Chapter Eleven: A Figure In The Dark

Later on, I was changing into something a bit more comfortable for the clubhouse. I wasn't working tonight so I could spend my time as I pleased. I'd donned a black velvet skirt, not too short at mid-thigh length and was just slipping a dark red vest over my head when I became aware of the feeling that I wasn't alone. Turning my head I saw that Tig was stood in the door frame behind me, watching me and looking ridiculously sexy in a long-sleeve black shirt.

"Perv," I teased, pulling the top down.

"You should've closed the door," He smirked.

"You should've made your presence known," I retorted.

"And miss that?" His blue eyes glinted malevolently as he came into the room. My palms immediately began to sweat as the familiar mixture of nerves and excitement washed over me as Tig came closer. "Nah, don't worry Kitten. I didn't see anything- was only there for a second."

"Why don't I believe you?" I tried to sound blasé and confident, but my voice came out hushed and nervous as he walked up close behind me.

"Probably 'cause I'm lying," He replied, his voice equally subdued, and I bit my lip to stop any sound escaping as softly he ran one finger up the side of my thigh to just below the hem of my skirt. It was nowhere near the danger zone, so to speak, but anywhere Tig touched was a danger zone to me. He didn't step away from me and I could feel his breath on my neck.

"W-what was it you wanted?" I stammered, trying to keep a clear head. This type of thing was exactly what fell under Jackson's category of 'too friendly'. However, what I said seemed to bring Tig back in focus and he stepped away from me, putting a safer distance between us. I turned around so that I was facing him.

"You haven't told me what got you freaked out earlier," He said, clearing his throat.

"Oh," I hesitated, glancing around the room. I didn't want to tell him. "Nothing."

"Kitten."

"Okay," I sighed, "It's just, it probably really is nothing- so don't tell the club, okay, until I figure it out?" His expression changed to one of real concern.

"You're asking me to keep this a secret from the club?"

"Tig, please. Like I said, it's probably nothing." He stared me down for a long moment and then nodded, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"Alright," He agreed. I sat down beside him (but not too close, me and Tig sitting too close on the same bed didn't seem like a great idea).

"The other day, you know when Clay and Gemma were both arrested and I came back from Gene's early?" He nodded, so I continued, "I stopped for gas on the way back and… there was this car, sitting in a lay-by. I mean, the road was pretty much empty there, so I thought it was weird. It was probably just someone waiting for a tow truck or something, though-"

"Did it follow you?" Tig's voice was low and calm.

"I don't know- I don't think so. The traffic picked up behind me."

"What kind of car?"

"Black SUV. Tinted windows. Couldn't see the driver." Tig looked down at his hands for a minute, apparently thinking, but then he looked around at me, his eyes meeting mine.

"Do you think it could've been Kohn?" I swallowed. I was afraid of this- the timing just seemed too close. But if Kohn really was just back for Tara and/or to get something on the Sons of Anarchy, why would he have any special interest in me? He'd said it himself, that I had no record or anything else to make me noteworthy to cops. I voiced this thought but Tig still looked like he wasn't sure.

"Jax said he sent Tara photos of him when we went up to Indian Hills- pictures of him and this croweater." I stared.

"So he really is just going after Tara?"

"He wants to drive Jax off her. You're his sister- I guess he might be trying to get something on you, too. I don't know. Are you and Tara close?"

"No, not at all, I hardly know her," I said truthfully, though my tone was slightly defensive.

"Kitten, something like this, I have to tell Clay," Tig began, "He'd wanna know-"

"No." My tone was firm, determined. "Don't tell Clay. Nothing happened. I haven't seen anything weird since- I think I just overreacted on the day." Tig looked like he wanted to argue but then thought better of it.

"Alright, Kitten. But see anything else like that again and you tell me. Got it?" I saw his hand move to his knife, stroking the handle briefly. I gritted my teeth and nodded. Once again, I'd forgotten how dangerous Tig Trager could be.


A few days later and it was time for Half-Sack's fight. Two old bodies had been dug up off of the highway and from the flurry of club activity that day, I'd guessed that it had something to do with SAMCRO. Tig in particular seemed to have been involved, as he and Clay disappeared for most of the day. I also heard the name Lowell a few times; he was one of the mechanics at Teller-Morrow, though he was not a patched in member. Still, he was back by the time I was ready.

