SEVEN
- Discover -
She still had half an hour left in her break and the rosary beads in her pocket laid untouched. Rita leaned against the wall of the hallway, her eyes on the door to the Chapel but she couldn't bring herself to go in after the letter she had received yesterday in the mail. She was almost tempted not to come to work but Tig had insisted that everything should continue as always or it was a sign that the motherfuckers had gained something. She had almost begged Tig to tell her more about this guy that had taken her brother, and as always he kept quiet and Rita was starting to get frustrated with the repeated treatment. She pushed herself from the wall and started back to main part of the hospital. She soon quickened her pace; wanting to get as far away from the Chapel, from God, as her thoughts swirled with scenarios of her brother's situation. Of the horrifying possibilities that could be happening to him.
To take her mind off the recent events Rita went to see an old friend. She knew the woman would be leaving the hospital soon because she was well on the way to recovery. As she got to the room, Julie was seated against the head broad with pillows behind her, a pair of knitting needles in the hands like usual. "Rita, it's been way too long. Has Tig been keeping you busy?"
"I'm ready for a game of cards if you are." Rita took the seat next to the bed, already grabbing the deck of cards and shuffling. Tig and her brother were the two main subjects she wanted to avoid, she was determined to enjoy some of her break before continuing with work. "Tell me, has your son proposed yet?" Rita gave Julie her deck of cards while the older woman chatted happily about her son and new daughter-in-law, happily indulging in Rita's diversion.
By the time Rita had left Julie's room, there was a small smile on her face from simply hearing the other woman talk about normal things such as her garden back at the house and her son, which the older woman added she would be expecting at least two grand babies from the couple. Julie spoke about family, Rita couldn't help think back to Gemma's words about the club. Rita thought she would be happy simply knowing less, not getting involved with the club as much as possible because after the events with Tara a couple of months ago, Rita had no doubt in her mind that the club was more than some guys riding motorbikes and being mechanics. On the other hand, Rita was irritated at being left in the dark about the situation, and if she wanted to know more than she had to really accept the club for what it really was. Tig was a part of that club, the Sons were his family and somewhere along the line, they had accepted her and Luke. SAMCRO was the closest thing the two had as a family since their grandmother had passed away.
The first thing she needed to do was get more acquainted with the situation because in reality Rita was clueless about it, it was time to sit down and have a chat with Tig and she wasn't going to take any other answer except the total truth about everything.
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That afternoon, Tig was waiting outside of the hospital for her in his wearing his usual black jeans with navy shirt rolled at the elbows and the leather kutte over the top. To the public eye, he looked dangerous, someone to stay clear of. She knew there was hell of a lot more underneath that kutte than the hard expression he indicated to everyone.
When she was within arm's length, he held out his bike helmet for her, his hand lightly brushing her back making a small smile appear on her face. She knew Tig wasn't a very big person on public affection. "You up for a ride?" Rita looked down at her work clothes, the thin material wasn't her ideal way to travel on a bike. She looked up at Tig, finding a bag held out to her, his eyes filled with humor. Opening the bag, a set of jeans and one of her plain shirts were inside.
"You went through my wardrobe?" He merely shrugged his shoulders, a small twitch at the corner of his lips. "And into my underwear drawer?" She already knew the answer to that question. Tig didn't say anything but her eyes flickered to the movement of his hand in his kutte making her stomach roll when she realized what he had in his pocket. "I'll just go change then." She held up the bag in her hand and started to make her way back to the hospital toilets.
"And I'll -" Tig said as he began to follow her footsteps.
"Will stay here."
Tig gave her a feral grin. "No problem on my end, I'll get what I want sooner or later." His eyes didn't glance the length of her, he kept his striking blue eyes on her face. "This will hold me over for a bit." Rita looked back down to his kutte, trying to keep her own sly smile off her face.
When she came back out of the hospital dressed in a pair of jeans, Tig held his hand out for the bag that held her wallet. Rolling the flimsy bag, he tied it down with a few straps to the back of his bike while Rita tried to secure the helmet on her head. Tig was soon moving her fingers out of the way to tie the straps with a twitch on his lips. "We'll have to work on this." He rapped his knuckles on the helmet before taking a seat of the bike. She followed his actions, instantly wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her tired head on his back.
The drowsiness that was sitting in her mind soon washed away as Tig led them out of Charming and the speed odometer went past the hundred mark. This was exactly what Rita needed, some time away from work and the house to simply enjoy life by the minute. Not even the two other bikes behind them could dampen Rita's mood. Tig was always thinking a couple of steps ahead of her, this time it happened to be her safety once again.
