2.
Ava threw her things on the bed of her small motel room exhausted. Charming was a small town and housing was not great. Yet she had managed to find a place she liked at the outskirts of the town, small and cute, with a garden and quiet. She was going to talk to the owner the next day and she was ready to make a lucrative deal seeing that the house was fully furnished and equipped. She took off her clothes and went in the shower.
When the water hit her, instantly she thought of him. She revered the way he made her feel like a schoolgirl in heat and hated it at the same time. Unlike him, she never had a high-school sweetheart since her father made sure everyone knew the cost of even glancing at her the wrong way. And during her ascend to the Russian underworld, she knew that any kind of romance would be taken as weakness. Plus, she never trusted anyone to let him in closer. How a biker from Charming, California found a way in her pants – and possibly her heart - still eluded her. She decided to let things flow, follow her instinct once more and let her over-clocking brain to rest for a while. She smiled to herself as she opened her suitcase and took out a sexy night dress. She put it on, threw a few clothes in her bag, wrapped herself in a light coat and drove to his house.
There was light in Opie's house but she wanted to surprise him and went round back. He had given her a key she never used and that's what she used to slip in the house, ready to ambush him with her sexy underwear and lose herself in his arms. She heard some fuss in the living room and she headed there opening her coat to reveal her present. When she stepped in the living room, she saw Jax and Tara sitting on the couch playing with Abel. Both looked surprised at her and then flashed an embarrassed smile.
"Fuck, Jax" Ava buttoned her coat disappointed "You got to stop cockblocking me like that. Hi, Tara"
Jax smiled widely and refrained from looking at her. Opie stepped in the living room with a couple of beers. He looked at her and her buttoned coat with an inquisitive smile.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing much" Ava threw at him "I was about ready to update them on the latest fashion in lingerie"
Opie smiled heartily.
"Yeah, yeah, very funny" Ava went into the next room to change
Opie followed her and looked at her as she took off the night dress she was wearing.
"Nice" he showed his appreciation.
"Well, forget about it" Ava slipped into her long, black elastic dress "What are they doing here?" she whispered.
"We are having a friendly, family night" Opie crossed his arms on his chest.
"Family night?"
"Let's just say you were lucky. Kenny and Ellie are here"
Ava's eyes widened in surprise. She stood in the middle of the room and her stare hovered over Opie's shoulders, to the exit.
"Seriously? You used sex to lure me into meeting your kids?"
Opie came closer with a stern look on his face. His green eyes were always a bit too dark and there were times they became even darker.
"You didn't want to do it the nice way"
"I didn't want to do it at all!" Ava tried not to scream and ran her fingers through her long brown hair.
"Dad?" she heard a boy's voice behind her back.
Ava closed her eyes shut and bit her lip hard. She could have picked a less complicated man. But no, she had to go for the bad boy biker guy, with a dead wife, two kids and a big, nosy, happy family. Opie looked at her with a commanding look. Ava chest was taking deep breaths and she looked back promising to make his life a living hell before turning to where the voice was heard.
"Hey, Kenny" Opie came up close to her.
Kenny was a scrawny little boy with big eyes and a cute nose. He was looking at her with his eyes open wide and Ava never felt more scared in her whole life.
"That is my friend, Ava" Opie said and covered the distance between them.
Ava knew she had to smile at the boy but she didn't find it in her and she just looked at him as if she were measuring an opponent. Kenny didn't smile either.
"She is pretty" the boy said finally.
Ava couldn't keep up her act. Her face melted into a beam and she turned to Opie sideways.
"Your son is a player" she said and then turned to Kenny "Nice to meet you" she extended her hand.
Kenny, probably used to having his hair messed as a sign of affection, took this adult gesture eagerly, came closer and gave her a firm handshake. When Ava turned to Opie he was balancing between happiness and melancholy and Ava was right up there beside him, sharing the same feelings.
"Come on. Let's eat" Opie ushered them both into the big kitchen. Jax was already there playing with Abel and Tara was serving some plates. Ava took her place on the table, still a little numb. She was expecting to surprise Opie and instead she was ambushed badly. Opie went to the base of the stairs and roared.
"Ellie!"
Ava swallowed hard. She knew what it was like to be a motherless daughter and have your father bring in someone new. She has been there and she knew how easily the daughter can make everything go up in flames. When the stairs creaked she braced for a full on collision. And she was spot on. Ellie came in the kitchen, a girl in that age when she was starting to shed the girl behind. And she wasn't impressed by Ava's pretty face, like Kenny did. If anything, that made matters worse. She was a sweet little thing, with bright blonde hair, light eyes and perfect lips. The minute she would hit puberty, she would be a well-sought after girl, making trouble of her own.
"Ellie, that is Ava" Opie made the introduction.
Ellie looked at the newcomer with flaring nostrils. Ava made no attempt to extend her hand. She just looked the girl in the eye with all the sincerity she had. She let Ellie know that she acknowledged she wasn't welcomed but firmly demanded her place by her father's side. Ellie said nothing and sat on her chair. Jax was the one to break the awkward silence.
