Hey all...firstly, sorry for the slack update. Life has been a bit crazy lately and I haven't been able to find time to sit and get into the right head-space for editing this properly. But I'm here now, and hope you're all still out there. Thanks so much to everyone who left me feedback on the last chapter, especially those who take time out to leave a comment or send a PM. Your words encourage and inspire me!
I should also mention that as I get deeper into the main storyline, I'm on the lookout for a beta to throw some constructive criticism my way, discuss my plans for the story and help keep things running smoothly, so if anyone if interested in giving me a hand, drop me a PM or an email to oscuritadentroATgmailDOTcom
This chapter is dedicated to a dear friend of mine (and partner in SOA fan-girling) who once said "I wonder what the Sons did to off people in hospital before Chucky came along..." That throw away commented spawned a plot bunny with played into my plans for this story so well...here we are! Trust me, it's all building to a bigger picture and it will come together in time!
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Testosterone by Bush
Hell Yeah by Rev Theory
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Wicked Games || Chapter Five || Casus Belli
The weekend passed by, during which Leni kept to herself as much as she could. It wasn't that she didn't feel comfortable enough to socialize -she did- but she was struggling to keep her head above the swelling tides of frustration and worry and it seemed easier to lay low. She wanted to avoid stepping on anyone's toes and any further confrontation with Tig. Knowing that if she allowed him too, he would push all the wrong buttons again and shatter the fragile control she'd regained on her temper.
Luckily, since she'd departed Sacramento, things had been oddly quiet for her own MC and she was cautiously grateful for the calm. Finn made the short trip down to Charming for a visit, to bring her things and discuss business and plans of action for their club. Mostly she did what needed to be done for the Devil's Saints MC -and their interests out of the apartment in the SAMCRO clubhouse. She worked alone, using her laptop and cell-phone to co-ordinate her patches and employees, keeping herself in the loop as best she could.
She hated being locked down, and far away from her home, it made her feel useless but she knew Clay was right to make her stay. Things were escalating in the city and if whoever was making threats against her achieved their goal - it would be open season on all her father and her family had worked for. With her VP in jail for another few months and cracks already showing in her bond with some members of her club, things threatened to collapse like a Jenga tower if another blow rocked them. In her head, she knew by staying safely out of the way she defused some potentially explosive situations, but her stomach was constantly twisting with frustration and anxiety.
Although she struggled internally with being so far away from where she felt she needed to be - she was relieved by the pause in drama. Assured by knowing there was really nothing she could do any better in the thick of it, than she was doing from Charming.
In contrast to the fragile calm Leni felt, Tig had spent the weekend dancing between, annoyance, excitement, confusion and indifference over her presence. Regardless of how she tried to keep out of everyone's way especially his- just knowing she was in the building got to him. He wanted to see more of her yet when she was around all he could do was scowl and snarl and wish her away. Unsure of what he was feeling or what he really thought about her and trying his best not to dwell on it.
He had hoped learning a little bit more about her -from the information Juice turned up- would do something to calm the storm inside, but it only made things worse. It seemed that not only did he now battle with anger, resentment and arousal but curiosity was rapidly fermenting into something he also struggled to control. He had so many questions and he hated it. He didn't want to be interested, he didn't want to care enough to wonder about her - he had enough to worry about!
She was nothing but a pain in his ass and although the idea of screwing with her some more inspired him, he took every opportunity to distract himself from sinking into deeper contemplation. Trying as much as possible to shut off his mind from wandering too far away with thoughts of her.
Despite his aversion to her presence in the clubhouse -and his mind- he'd made every excuse he could to pass by her apartment door when she was inside. Making opportunities and over stretched excuses to go to his own apartment opposite hers - which he had avoided as much as possible before her residency.
With a cocktail of mixed feelings, he'd sneak an eager listen at her door whenever he thought he'd get away with it. He could never hear much but it didn't stop him trying. Muffled talking, the faintest sound of typing on a laptop or calculator. Silence if she was sleeping or reading. What drove him was his protective instinct and loyalty to the club, making him need to be sure she wasn't up to no good, right under his nose. What encouraged him to keep checking was the hope that perhaps he'd catch her vulnerable, naked or maybe even be invited inside.
After two days of seeing nothing but the wood grain -to his surprise- on Monday morning, her door was wide open. Smiling to himself in approval, he closed his own door and stepped across the corridor into hers. Craning his neck into the room without putting a foot over the threshold. His hungry smirk softened when he caught sight of her - she was sitting at the small desk at the far end of the room, covering her face with her hand and was clearly tense.
His lustful eyes ran over her, fully dressed in light blue jeans, her black boots and a slim fitting, v neck black t-shirt, and all the accessories he was growing used to seeing her wear. "Jesus Christ! Is he alright?" She growled into the phone. Tig listened in closely, guessing something bad had happened, again. "I'm coming up ther-" She moved, raising a little from the seat but sank straight back into it when she was cut off. She continued listening, her face showing her anger as she stared at the floor. "Finn, I..." Her jaw tensed at her Sergeants interjection but it sent some relief to Tig to know who she was talking with. "Alright...alright...Jesus!" She closed her eyes tightly, trying to keep a lid on an overreaction. There was another length of silence as she listed on. "Just keep me posted okay?" They exchanged a few more short words and she hung up on a sigh, leaning forwards and dry washing her face with her hands. "Fuck me!"
