A/N
Charming's the kind of town where everybody's trying to get one up on everybody else. Which is why we love it... and why naivety can cost you dearly. So what happens when Swift bumps into some of the other less-than-savoury characters in town? Read on to find out...!
Thank you, thank you for all of your reads and support, I hope you're still enjoying it. I love your feedback, so if you have thoughts - please PM me, it's wonderful building this with you guys. Swift's the OC we've all been waiting for, and I really would love to hear what you'd like to see more of!
So, without further ado, here's Chapter 7... I think there may have been a problem with notifications on Chapter 6 (church!) so make sure you have a look at that first...
Sara x
Chibs twisted his neck from side to side, he was sore from his night on the sofa but he had insisted Swift take his bed. After a good twenty minutes of resistance, she decided to take it just to spite him. He padded through his apartment in socks and loose sweatpants, rubbing his eyes as he tried to prepare himself for another day. Realising his clothes were in the bedroom, he rested his hand on the handle and tried to open it silently.
He peeked through the gap and smiled as he saw Swift lying very neatly in a single strip of the bed. Tig's gun was wrapped carefully in her fingers, resting on the pillow beside her head. Chibs laughed a little at that, even in her sleep she was fierce. He bit his lip a little as he moved into the room, trying to be as quiet as possible. Her long limbs were stretched out perfectly straight, she'd slept in her clothes from the night before, too cautious about not being able to get out quickly if she needed to. Everything was so… prepared. Chibs paused beside her for a moment, looking at the white bandage taped to her nose, holding it in place. He had spent a solid hour setting it the night before, determined to keep her as perfect as she had been before.
"Funny little girl," he muttered in a breathless whisper. He leaned down to stroke her hair away from her eyes but suddenly felt the cold metal barrel of the gun pressed up against his stomach. Jesus, he hadn't even noticed her move it from the pillow. He was too damn distracted by her. He saw her wink one eye open and shift back from him quickly, switching to the other side of the bed and staggering to her feet instantly. "Woah, sweetheart."
Swift had barely slept, she'd maybe had an hour at best but her sudden wake up made her immediately alert. "What are you doing in here?" She looked at him caustically as she looked down his body. "Filthy old man."
Chibs chuckled and rolled his eyes, she was always so bitter with him. "Getting dressed," he muttered. He tossed one of the pillows at her. "I was an army medic, make sure you make the bed." She scoffed but dutifully did as he asked, straightening out the sheets neatly and fluffing the thing before putting in place at the top of the bed. Chibs nodded gratefully. "Thank you."
"I didn't do it for you."
He knew she did, but he kept his counsel and rifled through the wardrobe for something to wear. He could see her looking around, watching for any little things she could take. He would be surprised if she hadn't already searched the entire room for anything she could steal from him. He threw a pair of pants on the end of the bed and rummaged for a shirt. He pulled one out and Swift cleared her throat disapprovingly. When he looked over at her, she glanced away innocently.
"What?"
"Nothing," she said, shrugging and shoving her hands in her pockets. He continued to stare at her and eventually she said, "Well, you know, it doesn't match." She watched as he took out a pair of boxers and stifled a giggle at the tartan material. Chibs scowled.
"What?"
She bit down on the edge of her thumb and shook her head. "I mean, whatever, if that's what gets you laid, Scottie."
Chibs turned his back on her and dropped his pants, ignoring her as he changed into his underwear. "It's Chibs," he said, turning once he was decent again and catching her eye. "They call me Chibs." Swift didn't seem to care, she was looking at his body in the mirror, studying the little nicks and scars all over him with curiosity. He blushed, a little self-conscious at her study, and he grabbed his pants and yanked them up quickly. "Do you want breakfast?"
She stopped staring and pushed the pistol into the back of her shorts. "I don't eat breakfast," she said. "Just coffee, then I'll be going."
He laughed as he pulled his ill-advised button up onto his shoulders and glanced up at her as he did it up. "Going? Where do you think you'll be going, exactly? You're staying here." She groaned dramatically and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Not this bullshit again. You can't keep me here."
Chibs rolled his neck back and grumbled as it cracked loudly. "Did we not learn anything last night?" he asked, looking at her in the mirror as she picked at a thread on the covers. "All that cash you stole from Tig? That's your downpayment, you've already accepted it so you'll be staying put a while."
Swift wrinkled her nose. "I'll return it to him."
"SAMCRO don't really do refunds." There was a little smile playing on Chibs' lips as he said it. "Sorry love." She stuck her tongue out at him childishly.
"What are you going to do, handcuff me to you?"