"So, how is the house hunting?"
"Good" Ava was glad to let the kids know she wasn't moving in "I found a little house up to the road to Morada. I am meeting the owner tomorrow"
"Need any help with that?" Jax added in a serious manner.
Ava looked back at him. There they were, with three kids on the table for a few minutes and the gangster side couldn't be suppressed.
"No" Ava said firmly.
Other than that the dinner wasn't as painful as Ava was suspecting. Opie and Jax were the best of friends and they decided to let her in on their history, sharing stories from their childhood, when they were growing up as sons of MC members, riding their bicycles. Kenny looked at them both with such an enthusiasm that made Ava suspected that Opie never sat down with them to talk about his childhood. She could see he was dreaming of driving one day Daddy's big Harley and be a road warrior. On the other hand, Ellie's look still had the same hard melancholy and she didn't mind staring at Ava openly. Other than that, the time flew by with laughter and sassy comments by the two brotherly friends and a few exasperating looks exchanged between Tara and Ava.
"Time for bed, kids" Opie said when dinner was over.
Ava was taking care of the dishes. Tara was preparing Abel's bottle and Jax was walking around the kitchen, trying to make Abel sleepy. Ellie waved at them all, threw one last glance at Ava and made for the stairs. Kenny exchanged a fist bump with Jax and then came to the kitchen and stood before Ava.
"Good night, Ava" he extended his hand.
Ava gaped at him, dried her hand on her dress and took his little hand in hers. He smiled to her and headed up the stairs.
"Kenny seems to like you" Opie came up behind her and pushed her against the sink.
"Yeah, right. And get away from me. You blew your chances for sex" she kept on putting away the dishes.
"I am willing to ask for forgiveness" he whispered, his husky voice filled with promise "Down on my knees"
Ava licked her lips and she turned around, still pinned by his massive frame. His look was deep, challenging, lusty and made Ava forget why she was mad at him. She bit his lower lip a bit too hard but he leered at her and ate her mouth vigorously.
"Um… I am sorry" Tara interrupted them.
"You and that guy?" Ava pointed at Jax and Tara with a raised brow "Made for each other" Ava pushed Opie away and finished her task.
Abel was fast asleep when the four of them sat around the living room dinking beers and chatting.
"Opie told me you came clean with Passado's business"
Ava glanced at Tara. She knew well that there was two ways to make a relationship like that work. Full disclosure or full concealment. Ava guessed Jax picked the former so she decided to speak openly.
"Why do I get the feeling you were still doubting me?" Ava put seriously.
"I did"
"Smart move" Ava nodded.
Opie just sipped his beer while his girlfriend and best friend were clearing the air between them. One of the things that Ava loved about Opie was that he never came to her defense and let her deal with things her own way. Ava momentarily thought what was to happen when "Mommy" Gemma was thrown in the equation. She shook the thought away.
"Is it going to blow back on us?" Jax inquired.
"Doubt it. Feds are after the Mayans for the drugs. This all should stir all shit away from the Sons"
"And would cripple the Mayans for a while" Jax said to himself.
"Make sure they are crippled and not just wounded, Jax. A wounded beast is dangerous" Ava's look was dead serious.
Tara was looking at her gaping. Ava didn't know how much Jax had shared for the new addition in the women of the club but she was sure the doctor hadn't realized that Ava was a daughter of the outlaw life up to that point.
"Thanks, Ava" Jax said.
Ava glanced at Opie. She didn't have to say it but she needed to make sure Opie knew she did most of it for him. Opie nodded seriously at her.
"Speaking of feds" Opie turned to Jax "Where are we with the ATF?"
Jax run his fingers through his hair thoughtfully. His glance fell on his son and he looked down.
"That's why I wanted to talk to you, Ope" he turned to his friend.
Ava without an ounce of trying to be discreet, got up to leave the room.
"Sit" Jax ordered.
Ava turned to him with a harsh look, looking like a bad-ass teacher scolding a child. Jax wasn't wielding but he recognized his mistake.
"Please" Jax added.
"Much better, prince Charming" Ava said ironically and sat back down.
"ATF is up our asses. The guns bring too much heat"
"The policies are shifting" Ava said "It's full on war on guns"
Opie nodded to her comment and turned to Jax.
"What do we do?"
"We got to go legit. Find other means to earn than the one that got the feds in our faces"
"That's not going to be easy, man. We've been dealing with the Irish for twenty years now. Clay won't be into this"
"Then we got to make him. Stir the club away from guns. I want you with me on that"
"Always, brother"
Ava glanced at Tara and the doctor shrugged.
"Ever get the feeling they sleep behind our backs?" Ava joked.
"Everyday" Tara smiled.
"Aren't you hilarious?" Jax threw at Ava.
"Even if you go legit, Jax, the ATF isn't just going to forgive you. You weren't stealing cookies from the cookie jar. You've been dealing assault weapons for more than a generation" Ava pointed at him.
"I didn't say it was going to be easy"
"You have to give them something" Ava darkened "Or someone"
Jax looked at her, piercing her with his look. He, too, seemed to forget who Ava really was. Seeing her across him, with her simple dress, the loose hair and the clean face, one could disregard the notion that she was the daughter of a crime godfather in Russia, heir apparent of a grand criminal organization.
