I know it's been a long time and I'm sorry for the wait, but my inspiration muse for this story decided to go on vacation. I think she might have returned now – cross your fingers!
Thanks to those who have been patient and stuck with the story, and welcome to all you newbies! Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: Own nothing related to SOA.
Dates with Jackson Teller
Dana flicked through the shirts hanging up in her closet with a disapproving frown, growing more and more frustrated with each article of clothing that she bypassed in her search for something to wear to Lumpy's. She paused on a black, button-up blouse for a moment, then continued on after deeming it too matronly. Dana paused again a few seconds later when she caught sight of a silky-green, sleeveless blouse, one that she normally wore under her suit jackets when working at the bureau. She tilted her head as she inspected it, contemplating whether it was too business-y or not, then finally shook her head in rejection before moving on.
A glance at the clock over her shoulder had her groaning in annoyance. She only had a few more minutes left before she was supposed to meet Teller outside. With a frown, she turned back to her shirts and continued her search. Normally Dana was the kind of woman that didn't take very long to get ready. Working at the bureau meant a lot of early mornings and a very busy schedule, so having the ability to get ready and be out the door in less than thirty minutes had become a necessity. But it wasn't very often that Dana found herself getting ready for a breakfast date - because Teller had definitely said the word 'date' - with an insanely attractive man. An insanely attractive man who was not only one of her main targets in her investigation, but whom she'd also nearly locked lips with in a drunken moment of insanity the night before. As much as she didn't want to admit it to herself, she knew she was having a slightly harder time trying to figure out her wardrobe because she knew it was Teller she would be spending her time with…not that Dana was trying to impress him. This was strictly business, just her carrying out her new orders to the very best of her ability.
Just. Business.
After finally deciding to just wear a plain white t-shirt and her favorite pair of jeans, Dana slipped on a pair of shoes and then headed into the bathroom to brush her teeth and dab on a little make-up. She took a moment to fuss over her damp hair, which was naturally wavy but usually worn straight, before sighing in resignation. There was no time to blowdry it, so today would just have to be an 'au naturel' kind of day. A few sprays of her favorite perfume later, she was finished getting ready. Dana rounded up her cell phones, stuffed them into her purse, then grabbed her keys and headed for the door. She hesitated for a second with her hand on the knob, mentally preparing herself for what was about to come, before finally stepping outside.
Her eyes immediately landed on Teller, who was already waiting for her and leaning casually against the hood of her rental car with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs crossed at the ankle. He was dressed in his usual attire – white sneakers, baggy jeans, SAMCRO t-shirt and his leather kutte. He straightened up some once he saw her. Dana thought she saw a little smirk form on the corner of his mouth before she turned to lock the door behind her. Once she was making her way down the porch steps and walking towards him, Teller pushed himself away from her car and stood to his full height, eyes never turning away from her. "I'm impressed," the blonde biker said by way of greeting. "I think you're the first woman I've met who's actually ready to go when she says she will be."
"Well, I'm still impressed you're even up this early," Dana shot back, ignoring the way he was watching her and making a beeline for the driver's side door. As Teller followed her suit and started for the passenger side door on the other side, she shot him a questioning look over the top of the car. "Isn't the wakeup call for bikers usually noon?" she asked, the small smirk on her lips signaling to him that she was just joking with him.
"Not for the hungry ones," he joked right back.
Now when Dana had insisted that she be the one to drive to Lumpy's, she had done so because she'd thought taking her car would be the safer route. Taking Teller's motorcycle meant having to sit on the back of his bike whilst clinging to him like a koala, which would more than likely leave her with a higher body temperature and bring on all kinds of wildly inappropriate thoughts, especially so considering the events of last night. And since she needed to focus, not daydream about jumping Jackson Teller's bones., it had seemed wiser not to even put herself in that position. What Dana hadn't considered, however, was how being in an enclosed, confined space with Teller would affect her. The instant they were settled in their seats and the car doors were closed, it felt like all the air in the car had gotten sucked out. They eyed each other for a moment or two, Dana starting to feel more than a little nervous, before she finally turned her eyes away, clicked her seatbelt into place, and started the car. As she pulled out of the driveway and started out of the neighborhood, the scent of his pleasant-smelling cologne started to fill the car and invade her senses, making her nerves feel a little tingly. She'd always been a sucker for the smell of good cologne, and Teller's was definitely top notch.
The first half of the drive to Lumpy's was spent in awkward silence. She wanted to make small talk but couldn't seem to think of anything intelligent to say. She was acutely aware of every movement he made, and she was also very much aware of the fact that Teller kept blatantly eyeing her as they drove along, either. She had no idea why he kept looking at her the way that he was, but was starting to make her feel antsy and she found herself driving a little faster, wanting to get to the restaurant and get out of this damned car.
Eventually Teller started nosing around in the glove box and checking out the car, as though he were looking for something to do or searching for a way to break the ice. "I honestly don't know how you can stand driving this piece of shit around," Teller commented to finally end the silence that had been stretching on. "They should be paying you just to be seen in this thing."
Dana just shrugged, grateful for the small talk and hoping it would be enough to distract herself from her own nervousness. "It's not great, but I just keep reminding myself that it's only temporary," she told him. "I'll definitely be happy to get my Malibu back, though."
"When's it supposed to be finished?" Teller asked, relaxing in his seat again and turning his eyes back over to her.
Dana met his gaze for a moment and lifted a doubtful eyebrow. "You work at the shop," she reminded him. "Shouldn't you already know things like that?"
The look in his eyes turned from curious to unimpressed. "I didn't realize I was supposed to be keeping tabs on your car, princess," he countered, his words dripping with sarcasm.
"Well…I guess I can forgive you for it," Dana shot at him with a smirk so he would know that she was only joking with him. "This time anyway," she added Teller just snorted to himself and shook his head, though he seemed more amused than annoyed. "Half-Sack said it should be finished sometime this week." she finally answered him, pressing on the brakes as they came to a red-light and glancing over at Teller again. He was nodding his head in understanding, eyes on the road in front of them.
It would have been a complete lie if Dana said there wasn't some tension still lingering between them. Though she wasn't exactly sure where he stood on the matter of their almost-kiss – whether he had even meant to make the move in the first place or if it was just a drunken mistake – she had to assume that he at least wasn't angry with her for rejecting him, otherwise they probably wouldn't have been on their way to having breakfast together. Still, Teller didn't exactly seem as though he was in a hurry to acknowledge the giant elephant in the room – or rather, car – and since she wasn't sure she wanted to discuss it either, Dana didn't attempt to bring it up.
