They were cruising down the interstate with the radio blasting. "This might sound crazy but it aint no lie, baby bye bye bye!" Tara's mind had finally cleared free of all the anger and rage she felt just merely 5 hours ago.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Tara shook her head in disgust at the sight she saw. The very familiar club riding formation, head up by the club President, or Vice President in this case. Are you fucking kidding me?! She pushed down on the accelerator of her SUV, her friend none the wiser.
She looked back again and saw that Jax was coming at a much quicker pace than he was before. She knew she couldn't outrun him on his bike, but she didn't want to deal with him right now. Asshole.
Dodging around a car that she was approaching very quickly herself, she whipped back into her previous lane, grumbling when she watched Jax do the same thing, 4 other motorcycles following his lead.
She shook her head in disgust again as he pulled up next to her, looking at her. She kept her eyes focused on the road, pretending she didn't see him. After about a minute of being ignored, Jax hit his accelerator again, shooting in front of her. She knew she was screwed then. She looked behind her in the rearview mirror seeing the other guys staying behind her.
She put her eyes back on the road in front of her just in time to hear Jesse yelp, "What the hell?" because Jax had now pulled in front of them and was slowly slowing down which forced her to slow down.
Jesse gripped the dashboard tightly then looked at the sudden slowing and stop of the vehicle. Looking out the rearview window he saw two more men on bikes behind them, one on each side of the vehicle and the one who had forced them to stop. "What's happening?" he tried to ask Tara, but did he really think she'd have an answer?
Steering the SUV to the side of the road, she slammed on the brakes, whipped her door open and slammed it shut so hard Jesse was surprised she didn't shatter the window.
He had no idea what was going on. Were they being car jacked? Robbed? Should he call the cops? One minute he and his buddy where chilling and jamming, cruising down the highway, the next they were being swarmed by motorcycles. And now his friend had jumped out of the SUV and was charging the biker who had just cut them off.
"Tara!" Jesse yelled as he attempted to open the passenger's side door. He didn't want her to get hurt.
But was stopped short by a gruff, "Stay in the car," from another man on a motorcycle who had rolled up next to the SUV.
Meanwhile, Tara was furiously charging towards Jax who had yet to see her coming. His helmet was still on and he had just kicked down his kick stand, and was still straddling his bike.
She got to him and shoved him off his bike, making him land on the ground, "You're following me now, asshole?" she growled at him.
Surprised by the unexpected landing, he furiously got up and through his helmet on the ground, "No! I am not!" he yelled back at her, stalking around his bike up to her, "I saw you driving by. Since you charged out of OUR home this morning without letting me explain and been dodging my calls all day, I thought I'd get a face to face with you and MAKE you listen to me!"
"You don't need to explain SHIT to me JACKSON!" her hands on hips, within inches of him, "You've been this way since we were teens. You've never been able to keep your dick in your pants, I don't know why I thought NOW would be any different!" she couldn't help but emphasis her anger by hitting him in the chest with both of her palms, causing him to take a step back.
"Go ahead… Hit me all you want," he taunted, stepping closer to her again, his jaw flexing. Quicker than she could react, his hands and arms shot out, gripping her by her upper arms. Not hard enough to hurt her, but enough to make her react, "But it's not going to …"
"TARA!" was yelled from her SUV. In a male voice…. A voice Jax had never heard before. Whipping his head around, he realized that she was not alone. And that he had no idea who the person was with her.
"Who the hell is that?" He growled. He was not okay with her seeking another man for comfort. He was being hypocritical but he didn't give a shit.
"He has nothing to do with this," Tara bit out.
"You'll excuse me if I think otherwise," Jax retorted, "Get him out of the car," he ordered Happy.
He began moving toward her SUV. Happy was off his bike and ready to pull Jesse out.
Jesse was scared to death. Here he and his friend were surrounded by a biker gang. His friend charged at the one who seemed to be the leader, hitting him and getting in his face. She had always been the ballsiest person he had ever met. Not much scared her.
Going to the same college in San Diego, Jesse had quickly taken a liking to Tara. She was smart, tried to stay out of people's business and dependable. If he wasn't a man who loved and longed for other male companionship, he may have asked Tara out. This week he was home in San Jose. He wanted to have a little fun so he found Tara's number and gave her a call. She sounded like she was mad when she answered, but that quickly dissipated when she realized who was calling. Tara said she needed to hang out with someone not from the small town she called home.