"All you had to do was ask!" Tig's voice shattered the silence and she looked up sharply to catch him standing in the doorway -leaning against the jamb- watching her like she was lunch. Those alluring blue eyes making her skin prickle with sensations she has been trying not to acknowledge and did not want to feel. He looked good - a little too good. A black shirt under his kutte, unbuttoned to show a patch of chest and rolled to the elbows showing off the leather he wore around his wrists and the tattoo on his forearm. She hated that her eyes were demanding that she looked but she couldn't stop them lingering on him. The dark gray jeans he had on fit him well in all the right places but she wasn't going to allow herself to admit she thought that. He was an asshole. The tide she had to fight against. And the less she saw of him - the happier she'd be.
She'd been trying her best to avoid him since their little altercation a couple of nights prior. Every time they were in the same room all she could feel was his eyes on her, staring daggers one minute, undressing her the next. Whenever she looked at him, he looked away. If she did manage to catch him, all she got was an icy scowl.
She'd struggled to prevent her mind from wondering about him over the weekend. She knew the type of guy he was, a misogynistic asshole who wanted to bed her for the challenge and the bragging rights. She also knew if she reacted to his subtle provocations she'd just encourage him, but she was quickly growing tired of resisting the urge to respond to him with challenge. People were still getting hurt in her name and she could feel the wounds opening up inside her again - letting the demon that loved to stir up trouble sneak out.
"Blow me!" She said dismissively.
Tig smirked, confidently. "Doll, if you actually had a dick - I would!"
"I don't doubt it!" She retorted, seeing how Tig's eyes lit up with stimulation, his mouth opening to speak but before he could get a word out, she was up on her feet - stunting him. He recoiled, his jaw freezing mid-word, shocked into submission by her unexpected movement.
She marched over to him, barely giving him a second to admire the way her hips moved before she was up close - really close. So close in fact that he could feel the warmth of her body against his. Smell her hair, feel her breath on his skin. Hell, if he tried he'd be able to pucker his lips and kiss hers.
They stared at each other for a moment - her above average height bringing them almost eye to eye. Tig's excitement rose higher by the second. He couldn't believe what was happening! In that moment he realized just how much he wanted her - how much he needed her. Demanding, eager urges swelled at his core as their breathing leveled out, low and deep; hungry.
Her eyes dropped to his lips as she moved ever so slightly closer into him. The curve of her breasts lightly brushing his chest as his mouth opened a little, ready to receive hers. All the hairs went up on the back of his neck, sending the buzz of arousal direct to his crotch.
She was going to kiss him!
He had no time to think of why or how it was finally happening, all he cared about was her giving into him. His breath caught in his throat, his mouth screaming with desire for him to snatch control and end her hesitation - but he couldn't move. He was being sucked under her spell. Drawn in. Ready to receive what he'd unknowingly been longing for - to touch her, to taste her. He felt his mind go fuzzy with longing as her body heat mingled with his. His hands itched to touch her. His body full or desire and his mind lost in the promises her closeness whispered.
Suddenly -in one fluid motion- she pulled back from him, snatching away her warmth. Snapping him out from under the veil of lust by slamming the door shut, right in his face!
His nose just millimeters from touching the wood as the lock clicked tight on the other side. The promise of excitement whipped away, allowing cold to rush back in as a deep growl rumbled in his chest. Yet strangely, he didn't feel anger. The potential of the moment temporarily overrode the irritation within him and he smiled wickedly. She was a tease, a tough nut to crack but they were always the sweetest and he knew he'd get it - one way or another.
"Don't fight it baby!" He yelled through the door.
"Fuck off!" Came the muffled reply and Tig laughed wickedly. Smug that she'd sunk down to his level again. Sure, she'd played him but she did so because he'd got under her skin. That gave him an odd yet welcomed sense of victory.
Marking one up in his win column -not hers- he sauntered through the corridor and out into the bar area where he met with the troubled faces of his brothers. His mood instantly dropped, he could taste the trouble in the air.
Jax took his cigarette out of his mouth and nodded to Tig. "We got a problem brother!"
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"I knew it! I fuckin' knew it!" Tig barked as he paced the bar, his shoulders and fists tense. "They would've switched him off last year if there was no chance he'd come round!"
"The doctors say he might not be able to remember a thing..." Juice tried to offer as comfort.
"He'll remember!" Chibs growled, knocking back a shot of whiskey. "Bastards like that always do!"
"We shoulda taken him out the picture a long time ago!" Bobby put in, worry on his shoulders at the looming threat. The Sons knew he was right but there was no turning back time back now.