The honk of an impatient horn made her jump a little. Teller looked in the side mirror curiously before his gaze turned up to the light. Dana blushed when she realized that she'd been so busy staring at the biker sitting next to her that she hadn't seen the light turn green. With a flush, she quickly turned her attention forward again and pressed on the accelerator, waving to the driver behind her in apology. "So," Dana started casually when she felt Teller's eyes on her again, wanting to keep the small talk going. "That party last night was something else."
He smirked at hearing that. "Just a typical Saturday night at the Sons of Anarchy clubhouse." Then his smirk widened. "What's the matter, Prejean. Couldn't hang?" Teller asked teasingly, raising his eyebrows at her.
She couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. Dana had learned in the short time that she'd known him that Jackson Teller could be very charming and even friendly if he wanted to be. But, on the other hand, he was just as capable of being exceedingly arrogant and, to put it bluntly, could be quite a shithead. "I can hang, thank you very much," she retorted defensively. "I'm just…a little out of practice."
The glint in his eyes led her to believe that Teller wasn't completely convinced with her excuse, but he didn't put a voice to his doubt. "Must not have gotten out much before you moved to Charming, huh?" Teller asked instead. Oh, if only you knew, Dana mused to herself, thinking back to all the nights spent locked up in her apartment pouring over case files into the wee hours of the morning instead of enjoying the nightlife like other, normal, single women her age did. "That ex-husband of yours keep you on a short leash or somethin'?"
Dana looked over at him in surprise, caught completely off guard by his question. She didn't recall ever telling him that she had been married before. "How did you know I was married?" she asked, wondering if he had found out because he'd been asking around about her if he'd just heard through hear-say.
"You told Bonnie, the town gossiper," was his simple, matter-of-fact answer. "Ya might as well've put it on a billboard."
It was oddly discouraging to learn that he'd merely heard through the grapevine rather than by asking around, but Dana quickly pushed the unexpected feeling of disappointment away. "Ahhh, I see," she said in understanding.
"So?" Teller prompted, not letting her forget that he'd asked her a question.
Dana pursed her lips for a moment then shrugged her shoulders. "He tried to keep me on a short leash," she admitted, which actually was the truth. Her ex-husband had tried with all of his might to turn her into the stereotypical nineteen-fifty's housewife, but had never succeeded. "As you can see, that didn't really work out so well. Not for him anyway," she added before shooting Teller a pointed look. "I'm not exactly a fan of being bossed around," she informed him.
Teller let out a short, sarcastic laugh when she said that. "Yeah, I've noticed," he told her with another raise of his eyebrows, looking very unsurprised by this information. "So what happened?" he started, getting back to the topic at hand. "You got annoyed with him and gave him the boot?"
Dana slowly shook her head, his questions bringing the day that her ex-husband had walked out on her back to the forefront of her mind with sharp clarity. She couldn't say that the memory bothered her, but it was still a part of her life history that she didn't normally talk about. It felt a little weird to delve into the topic again after so many years, especially so with Jackson Teller. "No," she answered truthfully. "It was the other way around actually."
Now Teller did look surprised. "Really? He divorced you?"
"Yep," Dana confirmed, nodding her head. "Surprised?"
"A little, yeah," Teller admitted, turning his eyes back to the road with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Can I ask why?" he pried, gaze shifting back to hers in curiosity.
Dana's grip unconsciously tightened on the steering wheel. Even though she had long since gotten over her ex-husband and the not-so-pretty demise of their short-lived marriage, that didn't mean it was something she wanted to talk about with just anyone. In fact, nobody, not even Joel – whom she probably considered to be her closest friend – really knew the details surrounding Dana's divorce. "It's complicated," she finally answered.
Teller stared at her for a moment before nodding his head and turning to look out the window. He seemed to understand that this was a subject Dana didn't want to discuss. "It always is," he mused aloud, before falling silent again.
When they arrived at Lumpy's, the place didn't seem to be overly crowded, which wasn't surprising seeing as it was Sunday morning and most of Charming's upholding citizens were attending church rather than trying to cure the after-effects of a late night out. Dana parked near the front of the restaurant then got out of the car, Teller following her lead. They headed for the front door and he chivalrously moved to open it for her, but he stopped short when the door suddenly swung open and a group of giggling high-school girls came filing out of the restaurant. The girls' laughter died off when they saw the attractive biker, but he merely smiled politely in response and stepped out of the way, motioning for them to go past. Dana didn't miss the way the girls snuck several looks at him as they walked away, their giggling almost immediately resuming.
She couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at him in amusement, sure this was something that happened quite often. After all, he was annoyingly good-looking and he was working the 'bad boy' angle like a pro – what teenage girl wouldn't trip over themselves in his presence? "What?" Teller asked with an indifferent shrug, his expression pure innocence. Dana just shook her head with a snort. Teller said nothing about this and, with a smirk playing on his lips, moved to open the door before grandly gesturing for her to go through first. "After you, darlin'."
Dana moved past him and stepped into the restaurant, refusing to feel even the slightest bit giddy over the cutesy pet-name he'd just used – he probably called every woman that – and dutifully ignoring the electricity that shot through her veins when her body came within inches of brushing against his. Teller followed her in and then hovered just behind her, the both of them taking a moment to look around the establishment as they waited for one of the staff to acknowledge them. A hostess who looked to be in her mid-thirties with too much make-up and enough hairspray in her hair to create a fire hazard finally spotted them and came over to greet them.
"You're up early today, Jax," she said with a kind smile, already reaching for two menus and some wrapped up silverware.
"Early bird gets the worm, right Pam?" he responded in kind, flashing a charming smile.
The hostess, evidently named Pam, shifted her gaze over to Dana. "Pretty girl you got with ya," she said, winking at Dana. Dana smile politely at the compliment, but otherwise said nothing in response. "You must be someone special if he's takin' you out," Pam added, wagging her eyebrows a bit.
Dana shot a look up at Teller. His eyes almost immediately turned downward to meet hers, before that infuriatingly attractive smirk made a reappearance on the corner of his mouth. "She's somethin' alright," he confirmed, making her heart beat a tick faster and her body feel a degree or two warmer. They stared at each other for a nanosecond before Teller blinked and shifted his attention back to Pam. "So where can we sit?" Teller asked casually.
"Follow me," Pam urged, crooking her finger in a 'come hither' motion and turning to lead the way.