There was a dangerous look in her eyes as she said it and Chibs absently rubbed at his wrists. "What is it you and all this bondage shite, huh?" When she didn't answer, he frowned. "If I have to I will, you shifty little devil, don't you start thinking of little games to play with me."
She stood and edged nearer to him, finishing off a button he had missed at the bottom of his shirt. Her fingertips grazed against his skin as she looked up at him. "I thought you liked to play games with me, Chubs?" Her hand rested on his belt and she gave him a perfect little pout. "Sure did in the woods."
"Aye, that's because you're a tricksy little beast," Chibs said, pushing her hands away, knowing from experience now that he couldn't fall for her little flirtations. Any come on was an act, she was smart but if there was one thing Chibs was good at, it was learning from his mistakes. "And it's Chibs. Now you going to come or shall I give Chief Unser a call about those cuffs?"
She threw her hands up in the air and huffed like a petulant teenager before dragging her heels and following behind him. Chibs poured her a coffee and she downed it before he'd even managed to ask if she wanted milk or sugar. She looked at him expectantly and held out her mug for another, and Chibs humoured her by serving her a little more.
"Don't you eat?" he asked, searching his sad-looking fridge for something to devour. He pulled out a sad-looking, withered apple and made a mental note to go shopping later. "Just as well, I guess."
He frogmarched her out to his bike and made her clip on his spare helmet as he called ahead to check in for instructions from Clay. He watched her steadily as he was given the details of a little visit they needed to make to Darby's trailer. Swift idly swung her leg over the Harley, straddling it and grinding against it to find the perfect position. She was eyeing the ignition and reaching to her hair for a clip, so Chibs strode over quickly before she used the same little trick as she had on the van. She sulked and edged back to the back of the seat as he hung up the phone and slipped it in his pocket.
"You're going to come and be a reliable witness," Chibs said firmly. "Meet Juice and Hap there, Bobby too." He laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Would you flirt with him? To get what you want?" The very idea made him pull a face but Swift didn't even flinch.
She shrugged. "A dick's a dick to me," she said without commitment. She had always had that same rationale in her mind, it made it all the easier when some asshole tried to push himself on her. There was no win, no appeal if she just gave herself over without any objection, she could close her eyes and focus on whatever she needed to to find her own twisted sort of satisfaction. "You see me like a piece of meat, I don't think any differently of you."
Chibs could hardly believe what she was saying. He pushed his lips together as he got on his bike. "You're like a bloke," he muttered. She laughed at that.
"That a problem, Chubs?"
Before he could correct her again, she slid her arms around his waist in the way only a woman could and pressed her breasts against his back. Chibs groaned, the cheeky mare had a goddamn answer for everything. He could feel her blowing on the back of his neck teasingly and he reached around, giving her a slap on the thigh as he started the bike with a roar. Somehow, they had found a nice sort of mutual respect for each other. Maybe it was because he had helped her. Maybe it was because she was just waiting for her in.
They pulled up not far from Darby's to find the other bikes already waiting. Chibs motioned for her to follow him as they walked to meet with the others. Swift was already looking for her exit strategy, she'd abandon the cash at Chibs' if she had to, she just wanted to get moving. These guys were causing far too many problems for her, and she hated the way Chibs kept gazing at her with that hopeless little look.
"He in?" Chibs asked. Bobby nodded and pointed to where a couple of Darby's guys were sparring with each other outside the trailer.
"Cook shop's open." He motioned to Swift. "You going shopping?"
Chibs frowned and crossed his arm. "She was just going to witness." Bobby started to shake his head.
"Change of orders from above," he said, nodding towards her. "Clay wants her to go and make a buy." He pushed some cash into her hand. "See what you can get for that much."
Swift looked in disgust at the money before turning her gaze towards Chibs. "I'm not buying shit from nobody, especially some skinhead Nazi." She shook her head and shoved the money back towards Bobby but he crushed it into her palm. "What are you trying to do? Set me up? Get me arrested?" She rolled her eyes. "I already know that cancer cop is on your payroll, it's not like you can bust me out and make me feel grateful."
Bobby didn't really know what Clay's motive was but he had insisted Swift made some sort of purchase. Chibs looked skeptical, he didn't like this one bit. A change of plan at short notice was never usually a good sign. He motioned for Bobby to step aside and lowered his voice as he muttered,
"This a stitch up?" Bobby shook his head, he didn't know.
"Prez's decision."
Swift look to Chibs for some sort of assurance and he nodded. "Go. You'll be fine. Downpayment, remember?" She begrudgingly started off and Chibs called after her, "Don't run, Swifty, Hap here'll run you down."
