Death Dwellers Motorcycle Club:: Fifteen Bad Boy Biker Books, page 447
He’d return the favor with literal interpretation.
Getting to his feet, he walked to the bathroom and headed to Megan’s closet. He drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes when he picked up her scent. Cherry blossoms.
The nightgown she’d worn the night before she was taken hung on a hook. The black silk made her look so fucking sexy. Going to it, he pulled the material against his face and sniffed. Tears leaked from his eyes, which pissed him off even further and made him add removal of eyeballs to his torture list.
Sniffling, he removed the nightgown from the hook, buried his face in it and wept. The one thing he could say was he had no regrets. No matter the outcome. Loving her was his greatest joy and most precious privilege. And she knew it. He made sure he told her as much as possible, every day.
He also knew how much she adored him. It never failed to humble him that a sweet girl like her could love a motherfucker like him. She loved him for him. It didn’t matter to her if he was Christopher or Outlaw, he was her man, and she let the world know it.
She was his girl. His woman. His wife.
His Megan.
Unable to put the nightgown down, Christopher brought it into the bedroom with him, then laid it in her spot. He stared down at it and slapped his cheeks to remove the tears. Once, twice, three time! Until his face stung.
Thrusting his hands through his hair, he dug into his pocket and came up with a small picture of Megan. He kissed it, then placed it on her pillow.
This time, when he laid down, he faced her side. Seeing her nightgown and knowing her face was on the small photo comforted him.
He was finally able to fall asleep.
UNABLE TO BEAR THE THOUGHT that she’d had something to do with Meggie’s abduction, Kendall decided to drive to Randolph’s place herself. She wasn’t sure where the Dwellers had searched for Meggie, but Randolph’s place was so out of the way, she didn’t think that had been on their radar.
She could alert Johnnie, so he’d tell Christopher. However, she’d just gotten back into her husband’s good graces. If she confessed she’d taken Randolph’s case, Johnnie would never forgive her, in light of recent events.
She’d prefer to die than to lose her husband.
Besides, unless, Johnnie went to Randolph’s place on his own, Christopher, the asshole, would want to know where Johnnie got the information. Johnnie might be too angry to protect her, and then her life would be over, anyway.
No, it was best this way. She had to do this on her own.
Reaching the house, Kendall turned off the road and onto the property. Noticing three motorcycles parked in the yard, she didn’t drive as far as she had when she’d dropped Randolph off. Killing the ignition at the edge of the property, near the street, Kendall thought of her husband again.
The first time she’d seen him at Christopher’s bachelor party, when she’d still had her mother and sister in the world. From the moment her and Johnnie met, he’d protected her. He’d wanted her to stay and she’d wanted him to kiss her on the mouth.
And their battle of wills had begun.
Through some of her darkest days—her sexual assault, mother’s suicide, Kendall’s captivity—she’d held onto memories of her blond biker with the body of an athlete and the most magnificent silver eyes she’d ever seen.
How could she have been so blind to his love? Why would she recognize it now, when it might be too late?
Swallowing, she knew she couldn’t leave her Navigator without apologizing to him and telling him how much she truly loved him.
I love you so much, Johnnie. I’m so sorry for all the things I’ve ever done to you. Please forgive me. When you remember me, think of the love we shared. Don’t let our children forget me.
Swiping at her tears, Kendall pressed send. It might’ve been melodramatic, but she just didn’t have a good feeling about her decision to rescue Meggie. In her bones, she knew it would be either her or Meggie to make it out alive.
That was fine with her. She’d caused this, so she’d pay the consequences, even if it was the ultimate one.
At peace with her decision, Kendall got out of the car and closed the door as quietly as possible, not wanting to alert anyone to her presence.
Her heart banged in her chest and a little tremble assailed her. She was scared, so very scared. To die. To live. To be.
Hoping she wouldn’t be spotted, Kendall hurried around the old house. When the raggedy front porch came into view, she noticed the dog was absent.
Was that a good sign or a bad omen?
It didn’t matter.
Deciding on her next course of action, she shielded her eyes with her hand from the sunburst and glanced into the distance.
