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His Saving Grace

Chapter Two

Avery's POV

Three weeks later…

I wasn't sure how to feel about tonight. I should be happy for Christ's sake. After all it is my birthday. Lonnie had agreed to take me out for the night to celebrate. That's the part I was worried about. We don't go out much and every time we do it feels more like work. I'm always unsure of myself and never know how to act. 'Maybe we should just stay home.' I thought as I pulled on my jeans. Just as I was buttoning them my cell phone began to ring. I looked at the screen and saw a random number with a 209 area code. Right away I knew it had to be Shayne. She rarely kept the same number for long. None of the MC did.

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby sister! How's the birthday girl?" she questioned.

"Oh ya know. Older." I could hear her chuckle in my ear and it made me smile. "Hold on a sec." I said moving the phone from my ear I hit the speaker button and set it on the dresser so I could finish getting dressed. "Had to set you down so I could finish getting dressed." I stated while grabbing a dark purple razor back tank top out of the dresser draw.

"Always gotta be takin' your clothes off and shit. Jeez. Slut." She remarked playfully.

"Hey this time I'm putting them back on." I retorted.

"Must not have been very good huh?" I couldn't help but giggle and think to myself that she was somewhat right. It wasn't horrible but I had definitely had better. As luck would have it Lonnie stuck his head in the doorway of our bedroom right after she asked that. I swear it's like he knows when he's the topic of conversation. Even if he's in the other room.

"You 'bout done so we can go?" he questioned rather irritated.

"Yeah." I replied. "Shay I gotta go." I said hoping she wouldn't hear the change in my voice. It was kind of hard to miss though.

"Where you guys headed to?"

My eyes darted to Lonnie who was still standing in the doorway. "Nowhere special. Just gonna grab a drink somewhere to celebrate I think."

"You should come by the house!" she said excitedly.

Lonnie was practically glaring at the phone. I stared at him my eyes begging him silently not to start a fight…one that he wouldn't win. "I dunno. We don't wanna impose or anything." I said trying to play it down hoping my sister would get the hint that it wasn't a good idea.

"I haven't seen you in weeks and it's your fucking birthday! You can't not be with family on your birthday damnit!"

I let out a heavy sigh. Rock. Hard place. Insert me! I hated having to choose between my sister and my boyfriend. It isn't fair!

"Shayne…" I started but she cut me off.

"Either you come here or me and the family are coming there." She said matter of fact.

"No!" I knew my eyes had to be huge. There was no way in hell the club was coming out here. For more reasons than I cared to count. "I'll be there. Jesus." I could practically hear the smile on her face knowing that she'd won this particular battle. She'd won but I was the one who had to deal with the fall out. "I gotta go."

"See you soon." She remarked a little too sweetly.

I pressed the end button on the screen of my phone and looked in the direction of the door. I didn't want to make eye contact with him. I could tell without even looking at him that he wasn't happy. It was radiating from him and crashing against me in waves. Truth be told it was making me a little nauseas. I finally gathered up the courage to look at him. He gave me a dismissive glance.

"What was I supposed to say?"

"No. That's what you say!" he ground out.

"She's my sister and it's MY birthday." I shot back. "I thought you were taking me anywhere I wanted." He simply rolled his eyes. "Why's it always the way you want? Everything's your way." I said bitterly. It was no big deal if he wanted to do it. The one thing I want to do on my own fucking birthday is see my sister and it's some sort of huge ass problem. "I know you hate my sister. I get it ok! But she's the only family I've got."

"You wanna go then get the fuck in the car!" he yelled before storming off down the hallway towards the door.

'Happy birthday to me!' I thought as I quickly threw my shirt on and grabbed my jacket before rushing up the hall trying to catch up to him. I wouldn't put it past him to leave me here if I wasn't in the car as soon as he was ready to leave.

Shayne's POV

I knew by the change in my sister's tone that her boyfriend had to still be standing there when I'd asked her to come to the house. I didn't know the guy that well but there was just something about him that I didn't like. I could tell by the way she'd tried to brush it off that the last place his ass wanted to be was with me so that was why I'd pushed it. I wasn't gonna let him keep me from my sister. Family is family, come hell or high water.

After she relented and agreed to come I phoned the clubhouse. Surprisingly enough Jax had answered. All I had to say was party at my place. He'd barely heard anything about Avery's birthday. After the word party you can bet that most of the guys would stop listening. All they cared about was booze and where to get it. I smirked to myself knowing that by the time Avery did show up half the MC would be at my place ready to rock all night.