"Shoulda, woulda, coulda!" Clay dismissed as he stubbed out his cigar - having heard enough pissing and moaning. "No one thought he was going to wake up!" He reminded. "We gotta figure out how the fuck we make this right - and fast!" The Sons nodded, they needed to come up with a plan of how to finally remove the black cloud that had lurked in the background of their lives for the best part of a year.
"He's under guard...we'll never be able to..." Bobby stopped talking when he noticed Leni was standing near the kitchen.
"Mornin' darlin'!" Jax offered, trying to distract from the scene before she heard too much.
"Mornin'..." She said, glancing around at the tense faces. "...I'm interruptin' aren't I?" She asked, seemingly a little nervous. It was difficult not to overstep the unspoken boundaries of another MC's clubhouse.
"It's okay." Clay assured. "Do what you gotta do. We shouldn't be talkin' about this out here anyway." With that he herded the guys into the privacy of the chapel. Tig's eyes met with Leni's as he passed and he shot her a scornful look which she returned effortlessly. The new threat to his club had quickly turned him sour and he hated how everyone he knew seemed so eager to bend to her presence. His home didn't feel like his own with her lurking around.
Once the chapel door was shut on the drama, Leni walked to the bar and took a seat in front of Half-Sack who was kindly pouring her a cup of coffee.
"Thanks!" She smiled, taking a sip. The prospect gave her a warm smile and she looked him over. Wondering for a moment if asking him was wrong, but her mouth was running away with her curiosity before she could stop it. "What's up with them?"
Half-Sack shrugged, he wasn't sure if he should tell her or not but he guessed she'd hear about it one way or another. "From what I gathered, some guy they really don't like has woken up from a coma and could bring a shit-storm down on us."
"Damn!" Leni winced. Her mind instantly going to thoughts of who this person might be. There were always rumors and gossip floating through their world - but she couldn't recall hearing about anyone in a coma. However, she guessed with so much tension in the air, whatever this guy had on SAMCRO - it was big.
Almost an hour passed before the men emerged from the chapel again, releasing a heavy atmosphere into the barroom. Concerned faces and burdened shoulders flooding out into the heart of the clubhouse. Jax ducked out of the building with his cell-phone at his ear, a tense expression on his face as Sack racked up beers for the remaining Sons. Leni watched on from her seat at the bar, unsure if she should make an exit or stay put.
Smaller groups of Sons took drinks and filtered out to tables and sofas but Clay and Tig stuck by the bar, with heads bowed in thought. Leni felt awkward, looking into her coffee cup for guidance before Clay turned his head to her.
"Sorry about that." He offered, taking a sip of his beer.
Leni dismissed his apology with a shake of her head, she was the one that should apologize. "Is there anythin' I can do to help?" She was desperate to do anything she could to make herself feel useful to someone. She felt like a spare part, sitting around waiting for the bomb to drop on her club - any distraction from that would be a welcome one.
"Wouldn't happen to have a time machine, would ya?" He joked breaking the tension.
Leni smiled. "I wish!"
"We just got some bad news is all..." He gave, feeling an unexpected urge to explain. "...'bout a year back..." He stopped short noticing Tig staring daggers into him. Clay raised his eyebrows, as if to ask Tig what his problem was but there was no challenge returned. The wild haired biker simply knocked back some more beer and glared fire into the wall. "...We had a problem with certain supplies...we found out there was yard sale happenin', in Concord - only it turned out to be a little more popular than first thought..." Leni could tell just by the way he spoke that it was more like a snatch-and-grab out from under the nose of some rival or another. "We thought we'd off'd everyone who could fingers us but when the police showed up they found one sonovabitch still breathin'..." Clay didn't think too much on why, but he felt that he could trust Leni - he guessed because of her father.
He'd trusted that man implicitly during times of war, and he knew if she was anything like him - she was a woman of honor. She had opened up to him when she first arrived looking for help, bared a part of her own clubs soul. Telling him about their issues, both external and internal as they settled on a deal for her to offer the other men that made up SAMCRO. He didn't owe her anything and she seemed too young to be wise enough to offer a remedy, but some instinct or another told him he should share the problem with her.
He guessed she'd want to know the finer details of the problem, but he knew there wasn't much point. How and why it all happened wasn't the issue - what they were going to do to fix it was what concerned him. "Bodies from three different gangs..." He explained. "...Feds were all over it...they stuck him on life support, crossin' fingers he'd wake up and roll over on someone...We all thought they'd switch him off before he ever woke up...but ..." Clay's eyes said it all, he didn't need to elaborate anymore, Leni understood.
"Wow...that is some bad news."
"Yep! Probably got a couple of days before the Feds lean on him...maybe less if his Mayan buddies show up first" Leni bit her lip in thought, it was a sticky situation for the MC to be in. "We've got a fragile truce goin' on with our brown friends - if they find out we were the ones who jacked the guns that lost them half of Oakland and took out a bunch of their guys...well...it would be a problem." Clay mused and Leni nodded thoughtfully. "Doesn't seem to be a way that we can get to him without riskin' exposure to the club...so if he remembers what happened..."