As they wove their way through the restaurant, Dana found her eyes jumping from table to table and curiously taking in the other patrons. Some smiled at her politely whenever their gazes met while others were more inclined to shoot her an odd look, but it was the fact that there were so many eyes turned in her direction in the first place that caught her interest. It only took Dana a few more seconds to realize that the other patrons weren't looking at her, but rather at the blonde-haired biker behind her strutting along like he owned the place. She had to imagine that he drew this sort of attention no matter where he went in Charming.
Pam seated them at a booth in the corner and handed them the menus once they were both settled in. "What can I start ya off with?"
Teller looked at her pointedly, silently telling her she should answer first. "Coffee," Dana told her with a smile.
Pam nodded and turned to Teller, who said, "Same." Then the hostess was off to go fetch them their drinks.
A few minutes later they both had steaming hot cups of coffee in hand. They made small talk about the menu as they both looked it over, each trying to decide which breakfast would best cure their hangovers. After they finally decided and gave Pam their orders – Teller looked rather impressed when Dana ordered a hearty, carb-filled breakfast – Teller took a sip from his coffee and turned his eyes over to hers.
"So, Prejean," he started conversationally, "You've lived here for two weeks and I feel like I still don't know a damn thing about you."
Dana shrugged nonchalantly as she took a drink of her own coffee. "There really isn't that much to know," she told him with an equal amount of casualness, a small smile playing on the corner of her lips.
That made his trademark smirk appear. "Now why do I not believe that for a second?" he asked, his eyes alight with a sort of mischievous amusement. "C'mon," Teller then urged with a wave of his hand, "tell me about yourself."
Dana sucked a breath, knowing that if she wanted to get on Teller's good side and get closer to him – as Peters had instructed – that the time had come to divulge a little personal information, even if she was dreading doing so. "Well, I was born in California but moved to Texas when I was just a kid," Dana revealed. "I grew up there, went to college there, got my first big-girl job there…" She trailed off, waving a hand as though silently saying, 'and so on, and so forth'.
"So how did L.A. come into play?" Teller asked curiously.
This was where Dana started falling back on cover story again. "I met my future ex-husband at the company I was working for in Houston. When they transferred him to a branch in Los Angeles, I went with him," she answered with a shrug. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time."
Teller nodded his understanding, eyes gleaming with interest. If Dana were foolish enough to believe it, she might have actually thought that his interest in her seemed genuine, as though he really did want to get to know her. She couldn't decide if that was good thing or a bad thing, though, especially seeing as it threw her previous suspicions that he was only interested in one thing for a very large loop. "And how 'bout here?" Teller asked, continuing with the conversation. "How's it goin' in Charming? Anyone givin' you a hard time or anything?"
Dana couldn't help the smirk that spread across her face. She found it ironic that he, Jackson Teller, was asking if anyone had been giving her a hard time, when he had been the one to be a thorn in her side since day one? "What if someone was?" she had to ask, eyes serious but her voice full of teasing. "Would you go beat them up for me?" Dana continued, wagging her eyebrows some.
It was obvious that she was just joking, but Teller still smirked and gave a little, nonchalant head bob. "All I'm sayin' is that in Charming, neighbors look out for each other," he said matter-of-factly. "If someone bothers ya, you can come 'ta me and I'll make sure the problem's taken care of."
Given the fact that Dana had had always been very independent and had been taking care of herself for a very long time, it took a lot of willpower not to ask him what made him think she needed someone to handle her affairs for her. She wisely kept her mouth shut, though, and said nothing of sort. If Teller wanted to play the role of protector then that could only mean it was because he was getting more comfortable around her, which was good news for the investigation. "Alright," Dana said, narrowing her eyes at him, "then I guess there is someone I've been having some issues with," she admitted.
Teller's expression was all business now as his eyebrows came together and he straightened up in his chair. "Who?" he asked interestedly.
Dana mimicked his serious expression. "This one guy in town," she said with a frown of consternation. "He was really rude to me the first few times we met. Acted like a completely asshole, and for no apparent reason. He hasn't been as bad lately, but I'm still not all that sure about him." Teller nodded his understanding, frowning deeper by the second as he listened to her talk. "You might know him," Dana said. "He's tall, had blonde hair, blue eyes, rides a really loud motorcycle…"
She gave it a moment to sink in, then watched with a smirk of amusement as realization dawned on his features. Teller quickly figured out that she was talking about him and pursed his lips, looking guilty but only slightly so. "Right, I guess I was kind of an asshole," he admitted, raising his hands in defeat for a second. "But you weren't exactly a barrel of sunshine either, ya know," he added pointedly, wagging a finger at her.
Dana shrugged. "Maybe not, but it was only because you provoked me," she countered matter-of-factly.
A smirk suddenly tugged at the corner of his lips, and as he leaned forward, there was a gleam in his eye that left her both uncertain as to what it meant and a little heated all at the same time. She wanted to lean back to put a bit more space between them, but found that she couldn't. "Maybe I was provokin' ya to see if you were worth the trouble, cupcake," he told her, his gaze never once turning away from hers.
It was impossible to overlook the suggestive undertones lacing his words. Dana said nothing in response, having no clue what to say to something like that. Luckily, she was saved from having to figure it out by the sudden arrival of their food. She knew she was blushing as Pam placed their plates on the table and did her best not meet Teller's gaze for a few moments, not wanting to see that knowing, triumphant smirk that surely had to be on his face.
After Pam left them to their breakfast, Dana directed their conversation to safer grounds by asking Teller about his own upbringing. Thankfully, he rolled with the subject change easily. Most of the things he told her about his life growing up she already knew – the file she had on him was pretty extensive – but for some reason it was far more interesting to hear coming from his mouth. Maybe it was because of the way he spoke about the things that were important to him, or maybe it was the look that he got on his face whenever he mentioned his family or friends. Either way, she was able to see more value in the things that he held most dear to him, whereas on paper everything sounded impersonal and unimportant.
"So I have to ask," Teller said about halfway through their breakfast, twirling his fork around with his fingers as he narrowed his eyes at her studiously. "Why'd you choose Charming?"
Dana paused with a bite halfway to her mouth, having not expected such a question. "Why'd I choose Charming?" she repeated, uncertain how best to answer.
"Yeah," Teller said with a nod. Then he shrugged. "I mean, I get that you wanted to get away after your divorce," he said slowly, a contemplative gleam in his blue eyes. "But why here? Why not go somewhere you had friends? Or why not go back to Texas where you had family?"