Nearly 3 hours later and after doing a little retail-therapy and stopping to get some ice cream, they were headed back to his hotel, jammin' out to some of the songs they liked to listen to back in the early 2000's. They had made plans to meet up the next day to get mani and pedicures.
Now here he was swatting at the man who was trying to pull him out of the SUV.
"Jax! Stop!" Tara yelled at Jax whose focus was now solely on her SUV. Tara was attempting to stop him by pulling him back by his kutte. "Don't hurt him!" Tara pleaded.
That just went further to piss Jax off even more, "Tell me who he is then…" he demanded.
Looking in through the window Tara saw Jesse struggling with Happy and she knew Jesse was about to get seriously hurt, "Jesse just get out…" she finally said, "Tell him to stop." She growled to Jax.
Nudging his head for Happy to stop, Jax watched as the man whom he never seen before today moved to the front of the SUV.
Jesse looked at Tara for some sort of explanation, but instead she said, "Now that you've seen my friend, don't you want to 'explain' yourself?" she air quoted.
"Oh no… You're not getting out of this that easy," Jax growled at her, "You get pissed off at me, for something I DIDN'T DO by the way, and turn to whoever the hell this guy is?"
"Excuse me?" she barked, "You're the one who comes home after a 3 day out of state run with goddamn condoms in your jeans, and I'm the bad guy?" she stepped closer to him again, "I don't fucking think so," she poked him in the chest.
"GOD DAMMIT TARA!" He bellowed at her, "I didn't fuck anyone! As a matter of fact the only person I've fucked in the last 2 years is YOU!" He saw the man with her attempting to comfort or protect her by trying to lay his hand on her arm, "If you touch her I will fucking kill you," he glared at Jess with his steel blue eyes.
"Excuse me, if I may interrupt," Bobby waddled his way up to them. "Sweetheart, he didn't do what you think he did. He tried to tell Davey that he wouldn't need them, but he insisted. It's disrespectful to out and out reject any offer in kind from another club. He took them, but never used them," he slapped his hand on Jax's shoulder, "Matter of fact, I got tired of the whining he was doing about not being with you and the boys for such a long period of time."
Jax looked off into the distance not wanting to show that emotional intimate side with this guy who'd had yet to be identified.
"Really?" she looked like she had literally deflated, "Is that true Jackson?" she walked over to him and began pulling on his kutte to get him to look at her.
He clenched his jaw, and looked down at her, "You even believing I would do that to you again must say something about me, right? About the state of our relationship?"
"I may have overreacted," she admitted quietly, "I'm sorry…" she looked away from him.
"Hey…." He said softly to her, his index finger hooking under her chin so he could tilt her face to him, "I get it," he assured her, his other hand picking up her left hand, "I know this means something," he kissed her engagement ring. You just have to trust me not to fuck up again."
Pulling him down to her, she kissed him sweetly, "I will."
"I'm not going to risk losing you over bullshit like that again. I love you, Tara."
"I know, baby," she cupped his jaw in her hands, kissing him again, "I love you too."
"Oh my God," Jesse nearly squealed, "Is this him?"
Startled, Jax and Tara pulled away, Jax glaring at the intruder, whom he's had yet to identify.
Tara smiled and chuckled, "Yes it is!"
"Oh my… He IS very hot and hard," Jesse gave Jax his visual approval.
Bobby choked on the smoke that he had just inhaled from his cigarette.
"Now I understand why you're so bad ass girl…" Jesse looked around to all the motorcycle that surrounded them.
"Jax this is my friend Jesse," Tara finally introduced, "He's gay," she whispered into Jax's ear.
"I need a drink," Bobby announced then began waddling back to his bike.
"I know that's right," Jesse agreed and he began moving back to the car.
"Jesse! Would you mind driving my car?" Tara asked as she was being pulled by Jax to his bike. He bent down, picked up his helmet, dusted it off and handed it to Tara.
"Just follow us!" he heard before all the engines started rumbling again. Jesse looked at his friend who now sat straddling the back of a Harley, her arms wrapped firmly around her man, Jax.
Half an hour later they pulled into the parking lot of a garage called Teller-Morrow.