Not the best chapter. It is really just to get the Galindo/Lobo Sonora drama over with so I can set the stage for all the things that Jax and the Sons are going to be doing to move in a new direction. Most of the action of my story is going to revolve around the guys making a play for the escort/brothel trade, and everything else they are going to be getting into. My story is more about the Sons changing and the relationship between Jax and Tara than Samcro's criminal activities. So expect me to get through the violent portions of the story as quickly as I can. They are not what I want to focus on.

Chapter 11

By the time Clay and the others had arrived with the wounded Alvarez and his Sgt. At Arms Jax and Tara had been a the clubhouse long enough to get the boys situated back in Chucky's room with Lyla to keep and eye on them, and start prepping the Chapel for an emergency surgery. As Clay and the others carried a wounded Alvarez through the clubhouse towards the Chapel Tara was scrubbing up in a basin of soap water while Jax smoothed out a sterile blanket on top of the table.

"Hey Doc," Alvarez greeted, trying not to let his pain and fatigue show in his voice. He'd lost quite a bit of blood, and he'd never been more thankful for his truce with the Sons which was providing him access to their doctor, because he knew without Dr. Knowles he wouldn't be walking away from this one.

"Hello, Marcus." Indicating the table, she ordered, "Get him on the table. Chibs?"

"Aye, doc?"

"Go get two units of O neg out of the fridge and get his IV setup, then get surgical tray number two."

"Yes Ma'am."

Jax stood back and watched as Chibs ran off to follow Tara's orders while she slipped her surgical gloves on and moved to her patient's side. He couldn't help asking, "You keep blood here?"

Without looking up from Marcus's shoulder where she was removing the makeshift bandage to get a look at his wound, Tara replied, "I make sure we have 30 units of O neg on hand as well as IV bags in case of emergency. I also fully stocked one of the storage closets with prepackaged sterile surgical trays and other medical supplies. In the event of an emergency the clubhouse is capable of setting up a triage area that can treat 100 minor wounds and 15 major injuries."

Returning with the requested medical supplies Chibs added, "Yep, Jax, Doc set us up real nice. We even have a portable defibrillator and portable x-ray machine."

"Which we're going to need," Tara replied as she looked up at Chibs and added, "I can't see the bullet, and there is no exit wound. I'm worried it's in the bone."

"Shit," Chibs cursed before rushing out of the room to get the portable x-ray machine.

Grabbing the blood Tara smiled at Marcus and soothed, "But you're still very lucky. Half an inch to the left and you would have bled out before you got here."

"I live on luck, Doc," Alvarez laughed as he watched Tara quickly hook up an IV and unit of blood before putting both tubes into his arms to begin replacing all the fluids he'd lost.

"Yeah, well I suggest you try living on caution for awhile."

Marcus couldn't help but laugh before groaning in pain, the movement causing pain to radiate from his shoulder.

As they watched Tara work administering pain meds before cutting Marcus's shirt away, Clay asked, "How bad is it?"

"I won't know until I take some x-rays. If the bullet is in the bone the surgery will be much more complicated and there will be a much higher chance of infection."

Before Clay could ask anything else Chibs came rushing back in with the portable x-ray machine. "Here ya go, Tara."

"Good. Gemma, please hold the display screen. Chibs, glove up quickly and then open up the surgical tray and get me the ten blade."

In a few moments Tara was snapping x-rays of Alvarez's shoulder and the pictures appeared on the iPad like device Gemma was holding while Chibs thoroughly washed his hands and put some gloves on to assist with the surgery. "There," Tara indicated to the small foreign object on the screen, "it's not in the bone, but it is right next to it. I should be able to get it out without causing further damage, and I don't think there will be any lasting effects. All in all not as bad as it could have been."

"That's good to hear," Marcus said. "How long will I be down?"

"As long as everything goes well you should be fine in six to eight weeks, but that's if no infection sets in. Chibs, ready with that ten blade?"

"Yes, ma'am."

As Tara set to work Clay's phone went off and h quickly took the call.

"Yeah—Are you sure?—No, wait there, we'll come back you up. You two don't try going in alone. We're leaving now."

Hanging up Clay announced, "Opie and Kozic followed the shooters to an apartment. They're sitting on it. We're going to go find out what all this is about."

Starting to fade a bit from the pain killers Tara had injected him with Alvarez ordered, "Jose, go with the Sons, have some of the others meet you there. Back them up."