She lifted her hand, giving him the finger as she walked down the dust path towards the trailer. The two guys outside stopped their little practice fight to wolf-whistle at her, both staring like a couple of ravenous hyenas. Swift shook her head, what was wrong with the men in this town? Was there a shortage of good pussy or had they all already had what they could get their hands on? She tapped on the trailer wall.
"Boss in?" She waved the hundred dollar bill in her hand and one of them thumped the other approvingly.
"Hey, Darby."
Darby leaned out of the trailer in his usual sweaty-looking white vest and looked over Swift with intrigue. This must be what Clay had been talking about when he'd mentioned sending a stand-in. It would be easy for Darby to dash and get this whole place pinned on this new girl in town when the police turned up. She looked like an average kind of person, pretty in her feminine combo of shorts and shirt, and Darby chuckled.
"Must have upset him pretty good," he muttered to himself as he jumped down. Swift's sharp ears picked up his words and she put her hands on her hips.
"What's he paying you?" she asked. "I can double it if you can keep me out of this shit."
Darby cupped her face roughly in his hands and tilted her head, looking at her nose. "You don't have the money for that, pretty." He pushed his thumb into her mouth, Swift suppressed the urge to vomit on his filthy fingers. "I'm sure we could make a different arrangement though."
"If you think I'm going to suck your Jew-hating cock, you have another thing coming." Swift looked at him with a little smirk on her lips. "What's the deal? You going to get raided?"
Darby knew he was running out of time. He nodded towards his truck. "Get in the van, we'll go for a drive." He glanced up the path behind her, expecting to see a Son or two but they had kept their bikes back from the road. "You got an escort with you?"
"Four of them," Swift replied. "Make sure I don't split, I guess."
"Short leash." Darby motioned to the vehicle and Swift climbed into it. Some low-level meth dealer would be easy to scarper from, she'd just need to get him buzzed and she'd have plenty of chances to get out of there in one piece. Two birds with one stone was exactly her style. She drummed her fingers impatiently on the window frame as Darby hopped up into the truck and started it up. Swift slunk low as he backed it out, it was only as they passed the SAMCRO bikes that she popped up, leaning out of the window and blowing a kiss at Chibs.
"Laters, Chubs!"
Chibs took off his sunglasses as he saw her disappearing in Darby's truck and swore loudly. He pelted across to his bike and mounted it quickly, not waiting for the others as he raced after her. That clever bitch had done it again, and now Darby was the victim of one of her games. He accelerated faster, speeding to catch up with her but slowed as he saw blue and red flashing lights heading towards him as they sped by in the opposite direction. "Jesus." Clay really had tried to set her up. He slowed down, pulling his bike to a stop to let the police car go past and looked back to see Bobby, Juice and Happy on their way to join him. He got off his bike as they pulled to a stop and gave Bobby an almighty thump in the chest.
"You tried to set her up!" he objected, throwing his hands in the air. Bobby frowned as he lifted his driving glasses from his eyes.
"I was taking orders!" he frowned, looking after them. "Look, she's out of our hands now. It's not a problem."
"We want her in our hands," Chibs barked furiously. "She's an asset, don't you idiots get that?"
"You spent all night with that ass-et," Happy grinned and Juice bumped his shoulder approvingly. None of them doubted for a second that Chibs had got his end away with her, the way they'd teased each other when she'd got off his bike. Chibs groaned, putting is hands on the back of his head as he looked after her.
"You lot are stupid," he muttered. "Don't you see? There's only one way this ends. She pisses Darby off, does to him what she did to Tig? He'll think we set him up and come after us." He rolled his eyes as the information sank in and their expressions all suddenly changed, looking less amused by the idea. Juice exchanged a look with Bobby.
"Damn…"
Happy thought on it for a moment before he nodded approvingly and flexed his glove-clad fingers before resting them on his handlebars again. "So we get her back," he said gruffly. "And we stow her somewhere 'til Clay calms down and shit with Darby blows over."
"My place," Juice volunteered. "Safe, small, Clay's got no interest in coming there." Chibs nodded, that would have to do. Clay would be mad if he found out but, between the four of them, they should be able to keep the arrangement quiet enough. He put his glasses on and watched as Bobby followed suit.
"Guess that'll have to do," he frowned. "For the good for the club and all." He glanced at Bobby who nodded in agreement. Chibs stared down the road Darby had headed along and tugged at his beard as he got back onto his bike. "Now we just need to get her back."
