Happy throttled his bike down off of the I-5, flanked by fellow nomad, Shark and Tacoma Sergeant at Arms, Kozik. He was tired of the ride and looking forward to adding to his collection of smiley faced badges of honor. There was only one artist he trusted to get it right, the same one who had been steadily building the collection for the 15 years he'd been a patched Son. Ace had only been 14 the first time he'd put a tattoo kit in her hand. It had been a stupid risk to take, but he'd been so high on the success of his first club hit and all the swag of being 27 that he'd carefully coached her through it, needing desperately to mark the occasion. Her blue eyes had been huge when she'd accepted it from him, but her face had been hard, listening to his instruction. She had been perfect.
Happy's Harley could practically navigate itself to the tat shop in Fallbrook where Ace had been working for over 10 years, and he swung easily into the narrow alley that led to the back parking lot. The headlight flashed across an unmistakable knot of what passed for gangsters here and he braked hard, planting his boots. The brief flash of red in the middle had him off his ride and pulling both SIG Sauers from his holster. Kozik and Shark were right behind him. Shark had been here before, rolling in after runs and even getting ink of his own at her hand; he understood immediately that the situation was about to combust.
Ace cursed colorfully in English, then Spanish, switching back to English to inform the Bastardo pinning her to the wall that she'd paid as much as she could on the debt that belonged to her dead Marine husband. It was a good thing that Tony had killed himself before she'd found out about the bill he'd racked up on hookers and gambling because otherwise she'd be forced to do it for him. Just as the punk in charge ordered one of his men inside to steal what cash he could, Ace heard the sound of motorcycles. Part of her hoped insanely that it would be Happy or one of his Nomads, so she was flabbergasted when three headlights actually swung into the alley.
She ducked down at the graveled order just as two deliberate pistol rounds cracked off above her head. The night dissolved into chaos as the gangsters fled, leaving just the man inside the shop.
"One inside!" she yelled as Happy had darted past her, intent on catching at least one of the Bastardos running for their lives. The intel stopped him dead in his tracks and Ace saw the slow grin spread across his face.
"Shark, stay with her." He growled. "Koz, flush him from the front?"
As Shark pulled her to her feet, Ace caught a glimpse of a blond hunk disappearing around the corner to storm the front so Happy could easily pick him off as he came through the back door. Happy glanced back at her and then shoved her farther down the alley, glaring at Shark. "Sorry," she mumbled, much to Shark's amusement.
Happy watched Shark tuck her against the wall behind his lanky, pierced and tatted body. His mind was already racing trying to extrapolate what the fuck was going on here. He hoped that once he snagged this little bitch, answers would begin to flow. Whether they came from the asshole inside or from Ace was going to say a lot. He wondered briefly where Ace's husband was, but dismissed it as he heard the sound of boots at a dead run coming from the other side of the door. He stepped square in front of the punk as the door swung outward. Catching it with his left hand, Happy pivoted and ruthlessly slammed it back into the man's face, pleased with the meaty sound it made as it collided. Kozik came strolling through the door, stepping carefully over the semi-conscious Bastardo to peer around the door at Ace, barely visible behind Shark. Happy grunted and began to drag the man inside the shop, avoiding the pointedly raised eyebrow from Kozik. "Get her inside!" he yelled back to Shark.
Ace wasted no time darting around Shark and heading for her shop. "Thanks!" she threw over her shoulder, barely slowing as she rounded the door. Her whole body was lit up, knowing Happy was finally here. He hadn't come to see her in almost a year and she had been on the verge of calling his mother in Bakersfield ever since Tony had committed suicide 4 months ago, just in hopes that Happy would catch wind of what was doing here in Fallbrook.
Her eyes drank in the sight of him as he dropped the Bastardo gangster into one of the chairs. His back was to her, so she didn't even bother to disguise her desperate relief. She had a tiny moment of panic as tears threatened to well up just as he began to turn, but his gaze skipped over her to Kozik and Shark coming through the alcove behind her.