"No, brother," Clay denied, "we'll put a call into Leroy and have him back us up. You have your boys get your women and children to your clubhouse and go on lockdown. Until we know what this is we need to play it safe."

Nodding his head, feeling light and fuzzy from the meds, Marcus agreed, "Yeah, should have gone on lockdown immediately like you guys. Just let Jose know if you need any help."

Marcus didn't get a chance to say much more as he lost conciseness while Tara announced, "Chit chat over, boys, I need to work. Chibs, I need some suction here."

As Clay led the others out of the Chapel Jax looked at Tara one last time, once again amazed at how she knew exactly what to do in situations like this. His Tara could take a broken body and piece it back together, and he again reminded himself he needed to let her know how fucking proud of her he was. He needed to let her know that he was amazed by her on a daily basis.

After shutting the Chapel door behind him Jax asked Clay, "So what's the plan?"

"We meet up with Opie and Kozic. We need to get the shooters and find out why the fuck they blew us and Alvarez up." Focusing on Bobby, Clay asked, "You get a hold of Leroy?"

Shaking his head, Bobby replied, "No. Can't reach him or any of his crew."

"Fuck. Keep trying and let him know we need some fucking backup."

Forty five minutes later Jax and the others were huddled behind some cars with Opie and Kozic staking out the apartment they'd followed the shooters to. They still hadn't been able to get a hold of Leroy, and Clay didn't want to waste time waiting for Alvarez's crew so they didn't call them. Surveying the apartment complex Clay turned to Jax and asked, "What do you think, VP?"

"I think we go in there and drag those fuckers out and find out what the fuck all of this is about."

When there was a rumbling of agreements from his brothers Jax finished, "I'll take Opie and Kozic and we'll climb up the side over the balcony. You guys cover the front. When we're in position we'll text you. We'll do a five count after the text and burst in at the same time. Everyone clear?"

When everyone nodded to show that they were on board with the plan the Sons headed for the apartment building. As soon as Jax, Opie, and Kozic were in position on the balcony Jax fired off a text to Clay, and then counted down from five before kicking in the glass of the balcony door and rushing in with Opie and Kozic at his back. He saw Clay and the others coming through the front. In moments they had the entire family consisting of several women, children, and adults huddled in the living room while Bobby another man pinned to the kitchen floor with a boot on his back.

Opie moved towards Bobby and pointed at the man beneath his boot as he said, "That's one of the shooters. He was the driver."

Looking around at the family, Jax asked his friend, "And the rest of these?"

Opie surveyed them quickly before replying, "No, none of them are the other shooter."

Looking at Tig, Jax ordered, "Search the back again. He might be hidden somewhere."

Tig took off for the back of the apartment past the front door while Jax kneeled down to the shooter Bobby was keeping on the ground, and asked, "Who are you and why did you shoot at us and the Mayans?"

When the man remained stubbornly silent, Jax warned, "You're going to tell us what we want to know. The only question is what it's going to take for us to get to that point."

Before Jax could say more another Hispanic man came through the open front door. He took one look at the Sons and grabbed one of the women to use as a shield as he pulled his gun and aimed it at Jax. The next few moments passed in a blur. Tig, who had been in the back and saw someone come in the front had rushed down the hall and then grabbed the man's gun hand while slamming his elbow into his face. There was a scuffle as Clay and the others rushed to help subdue him while the family members screamed before Kozic told them all to shut up.

Once they had the man restrained and the family calmed, Jax asked the driver, "Who are you and what are you doing here? And who the fuck is he?"

The driver looked into the other man's eyes from where Miles and Tig had him pinned to the floor, before focusing on Jax and replying, "I tell you anything and they'll kill us and our family in Mexico."

"I suggest you worry about us standing here with our guns pointing at you," Jax warned. "Who are you?"

It took some more persuasion but soon enough the man broke down and told them everything he knew and Jax cursed, "Fuck! Damnit! A rival cartel?"

The others were equally as worried and Clay pulled out his phone and made a call to Romeo. After speaking to him for a few minutes Clay hung up and announced, "Romeo wants us to bring this guy to him. He said the other and his family here aren't important. Lobo picked them to be disposable. He's told us all he knows."

Reaching down to pull up the shooter, who was remaining silent but glaring at Clay with murderous intent, the Samcro president added, "But he's sure you'll have much more to say."

