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Since the awkward kiss between Scarlet and Jax, they had been both avoiding each other. Not a whole lot was said between the two besides the occasional good morning. Jax would pour himself a cup of coffee, and without eye contact, he would leave one behind for her in the cup she had begun to favor. That didn't keep Scarlet from overthinking his moment between them was pure fire, raw intense emotion. The argument was not your typical fight. Jax was not upset that she had killed this guy and refused to explain but more so that she could have been hurt and he was unable to protect her. It scared Scarlet to think when he looked at her, his heart also raced wildly as her's did when her eyes would set on his authoritative figure. The last thing she needed was to be sucked into whatever hole Jax was trying to pull her in. She needed to keep her focus on Otto, and her next move. She knew Jax was not one to typically settle down and Scarlet was not the type to sleep around. They lived in two different books in her eyes.
Scarlet was nervous when Gemma waved her over to the small beat up office she spent most of her time in. She had wondered if the kiss had got back to the mother of SAMCRO and if it had what did it mean for Scarlet. Otto was always clear, never cross Gemma Teller-Morrow and to always take her quick wits with a grain of salt. "Hey, Darlin' You tired of sleeping in the apartment yet?" She smiled as she gestured Scarlet to come in the office and take a seat.
"Yeah, it feels...boyish" She smiled, trying her best to not insult Gemma, but she laughed making Gemma peer down over her reading glasses and stiff a laugh.
"You mean it smells like raunchy pussy, stale smokes and dirty socks." Gemma winked at Scarlet allowing her to relax. Jax had called out Chibs' name catching her attention, her head turned to look out the door where Jax was standing with his arms crossed over his leather wearing chest. He must have felt Scarlet looking because his eyes soon found hers. Jax sent a charming wink her way before walking away with his brother to talk business.
"Yeah, I guess you are right. I put some candles in there. It helped." Scarlet was speaking to Gemma as she watched Jax walk away. Gemma roughly cleared her throat making scarlets neck whip back to look at the aged woman with an innocent smile.
Gemma coyly rolled her eyes while reaching into her purse, pulling out a set of keys. "Your daddy made sure you got anything and everything in his name. It's not much but it will keep some cash coming in for you." Gemma handed over the set of keys placing them lovingly in Scarlet's hand. "His house is all yours, Luanna had no one and no will but Otto made sure you were taken care of. He loved you. There is more but we will get into that a little later. I'll text you the address. I am sure you want to do this alone?" Scarlet's eyes locked on the keys in her hand. She couldn't believe Otto was giving her a house, a whole ass house that she could call her own. She agreed she wanted to enter the house for the first time alone, she needed to be alone so she didn't feel the need to hide any feelings that may emerge. Taking the keys and the address she walked out to her rusted car already nervous to see the place Otto was truly himself. She was not sure what to expect. Starting the car she felt eyes on her, taking a quick look she noticed Jax was watching her, something about the look on his face spoke to her, he was worried but surprisingly was respecting her space.
When opening the door, the first sight of her new home took her breath away. It was in her opinion poorly decorated. You could tell a woman spent more time in the home than a man. She curiously looked around the house, her eyes followed each picture. The memories she was unable to share with the small family of two pinched at her heart. She was able to look at them without feeling a wild emotional rollercoaster. Picking up an empty box Scarlet began taking the pictures down to put away until she was ready to visit those moments that she was never invited to live in.
While packing boxes her mind wondered off to the conversation between her and the asshole Jax. What gave him the right to try and suddenly run her life as if she was some victim? She was no victim no matter how hard he might try to make her feel that way. Scarlet was a survivor who lived independently, she didn't need a man to swoop in and save her even if that man did grab her by the gut, making her weak in the knees, a confession she would only admit to herself. That kiss, god help her if that kiss didn't soak those panties of hers. She knew there was something between the two of them more than the MC, something deeper, but she wasn't ready to explore it let alone admit it to anyone allowed, she wasn't even sure he felt the same temptation that consumed her. She couldn't figure out what his fixation was on her, or why keeping her safe seemed to be a priority. Why did he basically demanded she stay in Charming even after they finish the task of finding who took Otto's life?.