They stopped at a gas station that had a little diner attached to it, they had come to the same diner a few months back, all the while the other two bikers, Chibs and Juice, giving them space by sitting a few seats behind them, far enough for them not to overhear but close enough to reach if they were needed. The waitress came over to the couple handing them menus, Tig didn't glance at his list. "I'll have the egg and bacon pie with a bowl of chips." His blue eyes landed on Rita while the waitress scribbled down his order.
"Ahh...I'll have the same thanks." Rita threw the waitress a smile – she couldn't imagine what it could be like working in a slow paced diner, that's one thing Rita loved about the hospital, there was always something to do. When the waitress left, Rita looked back to see Tig leaning back in the seat with a smug expression. "What?"
"Nothing, I just remember a time when you would have avoided a fatty pie and greasy chips like the plague." His thoughts instantly went to their first meal at the hospital, her garden salad and his chips.
"Things change," she says softly.
"That they do," Tig says just as softly. The intensity of Tig's eyes make Rita feel slightly uncomfortable. She did the one thing she always did when nerves got the better of her, she started talking.
"Julie's in great form." Tig shook his head at the woman with her sudden change of conversation. He rested his arm along the side of the seat when the waitress place their food on the table. Tig's movement caught Rita's attention, her eyes going to the patch on his kutte. "What does that mean exactly?"
Tig didn't need to ask what she was asking about, she was staring at the Sergeant at Arms patch on his kutte. He opened his mouth to give the simple, practiced version that he gave most people when Rita cut him off. "Don't give me anymore bullshit Alex." Her words made him stop, debating which would be the best road for her to travel, going through the pros and cons in his mind. "I want the truth about everything, I want in." A thrill ran through Tig at hearing those words. It also made his breath get catch in his chest because this would be over stepping whatever boundaries they did have set up. If Rita knew everything about the club like Tara and Gemma, there would be no turning back.
"Sure you want to know?" He asks while keeping himself still, watching every movement and emotion passing through the woman's face.
"I want you." The words were close to a whisper but said with confidence. Tig knew Rita had a past of her own and neither of them were the greatest at sharing feelings but they understood each other to a large extent.
Tig leaned forward onto the table so they couldn't be over heard, not that he was worried about the waitress at the counter. "I protect the president at anycost."
"Any cost?" Rita was leaning against the table as well, small lines appearing between her eyebrows making Tig want to reach forward and smooth the hard lines from her face.
"I'd take a bullet for him." That was an example but a very possible one, he'd done it before and wouldn't hesitate doing it again for his friend. Tig watched her reaction, the only indication that she had heard his words was depth of the lines on her forehead and the hard set of her perfect lips. "Like I'd take one for you."
"And I you." The determination in Rita's voice set Tig's heart in overdrive, he was use to the brutal things of life and keeping himself detached but her words made his blood go cold.
"You won't have too." He would make sure of that.
"I want to learn how to shoot, how to aim." She knew the gist about shooting a gun, having a brother in the army had its perks at times.
Tig sat back into the seat, his eyes never leaving her face watching for some kind of nervous rattling. Her tongue flickered across her lips, a nervous habit, but Tig had a feeling it was more towards his unexpected reaction than handling a real gun. Christ, the woman would probably find some way to practice if he said no, it was better if he kept the ball in his court and was able to take her somewhere he trusted. "Ok."
"Ok?" Rita wasn't quite sure if she had heard the man right, she expected some kind of fight or a flat out 'no', but once again Alex Trager surprised her. "And I want to know about the guys who have my brother, I want to know everything." Hell, she had gotten this far into Tig agreeing, she might as well continue while she was on a roll.
"Let's leave that conversation for tomorrow," he said sternly, and when Rita went to argue with him he just says, "The foods getting cold." To make his point, he pops a chip in his mouth and relaxes into the seat though his mind was quite the opposite as it twisted with the information and requests from the woman in front of him.
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Rita stayed leaning against the bench in the kitchen, her fingers tightly wrapped around the coffee mug as she tried to keep the liquid down but the silence floating inside the house was suffocating her. The night alone was easy, she could stick her earphones in and block out the silence with the pounding notes while in the day time, the notions of the day seem out of balance without the sarcastic remarks of her brother.