Most of the structures had padlocks on them, which did Kendall no good. No use in delaying this. One way or the other she’d find Meggie.
Marching forward, she skirted past the bikes and crouched down, so she wouldn’t be seen through the windows of the house. She reached the rusty old pickup and grabbed the bumper, standing to her full height and rushing to the first shoddy building.
She put her ear against the door, trying to detect movement. “Meggie?” she called in a loud whisper.
No response.
“Meggie!”
Nothing.
God, this wouldn’t do. Her half-hearted effort annoyed her, so she stiffened her shoulders and pounded on the door.
“MEGGIE!” she yelled.
Not a peep.
She decided to move to the next building and repeated the process. After three tries with no results, a chilling thought came to Kendall.
Meggie was already dead.
Her one true girlfriend. Roxy was like a mother to Kendall, but Meggie had been…a sister, a confidante, someone Kendall count on. Her treachery had ruined that, too.
On a sob, she started toward the last outbuilding, which was about fifty yards away. Halfway there, she stumbled across a door sticking out of the ground with, of course, a padlock.
Gritting her teeth in frustration, she crouched down and listened. Nothing.
“Meggie?” she called, placing her ear back on the door.
Did she hear movement on the other side?
“MEGGIE! Are you in there?”
“Kendall!” a faint voice responded.
Or was that a whisper in the wind? A figment of her imagination. She wanted Meggie to be alive so bad.
“Meggie, is it really you?”
“Kendall, help,” that faint voice came again.
“Wait! I’m coming for you.”
“Are you now?” a voice from behind her said, just before two pairs of legs came into view.
The barrel of a gun pressed into the back of her head.
“You know what? I hear Outlaw won’t give us what we want if we kill his bitch, but we have to show them we’re serious in some way,” the man sneered.
“Wh-what do you mean?” Kendall asked in a shaky voice, her brain kicking into gear. Deny! Deny! Deny! “Who’s Outlaw?”
The man laughed. “Don’t play stupid, Kendall. Randolph told me all about you.” He fingered her hair. “Your gorgeous red hair. Your height. I know you’re John Boy’s old lady. Maybe, if we killed you and kept the blonde alive a bit longer, we might get some results.”
“Maybe, if you sent your demands to the club, you’d get results, too, asshole,” she snapped.
“I’m too busy having fun with her,” he said coldly. “Once I’ve used her to my satisfaction, then I’ll contact the club.”
“You’re a dead man, you stupid motherfucker,” she spat. “Fucking with Meggie.”
“You’re the bitch who told Randolph to take her.”
“Maybe, I lied. Ever consider that, bastard?”
For a moment, silence reigned, and Kendall gloated. Then, she heard the click of the gun.
“I love you, Johnnie,” she whispered, a moment before the bullet crashed into her skull, killing her instantly.
STOP AND THINK ABOUT THIS! Do you really want Kendall dead? Didn’t your heart drop, just a teeny bit? Maybe, you thought about all my promises that I’d never kill Kendall? I’ve always contended she’s one of the heroines, therefore I can’t kill her, in all good conscience.
But, more than that, Kendall provides a source of entertainment and controversy that wouldn't be present if I actually went through with the previous scene and let her die. Think hard on this. PLEASE! She's the bad girl of the story and you would really miss her if I killed her. This is something that could not be undone. Therefore, I cannot in all good faith kill her off.
You may wonder why I can't kill her off, but she's present to remind us that love comes in all forms. Although she doesn't always show it, in her own way, she does love Johnnie. As a matter of fact, both characters are in the story to show that not all relationships are perfect but, somehow, they survive. We all know couples who’ve separated two million and two times. On the two millionth and third try, they find a common ground and make their relationship work. Yes, I know couples like this also get divorced, but I’m thinking with a glass half-full mentality. 😊
I am not toying with your emotions. I take my craft and my readers very seriously. This was just a moment in time to show everyone what it would be like without Kendall. Did you not feel a sense of loss, if only for Johnnie, knowing how much he loves her? Kendall is still a work-in-progress. She will never be the typical heroine. It just isn’t in her nature, but she will eventually open her eyes to the world around her. Whether this is shown in the Legacy Series or if I write two or three more Death Dweller books, before the Legacy Series, I’m not sure.