"Tie him." He ordered, and then Ace felt his large hand land on the back of her neck and propel her past the two Sons and back into the alcove. She sighed, summoning what little dignity Ace felt like she had left to herself, prepared for the inquisition she knew was coming. In the dim lighting of the alcove, Happy gently pushed her back against the storage room door and braced himself in front of her, boots planted and arms crossed.
"Want to explain what the fuck I just stepped on, Ace?" he questioned, his jaw tight.
"Not especially." She sassed back, unable to stop the words before they came flying out of her mouth. Ace felt her eyes widen and wished she didn't have to invite Happy to a front row viewing of her current humiliating life. She briefly thought that she would give just about anything to leave Fallbrook behind her.
They stared at each other in the shitty, industrial lighting. Happy's eyebrow raised and Ace sighed, feeling like the mouth of a trap had just swung shut behind her. All the fight drained out of her and she let herself slide down the door, propping her elbows on her knees and burying her face in her hands.
"Ace." She wanted so badly to resist, but she couldn't. She leaned her head back and met his gaze.
"My piece of shit husband accrued a sizable debt with the Bastardos, they came here to collect." Ace was shocked to hear that her voice was steady, despite the edge of exhaustion.
"Dope?" Happy inquired, and all his instincts fired up when Ace laughed.
"Cards and hookers, apparently. I didn't actually know what the debt was until after…" her voice trailed off.
"Where the fuck is Tony, Ace?" Ace smiled up at Happy, oddly cheered by the subzero chill in his voice.
"You'll be pleased to know that he hung himself in our garage before I even knew what happened. The Bastardos showed up at his funeral to collect the outstanding balance. That was 4 months ago." She started laughing. Her whole life was a gigantic clusterfuck at the moment; one that she couldn't begin to see a way out of, but Happy was here. He was here and he'd given her a brief reprieve from the Bastardos, and just like every single other time he'd shown up, here for ink or knocking on her window at her parents' old house in Bakersfield, he made everything just seem brighter. She could see his anger get abruptly derailed by her unexpected fit of laughter, a tic that he knew popped up at the most unlikely times.
Wordlessly, Happy pulled her to her feet and tucked her into his chest. He felt the weight of what he was offering, because in the decades he had known her, from the annoying child his mother watched after school to the awkward teen he'd first entrusted with a tat gun to the married at 18 woman he'd tracked down for her skills with that tat gun, the only physical contact they'd shared was when she was laying ink on him. Happy's palm cradled the back of her head, and he dimly registered how easily he could crush her skull or snap her neck. He wondered briefly if she'd have come to him so easily if she really knew how dangerous he was, but quickly concluded that she hadn't been tallying his kill count for this long without deducing what she was marking.
Ace pressed her face to his cut, breathing in the smell of leather and wind and man. It was a novel experience for her, being enveloped in so much maleness. She had only ever had one boyfriend, marrying him as soon as she turned 18. She had never been inclined to invite casual affection from the male acquaintances in her life. Besides, Tony had been insanely jealous, sure that his beautiful, wild in the sack wife had been screwing on the side. Honestly, she just believed in monogamy, the more fool her.
"Why didn't you call?" he asked quietly.
Ace tilted her head back so she could see his face, but didn't release her death grip on his waist. She just wasn't ready to let go of the only physical contact she'd had in the months since Tony's suicide.
"Happy, you switch prepays every few weeks, how the hell was I supposed to call you?" she snorted.
Happy's head snapped up and Ace stepped quickly back as Kozik's head peered around the corner. Happy read all the conclusions Kozik was arriving at as they crossed his face. When Kozik's eyes finally landed square with Happy's, Happy nodded once, enjoying the novelty of surprising the Tacoma SAA.
"Well alright, Killah, what's the plan here?" was all Kozik said.
Happy nailed Ace's gaze and asked the one question he was sure she wouldn't want to answer.