Dana stiffened the moment he said the word 'family' and took a quick bite of food to avoid having to answer. So far he hadn't pried into that subject, and honestly, in a way she'd kind of been hoping that he wouldn't. Just because Peters wanted her to use her MC upbringing to her advantage, that didn't mean Dana was chomping at the bit to actually do so. Her family and her past were very touchy subjects, subjects that she tried her hardest to avoid if she could. But then she remembered her new orders to get closer to Teller and immediately felt conflicted – if he knew she was from a similar upbringing then that might change his perspective on her a little bit, might make him trust her more. And Jackson Teller's trust was the key to SAMCRO.
Dana finally finished her bite and then cleared her throat, reaching for her cup of coffee. Teller must have noticed the shift in her demeanor, because he was watching her quizzically. "I'm, uh, not very close with my family," Dana told him before taking a long gulp of coffee. "My parents split when I was a kid, hence the move to Texas, and the family's been pretty dysfunctional ever since…not that we were ever really a functional family to begin with." Dana shrugged, taking another sip of coffee before setting the mug down. "I try not to talk to any of them if I can avoid it."
Teller's eyebrows had come together as he listened to her. If she wasn't mistaken, he actually seemed a little disturbed by the detached, nonchalant way in which she dismissed her family. "You don't talk to your family?" he asked, sounding a little astonished.
Dana pursed her lips and shook her head. "Well," she corrected herself with a sigh, "I talk to my mother here or there. But I haven't seen or heard from my brother in years and I haven't spoken to my father since my parents split." When Teller frowned a bit, Dana just shook her head. "Trust me, it's just…better this way. Nothing I have to say to my father or brother would be very nice. And you know what they say," she added with a wry smile, "If you don't have something nice to say, it's better to say nothing at all," she quoted.
Teller sat in stunned silence for a moment then let out a low whistle. "Damn," he mused aloud, clearly still mulling over this information. After a few seconds he leaned forward a bit and tilted his head in curiosity. "Why don't you talk to 'em?" he asked with an upward nod of his head, clearly very interested to know since she was being so obvious about her bitterness toward them.
Dana hesitated, a little bit uncomfortable with his prying, and toyed with her fork. "It's a long, complicated story," she warned. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you, anyway," she added with a quirk of her brow.
Teller mimicked her expression, also quirking an eyebrow. "Try me," he challenged.
Dana narrowed her eyes at him before calmly setting her fork down on the table. "Alright," she said, mentally steeling herself for the conversation to come. Now or never. "My father was – and still is – a member of the Devils Vultures MC," she revealed, watching as his eyebrows rose so high that they nearly disappeared into his hairline. Clearly he had heard of the outlaw gang. "Throughout my entire childhood he was constantly in and out of jail, always gone, always partying it up with his 'brothers'. All he cared about was motorcycles, booze, and women – that's it. Home-life was crazy and my parents drove each other nuts, but my mom stayed with him. Stuck it out for a really long time, too. I think she did for me and Bra – " She stopped herself short when she almost said her brother's name, finding quite suddenly that she didn't want Teller to know that piece of information. " – me and my brother," Dana corrected herself. Teller was listening in silence, but he was staring at her with rapt attention. "Anyway," Dana continued, "she eventually found the courage to leave. She didn't want us to be around the club anymore. So we went to Texas to live with her family. The rest is history after that."
"What about your brother?" he asked curiously. "What happened with him?"
Dana cringed. "That's a story for another day, I'm afraid," she told him. Revealing the truth about her father had been hard enough - she didn't want to delve into the subject of Brannon too. Not yet.
Teller nodded, then leaned back in his seat and stared at her in silence. Dana could practically see the wheels turning in his head. She could tell just by the look on his face that this newfound information was making him see her in a different light, just as she hoped. "Devils Vultures?" he finally asked, as though he still couldn't believe it. "No shit?"
Dana smirked and shook her head. "No shit."
"Wow," Teller said, shaking his head in what seemed like amazement. "I gotta tell you, Prejean...I would have never pegged you for an MC brat." He paused for a moment and bobbed his eyebrows. "Then again, now that I think about it that sure does explain a helluva lot about you." Then a rare, genuine smile spread across his face. Dana tried not to acknowledge how handsome he looked when he really smiled. "You're full of surprises, cupcake."
Dana just smiled back for a second – though her smile was a little more half-hearted – before taking another bite of her breakfast. "Let's talk about something else now," she prompted, thinking she'd divulged enough personal information for one day. Thankfully Teller picked up on her reluctance to further discuss her family and nodded before changing the subject.
Without her really even realizing how much time was passing, the next two hours were spent sitting in the little diner with Teller and talking about whatever came to mind over several cups of coffee. Once breakfast was finished and Teller had paid - Dana tried to pay for her portion but he refused to take her money - they got back in the car and headed back toward their neighborhood. This time around the ride was significantly less awkward and small-talk was much easier to come by.
Dana had to admit that once you got to know him, Teller actually wasn't as bad of company as she'd originally thought. He was nice to be around, when he wasn't being an arrogant shithead, and could actually be kind of funny when he wanted to be. And even though she'd dreaded telling him about her MC connection, Dana found that it hadn't been quite as painful as she'd been expecting. Perhaps it was because he was the first person she'd told that was actually from that world, the only one who really understood what it was like to grow up in a motorcycle club. In the past, telling people about her family and upbringing had more often than not earned her judging stares in return – hell, even her own ex-husband had looked down his nose at her when she'd told him about her family's affiliation. But not Teller. There hadn't been an ounce of judgment anywhere on his face at any point, only interest and understanding. Dana frowned to herself as they drove along, confused by the swift change in her views on Jackson Teller. So what if he was a good listener and so what if he 'understood' her? He was still a criminal and she was still investigating him. Peters had told her not to forget who she was dealing with and Dana knew it would be wise of her to heed his warning words.
They had just pulled into her driveway and were getting out of her rental when a familiar black Cadillac came into view and parked in Teller's driveway next door. Dana turned curious eyes in that direction, only to stiffen when she saw that it was Teller's mother, Gemma Teller herself. The older, intimidating woman wasn't the only one in the car, though. As Gemma moved to retrieve her grandson from the backseat of the car, an older, grey-haired man stepped out of the driver's seat and glanced in their direction.
Clay Morrow.
"Wanna meet the parents?" Teller suddenly asked in her ear, appearing by her side.