As his brother's led the man out of the apartment Jax turned to the driver and his family and pulled his wad of cash out of his back pocket. There was about four grand total. Tossing it at the guy he said, "Take it. Take it and get your family the fuck out of here. Lobo will probably come after you, but know if I ever see your face again I'll fill you full of holes. We clear?"

"Yes! Yes! We're leaving!"

Jax didn't say anything else as he left the apartment and followed after the rest of the Sons. He hoped Romeo had a plan because he and the rest of Samcro hadn't signed on to get in the middle of a war between Cartels. If Lobo Sonora was making a serious play for the same territory that Galindo was looking to expand into then the deal they'd made had just gone up in smoke.

Two hours later the Sons were sitting in the barn they were storing their guns at guarding their new prisoner when Romeo Parada and his right hand man Luis Torres came strolling in with their henchmen. "So I hear we've got a problem," Romeo commented as he came to stand before the chair that the Lobo man was tied to.

Clay growled, "Yeah, you could call it that. What the fuck, Romeo? You told me you had no rivals for this play you were making into California. You know we want no part of a war between drug cartels."

"We didn't think that there was an issue." Focusing on the man before him as Luis began to setup his equipment to interrogate the man he added, "You boys settle in. We should know everything he knows in a few hours. We'll decide where to go from there."

…

…

…

A few hours later Romeo exited the barn to find the Sons lounging around on their bikes as he said, "The situation is manageable."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Clay demanded.

"They don't have a real presence here. They're just starting to move in so we can crush them before they get a chance to establish a presence."

Jax, tired of the vagueness insisted, "Spell that out for us, Romeo."

Looking back and forth between Jax and Clay, Romeo explained, "They have a small crew setup in the woods outside the city. We got the coordinates from our friend in there. A crew of 30 men. If we wipe them out by the time Lobo hears of it and is ready to send a second team we'll be too established for them to make a play on this area."

Indicating Luis who was behind him on the satellite phone barking out orders in Spanish, Romeo continued, "We're calling in reinforcements now. They'll be here tomorrow and we'll hit the camp then. We'll wipe them out, but you boys need to handle the Niners."

"What the fuck does Leroy have to do with this?" Opie asked.

"Apparently your friends are buying from Lobo. That needs to stop. We know you have a long history with them, so we'll give you a chance to bring them to us, but if they don't switch allegiances then we'll have no choice but to go after the Niners. We can't tolerate competition if we are going to solidify our rule over the area."

"We'll talk to Leroy," Clay agreed before insisting, "but you need to handle this shit with Lobo. Not only did we not sign on to get in the middle of a Cartel beef, but our Irish suppliers won't put up with it either. They are already skeptical about selling to you, especially considering some of the weapons you guys are requesting. I vouched for you, but if you bring this kind of heat down they will take their guns and go."

Nodding his head, Romeo promised, "We understand. We'll take care of the Lobo situation. You just make sure the Niners stop buying from them."

The rest of the day Jax and the others played damage control. When they had confronted Leroy he had at first refused to back out of the deal he'd made with Lobo, but when they'd made it clear that Galindo would wipe them out he had come around. He'd agreed to buy from Romeo and his guys from now on. It was well after sunset that they finally pulled back into the Samcro lot.

Coming into the clubhouse, Clay asked Chibs, "Where's Marcus?"

"After Tara stabilized him his guys picked him up and took him back to their clubhouse. What's the situation?"

Clay quickly filled Chibs in while the others dispersed about the club. Most of the guys went looking for booze and croweaters to amuse themselves with but Opie and Jax both went looking for their families. As Opie headed upstairs to Jax's room where Lyla and their kids were staying while on lockdown Jax headed for the back towards Chucky's room. Pushing the door open softly he found Tara and the boys fast asleep. He didn't want to risk waking them and have Tara kick him out so he simply grabbed a blanket and pillow form the corner and got comfortable on the floor by the bed. He knew tomorrow was going to be rough. They'd need to make sure that the Lobo situation was handled, and he would need to calm Tara down. This attack was going to set her off again he was sure.

The next morning Tara awoke to Thomas crying and Abel complaining that he was hungry. A quick look around the room revealed that Jax was waking up from his spot on the floor. She was so angry with him. Less than a week out of jail and there was already bloodshed. She knew he was working hard to take the Sons in a different direction, but she couldn't stand the violence. She was so afraid that something was going to happen to the boys.

Without looking at him she took Thomas and said, "You get Abel."