"How much, Ace?" he asked, daring her to look away, and stepping right up into her personal space when she tried it. "Ace…" he warned.
"Seventeen grand." She spat, sounding tired and very young. Kozik whistled quietly through his teeth, but neither Happy, nor Ace glanced away from each other.
"And where do these Bastardos operate out of?" he grilled, his vague plan solidifying the longer he stood so close to her.
"They own the pool hall just down the road on Main." She sighed, torn between relief that he was taking control and terror of what he planned to do. Happy nodded just once, his mind clearly made up.
"Get in there with Shark, baby, and close up shop. Pack up your rig, too, you ain't coming back here." He was pleased to note that despite her shock at the bomb he'd just laid on her, she didn't hesitate. Her eyes were round and her cheeks flushed, but with a final glance over her shoulder, Ace walked steadily back into the main shop and set about her business.
"Your plan, Killah?" Kozik prompted, without comment on the significance of what had just transpired.
"Put a bullet between his eyes, 20 grand in his mouth, and drop him on their doorstep. Then pack her shit and get her the fuck up out of Fallbrook." He laid out his plan, and then saw the uneasy look Kozik gave him. "What?"
"He's just a kid, Hap. Maaaaybe 16."
"Fucking baby gangsters, man." Hap growled, "I'm going to teach the little shit a lesson and send him back with a clear message about not touching what's mine."
Happy ducked back into the main shop and spent a moment just watching as Ace efficiently packed up her work area. Now that he knew she was fair game, he admitted privately just how appealing she was, with her golden skin and dark red hair. Each shoulder was capped in a quarter sleeve, the left for her Puerto Rican heritage, the right for her Irish. That her quarter sleeves were her only visible ink made him crazy to strip off the tank top that didn't quite meet her low slung jeans, and man did he have plans for that little strip of skin, and go exploring. Ave must have felt his eyes on her, because she turned and smiled at him, shrugging a little as she held out the picture in her hand. Happy didn't need to go to her to recognize the shot, it was one her husband had taken of her as she'd touched up the rows of smiling faces on his abdomen, he'd been stretched out on her table, one arm tucked under his head, and his face turned to her. Tony had known that Happy would never touch another man's wife, but it couldn't have escaped his notice that Ace was the only woman besides his mother that he kept coming back to, and Happy had never hidden that it was Ace he came to see.
Shark and Kozik stepped in, cutting off his view. Happy knew he had to let them know what the situation was, and why Ace wasn't at fault.
"Her old man offed himself after racking up an impressive debt to these Bastardos on cards and whores. They've been trying to collect from her since. I'm going to make sure it's clear that she's under the Sons protection, pay off the fucker's tab, and get her out of Fallbrook." He summed up the status quo in as few words as possible.
"Holy shit, Tony killed himself?" Shark turned to study Ace. "Is she ok?" He automatically asked Happy, knowing that the killer had a better bead on Ace's well being than any other human alive. He might be the only man alive, only person alive, that Ace would consider a friend now, besides maybe Delia, Happy's mother up in Bakersfield.
"Kozik, the closest nomads are 6 hours away. Could you get Jax on the line and ask for Tig, Opie, and Juice? Charming is only about 4 hours away, and I want backup because this guy isn't getting sent home to his buddies until Ace's whole life is erased." Happy pointedly ignored Shark's inquiry.
As Kozik stepped away, already dialing Jax, Ace filled his space. "Just an FYI, Ace's whole life isn't going to take much erasing." She informed him drily, "The cars were both repoed the week after the funeral, and I've been selling everything I can to try to pay off the credit cards that Tony maxed out. The house sold last month, I was planning to move out next week. I'm rocking Bill's old Buick for now."
Shark stepped behind Ace and rubbed her shoulders in a manner that was undoubtedly meant to be comforting. "Man, I'm so sorry about this whole mess, Ace." He said, squeezing one more time.
"Yeah, thanks, Shark." Ace replied as she ducked out from under his hands, sliding in next to Happy so that she faced him. Shark couldn't even be offended, he'd been here enough times to know better than to touch Ace, he'd just been hoping that Tony's death had changed the circumstances.