Before she had the chance to answer, he was placing a hand on her back and forcing her toward his driveway. Dana decided to go along with it – she'd have to meet Clay Morrow at one point or another, right? – but that didn't make it any less daunting. This was the president of the club, the head hancho. If this man ever found out who she was and what she was doing, Dana Prejean and Dana Bradshaw would both cease to exist. Dana gulped at that thought and had to wipe her suddenly sweaty palms on her pant legs.
"Mornin', Ma," Teller said, moving away from Dana so he could hug his mother and kiss her on the cheek. Gemma straightened up with the carrier chair in hand and returned the gesture, kissing her son on the cheek and giving him a one-armed hug. The woman's eyes stared Dana down over his shoulder the entire time, however, making her feel even more uncomfortable than she already did. "Mornin', Clay," Teller continued, moving on from his mother so he could pull the older man into a manly hug.
"Mornin', son," Clay responded, patting his back before releasing him. Almost instantly, his eyes turned toward Dana. "Who's the pretty lady?" he asked with a half-smile, half-smirk on his face.
Teller, who had leaned over the carrier seat his mother was holding and had started making a few cutesy cooing noises to his son, Abel, smirked over at her. "This is my neighbor, Dana," he introduced, straightening up to his full height again and coming to stand by her side. "You've already met my mom," Teller said before motioning toward Clay, "but this is my step-father, Clay."
Dana, having finally recovered enough to remember her manners, moved forward to firmly shake Clay's hand. She hoped he didn't noticed her clammy palms or the hints of nervousness hidden in her expression. "It's nice to meet you," Dana said politely before turning an equally courteous smile on Gemma. "And nice to see you again, Mrs. Teller." It is Mrs. Teller, right? she internally fretted for a second. Or does she go by Morrow?
The older woman didn't correct her on the name, so Dana assumed she'd gotten it right. "Likewise," Gemma told her in return, her expression polite enough but her tone a little on the cool side.
Dana felt even more uneasy in the woman's presence, not liking the way she continued to size her up as though Dana were an insect that she thought might be dangerous and, therefore, should probably be squashed. Luckily Teller saved her from further scrutiny. He glanced back and forth between her and his mother for a second, obviously picking up on the weird vibes, before raising his eyebrows and motioning toward the house with a nod of his head. "Why don't ya'll go inside and get comfortable?" he suggested to his parents. "I wanna talk to Dana alone for a second.
Gemma looked like she might protest, but Clay beat her to the punch. "Sure thing, Jax," he readily agreed, dropping a heavy, beefy arm around his wife's shoulders and not-so-subtly directing her towards the front door to give them privacy. "Nice to meet you, Dana," he called over his shoulder, sending a smirk her way. "I'm sure we'll meet again soon."
Dana just nodded and watched them go until they'd disappeared into Teller's house. When the door closed behind them she turned back to the blonde biker, who was looking at her apologetically. "Don't worry about my mom, it's nothing personal. She treats every woman she sees me with like that," he said with a roll of his eyes.
"That's comforting," Dana quipped sarcastically. A beat of silence passed where neither seemed entirely sure what to say to the other. So, when the awkwardness became a little too uncomfortable, Dana finally said, "Thanks for breakfast. It was…" She took a second to think of the right word. "…nice," she concluded with a small smile.
Teller offered a small smile and nodded his head. "It was." He paused for a second as though thinking about what he wanted to say next, but his eyes never once turned away from hers, his gaze boring into hers intently. "I'd like to see you more, if I could," Teller finally said with a small smirk, oozing a certain charm and confidence that was both a little annoying and intriguing. For some reason, the fact that he wanted to continue seeing her pleased her to a certain degree, but Dana did her best to ignore it.
"Well, you know where I live and you know where I work," Dana said with a small smile and shrug, deciding to keep up the hard-to-get front so she wouldn't seem overly eager. "If you wanna see me, you know where to find me."
Teller looked away for a second and chuckled to himself, clearly amused with her response. When he looked back to her, the lopsided smile was still in place but the gleam in his eyes had changed considerably – it made her feel a little hot around the neck. "Aight, then. You wanna keep playin' this game? That's cool." She hadn't expected him to call her out so bluntly. In fact, so taken aback by his words was she that Dana could only stand rooted to the spot as he moved in closer, only stopping when they were mere inches apart. The way he was looking at her made her breath catch a bit. "I don't mind the chase," Teller said in a low voice that sent shivers racing down her spine.
His words and the expression on his face were laced with all sorts of promises, all of which made her body react in ways that she would have much rather it didn't. Dana, unable to muster a response, merely stared at him wide-eyed for a moment until he finally smirked down at her, gave her an appreciative once-over, and then turned to walk into his house.
"I'll see ya around," he called to her over his shoulder, before continuing toward the door and then, eventually, disappearing into his house. The self-satisfied smirk that seemed permanently etched onto his features the entire way did not go unnoticed by Dana.
Dana released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and shook her head before turning to quickly high-tail it to her house, still reeling from what he'd just said to her. And his eyes...good God, the way he had been looking at her. She honestly had no idea what to expect from Teller after today, but she did know one thing.
She was in serious trouble.
Dana saw quite a lot of Jackson Teller over the next few days. She wasn't sure if it was accidental or on purpose - she was suspecting the latter - but it seemed every time she stepped outside for a cigarette, Teller did too. They would usually end up sitting on her porch or, if he was working on his bike, in his driveway while they shared a smoke and chatted casually about anything that came to mind. Every now and again a few beers would get thrown into the mix as well. Teller also decided to come visit her at the bar both Monday and Tuesday night, staying long enough to have a few drinks and rope her into conversation, while also making sure none of the male customers gave her too hard of a time. He never said anything quite as forward as what he'd told her that morning in his driveway, but his flirtations were never-ending and his intentions were more than obvious.
Needless to say, it was a very interesting change. And she wasn't the only one to have noticed.
"Okay, what's goin' on with you and Jax?" Rachel asked that Thursday afternoon when they finally had the girl-date they'd promised one another and went to grab lunch before their shifts at the bar were due to start. When Dana just glanced at her innocently as if to say, 'I don't know what you're talking about', Rachel rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't even," she said with a snort. "I'm not stupid, Dana! You and Jax have practically been attached at the hip all week long." Then she looked around as though checking for eavesdroppers before leaning in closer. "You're bangin' him, aren't you?" she asked, waggling her brows.
"No!" Dana immediately protested with a small laugh. "Seriously, I'm not," she reaffirmed when her friend didn't look convinced.
Rachel narrowed her eyes, but seemed to accept that Dana was telling the truth. "Well, not yet anyway," the brunette corrected her. "I've seen the way Jax looks at you, honey, and I've seen a lot of women fall victim to it. A girl can only resist for so long."