"You're all in a world of pain?" Leni asked and Clay nodded gravely watching as the cogs turned in her head.
Due to her own past and that of her club, she was no stranger to the disposing of witnesses. Having SAMCRO on edge over the threat to them, was in turn a risk to her. She knew it would be in her best interests for the Sons to be clear of excess drama. Of course, it would all boil down to how much trust the club had in her but she hoped offering her help -as a show of good faith- would buy her some confidence, as well as respect.
The smart move was to get involved with the dirty deeds of SAMCRO. Show them that she wasn't just the piece of pussy in a kutte and was prepared to do whatever 'the life' required of her. If nothing else, it would give her a little leverage should relations ever sour between clubs in the future.
"Maybe I can help..." She offered. Clay looked at her curiously, thinking it was worth a shot. It wasn't like they had anything to lose by hearing her out.
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For privacy's sake, the bikers took Leni into the Chapel. They couldn't risk one of the hang-arounds over hearing them plotting someone's demise. There was also an ever-present risk of Unser -or someone else with a badge- arriving unannounced so they circled around safety of the redwood table, offering Leni a seat besides Piney. Who -like Clay- knew her father had a solid reputation for making problems such as the one they had magically disappear.
"We can't walk in...we can't even get close to the hospital. ATF only just got out from up our asses...all it'd take is one hint of trouble to bring 'em swarmin' back!" Jax told her, unsure of how he felt about involving her but willing to listen to any suggestion or offer she could bring to the table. "We don't know the hospital well enough to be sure we could block all the cameras...and if any one of us gets seen...
Leni nodded, he didn't need to explain. She knew if any of the Sons were captured on camera lurking around the hospital, at the wrong time it would tie straight back to SAMCRO and cause untold trouble. She retreated into her thoughts for a moment, piecing together a plan and trying not to notice how Tig was glaring at her again. He was baring the weight of the clubs problem more than anyone, feeling responsible for not making absolutely certain every enemy at the hijacked deal was dead.
What annoyed him most of all was the image of her being sat at the Sons table - she wasn't a patched member, she was an outsider and a female one at that. He didn't trust her! He didn't care who she was in Sacramento, who her father was or how much experience she had with covert operations - anyone without a SAMCRO patch was a potential danger to his club; his family.
"You say he's under guard?" She asked, her eyes dark and contemplating.
"Yeah." Juice put in. "Feds farmed out the watch to local PD months ago. Apparently just one cop sittin' outside the door but they might beef that up once they know word's out that he's awake!"
She nodded thoughtfully, trying hard not to let Tig's disgruntled eyes derail her train of thought. "You know what the general security like at this hospital?"
Juice had never visited the medical center in Concord but from what he'd found out online the place was bigger than Saint Thomas in Charming but not much different in terms of defense. "Guessin' the usual. A few rent-a-cops. Cameras. Nothin' serious."
"Okay..." The men remained silent for a moment, watching Leni think as she plotted out her plan of action. "I think I know how to fix this..." The Sons exchanged glances with one another, none one was exactly thrilled by the idea of her being involved with club business, but using an outsider seemed to be the only way to avoid tying the crime directly back to their MC.
"What are you thinkin'?" Clay asked, keen to know what plan she'd devised.
She looked to Jax, who's eyes were already on her. "Your old Lady works at the hospital here, right?"
"Yeah? Why?" His voice was tight, concerned she was bringing Tara into her plan.
"You think she could snag me a pair of scrubs and a lab coat?"
Jax's expression softened with a hint of a smile. "Absolutely!"
"What's your plan Leni?" Piney asked her, eager to know what was going on in her head. Able to feel her buzzing with thoughts on how to pull it all together.
"Well...the key to it, is havin' a couple of distractions... and a little bit of authority." She looked to Juice. "Can you make me up an ID badge for the hospital? Nothin' fancy, just enough to fool the cop."
"No problem."
She then looked to Clay. "I can pull in some of my guys in to help out, if I can use some of yours to fill in the holes they'll leave on watch?"
"Sure! Whatever you need." Clay assured, intrigued by her plan and oddly pleased by her willingness to get her hands dirty for SAMCRO.
"We'll gonna need a pair of junkers, I can get them from our salvage yard..." Leni said, thinking out loud. "And we'll need a couple of hookers too..."
"For what?" Chibs asked, finding it an odd combination.
"Well...gettin' rid of the cop on watch is only part of the problem, right?" She asked and Chibs nodded. "We need to keep rent-a-cop busy too...Otherwise the badge could be back on the door before I've even stepped in the room." No one could argue with that. "If we use my men and the junkers to cause an accident in the car park and therefore - a fight...that should keep hospital security busy. Then, if the hookers cause a ruckus in the hospital reception, that gives me an excuse to get the cop away from the door for a minute."
