat back, in physical pain and emotional turmoil. He didn’t know which way to go to help his beautiful wife. Kendall had it all, and he adored every inch of her. Even the bad parts. But
enough was fucking enough
. “I’m not sending you away. You fucking know that, so shut the fuck up about that. I’m sticking by you. We all are. What the fuck are you doing except thumbing your nose at all of us?”
 

“Christopher—”
 

“
Fuck
Christopher,” he snarled. “Christopher is furious right now, as he has every right to be. The shit you pulled is almost unforgivable. But I love you, so I forgive you. Even Christopher will relent and let you back in the club in time. He considers us family and that’s his bond with us. You and Rory are my everything, but Kendall, you have to act like we’re
your
everything. Stop acting like a wild, spoiled, immature cunt.”
 

She squeaked at his roar, her eyes widening as she stumbled to her feet. He was only glad Rory was with Val and Zoann. Otherwise, his son would overhear this argument. Admittedly, it was the first time Johnnie had raised his voice so horribly to Kendall.
 

He should’ve waited until
he
wasn’t so pissed that he’d taken a bullet for her and she was still arguing about keeping her job. She needed to be fucking happy she had her life.
 

Standing near the edge of the bed, Kendall covered her face and sobbed into her hands. “You hate me,” she said through her tears.
 

Wincing at the throbbing in his shoulder, Johnnie got to his feet and went to her, gathering her into his arms. “I don’t hate you, Kendall. I love you. So very, very much. So much so that my love has blinded me to your faults. That has to change before you get us killed. You have to take responsibility for your own health. The day Matilda is born, get back on your meds. And, if you refuse to take your anti-depressants if you’re pregnant, we can’t have any more children.” That was the coup-de-grace. She wanted at least one more child. “It’s as simple as that, sweetheart.”
 

Sobbing against his chest, she clung to him. “I’m so sorry, Johnnie.”
 

Whispering his love to her, Johnnie kissed her temple just as his cell phone rang. He disengaged from her and got the device from the nightstand, answering immediately when he saw Mort’s name.
 

“What do you have?” he asked in greeting.
 

“Prez leaving at two in the morning. Val and Digger going with him. Cash and Stretch going on a commercial flight, so this McCallister motherfucker don’t know Prez got backup if the need arise.”
 

“Is he still angry?”
 

“Like a motherfucker,” Mort answered with a snort. “What the fuck you expect, Johnnie? This not going to be shit he get over soon.”
 

Johnnie had never been one particularly nostalgic for the holidays. Mostly because his grandfather had always found a way to ruin it for Christopher with his hard, harsh ways. Johnnie had felt in the middle, idolizing his grandfather as he had but adoring Christopher, too. As he’d grown, the month of December had become increasingly less important. The first time the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas had had any meaning for him
was when he’d been with Megan. Then, after he and Kendall fell in love and Rory was born, the season had become extra special.
 

 At the moment, his dominating thought was the big celebration they’d planned for this holiday season now that all the threats had been taken care of. All of which were now in jeopardy.
 

“Just tell me. I swear I won’t repeat this. Red did this shit, right?”
 

For so many months, he’d separated himself from the guys, feeling as if he betrayed Kendall if he enjoyed himself with them. When he was around them, he used it to show his superiority. Yet, they never turned their backs on him. Right now, as he sat on Christopher’s shit list, he regretted his behavior and he missed Mort’s friendship.
 

“Yes,” he answered simply.
 

Mort sighed. “You need me to talk to her? I mean I know you scared cuz you think she’ll leave if you have a fucking heart-to-heart with her. But Red, don’t ever have to talk to me again if I can reason with her. I’ll be fucking happy just knowing you and her walking around with your brains still in your goddamn heads, cuz, brother, not even Meggie could save you after what Red did. Fuck, I never thought Prez would fire a fucking bullet into you.”
 

Johnnie knew otherwise. He’d believed Megan was the only one who could save him and Kendall. Instead of mentioning that, he stayed silent.
 

“Where are they taking off from?” he asked instead.
 

“A private airstrip in Camas,” Mort responded. “Off Pottery Field Road.”
 

“I know exactly where the Pottery Air Strip is.”
 

“Sloane sending his private jet. Fuck, it’s probably already here being loaded with crates.”
 

Cash’s brother-in-law was helping again. The superstar rocker was an honorary member of the club and was quite willing to make use of his plane whenever it was needed. Johnnie wondered if Sloane Mason knew the scope of their illegal activity.
 

“I’m so sorry,” Kendall whispered after Johnnie hung up and stood in silence, thinking of all the things that could go wrong with Christopher’s trip.
 

Anger surged into him again. At the moment, he needed to be left alone with his thoughts. He believed Kendall was sorry, but that didn’t change the current situation. It didn’t change the fact that Christopher was risking his life for something she’d done.
 

Forcing a smile, he caressed her cheek. “I’m going to be a pain in the ass to sleep beside tonight. I think I’ll crash in one of the guestrooms.”
 

Before she answered, he walked out, just wanting to undo the past few hours so this rough patch in their marriage wouldn’t have happened and Christopher wouldn’t be endangered.
 

 

Kendall braced herself in front of the small wash basin in the plane’s bathroom, as the aircraft ascended. Her belly took up most of the space, but it wouldn’t be long before she could leave her hiding space and reveal herself to Outlaw.
 

The moment Johnnie left her alone a few hours ago had been a defining one. She’d known he wasn’t leaving because he’d sleep badly. He was searching for another place to sleep because he was angry with her.
 

No, furious. And the only way she could fix things between them was to make Outlaw see reason. Make him like her as she’d originally intended when she’d come up with her idea for this trip.
 

The door handle rattled and Kendall’s heart began to pound, the enormity of her latest escapade hitting her. She’d run away from Johnnie. Not only had she runaway but she’d stowed away.
 

What was wrong with her?
 

“Fuck, I gotta take a piss and this bathroom locked up.” Val’s voice traveled through the thin panel of the door.
 

“Shoot the handle the fuck off,” Outlaw called, sounding groggy.
 

Before Val fired and his bullet hit her, Kendall hastily unlocked the door and pushed it open. If she’d been in a better frame of mind, she might’ve laughed at Val’s comical shock. He reminded her of a fish out of water, gasping for air. Or in his case, words.