For the time being, those who like her probably mourned her, while those who hate her cheered her death. I for one am one of the ones who mourned her. I won't do this again. As I move forward with the story, I hope you enjoy the way it ends.
Turn the pages to continue with the real chapter.
Happy Valentine's Day
LAYING ON HER BACK WITH her knees drawn up, Kendall imagined Johnnie’s cum sliding wherever it had to go to make a baby inside of her. Since he’d found her in the room, he’d made love to her repeatedly. Each time he rolled over, she’d lay flat, draw her knees up, and will herself to become pregnant.
Now, more than ever, it was imperative. If Christopher ever discovered whatever role she’d played in Meggie’s abduction, Kendall was dead, and Johnnie wouldn’t ever forgive her. She knew he didn’t trust her. However, because Meggie’s kidnapping—or murder—had spooked him so much, he was willing to forgive her.
A knock came on the door. Sighing, Kendall sat up, already knowing who her visitor was. “Come in, Roxy,” she called. Kendall had texted her and told her she needed to talk.
Walking in, Roxy carried a tray filled with food, in her hands. Kendall’s eyes widened. Roxy glared at her but stomped over and sat the tray on her lap.
Ribs, baked beans, potato salad, and peas sat on a plate. The food smelled delicious, but she couldn’t eat.
Kendall’s lips trembled at Roxy’s loyalty. Ever since the scene in the main room, when Kendall had nearly punched CJ, Roxy hadn’t been happy. Since Meggie had been taken in the evening, that scene had taken place almost four evenings ago.
Had it really been that long? What was Meggie going though?
Kendall’s nostrils flared.
“Eat, Kendall.”
No matter how annoyed she got with her, Roxy was always at her side, looking after her.
“What do you want, sugar?” Roxy asked with impatience. “I don’t have time for bullshit. Folks are hungry.”
“Oh, Roxy, I’m so sorry. Don’t be angry with me.”
“Do you give a fuck? I mean, you’re a grown ass woman, who was arguing with a little child.”
She blinked. “You’re upset with me over only CJ?”
“That just reminded me of all your other recent shenanigans,” Roxy snapped. “I’ll stand by you for almost anything, Kendall. But Johnnie’s a good man. He loves the fuck out of you and how do you repay him? By drugging his dumb ass. How does he respond? By being angry long enough to get a good cry from you, but then going right back to being the soft touch he always is with you.”
Kendall gasped, and sat the tray next to her on the bed. “How did you expect him to deal with me? Punching me? Hitting me? Or choking me like the wonderfully brilliant Outlaw?”
Roxy fisted her hands on her hips. “You’re working on my last fucking nerve, baby, and you’re damn lucky you are married to Johnnie. As much as you want to fuck him, if you’d been Outlaw’s old lady and you pulled some shit like this, he would’ve shot the fuck out of you. I don’t condone a motherfucker laying his hands on a woman, and Outlaw is so fucking wrong for always trying to choke the fuck out of you, but, damn, baby.” Shaking her head, she sighed. “Goddamn. When will your bullshit ever stop? Johnnie needs to find a goddamn apartment for you, so you two can go in your respective corners and really think about shit.”
“No!” Kendall cried, panicked. Who knows what Johnnie would do, if someone suggested that to him? He’d sworn never to leave her. On the other hand, he’d believed she’d never try to hurt him. And her medicine had really messed him up. However, he believed she was pregnant again, so that might be her saving grace. “I love Johnnie. He can’t leave me.”
Roxy swept her gaze up and down Kendall. “You love the thought of Johnnie. You don’t love that man. You could’ve killed him. That’s not love. He’s just useful to you. He gives you a place to stay and a good life.”
“How dare you!” Kendall cried, shooting out of bed and barreling to Roxy. She pointed a finger at her. “I’m not using Johnnie and I resent you saying that. In case you don’t realize it, he gives me the biker life, not a good life.”