Scarlet let out a deep breath picking up a box she made her way to the basement door, kicking it open. She was unable to find the light switch so she walked carefully down the stairs. When she reached the bottom she looked around seeing a bunch of other boxes some marked 'Otto's shit'. This sparked her interest so Scarlet searched for a light, finally finding one by the steps flicking it on she glancing around overwhelmed by a feeling of another presence in the basement.
The box was set down on the floor as her eyes curiously scanned the room. There were reaper emblems and model toy Harleys stacked around the room. A wash of despair came over the young green-eyed woman piecing together that she stood in Otto's man cave. "Daddy." She muttered with a broken heart forcing her feet to shuffle across the floor. Scarlet knelt down next to a box marked 'Otto', pulling her knife out she carefully slit the tape, flipping the box tabs open. It was a box of shirts, she pulled one out, a flannel button up. Her eyes scanned over it trying to imagine Otto in it. All she remembered him wearing was a faded blue jumpsuit. Bringing the shirt into a hug she inhaled the scent making her eyes swell with tears.
Suddenly guilt rained down on her, guilt for how she had become so angry with him the day before when she was in the apartment at TM. Scarlet was confused, having no idea what to believe anymore. She sat on the floor crying into the shirt she held to her small framed body desperate for answers. Her quiet sniffle turned into a hard sob, tears flowing freely down her face. The girl was tough on the outside but inside she was broken and lost. Scarlet fought her inner demons on daily basis.
There was a small bang. Scarlet's head jerked up scanning the room her eyes falling on the area she had heard the drop. Something in her gut told her to look so Scarlet stood up walking over to the corner. She noticed a metal box tucked away under a dusty corner table with a combination lock on it. Pulling it out she heard some rattling making her curious.
She took the box up the stairs into the kitchen, setting it on the kitchen table. Scarlet sat in front of it in a blank daze. "I'll never figure out the combination." She groaned looking around for something to bang the lock off with. Her dainty fingers rubbing over the number scrolls, holding the metal bolt in her small palm while she tried to think of what the combination number could be. Scarlet started with the date Otto went to prison, then tried his set release date before he had caught the murder charges. She went on to try his birthday, then his wedding date she had happen to remember after a conversation they had a few years ago when he first told her the story of Luann.
Scarlet had begun to give up when she heard Otto in the back of her mind. "Your birthday was the proudest day of my life." Taking a deep breath she scrolled each number, shifting in her seat unsure if she would be disappointed when the lock didn't open but to her surprise, the small tug clicked and the lock broke free.
The lid was carefully lifted open, she almost didn't believe it but the box was packed with letters. There had to be a couple hundred of them, and each one was addressed to Scarlet. She lifted a handful shuffling through them.
'My Sweet Scar'
'My Dearest Scarlet'
'To my Babygirl'
Every letter was meant for her but not a single one had a postage stamp. None had an address. She set them all back in the box holding a random letter in her hands. Debating on opening it or not she tapped it on the hard surface of the table. Finally caving in after a long few minutes, she used her knife again to cut the top open in a neat line carefully pulling the frail paper out of the secured envelope.