Tig's jaw tightened at the sound of her involvement in the plan. He couldn't believe his brothers were just sitting there, taking it all in like they believed she could solve all their problems. How were they allowing her to be involved? He started to wonder if they'd all eaten eggs and stupid for breakfast, because something wasn't really wrong with the picture before him.
"What if he refuses?" Clay asked, concerned by a potential flaw and how she was suddenly an integral part of the plan.
Leni let a lazy smirk peel across her face. "I can be pretty persuasive."
"Don't get cocky!" He warned but with no malice in his voice. Leni softened the smile on her lips but confidence remained strong in her eyes. It looked like she knew exactly what she was getting into, and it angered Tig to see it.
"If you're comin' face to face with the cop, and he comes back to find this douche-bag dead - he's going to ID you! Then that's gonna tie right back to us anyhow!" Bobby told.
Leni gave a soft, knowing smile. "I got disguises for days!" She told him. "Just need to get my box of tricks!"
"It better be a fuckin' good disguise!" Tig growled, fearing that if she was caught she'd have absolutely no problem throwing SAMCRO under the bus to save herself. She cut him a look that silently said 'shut up' and looked back to the other faces.
"So you get in there, finish him off..." Happy said. "Then what? Just walk out the front door?"
Leni thought for a moment. "That would be plan A..."
"And plan B?" Piney asked his voice gruff with concern. "You can't shoot your way out of a hospital!"
Leni smiled at him - not so long ago, that would have been the first option she jumped to, but she was much wiser now. "Guess we need to do some recon, work out the finer details..." She insisted. "...See if there's a bathroom window I can get out of, a fire escape or somethin'...Place to plant a change of clothes..."
"Me and Sack can do that!" Juice offered, knowing they were the only Sons the hospitalized Mayan hadn't laid eyes on and -with the help of some generic clothing and a hat or two- they could pass through the hospital without leaving any red flags up for the Feds to find later.
Leni gave him a grateful smile -wishing she had someone as enthusiastic in her own club- and passed her eyes back to the president. "That good with you, Clay?" She asked cautiously. Knowing it would be a huge leap of faith to ask the men to trust her to do this for them. If the shoe was on the other foot, she didn't know how she'd feel about one of the Sons doing the same for the Saints. Trust was a big issue when you lived between the lines.
He looked at her thoughtfully - his eyes intense and unreadable. He hated to drag her into the situation but he didn't exactly have a list of other options and she certainly seemed like their best hope of success. Time was ticking and not only did she appear to know just how to get the job done - she was clearly willing to do it. He couldn't tell if that amazed him, or scared the shit out of him. One of his oldest friends daughter -hardly more than a girl- sitting there at his table, quietly offering to kill a man for the good of his club.
He wanted to say no to her, tell her there was no way in hell she was doing it. Not just because of his loyalty to her father and his private misgivings about how -and if- she should be leading her own club, but because it was in a very gray area of club protocol.
He looked to the male faces round the table to seek their input. "Do we need to vote it?" He asked and although none of the men seemed pleased with the idea of putting the deed on Leni, it was clear no one had any other idea about how to get the job done. Bringing her into the shit-storm was a big gamble on many levels, but given the time restrictions and limitations on who they could recruit for the job - she did seem like the best and only option for a quick, efficient result.
The lack of instant protesting from his brothers sparked Tig's rage. "This is bullshit!" He barked, taking it upon himself to speak up, if the others wouldn't. "Are we really gonna let some outsider walk in here and take care of our business?" He cast his eyes from Clay, to Jax and then Bobby. "This bitch can't even handle her own shit!" Clay cut Tig a warning look but it did nothing to calm him.
As a corridor of eyes dropped to the table in front of them, Leni sighed. 'Here we go again!' She thought to herself. Getting irritated by the seemingly constant stream of resistance in the form of Tig Trager.
"If you got any better ideas, Tiggy? Feel free to speak up...it's an open forum!" Clay snarled.
The Sergeant narrowed his eyes, hating that he didn't have any other suggestions to give. As much as he couldn't stand to admit it, her plan seemed solid, it was just her executing it that he had a problem with. "Call Tacoma or Rouge River!" He told. "Get somebody down here-" Clay cut him off.
"Like who? Is there anyone up there you'd trust to do this for us?"
"I'd trust all of 'em a shitload more than I trust no-sack over there!" He stabbed a finger at Leni who just folded her arms on the table in front of her and watched - a hint of cruel amusement in her eyes.
"Every single man who wears our patch can be tied right back here..." Clay barked. "If the cop on the door gives an ID or there's a camera in the right place at the wrong time, we're all fucked!" He told, his eyes solid on Tig. "The cops might be too stupid to put it all together...but all it's gonna take is for the Mayan's to figure out who-took-what and who-killed-who, and suddenly we're in the middle of a Goddamn blood feud!" Tig swallowed down a growl, his eyebrows low and harsh with anger. He couldn't argue with Clay's reasoning and he hated it. "If anyone else has got a problem with this...out with it, now!" The president demanded.