For some reason, Rachel's choice of wording made Dana pull a face. "And that right there is why I haven't slept with him," she shot at her haughtily. "I'd rather not be just another notch on Jackson Teller's belt, thank you very much."
Rachel outright laughed at that. "Oh, Dana," she said sweetly, patting her hand as though she were a young child who just didn't understand. "That man literally has women throwing themselves at him every single day. Do you really think that if he just wanted another 'notch' that he'd be putting in this much time and effort with you?" Now Dana frowned uncertainly, not sure what to make of what Rachel was saying. "I've known Jax for a while now, but I've never seen him shown this much interest in a woman until you came along. Well," Rachel continued with a thoughtful expression, "not with anyone other than Tara, anyway."
Dana's ears perked at the name and she instantly wondered if Tara was the infamous 'Old Lady' that she'd heard about here or there. Before she had the chance to ask Rachel about it further, however, the buzzing of her cell phone in her purse grabbed her attention. Dana excused herself and quickly retrieved her personal cell phone, frowning when she saw a number that she didn't recognize. There was a brief moment of panic where Dana worried it was her brother finally calling her, but she relaxed when she realized the area code was from Charming.
"Hello?" Dana asked uncertainly upon answering.
"Hey, cupcake," a familiar voice greeted.
She wasn't sure why, but the fact that Teller was calling her made a smile spread across her face. "Well, hey there, Teller," Dana greeted, ignoring the fact that Rachel immediately shot her a pointed look upon realizing who she was on the phone with.
Teller heaved over the line and she knew it was because she'd called him by his last name. He'd been insisting that she start calling him Jax or Jackson now that they were around each other so much, claiming that calling him 'Teller' felt stiff and impersonal, but she had firmly refused. This was partly because calling him by his real name felt a little too personal, but mostly because it also felt downright weird. "You know, I don't recall giving you my number," Dana suddenly said with a pensive frown.
"No, you didn't," Teller confirmed. "It's in the shop's database."
"Ah, I see," Dana said in understanding. Rachel was making kissy faces at her, but Dana refused to make eye-contact with her. "Well, what can I do for you Mr. Teller?"
"I was callin' to let you know you can finally get rid of that piece of shit rental," he told her matter-of-factly. "Your car's done."
Dana instantly let out a massive sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God," she said, happy to hear that she'd finally be driving her own car around. Dana then looked at her wristwatch to check the time, even more pleased when to see that she had plenty of time to pick up her vehicle and return the rental before work. "Well, I don't have work for a couple more hours, so can I come get it now?"
To her surprise, he said, "Sorry, but no can do."
Dana blinked and frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked uncertainly, not understanding why she wouldn't be allowed to go pick up her car if it was repaired and ready to go.
"The only way you can get it is if you come to the clubhouse tonight," Teller explained in a cheeky tone. She could practically hear the smirk in his voice. "Today's my father's birthday – my real father, that is," he clarified, so that she knew he was not referring to Clay, his step-father. "He isn't alive to celebrate with us anymore, but every year we throw a big party in his honor. Booze, music, food..hthe works," He proceeded to explain. "I'd like it if you were there."
Since getting into the clubhouse again had become one of her biggest priorities, being invited back made her nerves jump with excitement. This excitement, of course, had nothing to do with the thought of seeing Teller again and spending time with him. None what-so-ever. Unfotunately, though, Dana was scheduled to work later than usual tonight because Rachel had asked to get off early. Now that she thought about it, it was probably so she could go to this very same party. "That sounds fun, but unfortunately I work late tonight," she told him regretfully.
"How late?" Teller asked, sounding a little disappointed that she hadn't outright agreed to come.
"At least until midnight."
Teller scoffed over the phone. "Midnight? That's early, cupcake. Just come afterward." Dana started to tell him how midnight wasn't early by normal standards, but Teller cut her off before she could. "I won't take no for an answer, Prejean. You either get your ass down here after work tonight or I'm comin' to get you myself," he threatened. "You choose."
Dana heaved, rolled her eyes at his pushiness, then shook her head to herself. "Okay," she finally agreed, already thinking about the phone calls she'd need to make to her team so they knew she was going back into the SAMCRO clubhouse and could prepare for that however they needed to. "I'll be there after work."
"Good," Teller said, satisfied with her answer. "See you then."
Dana hung up after that and stuffed her phone back into her purse. When she met Rachel's gaze again, there was a knowing smirk on the brunette's face. "What?" Dana asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Got invited to the party tonight, didn't you?" Rachel asked, though her tone hinted that she already knew the answer.
"Yeah," Dana confirmed. "You going?"
"Uh huh," Rachel nodded in confirmation. "That's why I asked off early." Then the brunette smirked knowingly, her eyes filled with triumph. "So, Dana's got another date with Jackson Teller," she mused aloud, grinning cheekily now, "I told you it was only a matter of time."
Dana just rolled her eyes in response and went back to her lunch.
After an insanely busy shift at The Goat, Dana was tired and hungry and would have loved nothing more than to go home and fling herself face down onto her bed. But, as luck would have it, she had made a promise and there was still work to be done, so she pulled herself together and headed for the SAMCRO clubhouse instead.
Whilst sitting at a red light, Dana reached into her purse to double check that she'd brought along the hidden microphones she intended to plant, even though she'd done this several times already before leaving her house. The thought of sneaking them in and trying to plant them without anyone noticing made her a little anxious, but this was the second prime opportunity she'd been presented with and now was the time to do something with it. Besides, Peters had backed off now that she was spending so much time with Teller, and telling him that she'd earned herself another invitation to the clubhouse seemed to have put her back in his good graces. She wanted to make sure she stayed in his good graces, too, so if there was an order he wanted her to carry out, then so be it.
As expected, the party at the clubhouse was in full swing by the time she drove into the Teller-Morrow lot just after midnight. A number of people were loitering around in front of the clubhouse, not a single one of them looking sober, and several of them glanced in her direction when she stepped out of her rental car and headed for the front door. Some she recognized from the party the week before, but others were new faces she'd never seen before. Just like the first time she'd visited the clubhouse, Dana felt uncomfortable under their scrutiny, but luckily she only held their attention for a few more seconds before the party-goers lost interest and went back to their conversations.
She was about to pull the front door open when it suddenly swung forward, nearly ramming into her. Dana jumped back in surprise to avoid getting hit, then watched as two revealingly dressed women stepped through. The one on the left, the blonde one, looked familiar to her, and it only took another second or two for her realize it was the sweetbutt that had tried to lure Teller away from her the previous weekend. What was her name again? Monica?