From Tara's avoidance, her refusal to even look at him, Jax knew she was pissed. He also knew she was just waiting to lay into him and would do so without mercy at the first opportunity. Quietly they both went about getting the boys ready for the day, and while Jax desperately wanted to stay and watch Tara nurse Thomas, from the cold shoulder she was giving him he knew it wouldn't be a good idea.

Breakfast passed quickly and was a noisy affair, but all too soon Tara was passing Thomas off to Lyla as she asked her and Gemma to keep an eye on the boys while she spoke to Jax. Her tone spoke volumes and Gemma shot Jax a glare that very clearly said he'd better do whatever was necessary to get back in Tara's good graces.

Once they were safely behind the closed door of Chucky's bedroom Tara spun to face Jax and demanded, "What happened?"

"Some guys who don't want us handing off our business to the Mayans decided to make noise. It's getting handled today."

Jax knew he couldn't let Tara know they were working with Galindo. If she found out that they were having anything to do with a drug cartel, even if it was short term and only involved selling them guns, Tara would totally freak. He knew she would freak and pack up the boys and head to the hills. It's why he'd made the others and his mother swear not to let her find out. They would only be doing business with Galindo for six months, and then they would be well out of the gun world. Those six months would allow them to bank enough cash to venture into their new businesses, and give them the time they'd need to stock pile weapons. Since they would be giving up their pipeline they would need to fill their stores to make sure that they'd have the firepower needed for any future altercations. It's not that they didn't trust Marcus would sell to them if they needed guns, it was just that he and the others agreed that it would be best if they had a shit ton in reserves at various storage points so they'd never have to wait for them if they needed to arm up quickly for any reason.

Tara, sensing that Jax was hiding something from her, asked, "What are you not telling me, Jax?"

Both loving and hating that Tara could read him so well, Jax hedged, "Nothing, babe. Well nothing you need to worry yourself about."

"Nothing I need to worry about? Are you serious?"

"Tara, you're getting upset over nothing. What happened yesterday wasn't that big of a deal, and it is being handled today."

Needing Jax to understand, Tara confided, "I'm afraid, Jax."

"Tara, I promise that—"

"Jax, listen to me." When he held her gaze, Tara repeated, "I'm afraid. I'm afraid every second of every day. I'm afraid I'm going to be driving down the street and someone is going to come up behind me and blow the back of my head off like Donna. So I got my Denali bullet proofed. I'm afraid someone that wants to hurt you is going to break into my house and come after me and our sons. So I built safe rooms all over the house and stocked one of them with weapons. Jax, I'm afraid every second of every day of the danger you put me and the boys in. Do you have any idea what it is like to live in fear all the time?"

Jax had never felt more worthless or disgusted with himself as Tara continued, "Jax, you tell me I'm getting upset over nothing, that having to perform an emergency surgery in this clubhouse to remove a bullet from one of your business associates is nothing for me to worry over, and I can't help but think how fucking stupid that is. What if it had been you? What if hadn't been a bullet to the shoulder and instead had been one that went right through that thick skull of yours? Or what if it had been this clubhouse that was attacked? What if some point in the future you guys do something that pisses someone off and they come here? What if one of those bullets hits one of our boys?"

Tears filled Tara's eyes as she continued, "I'd blame you, Jax, I'd blame you and I'd hate you—and I don't ever want to hate you. I can't be with you, but I don't ever want to hate you."

Moving forward to take hold of her arms, Jax vowed, "Tara, I'm doing everything I can to take us away from the violence, but it won't happen overnight. It's why we went on lockdown, and if Marcus had done the same thing he wouldn't have gotten shot. It's a mistake he's fixed. His club and family are on lockdown now as well. We just need to get through the next six months and then there will be no more blood and bullets, Tara. I promise."

Tara searched Jax's gaze for a moment, his eyes begging her to give him the time he needed to make the changes he was pushing for, before she stepped back from his hold and said, "I'm not to the point of running, but it won't take much to get me there. I don't want to leave Charming, Jax, I don't want to leave you or Samcro, but I have to do what is best for the boys. You know that right?"

"Yes, I do, and I want you to, but I know I can change things. I just need some time, Tara."

When she hesitated Jax moved closer, but was smart enough to not try and take hold of her again, and begged, "Please, Tara, please don't run. Give me six months. If in six months you are still afraid I'll pack up and leave with you."

"Jax, I'm not asking you to choose between me and your club."