"Don't spare my blushes boys!" Leni offered, giving an open palms up gesture as she relaxed back into the chair, to welcome their opinion.
"I don't like it!" Piney spoke up, not wanting to go against Clay's direction but he needed his voice to be heard. "You shouldn't be doin' things like this Leni...you got enough on your plate." He told her and she bit her tongue, not wanting to be combative over what she could or couldn't handle. "Can you help disguise someone else, a brother maybe?"
"Piney, there ain't a man in this world that can pull off a wig convincingly." She told matter-of-factly, slightly disheartened by the suggestion.
Happy spoke up. "The slightest thing spooks that cop on the door, and it's game-over! We won't get a second shot at it!" Piney knew the nomad was right and felt himself backing down.
"Anyone else?" Clay asked, answered by eyes falling to look at the table, mixed with a soft head shake or two.
"I ain't happy about it!" Chibs spoke up. Tig looked to him, nodding in agreement - relieved someone on his side of the table was seeing sense. "...This is SAMCRO's problem...not yours!" He said to Leni who didn't take offense to him disagreeing with her involvement.
"But that's where you're wrong..." She returned. "...It is my problem, because I need you guys to help keep my club from goin' under..." Chibs realized her point quickly. "...If you're all dressed in orange, I'm back to square one...It's in my best interests to keep you guys clear of any heat...if I have to do this to make that happen...then I'll do it!" In the corner of her eyes she could see the fire in Tig's glare.
A silence fell on the chapel again as the men looked inwardly for a way to protest her reasoning. Clay made sure to give his men a few moments to formulate any arguments before he spoke again. "Anyone else?" He waited, half hoping another voice would speak up and go against the tide and divide the room, but no one spoke up. "Good!" He decided. "We're gonna have to work together to pull this off." He looking to Tig as he spoke. The apparent declaration of an agreement was enough to rouse the bikers to nod and confirm their allegiance to the plan - all but Tig, who continued to glare angrily.
Wanting to break tension now things seemed decided, Clay spoke again. "Who knows...if you can pull this off, we might have to patch you over." He joked, cruel trying to irritate Tig - hoping to coax out the last of his aggression towards Leni before they were put to task. Tig's eyes went as big as saucers, glaring at Clay in shock that he'd even suggest such a thing.
"Oooh, don't tease me!" She mocked, relieved the atmosphere had shifted out from under the gloom. Getting a snide kick from the way Tig looked beyond pissed, which slightly amused the other Sons too. She shared a smile with Clay, silently ending the development phase.
"I want everythin' planned and ready by tonight, we fix this shit first thing tomorrow mornin'." He told. He knew everyone would sleep better once it was over but they couldn't rush into things without every detail being in place and checked through. "Juice? You take Sack and go scope out the hospital for security and exit routes. Snag a ID card if you can, just in case." Juice nodded and was up on his feet, headed for the door in a flash. "Bobby, Hap, Chibs...You go with Leni, get the cars and put the feelers out for some female..." He paused for a beat, thinking of the right word. "...acting talent." A wave of smiles swept round the table. "Tig? You go on with Leni to get whatever she needs."
"WHAT?" Tig barked, outraged further. "Are you fuckin' kiddin' me? Why do I get stuck on bitch detail?"
"I was goin' to ask the same question!" Leni mumbled as she exchanged angry, hostile looks with him across the table.
"You two need to fight, fuck or get over it!" Clay told making the rest of the table smirk. Tig and Leni looked to Clay, her eyebrow cocked and Tig scowling.
"Maybe you can work your shit out if you spend some time alone...Just don't go gettin' horizontal on the clock!" Clay insisted teasingly.
"Bleguh!" Leni grimaced. "I'd rather be water-boarded!" The men laughed out loud but Tig didn't flinch, keeping his fierce look for a moment before it turned smug.
"Doll, five minutes horizontal with me...you wouldn't be able to ride for a week!" Tig smirked, his anger momentarily shifting to cockiness.
Leni gave a huff of laughter and a soft, dismissive shake of her head. "Dude... d'you realize that you ain't just barkin' up the wrong tree - you're in the wrong fuckin' forest?" A chorus of laughter and goading cheers erupted from the boys.
All eyes went to Tig for his reply but Leni had other ideas. "We good?" She asked the table - her eyes on Clay. The men looked back to her and nodded, trying not to let Tig see just how funny they thought the whole situation was. Clay gave her a nod of approval and she gracefully got up and swept out of the room. Leaving all eyes on Tig who was raging inside. Jumped up little bitch needed to be taught a lesson.
"Put this shit on a back burner, Tiggy!" Clay ordered, taking his Sergeants mind off revenge for a second. "Get the job done, keep an eye on her...you can kill each other after we off this Mayan!"
"No promises!" Tig warned and got up to follow in Leni's footsteps. The room was silent for a moment before Jax spoke up, amusement still evident on his lips.
"You know that's a bad idea, right? Puttin' them together?"