"What will you do with Clay?" Opie intervened.
"If the ideas are good, the table will vote them in. Especially with the ATF breathing down our necks. We have to make the other revenues work, then throw the proposal to get out of guns"
"Bobby might be into it. Chibs, too. He never liked the Irish anyway. Not after Fiona"
"What about your Dad?"
"I'll take care of Piney. He'll be on board"
"I am not sure about Juice. And certainly not Tig. Tig will never go against Clay"
Jax and Opie fell into deep thoughts. Ava was toying with her fingers. What Jax was proposing was a drastic shift in the club's ways. She looked upon the VP and saw his brain work overtime. Before Jax spoke again he glanced at Tara.
"I got an idea" Jax said "I was thinking we could go into the escort business"
"Pussy?" Opie seemed surprised.
"Escort business, legitimate. Helping out LuAnn with her porn industry thing made me think that there is money in it, too"
"More pussy then?" Opie tried to suppress a smile and turn to Ava.
Ava was listening attentively when Opie turned to her. Instead of answering, Ava turned to Tara.
"You OK with this? Your old man surrounded by willing, professional vaginas? Looking as cute as he does?"
Tara smiled and shrugged. If the alternative was seeing Jax incarcerated or even incinerated, Tara was ready to sign off on this idea.
"How about you?" Opie asked.
Ava bit her lip thoughtfully before balancing an answer.
"It is a good idea, Jax" she decided to reply to Jax "Pussy can provide a steady income. Not as good as guns and certainly going legit is a fuss. But it is clean and safe and it is way easier to make people look the other way. And if I know Tig a little, he is going to be all over it. But" Ava added with a taunting smile "if you are thinking of turning my big man into a protagonist, forget about it"
Jax thanked her with a smile and turned to Opie that was laughing.
"All we need is a partner to help us set up the escort business. Someone that knows the job. The porno business can be handled by LuAnn"
"Hm…" Ava coughed reluctantly "I can help you with the escort business"
Everyone in the room looked at her surprised. Ava regretted having talked at all but she was in deep. She liked Jackson's idea of going legit, on the fringes of the law and the outlaw. It was a difficult balance but if they stayed true, followed the rules of the game and not get greedy, they were set for life.
"You know how…" Ava started explaining "how some girls get a pony or a car for their birthday? Well, my Dad gave me a brothel"
If they were surprised to begin with, their jaws dropped with that comment. Ava wasn't finished, though.
"Mind you, I was still a virgin back then. Brothels and restaurants are pretty much all the women can handle in the business. Certainly not the women of the family, though. But my father's mind was set into making me his heir so I had to prove my administrational skills. I remember the place. It was dark, dirty and miserable. I took it to another level. It became a legitimate escort business, with the finest girls and the most exquisite clientele in Moscow. It was lucrative in money, plus it gave my family a nice hold on many politicians and businessmen that didn't want their dirty little secrets out in the open. It's still around. I think my cousin Theodore runs it"
"My girl, the Madam!" Opie pointed at her stunned.
"You are constantly making matters worse for you, big man" she warned him playfully.
"What are we going to need?" Jax asked.
Jax and Tara were gone after a while and they were left alone in the house. Well, not quite alone. There were two orphans in the house, probably pretending to be asleep.
"So" Opie started.
"I am going to go, big man. That's punishment for ambushing me tonight. Plus I got to start early tomorrow"
He didn't talk, he just pulled in near and cupped her face caressing her hair.
"Not going to happen, Opie" Ava got away and grabbed her bag.
He wasn't ready to give up yet and he just swept her off her feet and carried her upstairs. Ava knew she was supposed to keel over by his daring gesture but all she did was concentrate on not being heard by the kids. Opie opened a door and went in, leaving her gently on the floor. Ava stood serious in his bedroom, with the big king size bed and looked at him. And she saw the waves of emotion wash over his troubled soul. The thought that he was in his marital bedchamber with another woman hit him hard and he wavered. He walked away, sat on the little sofa placed at the foot of the bed and bent his head down. Ava swallowed hard, pressed her lips together and walked up to him. His hair was covering his face and she could see his fingers clawing the soft cushions.
"It's OK, big man" she leaned in and left a kiss on his head.
He looked up and she could see he was trying to hold back the tears. Ava was shaken seeing her strong warrior broken down like this. But if he wanted to go on with his life, he would have to break down first before putting himself back together.
"I understand" she said in her most soft voice as if not to upset him "Whenever you are ready"
She ran her fingers through his hair and stroked his face before turning away, closing the door behind her. The moment she was out the door she saw a movement. There, standing at her half opened door, was Ellie. She was looking at Ava with a less hard look than the one she had in the kitchen. Ava nodded at her and waved goodnight. When Ava was back in her small motel room she flopped on her bed and replayed the night's events. She was drawn more and more into Opie's world and by the time she was asleep she hadn't decided whether that was a deadly trap or a way out of loneliness.