"Sorry," the sweetbutt started to say. But then she got a look at who she'd almost it and almost instantly sneered. "Oh, its you," she said nastily.
Dana's brows rose a tick. She didn't like the attitude behind the woman's voice one bit, nor did she appreciate the condescending once-over she was currently giving her. "I'm sorry, is there a problem?" Dana asked, her demeanor cool as a cucumber.
"Yeah, you," Monica snapped at her with a glare. "You don't belong here, sweetheart, and you certainly don't deserve Jax." There was so much venom in the woman's words that it actually surprised her. The amount of hostility the woman was exuding was unexpected, especially seeing as they'd only briefly met once before and didn't know a think about each other. "So why don't you be the good girl you are and run on home before trouble finds you? Hmm?" Monica suggested, making her friend snicker.
It was obvious that Monica was doing her absolute best to get under Dana's skin, but it wasn't working. Dana just found her attempt to be cruel and intimidating very amusing. As an agent, she'd faced off with some of the meanest, ruthless, most cut-throat criminals around, the sort that were so powerful and frightening that grown men shook in their very presence. This woman was nothing, not even a blip on the radar compared to them. "Sweetheart," Dana repeated, throwing the pet-name right back at the sweetbutt, "you don't know a damn thing about me. Now I suggest you get out of my face before you regret not doing so."
Monica moved in closer, her eyes burning with anger. "Is that a threat?"
"No," Dana corrected, "that's a promise."
Monica looked like she wanted to say more, but movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention and had her turning her head to see what was going on. Dana did as well and saw that Teller was making his way through the crowd, headed directly toward them. The two woman looked back to each other before Monica glared at her for one last second and then turned to retreat into the clubhouse with her friend. Dana watched them go with a feeling of triumph, then smiled up at Teller when he appeared by her side.
"Everything okay?" he asked with raised brows, glancing back and forth between her and the door that Monica had disappeared through.
"Perfectly fine," Dana reassured him with a nod, unable to help the smug smirk that pulled at her lips. Dana - 1; Monica - 0.
Teller quirked an eyebrow at her but finally nodded his head in understanding. "Glad you could make it," he said with a mischievous gleam in his blue eyes. Dana almost scoffed at him, seeing as he hadn't really given her a choice in the matter. She instantly forgot to feel annoyed, though, when he looked her over for a long second. "You look good," he complimented.
Dana, who was just wearing her favorite jeans, a pair of flats, and a black tanktop with the logo for Billy Goat Gruff on it, smiled and nodded. "Thanks." A palpable silence settled over them for a few seconds. Teller was staring at her in that certain way again, that way that made her body feel hot. "So, should we go inside and get drinks or what?" Dana asked to break the silence, motioning toward the entrance to the clubhouse.
"Nah, too loud in there," Teller said, shaking his head. Then he surprised her immensely by grabbing her hand and tugging her in the direction of the small Teller-Morrow office. "Besides, we've got business to tend to first, remember?"
Dana nodded dumbly and let him lead her away by the hand, trying to ignore the pleasant tingles racing up her arm. Teller snagged a few beers from a cooler on the way to the office and passed her one, which she happily accepted. She ignored the way a few women they passed glared at her as she and Teller went by them, hand-in-hand. "Looks like I've been missing out on quite a party," Dana commented as they walked along, trying to distract herself from the feel of his strong hand wrapped securely around her smaller one. She'd never before considered her hands to be small or dainty, but that was exactly how they felt wrapped up in his much larger, calloused hand. It was actually kind of…nice. It had been a very long time since a man had just held her hand.
"It ain't bad," Teller answered with a nonchalant shrug, shooting her a small half smile. "It's certainly better now," he added with a wink. She rolled her eyes overdramatically, which pulled a few chuckles from him.
He didn't finally release his hold on her hand until they were in the small office. Dana felt a small wave of disappointment at the loss of contact as he moved around the desk to find the paperwork for her car, but quickly covered it by opening her beer and taking a few long sips. For a second she wondered if she'd be able to sneak a microphone somewhere in the room - it would be a prime location - but Teller's presence quickly turned her off from the idea. It seemed too risky. Instead, Dana started looking around the office, unsurprised to see several pictures of nearly-naked women on the walls. With a small, amused shake of her head she took a drink of beer and then turned to see what Teller was doing.
She jumped when she realized he was standing right behind her. Teller, who had a knowing little smirk on his face, didn't seem bothered with the close proximity in the slightest. "Here's all the receipts for the work done," he said, passing over a folded up packet of papers, "and here's your key," he added, placing the spare key that she'd left for them in the palm of her hand. "She's all yours again."
"Thanks," Dana said, stuffing the paperwork and her keys into her purse.
Teller inclined his head to her as he popped open his beer. "You're welcome."
Conversation lulled for a moment and the air in the room soon began to feel a little thick with tension. They both took a long drink from their beers, both eyeing the other as they did so – she wasn't sure why, but it felt like something between her and Teller had shifted, like something just felt different. Dana swallowed her drink and then cleared her throat. "Step outside for a smoke?" she suggested, suddenly feeling the need to get out of the tiny, confining office and get some fresh air.
"Sure."
When they left the office, Dana started to head back toward where the rest of the party was, assuming that since they were finished with 'business' that he'd want to return to where his friends were. But Teller grabbed her by the wrist and started pulling her toward where her Malibu was parked instead. "Let's stay over here," he said when she looked up at him in silent question. Dana just nodded silently in agreement.
Once at her car, Teller released her and took a seat on the hood. He then took a drink from his beer and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He pulled one from the pack and placed it between his own lips, then offered her one. "Thanks," Dana said as she sat next to him on the hood and accepted the cigarette. She placed it between her lips, then leaned forward to accept the light he was offering. His eyes were trained on her the entire time, but she dutifully ignored it and leaned away from him again, making herself comfortable on the hood of her car. They sat in silence for a few minutes as they smoked their cigarettes, watching the party unfold on the other side of the parking lot.
"So," Dana finally said, looking over at Teller, "if I drive home in my Malibu tonight, how exactly am I gonna return the rental?"
Teller just waved off her question. "Don't worry about it. I'll get the prospect to take care of everything," he reassured her. "How was work?" he then asked to change the subject, raising his beer to his lips or another drink.