The last few nights Tig had stayed at the house keeping the silence at bay but last night Clay had called him away and Half Sack had taken the couch. The prospect was too damn quiet for her taste, he kept to himself most times and she hadn't seen him this morning but the blankets were neatly folded on the arm of the couch. She knew Half Sack would still be about, but the frustration of needing a baby sitter was growing on her and she couldn't wait to continue her talk with Tig.
Putting the mug down, Rita decides that she needs to do something and goes out back to \ find Half Sack. When she walks out onto the small verandah she couldn't spot the prospect anywhere and stuck her head back into the house thinking she may have missed him while she was lost in her thoughts, but she couldn't hear anything in the house. The sudden creak of the verandah made her heart jump in her throat and turn to the side of the house where Half Sack was coming out from around the corner of the house with an equal side of surprise at seeing her. "I was just looking for you." She pointed in the direction of the house as Half Sack pocketed his mobile. "Do you want breakfast?"
Half Sack gave the woman a jerky nod shake. "That would be great." He chewed the side of his cheek as he watched Rita head back into the house to make him no doubt eggs on toast with a side of bacon. It was nice to get a cooked meal which made his situation worse, Rita didn't deserved any of this neither did Luke.
The prospect stepped into the house following his nose to the smell of bacon and hesitated in his step at the sight of Tig in the kitchen. The Sergeant at Arms nodded his head slightly at Half Sack making the young man relax and take a seat at the small table across from Tig.
"Tig, we-" Rita's was cut off by the man in word, she shot him a glare for interrupting her though Tig merely started talking like he was the one to start the conversation.
"We're going for another ride today." Tig turned his attention from his girl to the prospect. "Clay needs you back at the club house." He nodded his head towards the door, dismissing the younger man.
Half Sack signed and went to get up. "Kip, sit back down." At the tone of Rita's voice, he paused and gave Tig a quick glance in question. "You're having your eggs before you leave." Tig merely leaned back and Half Sack took that as a sign to stay seated when Rita put a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him.
"Where's mine?" Rita tried to keep the smile off her face at Tig's teasing tone.
"Wait your turn," she says as she turns back to the stove, cracking another two eggs for the other Son behind her.
When Rita turned around again with another set of eggs on a plate, her eyes went straight to the gun causally lying on the table next to Tig's arms that wasn't there a second ago. She glanced to Tig's face and saw him watching her. Rita flashed him a smile and placed his breakfast in front of him and grabbed her own before taking a seat beside him with the gun placed between them.
Rita wasn't a novice about guns but she wasn't used to having them sitting around the house, she knew her brother had one in his bedroom. Even with her knowledge of the piece of metal, she could still feel her body tensing up though she wasn't quite sure for what reason. There was no danger and Tig was at ease next to her. She knew he carried weapons on his person it wasn't something he kept hidden. It was a silent warning to everyone that saw him, now it showed just how much he was in his element.
"Thanks Rita for breakfast," Half Sack says standing up, the sudden sound making Rita jerk, breaking the tension surrounding her.
"Anytime Kip," said Rita. She didn't really mind having the boys over, Juice and Half Sack were comfortable to be around, not as intense as Happy. With another 'thanks' thrown over his shoulder, Half Sack left the house, the roar of the motorbike signaled his departure.
"So you've used one before?" Tig casually asks like they were discussing the weather, there was no doubt in her mind what they were talking about. He cut off another piece of egg and leaned back in the chair chewing.
"Luke showed me a few things." Tig raised an eyebrow at Rita, simply asking for her to explain further. "The general point and shoot, reloading."
Without further instruction, Tig pushed the gun towards her. "Let's see it." Picking up the gun, Rita pushed her shaky finger to the button to release the magazine, the full clip dropping into her lap before she slid the magazine back into the pistol. She slide her hand over the top, grasped and pulled back sharply until it stopped and released her hold on the top of the pistol, the chamber was locked and loaded with the magazine. She made sure to unclip it for safety reasons before placing it back on the dining table between them.
"You're a bit clumsy but nothing some confidence won't fix. Do you know what model it is?" Rita glanced down at the black gun blankly before shaking her head negatively. "Its 9mm Pistol, small and easy for you to use and keep your ass safe."
"You don't expect me to carry that around do you?" She took her eyes from the gun to Tig.
"Gemma always has one handy, carries one in her handbag." Tig didn't exactly like the idea of Rita carrying around a weapon but her safely came first. He just had to make sure the woman knew how to use one without harming herself. "Come on, let's go for a ride." He picked up the gun, checking it before placing in the inside of his vest.