"You don't need to, babe, because I've already chosen you and our boys. I just …"

When Jax's words trailed off Tara prodded, "Just what, Jax?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Jax took a moment to organize his thoughts before explaining, "Tara, my father built Samcro. And I know it isn't what he intended, but you read his journal, you know it started out as something better. I'm not arguing that Samcro lost its way. Babe, the Sons are so far off the beaten path that where my father intended them to go might as well be on a different planet."

As Tara stared up at him with those oh so green eyes of hers, Jax continued desperately, "But I know I can get us there. I know I can make the Sons what they were born to be. I can fix us, babe, because I want Samcro to be something that not only are you proud to be a part of but something we'll both be proud of our boys to be a part of."

"Jax," Tara lamented softly, "I want more for our sons than a bike and kutte. I want them to have options."

"So do I, Tara, and it's why I won't let them prospect until after college."

When her eyes widened in total shock, Jax grinned, "Abel and Thomas? They're going to be doctors, or lawyers, or some other fancy shit like that, but they'll be Samcro too. I want Samcro to change because right now I would never let my sons patch. Ever. Not with the way things are, but with where we're headed? The changes we want to make? We're going to have a shit load more Sons that have fancy degrees like yours."

"You're serious?"

"Yes. I want Samcro to be what it has always been capable of being. I just need some time to get us there, so I'm asking you to stay. Please stay. Stay and trust me when I say I can keep us safe until the transition is done."

Tara hesitated a moment. She could understand what Jax was saying. She had come to see that Samcro was more about money, guns, and violence. While Jax and the others were inside she had grown incredibly close with Gemma, Lyla, and the rest of the old ladies. And Chibs, Opie, Miles, Kozic, and Piney were constantly coming by to see if she needed anything. She'd spent many Sunday afternoon and evenings at the weekly Samcro cookout with the boys. So she could understand why Jax was so hell bent on trying to save his club before calling it quits. Not to mention the deep love he had for the club his father built and was truly his legacy. So she knew how much the Sons meant to him, but it didn't make her any less afraid.

'Still, do I have the right to cut and run? Especially at the first sign of trouble? Samcro is Abel and Thomas's legacy every bit as much as it is Jax's. Would it be fair to pack them up and move right now? To take them and go before Jax has a chance to fix things? When they're older what if they hate me for it? Blame for taking them away from something that is part of their heritage?'

Deciding she owed it to her boys to at least try and give it six months, Tara asked, "Will we have to stay on lockdown for the entire time?"

Feeling relief surge through him, Tara's question revealing she was going to give him the time he needed, Jax joked, "I hope not. I love our family and friends, Tara, but it's getting crowded."

"Yeah it is," Tara agreed with a small smile.

Not wanting Tara to doubt his dedication to their safety he added, "But I'm also not willing to risk anything happening, so until we are absolutely certain that any and all danger has passed you, the boys, and everyone else we love are staying here."

There was a moment of silence before Tara promised, "I'm going to do my best to give you the time you need, Jax, but ultimately I'm going to do what is best for the boys."

"And I accept that."

When Tara remained silent Jax teased, "So now do we get to kiss and make up?"

Rolling her eyes Tara scoffed, "You wish."

As Tara turned and headed from the room, Jax asked softly, "Do you like the flowers."

Hesitating at the door with her hand on the knob, Tara took a deep breath and turned to face Jax as she said, "They're nice, Jax, and what you've written—well it means something to me, but you've always been good with words. It's your actions that do damage. All the promises and pretty words in the world don't make up for the fact you can't keep your dick in your pants. They don't make up for the fact that you have proven that you are capable of deliberately hurting me as deeply as possible. As nice as your flowers and cards are, they don't make me trust you."

When Tara turned and left the room Jax cursed and took a seat on the bed as he ran his hands through his hair and thought on her words. He hated hearing how little Tara thought of him. He hated gazing into her eyes and seeing that guarded, wounded look in them. He'd done that to her. He'd made her fear him. He'd shattered her trust in him, and it fucking killed him. He needed to fix shit with her, but he was running out of ideas how.

After a few minutes he decided he needed help, and as much as it was going to hurt he had no choice but to seek out his mother and ask her to help him. Standing up Jax headed from the room. He was going to need to seek out his mother as soon as possible, but first he needed to see Juice. He had a special assignment for him, and then he was going to speak to Clay. He had some ideas on what they could do to boost their security not only for right now, but for any future situations. He was pretty sure Clay would back him and when they presented the idea to the rest of club he was certain it would get a yes vote all around.