"So how often do you do this?" Rory asked as she began chopping up tomatoes for the salad.
"As often as I can, which is never as often as I want." Gemma replied. "What you never had a big family dinner?"
"Oh we had them, I just never went." Rory replied with a slight smile.
"Well you will be at this one and any other one that I plan. You try to get out of one and I will have all the guys find you and tie you to your chair." Gemma replied waving her knife around in Rory's face. Gemma learned two things in that instant, one Rory was ok with knives, and she loved hearing the girl laugh.
"I can agree to that, as long as I never have to eat seafood." Rory reasoned.
"Why no seafood?" Jax asked as he opened the door, making Rory turn on him knife in hand, only she was smart enough to keep it at her side though she didn't miss Jax looking down at her grip, she had changed in from using it as a cutting knife to a weapon in a matter of seconds and it impressed him. He simply reached behind her and grabbed a slice of tomato.
"Cause I hate seafood, I use to love shrimp when I was younger but now I can't stand the taste or the smell of it." Rory explained going back to her job at hand.
"Fine, no seafood for you." Gemma said with a smile as she watched Jax get smacked on the hand for reaching for another tomato slice.
"What is everyone else suppose to eat if you keep eating it all now?" Rory teased. Jax just smiled at her and went around to kiss him mother on the cheek, at the same time grabbing a slice of cumcumber. Making Rory scowl at him.
"Trust me honey, it is a waste of breath trying to get him to wait till dinner is actually on his plate." Gemma replied with a smile, the doorbell rang as she finished talking.
"Jax go get that, it should be a couple of the wives." Jax nodded his head and left for the door.
"So I need to know who Austin is?" Gemma asked. Rory's whole body froze for only an instant but it was unmistakable.
"Who?" Rory asked playing innocent, then a couple of women came in and eyed Rory. She simply looked at Gemma with pleading eyes. Gemma only gave a kurt nod.
Rory didn't know what Gemma knew, but that fact that Rory had lied to Tig about knowing anything about the threat, shot a warning to her brain. She lied so that she could stay, if they found out, then she was surely not going to be allowed to stay and there fore would be dead in a matter of months if not weeks or days.
"This conversation isn't over." Gemma replied. Rory just nodded her head, and remained quite while Gemma introduced her to the other women. Once Rory was done and realized that Gemma's back was turned to quickly left the kitchen, and headed to her new room. Only to stop in her tracks as she saw Jax standing just inside the doorway.
"Well the women's underwear on the floor isn't a new thing, but the stuffed animals on the bed. Really?" Jax turned with a teasing glance.
"Do you need something?" Rory snapped, without meaning to. She watched as Jax's face turned dark.
"You better watch your tone." Jax warned.
"You have no authority over me." Rory retorted.
"Wanna fucking bet." Jax replied taking a step forward.
"Lay one hand on me and I will make you regret the day you were born." Rory replied taking a step right back.
"Ok, both of you to your corners." Clay said as he and Tig walked into the room. Neither Jax nor Rory backed down, eyes locked on each other.
"Back off Jax." Gemma added coming into the room. Jax finally took a step back and leaned against the wall, and Rory sat on her bed. "Now what the hell was that about?" Gemma asked, turning straight to Jax, knowing he would give the truth.
"I made a joke and she got pissy with me. I told her to watch her tone and she said I had no authority over her and I asked if she wanted to bet. Then she said if I touched her I would regret the day I was born." He replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
"That sound right to you?" Gemma asked lookin at Rory. She nodded her head, yes.
"OK then, Rory I don't care what you did before you got here, but now that you are here there are rules to our way of life." Gemma began taking a seat in the desk chair.
"Don't fuck another's wife. Guys rule all. Keep your place. Protect the president at all cost. Never disrespect the old lady's and never ever touch another's bike without permission." Rory spit out. "Sound about right?"
All four adults looked at her in shock. This girl knew club life, but what club.
"WHO IS AUSTIN?" Gemma asked carefully saying wach word.
"My mother's ex-boyfriend and my sister's father."
"Did he touch you?" Tig asked curious to know what the hell Gemma was talking about.
"The same one at the airport?" Clay asked the same time as Tig asked his question.
"No he wasn't the same one at the airport, and he wouldn't dare touch me." Rory said the last bit with venom in her voice.
"Your mother said your sister was the boyfriend at the airports kids." Gemma replied, trying to figure out the lies.
"That is what she told him to try to protect Kayla. That is why she is moving, so he can't claim, Kayla, my sister." Rory stated.
"Ok, so then what the hell trouble did your mother get in now." Clay asked.
"Now?" Rory asked with raised eyebrows. "Why exactly did my mother leave sixteen years ago? Why am I the only one questioned? Huh?" She snapped back trying to throw the subject off of what the real problem was.
"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is what trouble you have following behind you." Jax replied calmly.
"There is none. I don't have Kayla therefore Austin won't care about me." It was a lie and Rory could see that Gemma knew that. Though the guys looked skeptical they looked like they believed her. It was then that Rory realized Gemma was the real one to worry about from now on, not the men. To get into their world unscathed, she had to get past the Queen.
"Hey Gemma, the food is ready and the guys are here." Someone called from down the hallway.
"OK." Gemma called back. "Let's go eat, then we can deal with this later." Gemma said to the guys. Everyone nodded their head in agreement, and began to leave the room, leaving only Gemma and Rory.
"I know your hiding something, but you also look like you don't want Tig to know, so you better come clean before all this blows up in your face. If you really are in trouble, we can protect you. But if you continue to lie to us we will give you to whoever wants you without so much as a second thought. I don't give a fuck who your father is, got it." Gemma explained.
"It's not that simple." Rory replied hanging her head. Gemma stuck her hand under the girls chin and raised her face to lock eye with her.
"Are you in danger?"
"Yes."
"Will it harm this club?"
"I honestly don't know. It has that possibility." Rory finally said. "Please don't tell them. I can figure it out before anything happens and if there is even one sign that your club will get harmed, I will go myself. I swear. Just please don't tell them." She pleaded.
"For now we are going to go eat dinner. The guys will want to have a few drinks and probably watch a game anyways. After that you are going to tell me everything. And I mean everything or else I will sit all the guys in on your interrogation and you won't have a damn choice got it?"
"Yea, I got it."
"Good, let's go eat I am hungry." Gemma replied. She stopped Rory just as she was about to go out of the bedroom. "This doesn't mean that I don't like you, honestly today has been great, but I must protect my boys. You show respect and that you are trustworthy and I swear I will do anything in my power to protect you. You just need to show you are worth it. OK?" Rory nodded, and tried to hide the tear that was falling down her cheek.
"Thanks." Gemma gave the girl a nod, threw her arm over her shoulder and they walked down the hall together.
The table was completely packed, as was the kids table. Rory took her seat next to Tig, as she did she didn't miss the small nod that Gemma gave Clay. Rory knew there would be no more secrets, especially not with Gemma around.
As Rory took her seat, she couldn't help but compare one club to the other. Her past to her future. As she looked around the table, she had wished, her mother would have left her with Tig instead. Because this life had to be easier than the one she was born and raised in. RIght?