"Heard the purse is up to 35K," He said conversationally as we strolled across to the boxing ring.

"The club really need the money, huh?"

"Yeah. Shit's pretty bad since the warehouse burned." I nodded. As we crossed over though, I spotted Jax. He was limping. I sighed.

"What the hell happened?" I demanded as Tig and I drew near.

"Kohn," Jax replied.

"I thought he was gone?" I'd heard Chibs say something about it earlier, for sure.

"Yeah. He's been stripped of his credentials and he's being shipped back to Illinois to face charges for violating his restraining order. Jackass," Jax grunted.

"What did he do to your leg?" I wanted to know.

"Stabbed me with a pair of scissors," He answered, "Broke into my house and pissed in the nursery, too."

"Asshole," Something about my tone must've been funny because Tig chuckled lowly. Both Jax and I looked at him strangely. He shrugged and walked off, leaving me with Jax. Which, you know, was just what I needed considering he'd already made his suspicions about me and Tig known.

"Eliza," Jax began.

"Nope." I walked away before he could question me. Shit was confusing enough without the inquisition.

I walked towards the ring as I saw Half-Sack and his opponent ready to start their final fight. Cherry was stood by, watching avidly as the prospect waited for the bell. I went over to her.

"Hey. How's Bobby's been?" I asked her.

"Shit," She answered, "He was all over me." I looked over to where I could see Bobby was stood with Chibs and Piney- it didn't sound much like him. For a little while we watched the fight, watching Half-Sack go through the rounds.

"It was probably a test," I told her quietly after a little thought, glancing around. Clay wasn't too far away, muttering to Half-Sack between rounds, and I didn't want him to overhear me, "See if you're serious about Sack."

"Of course I am!" She cried, quite offended. I laughed.

"I know you are. The club didn't know- you pulled a dumb move by coming to Charming, that's all." Cherry nodded, looking over at Clay. He spotted us and started coming over. I heard her inhale a little sharply. "Relax," I whispered, "Just tell him the truth."

"Hey, girls," He greeted us, though he cast me a furtive look which plainly meant 'go away'. However, Cherry gave me a pleading look and I stuck by her side. Clay rolled his eyes at my stoic look. "I understand you, er, declined Bobby's request for some comfort."

"Yeah, I did. I'm not about that anymore," Cherry said, shooting me another look. I nodded slightly, encouragingly.

"If I was to ask for some comfort..." I fought the urge to gag, "Would you be about that?"

"No, I'm sorry, but your old lady would turn us both into chum," Cherry joked, and I saw Dad grin a little.

"Yeah, that's a good point," He agreed, glancing at me. I smiled. "If Half-Sack patches in- and it's a big 'if'- it's all right with me if you stick around- that is, if he wants you as his old lady." Cherry gasped happily and launched herself at Clay, hugging him. He chuckled as she kissed him on the cheek. I grinned.

"Thanks, Dad," I said to him and he nodded. He knew that aside from Half-Sack, Gemma and I had befriended Cherry and that I in particular liked having her around for company at the clubhouse. It'd suck if he sent her back to Indian Hills- for her as well as me and Half-Sack. Clay was about to say something when the other Sons' yells from nearby distracted us.

"Shit! Shit!" Juice yelled.

"What's he doing?" Tig's blue eyes were wide. I looked around and saw that Half-Sack was going for it, new rage propelling him to pound the other guy to within an inch of his life by the looks of it. I wondered for a second why they were upset that he was about to win the fight, but then I understood- when they'd been speaking to him, they'd asked him to take a dive. They'd bet against him and now he was going to win. Probably, I realised, because he'd misread the hug Cherry had given Clay.

"Fuck," I muttered, rushing forward. Half-Sack was so far gone that he'd had to be pulled away from the fight before he killed the guy. I sighed as I watched Tig and the others dragging him away. Clay went over to talk him down. "I need some damn sanity," I announced to a shocked-looking Cherry, "I'll see you."

"Yeah."

I hadn't seen Donna in a couple of weeks but suddenly I missed her. I slipped away and jumped in my car. The ride over was as uneventful as ever, but as I had been doing ever since that car at the gas station, I kept glancing in my rear-view mirror making sure I wasn't being followed. If it had been Kohn, of course, he was supposed to be gone. Still, we'd never been sure and I didn't want to have anything to tell Tig, so I kept a watchful eye out even as I pulled up to Donna's.

She let me in.