Clay shook his head. "Let him suffer! He knows it's more than his life's worth to hurt her."
Jax blew out a lung full of cigarette. "It's not her I'm worried about!"
•••••••••••••••••••
The early afternoon sun was hot in the sky, burning down on Charming and the concrete ground of the Teller-Morrow lot. Keen to get the ball rolling, Leni fastened her helmet in place and from the corner of her eye she could see Tig saddling for the ride to Sacramento. She could imagine him ranting to himself about how much he hated her, how much he wanted her gone, or plotting how to kill her and it made her smile.
The minute she'd laid eyes on him she knew he was an asshole and he wasn't doing anything to prove otherwise. That cocky and over-confident way he had about him. The dark edge that encapsulated him. The way he constantly tried to unnerve or belittle her - she'd seen all those factors before -a thousand times- but there was something different about the way all the bad-boy elements were wrapped up inside him.
What really got under her skin -that which she tried not to acknowledge- was the slightest hint of softness and sensitivity that she occasionally caught in his icy blue eyes. It was crazy but sometimes -when he wasn't trying to kill her with just a look- she thought she saw something deeper, almost tender, in his eyes. Suggesting that maybe it was just his male pride that was putting up so much resistance. Fear of having to change his view of women if he saw one thrive in his male dominated world.
She would stub a cigarette out in her eye before admitting to it on any level, but underneath all the animosity - she did find him intriguing. Attractive too. The wildman look he had going on, the danger and depth that poured off of him, ticked all the right boxes. She learned young that she was always drawn to the biggest jerk in a ten-mile radius, but she'd never risk even considering getting involved with someone like him. Someone who was so ingrained into their world and could potentially betray her on so many professional and intimate levels. She had spent the longest time avoiding romantic involvement with men, having learned the hard way that her status and trust, was much like oil and water - mixed well for a while, but quickly separated.
Even if he quit the guard dog act and cut her some slack - she'd never mix business with pleasure. It was too risky to get tangled up with a man who was as many things as he.
Putting on her oval sunglasses, with hundreds of tiny silver skulls etched into the black plastic arms, she fired up her bikes engine and peeled out of the lot with Tig not far behind her and the black van -where Bobby, Chibs and Happy rode- trailing him.
Each one of them was acutely aware of what they were about to become a part of, but not one of them paid it much mind. They couldn't afford to! Thinking about the rights and wrongs was something to be reserved for solitary nights, when there wasn't enough booze, weed or women around to distract from the questions of morality. Until the job was done, emotions and doubts had to be locked firmly away in the overhead compartment where they couldn't fall out and smash everything to shit.
Traveling through Charming, the bikers closely obeyed the road laws but Leni and Tig were instantly locked in a silent struggle. Still soured by her involvement and yet another put-down, Tig's internal fire was quietly building to a dangerous heat.
Weaving in and out of town traffic, pretending not to care what the other was doing but never wanting to give an inch and allow for an overtake. Tig had a score to settle and Leni had a reputation to uphold. It was a dangerous mix.
As they reached the limits of Charming, they took a left, heading for the long, empty back roads. Knowing it was easier to pick up on a tail away from the congested highways. As soon as their tires hit on the open road -a ribbon of blacktop laid out in front of them, theirs for the taking- the battle was on.
Keen to get away, Leni sped forward into the Californian afternoon. Provoking Tig to give a little more throttle to catch up with her. He knew the road like the back of his hand and there was length enough for a drag race if that's what she wanted. They wouldn't hit traffic for a many miles and he was already practicing the smirk he'd be wearing when she caught up to him - victorious at the traffic lights a few miles outside of Sacramento's heart.
Giving his bike some more power he was on her in seconds, deliberately drawing up close to her, barely an inch between them before he sped ahead - goading her into racing him. Leni growled to herself - 'You want it Trager?' She asked him silently. 'You got it!' With that she whipped the throttle and shot after him. He knew that her V-Rod had a speed advantage over his Dyna, and with her weighting less, she had the laws of physics on her side but he knew the road better - he'd take more risks on blind bends and tricky junctions.
In the truck, Bobby let out an exasperated sigh at the sight up ahead. "Jesus Christ! Are they racing?" He asked, already knowing the answer as the two bikes became little more than dots on the horizon.
"Looks that way!" Chibs nodded. Imagining the look on his brothers face as he fought to beat the young woman who was practically becoming a tattoo, she was that embedded into his skin.
The camber of the road dipped and rose as the bikes flew along at great speed. Leaving the safety of Charming behind and drawing in on the dangers of the big city. Leni kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead, loving the way the wind whipped at her clothes and hair as she zipped through the bleak landscapes. She could feel Tig next to her - a few feet separating them side by side and merely inches in difference between who was in the lead.
Her bike begged to give it's all but she held it back, knowing it would be a marathon, not a sprint, and wanting to lead Tig into a false sense of security. His eyes kept glancing between the road and her - the way her legs straddled the bike made heat rise through him. Partnering with the thrill of the chase to make his jeans a little uncomfortable. He knew he shouldn't be getting turned on by racing the bitch -he was out there to settle a score- but he couldn't help it. Seeing he ride was sexy and the thrill of the chase was the most excitement he'd seen in weeks!