Rita pushed away from the table, dumped the plates and cutlery into the sink and followed Tig out to his bike. It surprised her how fast the two of them riding his bike had become a routine, no words needed to be spoken between them and Tig still helped with the buckle of her helmet though it didn't stop her from trying. He swung himself over the bike and she followed suit.
Rita wasn't sure where they were headed as they rode out of Charming the opposite direction of their last ride to the diner. They got off the paved road onto a dirt one that led to a large shed, there was simple sign that had 'open' written on it and a Son was parked a few feet away from the welcome sign.
When Tig stopped the bike, Rita unsaddled it and untied her helmet before making eye contact with the other Son. "Hello Happy."
The bald man simply nodded his head in greeting before turning his attention to Tig. "Harold's got everything set up outback."
"Thanks bro." Tig patted the fellow Son on the shoulder and started his way up the small stairs to the entrance with a hold on Rita's hand.
She didn't know why it surprised her after this morning's questions but her eyebrows still shoot up at the aisles of weapon materials. Her eyes trained on the target sheets pinned up on the back wall, showing just how talented some of the shooters happened to be. "Don't interrupt us Harold, learner here." Tig nodded his head in Rita's direction as greeting to the man before taking the familiar door outback. Just watching his girl this morning reloading the gun he knew she had some experience, but Tig didn't want Harold to be coming in unexpected, he wanted Rita's full concentration on the weapon in her hand.
The room was set out like the usual shooting range with stalls along the front to give privacy to each shooter to focus on their mark. "Number five has a full body pinned up and ready." Happy announced making his way past them to the right stall.
Rita shadowed Tig down to the right stall until he moved out of the way for her to step forward. She took in front of the paper body target, thankful that the target wasn't too far back because she wasn't positive if she could even shoot the paper body from here. Wordlessly Tig handed her the gun again and she slowly took it from him as if the metal was going to suddenly bite her.
Taking a deep breath in, Rita tried to relax and ignore the two Sons behind her that were no doubt watching her every move and remembering the short lesion Luke had given her. Rising her arm, she turned off the safety switch and pointed at the target in the range. Hesitantly she pressed the trigger and a shock went through her at the small vibrations that ran up her arms. "Not too bad." Tig says stepping forward when she lowered the pistol, moving her legs shoulder width apart.
A snort sounded from behind her at Tig's comment, she glanced over her shoulder to see Happy looking per usual without any expression across his face, his eyes intensely staring behind her on the paper target. She turned back to the target to find the bullet hole nowhere near the printed body but on the right hand side of the white edged paper. "At least I hit the damn thing." She pulled the hair tie from her wrist to tie her hair up into a messy bun. "I don't think I could hit anyone when the time comes." She said it under her breath but she knew Happy had heard, the focus of his dark eyes on her was heated.
"You changed your aim at the last moment, my guess is from the strength of the fire." Tig says as he pats her leg once again when she unconsciously adjusted it. "Keep your feet firmly apart, and try again." Tig stepped back, standing beside Happy once again. Rita had only just started at the firing range but she had a feeling it was going to be a long day.
By the time Tig called it quits, happy with her aim it was late afternoon and Rita's muscles ached from the vibrations of the gun. She now realized how much of a punch a gun held, especially when her fragile hands were used to plastic gloves and needles.
"We'll keep this one for you." Tig said before making his way back to the inside of the shop. "Harold, could you get a couple of magazines." He placed the pistol on the check out for the old man. Harold quickly put together what Tig asked and the blue eyed Son handed the gun along with the plastic bag of magazine clips to Rita. "Thanks Harold."
They were walking out of the store when the old man called Tig's name, the Son didn't look like he wanted to hang around much longer. "Something the matter?"
"I heard something about that man Ackles?" The surname suddenly got Tig's attention and without a word, he walked back down the aisle to Harold.
Rita stood near the door while she watched Tig talk to Harold, she didn't know what the conversation was about, but knew it must be important with the two men talking so closely. "Who's Ackles?" She pointed the question at Happy with frustration; she had never heard the name before.
"It's not my place to say." Was Happy's short reply, closing the conversation of Ackles between them. "And you will do it." Rita's attention snapped back to the raspy voice of Happy standing next to her.
"Will what?"
"When it comes down to you or someone else, you always choose someone else. Your instinct to survive will kick in." Happy took a drag of his cigarette going back to his silent manner but his words spoke volumes as they tumbled around in her head.
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