"Hey, the kids are in bed," She told me, letting me in. We sat on her couch. "So what's new with you?"

"Nothing. Just… club stuff starting to get to me," I muttered. Donna's blue eyes fixed on me dully. "Nothing nasty," I added, "Just being there all the time, it gets to you. I have to get away sometime- get some perspective." Her look changed to one of worry.

"Opie's getting more involved with them again..." She said.

"I told you that you can't keep him away forever."

"Yeah… but if that stuff is bothering you then imagine how I feel," Donna sighed, "He leaves the house and I don't know where he is or what he's doing. What if he goes to jail again?"

"Donna," I stated, "Opie is not going to jail again. They won't let it happen, believe me." She bit her lip but didn't respond. Eventually, her expression lightened again and I knew what the next subject would be; it was the same conversation as always with Donna. I suppose that was what girlfriends were for, but still…

"So how's things with Tigger the Tiger?" She grinned. I rolled my eyes, my guess right on the money as to the subject matter.

"Oh, you know," I shrugged. I hadn't told anybody about our kiss, or any of the little things since that I'd noticed. For one, I didn't know what to say about it and for another, I didn't want it to get back to Jax. Not before anything had even happened- and I knew now, in my gut, that it was just a matter of time before something did happen between me and Tig. There was just too much tension for nothing to happen. However, Donna knew me too well. She suddenly gasped and sat forward, grabbing my arm excitedly.

"What happened?" She practically screamed.

"Sssh! You said the kids are in bed," I reminded her, suppressing a grin. She quietened down, looking guilty.

"Eliza, you have to tell me!"

"Nothing, really," I said, deciding to try and downplay it. I didn't want to make anything out to be a huge deal, "We were really drunk and we… we kissed. But that was it! And nothing's happened since." Well, that wasn't strictly a lie, right?

"Oh my god," Donna, usually so serious, was giggling like an idiot. "Wait, wait. How was it? Was it good?"

"I..." I huffed, "Fine! Yes, it was good." I paused. "Really good." Donna stopped laughing and leant forward.

"You feel something for him. Don't you?"

"Don't be stupid." It was just a stupid school girl crush turned to lust. That was all. And even if it wasn't, it didn't matter, because I couldn't tell anyone about it- because, after all, it could never happen anyway.

I left Donna's a while later, as it was getting pretty late. I'd almost completely forgotten everything about Kohn and the strange SUV I'd seen for the first time in days. Which, of course, cued the moment that I heard a rustling in the bushes behind me.

I span around, peering through the darkness, but I couldn't see anything. I contemplated going back into Donna's, whose front door was only a few paces away, but then I heard another noise somewhere off to my right and I changed my mind. If it wasn't just my mind playing tricks on me, I could be in danger. And I couldn't bring that danger to Donna and her kids. No way. Without moving my feet I reached into my purse and found my gun. I'd never actually had to draw it before, but I did so now, flicking the safety off before I'd completely withdrawn it from my bag. I didn't raise it though; I turned in a slow circle, scanning in my periphery vision as I did so. I couldn't see anybody but it was pitch black and shrubbery and bushes were a little overgrown towards the Winston's front door. Slowly, carefully, I took a step away from the house and towards my car, straining my hearing and vision. Nothing. I took another step, still nothing. Three more steps and then I heard it- something like a twig snapping. That did it- I broke into a run, sprinting to my car.

When I reached the drivers side door, I found myself fumbling again in my purse for my keys, panicking, trying to find my keys. It was no good- I was too scared. Dropping my purse, I span around. Whoever it was hadn't ran after me, probably because of the gun, but I could see their figure from here, a few feet back. They wore all black and I couldn't see their face, as they appeared to be wearing a balaclava of some kind.

"STAY THERE!" I commanded loudly and clearly. He froze. "Move again and I'll shoot!" He raised his hands and stayed stock still. Carefully, I crouched and caught up my purse again. This time I managed to get hold of my keys. I unlocked the car, got in quickly, and closed and locked the door. Without pausing to look back, I stepped on it and sped off. My heart was in my mouth the whole way back to the clubhouse.


A/N: Soooo who is it? Will we ever find out? Haha. Hope you liked another hot little moment between Tig and Eliza too. Please, drop me a review letting me know what you think.

P.S. I wish my guest reviewers had accounts so I could respond to some of the lovely and interesting things you guys have said!