I do not own anything you recognize. Only original characters are my own.
Chapter Three
The next morning I woke up wishing I was dead. I had a splitting headache, an eye that was swollen shut, bruised wrists and a dry bruised throat. Needless to say the date with Jimmy did not go as planned.
Everything went well until we got to the park. We sat by one of the larger trees, sipping cocoa that we got at the diner and enjoying the stars above. It was so perfect that when he leaned down to kiss me I accepted it. Things got too hot too fast and when I tried to push him off he grabbed my wrists and forced me to the ground. I started to scream, but he had leverage and he put his hand around my throat, obviously not caring that he had left one of my hands free. I managed to grab the still hot cocoa and I threw it in his face. As he was distracted I rolled out from under him and ran toward the road. He caught up with me, grabbing my hair and punching me with his free hand. I took what little momentum I had and kneed him in the groin as hard as I could. As he lay on the ground clutching his junk I ran for it, I made it home by taking the side streets and let myself quietly into the house. The last thing I wanted was anyone seeing this. I was the daughter of Clay and Gemma Morrow, this shouldn't have happened to me.
I looked at my alarm and saw that it was 6am, even my mother wouldn't be up at that time. I didn't want her to see me and I really didn't feel safe in the house so I got dressed and let myself out just as quietly as I had let myself in that morning. I took the same back streets and wandered aimlessly until I saw the familiar "Teller-Morrow" sign. I found a kink in the fence and got inside, hoping the clubhouse was still opened.
I was lucky, the door opened and I let myself inside, mindful not to make any noise and let anyone know I was there. I pulled my jacket tight around myself as I huddled under the bar. I dozed until I heard the high pitch giggle that seemed to be the crow eater's calling card.
"Ok, just get out of here, I need to open the garage in like ten minutes, uh…" I heard Juice and my heart felt heavy. It was the first time I'd heard him with a crow eater and it hurt.
"It's Virginia big boy, don't know where you got Milla from that." My head swam, when he fucked them he was thinking of me?
"Listen just go." I could hear her heels clack as he led her to the door.
"Call me sometime…lover…" He said nothing and I heard the door close and a sigh.
I heard his footsteps approach the bar and huddled deeper into my little hole, trying to hide. It didn't work.
"Hey you guys can't sleep he-" I looked up and saw the color drain from his face, "Milla, what the hell happened?"
He was at my side in a moment, taking in my swollen eye and bruised wrists. When he got to my throat he let out a strangled curse and ran to the phone.
"Clay, yeah I know what time it is. You and the guys need to get here, something happened with Milla, she's behind the bar all bruised and banged up. Yeah I'll stay with her." He hung up and sat at my side again, this time pulling me into a hug.
"Don't worry baby, I'm here. You don't have to tell me anything, I'll still be here."He held me as the tears finally came. There wasn't a word spoken as Sons began to filter in.
"Hey baby, Dad's here." My father said as he pulled me from Juice's arms and carried me to one of the empty bedrooms, the rest of the guys followed in a solemn procession.
He set me on the bed and helped me take of my coat, silently cataloguing every injury, estimating how much punishment was needed for whoever did this to me. Once he had taken off my shoes he had me lay down on the bed while he covered me in the softest blanket they had in the clubhouse.
"What happened?' He asked as he started caressing my hair.
"I was so stupid, this is all my fault." I sobbed as I tried to bury my face in the pillow.
"Baby don't say that, somebody did this to you and it's their fault. Who did this baby?" He asked and I couldn't hold it in.
"Jimmy, he took me to the park after my shift last night. I shouldn't have gone I should have let Juice take me home. I was so stupid." I buried my head in shame and my dad got up.
"Tig get Jimmy, he has to pay. Juice, stay with Milla." With that he and the guys left, except for Juice who got into the opposite side of the bed and gathered me in his arms.
"You aren't stupid baby, I'm sorry we fought last night. This is my fault, if I wouldn't have acted like a possessive jerk, you never would have left." He pulled me so that my face was resting on his chest and he drew circles on my back.
"No, it's Jimmy's fault. You didn't trust him, I should have listened to you." I was starting to get drowsy and Juice held me closer to him. It felt nice and so right.
"Shhh, sleep baby, it'll all be taken care of by the time you wake up." He stroked my back and started whispering something soft and Spanish in my ear as I drifted off.
He was right, by the time I woke up Jimmy had been ridden out of town on a rail, minus some digits and with some severely mangled junk. While Juice held me I had the first restful sleep I'd had since the abrupt entrance to my new life.
When I woke up I felt Juice's sleep heavy arm draped possessively around my middle and looked up into my mother's face. She gave me a little smile.
"I'm so proud of you baby." She stubbed out her cigarette and placed a kiss on my head.
"How can you be proud? Look what I let happen." I was still ashamed.
"You didn't let it happen baby, you fought back, just like I taught you to. I was there when they punished him. He came clean, told about how you almost blinded him with the cocoa, smart, my baby's so damn smart." She looked at me with pure motherly pride.
That admission was better than years of therapy. All the shame I felt was gone. I truly was Gemma Teller-Morrow's daughter, which filled me with an immense sense of satisfaction. Almost as much satisfaction as waking up in Juice's arms had.
"You know, if you two date it can't be until he's patched. That's about three months from now." Mom had lit another cigarette and was looking pointedly at the arm draped around my waist.
"Mom, he's just protecting me. I'm sure he's got his sights on another girl." I shifted and his arm tightened.
"No one else, only you." Came a sleepy voice behind me. I turned and saw that he was still sleeping, but talking clear as day.
"There's your answer. Let's let him sleep and go get some dinner." She helped me out of the bed and I got my coat and shoes on.
As I followed her out I turned around and looked at Juice. Could he really be my man?