“First off, Kendall, back the fuck up off me, if you don’t want my foot up your fucking ass,” Roxy warned coldly.
Knowing the woman didn’t play, Kendall gulped and complied immediately.
“Second, your first and only thought is Kendall. Not Johnnie. Not your children. Not anyone but you. To take care of you, you’d use Jesus.”
Tears stung Kendall’s eyes. “So what?” she spat. “You hate me now, like everybody else?”
Roxy made a face at Kendall and she huffed out a breath, her stance relaxing a little. “I could never hate you,” she said in a softer tone. “I’m pissed with you, so I’m not going to smile in your goddamn face and say everything’s all right. Besides, if I hated you, I wouldn’t have rushed my ass in her when I got your text.”
“But you’re shouting at me,” Kendall sobbed.
“Bailey came out of my pussy, child. When I get pissed with her—on those rare occasions—I shout at her ass, too. It don’t mean I don’t love her. It just mean she’s pissed me the fuck off. See, baby, you have to realize that people have arguments, but they work through it and move on. Unless, they take shit to the next level. Drugging a motherfucker is definitely the next level.”
“I’d prefer you to be angry with me over CJ,” Kendall wailed, going to Roxy and bowing her head, so she could cry like a little girl.
Roxy’s arms went around Kendall. Although she was almost a head taller than Roxy, Kendall still felt…worthy in Roxy’s eyes. Like she was good enough to be someone’s daughter.
“What you did isn’t okay, sugar,” Roxy whispered kindly, rubbing her back, “but I’m not deserting you. I just want you to think before you act. Let’s talk about CJ for a minute. The names he called you was wrong. He’s a child and you’re an adult. And as an adult, what you say can have a big impact on him. He’s a good little boy, Kendall, even with all his cussing and huffing and bossing. Yet, you called him an idiot, a brat, and other shit I don’t even want to remember just because he called Rory by a nickname.” She leaned back to stare at Kendall. “Think about this: JJ is a nickname. That boy’s name is John, Jr. You could’ve called him Jimmy, but it had to be JJ because Meggie calls her boy CJ. This is the kind of shit I’m talking about.”
“Oh, Roxy, you’re right! I’m so sorry.”
“Uh-uh, baby. I don’t believe you. You’re too fucking busy to be sorry. People forgive you, then something else comes up. That’s not the mark of a truly apologetic woman.”
“What should I do? How can I make it up to everybody?”
Roxy took Kendall’s face between her hands. “You can’t. Not unless you look inside yourself and change your entire outlook on life. I believe in you. You’re a smart, beautiful, capable woman. You can do anything you set your mind to. If you want to. I don’t believe you want to. You enjoy matching wits with these motherfuckers, especially Outlaw. By always doing shit, you think you stay relevant. All you do is push people away. Now, no one told Outlaw about the confrontation between you and CJ. Don’t think the shit won’t hit the fan when he finds out. Keep it the fuck up and you’re going to get Johnnie tossed out of the club again.”
If that happened, Johnnie would grow to resent her. Again.
Roxy kissed Kendall’s cheek. “I still want to kick your ass, but I love you, sugar. Besides, we need positive energy to bring Meggie back home. I can’t tell you how worried I am about her. Well, fuck, actually I won’t tell you because I don’t think you give a fuck.”
Kendall sucked in a breath. “That’s not true,” she mumbled, the denial sounding weak to her own ears.
“Now, baby, this is Roxy you’re talking to. I don’t need to see a bull taking a shit to know when I come across bullshit. What you just said is the biggest piece of bullshit I’ve ever heard. Since I been in here, you haven’t once asked me about her. If I’ve heard anything. Nothing.”
“Someone might’ve come in and told me.”
“The people you call friends are pissed at you and the rest of the club don’t fuck with you anyway, so try again.”
“If I wasn’t worried about her, I wouldn’t have fainted when I found out she’d been kidnapped,” Kendall said with a sniff.
Roxy gave her a thoughtful look but didn’t comment.
“Besides, I texted you, so I can give you some information regarding Meggie,” Kendall confessed, and stepped out of Roxy’s reach.