Together they blazed along the road, splitting lanes through the singular and small clusters of cars and trucks they passed. Under taking and over taking as they whizzed by - barely able to tell the color of the passing cages due to their speed. It was all a blur but their desire to win was solid and unwavering. Heart pounding a fast beat as the engines purred out the rhythm of their challenge. The partnering of their bikes and bodies carving up the road as they barreled along at near breakneck speed.
Even while maintaining such high speeds, Tig's keen eyes spotted a familiar landmarks amongst the blur of colors and they told him how much further the race had to run. The back roads to the city took longer than the highway but their high speed cut the time in half.
From experience he knew that as they drew closer to the city they would reach a four-way intersection - that was busy every hour of the day. It would be their finish line and he willed his bike to take hers as they flew along together. Rural scenery running past them like a continual mural of blurred, earthy colors. Their focal point their only clear view as they powered down on - mindful of the roads risks but never losing focus from the goal.
It seemed like only minutes before Tig could see the tail lights on the distant horizon, a trail of cars building traffic but Leni wasn't slowing down, if anything she seemed to be speeding up. She knew it was her final chance to show him the power she was riding.
Keeping her bike straight and pointed for Sacramento, she maxed the throttle and shot in front of him.
Unable to find time to think, Tig gave his bike more juice too and charged after her. She was playing chicken - he was sure. Get him to break off speed so she could take the lead. Fuck that!
The amount of vehicles around them began to thicken out as they reached signs of civilization again. Cars and trucks piling up, moving slowly but intently as they were channeled along into the towns that bordered the big city.
The road was narrowing, with congestion, but Leni didn't hold back - shooting through the middle of a bottleneck on approach to the junction. Barely a couple of inches between her bike and the cold, metal side of any given car or truck.
Tig was close behind her, pulling out all the skills he had from his years of riding to avoid the colorful cages that tried to hinder his win. The sudden shade and pressure of growing buildings at either side of the road and so much traffic made the race suddenly feel claustrophobic but it did nothing to calm their speed. Each with a point to prove and a lesson to teach the other.
Up ahead, the lights were changing causing the cars around them to slow to a stop but Leni was still holding her speed, and with a quick look to her right, she swung her bike between cars and into the clear opposite lane and powered forward. Her adrenaline and lust for danger was in the red. She no longer cared if Tig was chasing her. It was all about the rush as she powered on.
He was behind, riding the center line, sticking close -not wanting to lose- but now not hungry enough for the win. It was getting dangerous! His heart was pounding as he watched her bike shoot forward in the opposite lane, the light changing to red a split second before she darted over the stop line.
He grabbed hard on his break! Side-skidding to a stop merely inches from the white-line himself, as she flew across the intersection, missing the criss-crossing traffic by a whisper.
Tig's heart jumped into his throat, a curtained blur of passing traffic flooding in to block his view of her. Panicked, he readied his bike to take off as soon as the intersection cleared. His eyes alarmed and desperate as he scanned the waves of cars for a sign of her.
'She's not hit...' He told himself. '...They would stop if she was hit...she made it thought...she's not hit...' He had no time to feel hatred for the concern he felt. His mind focused on searching for a glimpse of her through the veil of vehicles.
Trying desperately to keep from bolting out into the flow of traffic himself, Tig locked his jaw and pleaded with his senses and thoughts to remain calm. Watching nervously as the stream trickled out and the last car passed, to again reveal the road ahead.
His eyes instantly found her, sitting on her idling bike, at the curb, a few feet the other side of the lights - smirking at him. Their eyes locked for only a second before she turned away, guiding her bike back into the traffic bound for the heart of Sacramento.
Tig felt the a fire catch in his belly. Not only was this bitch crazy but she was crushing his last nerve like a cigarette under her boot!
Just when he couldn't imagine a way for her to become more obnoxious, she managed to surprise him. She was reckless and fueled by dark desires - how could she be trusted to work for the club? Hell, he wouldn't trust her as far as he could throw her. Bitch was going to cause a world of problems for everyone around him - he was sure of it.
He sat there on his bike glaring at where she'd been for several minutes, as cars blew past him. Honking and cursing him out for blocking a piece of the lane, but he'd lost track of everything around him. His mind racing like his engine had been until the familiar rumbling of the black van pulled up alongside him.
"Think she won that one!" Chibs mocked down at him from the open window. Not having seen the race but guessing she'd handed Tig his ass, just by the way he was sitting there staring - licking his wounds.
"Shut up!" Tig growled and instantly gave his bike some throttle, speedily passing through the intersection heading after Leni into the city. She may have won this battle but the war was far from over.
A/N: Again, sorry it took so long to get this on here. Promise the next part will be quicker, if you want it - please me know! Comments, criticisms, concerns and questions are always welcome too!