"Give Shark your keys, baby." Happy broke in. "Get the bikes turned around and pull the Buick right up to that door so our friend can ride in the trunk."
Hearing this, the gangster in the chair went nuts, straining against the duct tape restraints, muffled expletives pouring from his mouth. Happy's attention narrowed to the task at hand. He settled onto the rolling stool and started rummaging through the worktable's drawers, setting up a well of black ink and a well of yellow, then adding a new needle to the gun he'd pulled out the drawer.
"Bill's?" he asked Ace, verifying that the rig belonged to the shop owner. "You should call him and let him know I'm taking you out of here." He added, and Ace just nodded. "Hey," he said, rolling over to where she leaned against the wall, trapping her between his legs, his attention captured once more by that strip of skin between her shirt and waistband. He took the chance of resting his hands on her hips, rubbing lightly, predatorily pleased that she didn't shrug him off the way she had Shark. "As soon as I'm done with this jackass, we're all going to head back to your house, keep the bikes off the street, and we'll talk. You've got a couple of options, and I ain't gonna force into anything, other than putting Fallbrook in your rearview."
"Thanks, Hap. I'm glad you're here." It sounded like it physically pained her to admit that, so Happy smacked her lightly on the ass and just rolled back over to the tattoo chair as Shark and Kozik returned.
"Oh shit!" Kozik practically giggled with glee as he drank in the set up.
"Hold his head steady, Koz." Happy grinned, dropping the back of the chair as the boy started to throw himself violently from side to side. Happy pulled his piece and very clearly flicked off the safety and dug it into the kid's temple, all humor gone from his face. "You are going to want to stay very still." He instructed. The kid nodded furiously then went still as Kozik climbed up him, clamping his rock hard forearms on either side of the boy's face. The gangster's eyes went wide and a muffled moan came from behind the duct tape across his mouth when he heard Happy fire up the tattoo gun.
"Juice's old lady is about to pop their kid out, so he ain't coming, but Chibs offered to take his place." Kozik filled Happy in as he held the kid down, the simple smiley face that the punk was going to be sporting on his forehead for eternity wasn't going to take long. "Jax also wanted to let you know that your friend was welcome to seek shelter there."
Happy grunted with displeasure at the thought of sending Ace into the hands of the mother charter.
"You know we can find a place for her, too." Kozik added, not wanting to say too much if by some miracle Happy agreed to let him take Ace up to Tacoma. "And you'd have a place at the table. Just something to think about."
"Thanks, Koz." Happy muttered, putting the final touches on his piece of artwork. "It's going to be up to her, though. There's no way in hell I'm letting her go to the mother charter, their women and kids have taken more hits than the club, and Jax has gotten way too laid back with all that porn and Cartel money flowing in."
"Truth." Kozik agreed, hopping neatly off the chair. "Can we find some sleep, now?" he asked, rubbing a hand over his spiked blond hair.
"Yep." Happy agreed, landing a punishing blow to the kid's temple, knocking him out cold. "You ready, Ace?" he asked, looking at her for the first time since he began the artwork. Ace picked up her bag, unfazed by watching Happy work, just ready to move on. Her nerves were all shades of shot from the conversation she knew was barreling at her.
In no time at all, Ace backed into her little driveway, letting the guys pull their bikes past her into the garage. She pulled her bag over her shoulder and tucked the pistol into the waistband at her back, and climbed out of the car to find Happy looming over her again, not budging an inch. She wordlessly handed him the keys to retrieve their hostage from the trunk and dug her house key out of her pocket. Happy still hadn't moved away from her, so she stopped fussing and looked up at him, his face backlit by the dim porchlight. He looked strong and steady, and very sexy. She wondered how it was going to feel letting him go again if he let her be with him until he settled her wherever she was going. However it was going to feel, Ace was sure she wanted to take that gamble on him.
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