Your feet stumbled slightly as you moved through the dark, empty streets, your arms hugging your midsection. You weren't even sure if they'd be there, but you had been inches from death tonight and you needed help. Where else to turn but the two men who've always had your back your entire life?
You stopped as you came to the garage driveway, glancing through the lot. There were only a handful of bikes and in the dark you couldn't tell if any of them belonged to Opie or Jax. Your eyes traveled up the lot to the figure sitting on a picnic bench. He hadn't seen you yet in the darkness. The slight glow from the lights on the clubhouse barely illuminated the area at the door. You drew in a breath and slowly made your way into the lot towards him, stopping about fifteen feet away.
"Jax?" Your voice barely a whisper.
His head snapped up to you, his brow furrowed as you stepped further towards him. He raised off of the picnic table and moved towards you.
"Y/N?" He asked as he dropped his cigarette to the ground, stubbing it out. "Hey, darlin'. What are you-" Concern on his face as he realized that it was the middle of the night and you'd just walked into the lot, not drove. You stepped out of the shadow, the light revealing your face to him. His jaw clenched and his features froze as his eyes landed fully on your face. Your left eye was painfully swollen and bruised. Your eyebrow stung from the lacceration your ex's ring had caused. Jax's eyes traced from your eye down to your busted lower lip, before landing on the marks on your neck. He had stepped up to you now, his eyes boring into you.
"Is Ope here?" Your voice cracked as you gazed up at Jax.
"What the fuck happened?" He seethed.
You dropped your eyes to the pavement, hugging your arms tighter around yourself.
"Jason." You whispered.
Jax threw his arms to his sides in disgust as he paced a step before turning back to you. "You're still with that piece of shit?!"
You shook your head. "No. Not anymore. I'd told him to pack his shit and get out." You paused and took a shaky breath in. "He was drunk…he snapped…"
"You're lucky you're not fuckin dead, Y/N." Jax clenched his fists as he glared at the marks across your neck. "I'm gonna get Ope and the guys. Bastard's gonna regret ever raising a hand to you." He eyed you as he went to turn towards the door.
"He didn't just….hit me, Jax." You were shaking now as Jax froze and turned back to you. His eyes unreadable.
"What?" he said coldly.
You struggled to get the words out but your mouth just opened and shut, unable to speak. You held Jax's gaze as you saw his eyes shift as he realized what you were trying to say. He ran his hands through his hair.
"Jesus fucking Christ." He breathed out as he looked back to you. He dropped his shoulders and brought you gently to his chest, kissing your forehead lightly. You could feel the rage radiating off of him as he released you and drew back, looking you in the eye. "C'mon, let's get you inside." He took your hand and led you through the door to the clubhouse.
It wasnt loud or rowdy like you expected it to be when you entered the clubhouse. You huddled behind Jax like a wounded dog, one hand gripping his and the other clutching his kutte. He stopped a few steps in.
"Ope!" He called across the room, causing you to jump at his bark and he squeezed your hand to steady you.
"Yeah?" Opie stood from leaning over the pool table, tapping the cue on his boot. Jax's eyes were stone and full of rage as he met Opie's questioning gaze.
Jax stepped to the side slightly and gently pulled you forward, his eyes never leaving Opie's.
You slowly brought your eyes up to Opie across the bar. His shoulders dropped and his eyes widened. "Jesus!" The cue stick clattered to the floor and he was in front of you in an instant. The few men in the room had silenced at this point watching your exchange. Opie gently grasped your chin and turned your head lightly, inspecting your injuries. You could feel his eyes skitter across your skin before they met your gaze again.
"Was it him?!" His eyes were wild with anger as you dropped your head, ashamed. Jax leaned in towards Opie, saying something quietly to him. Opie's reaction giving away what Jax was telling him. Opie stiffened, his head snapping to Jax before he turned back to you. He gently gripped your shoulders, making you face him. "Sweetheart, I need you to stay here with Juice. We're gonna go handle this and then we'll be back." You held his gaze and nodded, your mind blank and numb.
He pulled you to him gently and placed a kiss on your forehead. "Juice." He turned to the tattooed man at the bar. The man stood instantly and stepped forward, nodding. "I got her."
You stepped forward as Opie guided you to Juice and he helped you to a bar stool, you rested your forearms onto the bar top, staring blankly at the wood grain trying not to think about what they were about to do.
"What we got, boys?" Another man, Tig, if you remembered correctly, asked as he stepped up to Opie.
Jax yanked the door open as Opie moved with him. "Castration." Jax seethed as he exited the clubhouse.
"Excellent." Tig chuckled and followed them out.