"What the hell is this?" I asked, forcing my voice to sound braver than I was feeling. Shelly didn't answer right away. "Shelly!"

She flinched. "Your uncle made some sort of deal with SAMCRO years ago. Back when you were about, say, four years old." I didn't say anything, allowing for her to continue. "He-He made the deal with Clay that if they would be able to use this basement for...special reasons...then your uncle's family would be able to be protected by Clay and the rest of them." She paused. "Special ordered food was just a side deal."

I felt my head spinning, making me feel like I was going to throw up. I slumped down on the wall to keep from collapsing. "W-What did we need protecting from?"

"Your uncle cheated another gang. They didn't find out, but he still didn't want to take any chances."

I looked up at Shelly. "What gang?"

Shelly shook her head. "I don't remember. Clay was supposed to come and show it to you."

I stood up. "Why Clay? Hell, Shelly, you've known me much longer than he does. Why did I have to hear it from a complete stranger?"

"Clay told Valerie earlier this week that he still had use for this basement." Shelly said slowly. "He wanted to make a similar deal with you."

"But I don't need protection from any other gang," I said immediately. The look on Shelly's face made me backtrack though. "Do I?"

Shelly shrugged. "You should know by now that those men, they terrify me. Who knows what they'd do to a useless end? They might come after you if you cut off the deal that your uncle made." She stopped talking, tears filling her eyes.

I should've been angry, and I was, but only slightly. The only emotion I could fully register at the moment was fear and anticipation. The way that the SAMCRO men walked into the restaurant, it was like they owned the place. With the deal that Uncle Vince made, they practically did if my uncle wanted to remain a free man. I looked around the basement.

"What are you gonna do?" Shelly asked slowly. I glanced at her and headed upstairs.

"What's Clay's number?" I asked as I passed her. "If he wants this room, he can have it, but on my terms."

Clay's number had been in my uncle's old address book that I had found in his desk drawer. Clay's name was under some auto shop and it only had the shop's number and address. I shooed Shelly from the office and told her to tell everyone else that I wasn't to be disturbed. Then I turned off the light in the basement and shut the bookshelf-door. My hands were shaking as I dialed the number to the auto shop.

It rang four times before a woman picked up the phone and spoke in a bored voice. "Hello, this is Gemma from Teller-Morrow Auto Shop, how may I help you?"

"Um, is Clay Morrow there?" I asked, looking at Clay's last name that had been scribbled onto the address book. That sounded stupid, I scolded myself. That sounded like a middle schooler asking for her crush.

There was a silence on the other end. "Who's asking?" The woman-Gemma-asked, sounding very defensive all of a sudden.

"Moody," I said, feeling like I should've hung up. There was more silence before Gemma told me to hold on, and then there was the sound of the phone being put down. For about three minutes I sat in silence, thinking that I should've hung up. But then a rattling noise filled my ear ad I heard Clay's growl.

"Moody?" He asked.

I didn't know what to say for a second. But then I settled on, "I know about the basement."

Clay sighed on the other end. "I'm on my way."

"Wh-?" I started but Clay had already hung up. I was left with the dead air on the phone. "Shit,"

About twenty minutes later, Clay walked in the front door with Chibs. Shelly nearly hid from them when they walked in. I had been pacing in the kitchen with Valerie watching me and a few other employees looking at me with confusion. Clay opened the kitchen door with a snap and made a bee-line for my office. Chibs waited for me to follow him before bringing up the rear.

Clay sat down in one of the two chairs in front of my desk, I took my own seat while Chibs closed the door, waiting outside. Clay watched me carefully, sizing me up. Just like if he was trying to decide if I was a threat or not. He broke the tense silence by breaking into a surprisingly wide smile.

"So you found the basement faster than I thought you would," He said. "I'm impressed: I thought it'd take at least two weeks."

"My uncle needed protection, and you gave it to him only if you got to use this basement?" I said, wanting Clay to confirm everything. Clay frowned at me.

"It was more than that." He said. "Vince and I were friends. He was never a part of the club, not completely, but he did help us get out of tight spots. Your uncle was more than happy to let us use that basement of his. There was never any danger from another gang." Clay stopped, seeing the confused expression of my face. "That's what the hostess told you?"

I nodded. Clay snorted and continued. "Then that must've been what he told her and the manager, Valerie. Because your uncle respected the club, and he was loyal to a fault." Clay glanced over to the bookshelf. "It'd be a shame for that soundproofed basement to go waste."

Narrowing my eyes at him, I said, "You want my blessing to use that room as a torture chamber?"

"If we needed it as that." Clay said with a deeper growl than usual. He leaned forward. "And if we needed to store our guns in there, then we'd use it as a private storage unit."

"And what if I say no?"

"Well, we can't exactly barge into your lovely restaurant here." Clay said. "We'd leave you and your employees alone. You'd never hear from us again. But if you want to ex the deal with Vince, then think about what would happen if you ever needed our help."

I did. At first it was hard to think of a scenario where I would need an outlaw motorcycle club's help. But then I remembered what Shelly had said earlier today about more gangs, and how the SAMCRO members themselves talked about a group called the Mayans. What if I ever needed sanctuary from them, and SAMCRO would turn their noses up at me.

Clay was staring at me with a smile on his face, he knew that he had me cornered. I met his eyes. "I'll keep the deal with my uncle going, but not on just any terms." Clay's smile faded. "If you guys ever need to use that basement, whether its hiding your guns or whatever, you can. But, I refuse to have your enemies trapped down there. If you hid someone down there and they got out, it'd be my employees and my ass getting hurt. And if they got away, then I'd be considered an enemy of theirs. And secondly, if you are going to be carting guns through here, you'll park in the alley behind the restaurant, and come through the back door in the kitchen. On second thought, just come in through there from now on, cause you guys scare my customers."

Clay held my gaze for a long moment before nodding and smiling. "That can all be arranged, Miss Moody. Do we have a deal?"

I sighed. "Yeah, we've got a deal." Then I remembered. "And you guys can keep getting breakfast from us, but you still gotta call ahead. Like I said, you scare everyone."

"It's a deal, then," Clay said, standing up and offering me his hand. I shook it. "Pleasure doing business with you." He opened the office door, revealing Chibs waiting for us outside. Clay left my sight without another word, and Chibs gave me a friendly nod and smile before following. I didn't leave my office until I heard the kitchen door snap shut. And when I stood in the kitchen, I could hear their motorcycles drive away.