Dana sighed, feeling as though that one question had made the night catch up to her. "Long, busy, and tiring," she answered, before widening her eyes at him sarcastically. "Can't wait to do it all over again tomorrow," she quipped with a fake, sickly-sweet smile on her face.
Teller laughed a bit, then nudged her with his elbow. "C'mon, it can't be that bad."
Dana scrunched her nose and shook her head. "Nah, it's not," she conceded, taking a quick sip of her drink. "The Goat's pretty fun, actually. I like it there."
"You seem to fit in pretty well over there," Teller commented with an agreeing nod. "I didn't think you'd make it at first, but you seem like you're handlin' your own."
Dana narrowed her eyes at him, though the smirk on her face was a teasing one. "Didn't think I'd make it, huh? Such faith," she said, her tone filled with sarcasm. He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders, making her laugh a bit.
Their conversation halted for a moment when a group near the door suddenly yelled, "TO J.T.!" before taking a round of shots. Dana watched them for a moment before turning to look at Teller. His expression had gone a little bit somber in the past few seconds, though it seemed like he tried to hide it from her as soon as he realized she was looking. She glanced back toward the group, looked over at Teller again, then took a drink from her beer. "How old would he have been?" Dana asked curiously.
"Woulda been sixty-nine today," Teller answered after taking a puff from his cigarette, eyes turned straight ahead.
"Wow, woulda been an old man," she said good-naturedly, which made Teller smirk a bit. There was a beat of silence, then, "Do you miss him?" Dana asked curiously, taking another sip from her beer.
Teller looked over at her before nodding his head again. "Yeah, I do," he admitted, a faraway look entering his eyes for a moment or two. She imagined he was thinking about his father, recalling old memories from when he was still alive. "Still miss him, even after all these years."
Though Dana remembered reading in his file that his father had died back in the nineties, she still tilted her head and asked, "How long has it been?"
"Sixteen years in November."
"Long time," Dana commented with raised brows, to which Teller merely nodded in response.
Silence fell over them again after that, but it wasn't long before the tension she'd felt in the office started to creep back in on them. She wasn't really sure what to make of it, nor was she entirely sure what had brought it on, but it was definitely there. They'd done the playful, flirtatious bantering back and forth all week long, had been playing the 'cat and mouse' game like absolute pros, but tonight there was something lingering in the air around them that felt anything but playful. Gone was the easy, comfortable aura that had surrounded them for most of the week – in its place was a tangible tension that was slowly starting to feel a little too familiar, a sort of anticipation that she was acquainted with but was trying hard not to associate with Teller. It was as maddening as it was confusing.
A glance at him from the corner of her eye let her know that he was watching her, but he said nothing. Dana rose her beer up to her lips to take a drink, suddenly finding that she really needed one. She froze, however, when, out of nowhere, she suddenly felt Teller's hand trailing up her back. His hand didn't stop its journey until he had reached her hair and was able to toy with a few of the strands resting against her shoulder. She briefly wondered just how much he'd had to drink before she'd arrived, because he was being much more affectionate with her than usual. Actually, he was just being affectionate period, which was unexpected and really starting to throw her for a loop.
"You always wear your hair straight," he observed, eyes training intently on the red locks sliding through his fingers. When Dana turned to look at him and his eyes lifted up to meet hers, the irises were a shade darker than usual. "I liked it the other way."
They sat in silence for a long few seconds, their gazes never straying from each others. His eyes had just dropped down to her lips when the sound of approaching footsteps and loud chattering effectively destroyed whatever moment they were having and had them turning their attention to the newcomers. Dana thought she heard Teller curse under his breath upon seeing that Rachel, Juice, and Chibs were headed in their direction.
"There you are!" Rachel said loudly, grinning widely as her eyes blatantly looked back and forth between the two. "Has Jax been hogging you all to himself?" she asked with a huff and playful roll of her eyes.
"We were just…chatting," Dana answered, not sure she was happy or disappointed with her friend's arrival. On the one hand, Teller was starting to get under her skin, despite her every attempt not to let such a thing happen, and her attraction to him was starting to become undeniable. She was curious, if not excited, to see where things between them might be going. On the other hand, Teller was, for all intents and purposes, forbidden fruit – Dana was a bit relieved that Rachel had interrupted before she could do anything she might end up regretting.
"Right, chattin'," Chibs piped up with a smirk, not so discreetly elbowing Juice in the side. Teller shot his club brothers an unimpressed glare, but the two just laughed, clearly unintimidated.
"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, boys, but there are some shots inside with mine and Dana's names on them," Rachel announced, grabbing Dana by the hand and pulling her from the hood before she could protest. Dana shot Teller a helpless look, but he merely shrugged in resignation as he too pushed up from the hood of her car.
Rachel looped her arm through Dana's and started leading her toward the clubhouse, chatting away a mile a minute about anything and everything. A glance over her shoulder confirmed that Teller, Juice, and Chibs were following them, and as her eyes met Teller's again, she offered a small smile. He returned it for a moment before letting his club brothers rope him into a hushed conversation meant only for the three of them to hear.
It was then, as they walked across the parking lot and headed for the door to the clubhouse, that Dana heard it – the squealing sound of car tires moving over pavement at a very fast speed. She paused, forcing Rachel to an unceremonious halt, and listened out with a small frown on her face. Was it just her, or did it sound like that car was getting closer? "What is it?" Rachel asked, too intoxicated by this point to comprehend what was going on.
But just as Dana opened her mouth to say that she wasn't sure, a car came to a screeching halt just in front of the entrance to the Teller-Morrow lot.
For a brief second, she could only stare at the car in confusion – she could just barely make out the figures of three people inside the dark car. Then, the two passengers in the car suddenly produced large metal objects, objects that she immediately recognized to be automatic guns once they were sticking through the windows and the streetlights overheard illuminated them. Realization of what was about to happen quickly sunk in and made the blood in her veins go cold, but before she could even think to run or call out a word of warning, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and quickly yanked her in the direction of the nearest cover, which just so happened to be one of the Teller-Morrow tow trucks. It was Teller. He too had realized what was about to happen and was now hauling her to safety.
"GET DOWN!" Teller yelled to warn everyone in the lot of the incoming danger.
That was the last thing Dana heard before deafening shots rang out through the Teller-Morrow parking lot. She and Teller made it to the tow-truck and took cover, bullets nipping at their heels the entire way, and Teller immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest, holding her as closely to him as possible to keep her protected. All Dana could do was shrink into him and hide her face in his chest, heart pounding away as she listened to the relentless gunfire that echoed into the night.
Thoughts?