Forty-five minutes later she finally showed up with him hot on her heels. She came in the house with her eyes slightly wide at the amount of people that were here. I rushed over to her.

"The birthday girl is here!" I shouted happily over the music. Everyone cheered.

"Shay, what the hell?!" she squeaked out quietly.

"I'm throwing you a birthday party." I said smiling at her and glancing over at her boyfriend. He simply stared at me coldly. "I'm Shayne. You must be Lonnie."

"Who the fuck else would I be?" I just ignored his pissy remark and turned back to my sister.

"Come on!" I said dragging her off in search of a drink. "You sure you had to bring him?" I teased.

"Shay!"

About an hour and a half later…

Jax's POV

I couldn't believe Shay had gotten Avery to actually show up. But then again the look on her face when she walked in had given me reason to think that she wasn't aware her sister had called us all. I smiled wondering what exactly our mischievous little fighter's motives were for this party. Knowing her it was gonna end in a fight. It always did.

I took a drink of my beer while looking at the two sisters. To look at them your first thought wouldn't be that they were sisters. They didn't look much alike. Shay was…well Shay. She was my best friend next to Op so I'd never really seen her as anything other than one of the club. Avery on the other hand, I hadn't seen in what felt like years. After Shay took her old man's spot and patched in Avery just sort of took off. She stopped by Teller-Morrow from time to time to see Shay but she hadn't done that in months.

Shay had told me Avery had stopped coming around because of this new guy she'd been seeing. Said she seemed jumpy around him. That didn't sit right with me. I glanced at the man in question. His eyes were trained on her as he stood a few feet away to the left of Tig, Chibs, and Happy. I could overhear their conversation from my spot.

"Avery grew up nice." Tig said looking her up and down approvingly.

"Aye." Chibs said in agreement.

"Didn't know Shay's sister would look like that." Happy complimented.

"Can't have the old lady. Doesn't mean I can't give the sister a little shot of tigger juice." The boys all laughed at the implication. I could see the anger building in Avery's old man. I just hoped he wouldn't be stupid enough to act on it. I just shook my head and made my way across the room.

I heard Avery laugh as I crossed the room. She and Shay were both laughing heartily at something Juice had said. I walked over to the threesome as their laughter died down.

"Jax." Shay said simply. "Avery you remember Jax." She said looking at her sister.

Just then Avery's green eyes caught mine. She was beautiful. Seeing her standing there was like seeing her for the first time all over again. "How could I forget." She said playfully.

"Good to see you." She simply smiled in response. "Happy birthday darlin'." I said wrapping my arms around her and kissing her cheek.

Avery's POV

Holy shit! Did he really just call me darlin' and kiss my cheek?! God I hope no one else saw that! "Thanks." I managed to stammer out as he released me. Looking over his shoulder it was very apparent that someone else had seen. Lonnie was scowling at me as he stormed across the room. 'Shit' I muttered under my breath. My eyes darted to Shayne and then back to Lonnie. She looked over just as Lonnie reached us.

He grabbed ahold of Jax's arm yanking him around. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" he roared.

In that moment everything stopped. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone was now staring at Lonnie and Jax waiting to see what was about to play out. Jax jerked his arm out of Lonnie's grasp.

"I might ask you the same." Jax replied in a low tone.

Who the hell did Lonnie think he was? I mean really! You'd have to be an idiot to put your hands on the VP of the Sons. Let alone in the middle of a house full of half the charter. That's just asking to die.

"Keep your hands off my woman!" Lonnie screamed all the while glaring at me. Like it was really my fault. Yeah, I'd asked Jackson Teller to come over and wrap his massive arms around me. Oh and while you're at it could you please just kiss my cheek and enrage my boyfriend? NO! I don't recall saying any of that. All I could do was stand there and pray to God nothing happened. He turned his attention to me. "Party's over! Get in the car." I swallowed hard and stated to make my way around Jax.

"Avery, don't leave." My sister said. "Let's all just have a beer and calm down." For once she was trying to quiet a situation down. That never happened. I looked at her apologetically and moved towards Lonnie.

"I better go." I said quietly. Lonnie gripped onto my arm like he was never going to let go and practically dragged me to the door. I kept casting looks back at Shay.