Dear Scarlet,
Today I laid to rest my dearest friend John. As we stood watching his body lowered into the dirt I heard his oldest son Jax muttering to his mother. "Why did dad have to die?" Scarlet, it tore my heart apart listening to him not too much older than you sobbing wanting his father to magically appear before him. I wanted nothing more than to take the pain from him but I also felt the pain of what it would be like if that were you. This life is hard, some might think it looks fun, we are the cool guys. The hard truth is every day we wake up lay in bed and ponder. 'Will today be the day Reaper comes for me?' Every night we come home holding our breaths walking in the door waiting to see if our families are ok. I pray everyday I could have you near me. I often imagine you running around with Jax and Opie inside the gates of TM but I also know my life will cause you pain. I know a delicate young lady like yourself will only suffer. I could not imagine leaving you in a box. Today was John's' biggest fear, to leave his son in the hands of the devil. We will love him, we will protect him but in the end, he is doomed to suffer this life. His kids will suffer for the shit we do day to day. I wish this on no one. You mean too much to me to let you witness death on daily bases. Scarlet I know you will be angry with me but one day you will see this family might love you but it can not protect you unless you are not part of it. It kills me every day not being able to hold you, baby girl. It cripples my soul to not be able to watch you grow. Forgive me Scar, be free of sin and forgive your old man for being the man I am.
Always yours,
Your Daddy Otto. D
A soft sigh fell from Scarlet's lips, feeling bad for the way she acted the day before with the tall blonde biker. She thought about what Jax had said and realized he was only trying to keep her safe from the same things Otto had tried to keep her from. She couldn't fault him for trying to keep her from all the things that worried Otto. She also realized Jax was thought her attack could be realized to the club and not that the raven-haired tattooed goddess had her own darkness to follow her.
Scarlet wanted to read the letters but she had a stronger urge to apologize to Jax first. Pushing herself away from the table she shut the metal box popping the lock back in place. Scarlet shoved the letter in her back pocket and grabbed her keys heading out the front door only to be met by two prospects.
"You're kidding right?" She asked shutting the door with more of a slam. Snake smiled putting his hands up in surrender. "Hey, my job is to do what Jax asks." She let out an annoyed sigh, shaking her head, making a mental note to bring up the babysitting to Jax but the more important matter was to swallow her pride and apologize for not shutting up long enough to hear him out.
"Yeah well. We will see." She muttered, walking to her car, unlocking it. She watched the two hustle out to the bikes. Scarlet started the car debating on just taking off and letting them chase her but she knew Snake was right. It was not his fault, and Jax would only get pissed at him if she showed up without them following. So she pulled out slowly and waited for them to be ready to follow her back to T.M.
Scarlet pulled in slightly nervous seeing all the bikes lined up in a row. Some of the guys were sitting on a bench so she didn't think anything important was going on giving her the chance to talk to Jax without her bitchy attitude. Scarlet got out of the car and started to walk into the club. "Hey Darlin' you back to give Jax some more shit huh?" Tig chuckled, rubbing his jaw, nodding to the Prospects acknowledging they did a good job. She smiled apologetically to the curly haired biker.
"Something like that. Hey I am sorry if I got you in trouble." She muttered feeling bad now for her actions. "You kidding me kid? I had fun. It's not everyday you get to watch a hot little broad like ya do work on a grown man." Tig winked at her as he stepped away seeing Gemma emerge from the office.
Walking into the clubhouse Scarlet's eyes scanned the room for Jax but she came up short. "He is in the apartment." One of the croeaters spoke as she passed by Scarlet. The smug smile on her face made Scarlet watch her in suspicion. She walked down the dim hallway to the door of the apartment she had called home only a few hours ago. Taking a deep breath she opened the door ready to own up to her shit in a way she wasn't used to doing.
"Hey, Jax can we talk? I…"
Scarlet's eyes widen in disgust. Jax was balls deep into some skank pounding into her with her ass in the air. She felt her heart tear in an unexpected pain seeing him hold the girl up by her neck kissing her as his hips repeatedly plummeted without mercy into her. "Fuck this!" Scarlet muttered, turning on her heel walking out the door not bothering to even slam it shut. She had to get out of there. Her heart pounded in her chest, raged with mixed emotions. She knew she had no right to be upset but it was too late the emotion was raw and explosive.
"Scar wait. SCARLET… " She heard Jax yell out but she was quickly walking out the door. The letter in her pocket dropped in her quickened escape. Not making eye contact with anyone, she got into her car, slamming it shut, turning the key, only find her engine wouldn't turn over, her car wouldn't start and all eyes watched her from afar.
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