Mac was antsy. Unser had stopped by to tell her she was getting out and that he was just waiting for Stahl to release her.
About damn time.
She paced until Stahl showed up. The woman was clearly not in a good mood. Mac just grinned, knowing it would infuriate her further.
"I have to let you out." Stahl said, unlocking the door. "But don't let this go to your head. As I told Otto, I'm taking the club, and it's friends, down. Trust me." But Mac, too thrilled with her release to care about Stahl's threat, just laughed and walked down the hall towards Unser.
They hurried to Unser's car. Unser wanted to know what the rush was, but Mac just kept telling him to hurry up. She wanted to get to the guys before something bad happened. God knows what they would do if they thought Opie was a rat, and had serious proof to back it up.
Please don't be rash, boys. Think!
Her first hint that it was too late was when she and Unser drove past Donna in Opie's truck.
That's odd.
Her second hint was Opie driving past them in Donna's car with the kids.
Oh, they must've switched cars.
Her third hint was when they pulled up to the party, and Tig was pulling away on his bike, wearing a sweatshirt over his kutte. Clay stood at the curb, watching Tig drive away.
Oh god.
Mac felt like her brain was moving through molasses.
A sweatshirt? That doesn't make sense, the guys always wear their… oh, he doesn't want to be recognized. Wait. That means… oh Tig no! Where's the rest of the guys, wait, do they know? Did Clay and Tig do this alone? Tig's going after Opie in his truck, but that's not Opie, it's fucking Donna. Oh god. Oh God!
Mac jumped out of the car before it'd stopped. She heard Unser yelling behind her, but didn't stop. She needed to catch Tig, and had no form of transportation.
Conniving BITCH.
This was Stahl's fault. Careless bitch had framed Opie and now had no plan to save him or his wife. Mac ran into the house, scaring the crap out of a couple of guests, and searched until she found Chibs.
"Chibs!" she yelled, and the Scot turned.
"Mackenzie!" he yelled back, giving her an enormous grin. "You're out!" He strode to her, ready to embrace her, but Mac stopped him.
"Your bike, we need to take your bike." Mac was panting.
"What?" Chibs asked, confused, the grin sliding a little.
"No time." Mac said. "Please, Filip, we need to leave!" There was genuine panic in her voice, and it was that that spurred Chibs into action. He hadn't heard genuine panic there before.
"Okay, okay darlin' let's go." he said, and Mac grabbed his hand, forcing him into a fun. The rest of the guys followed, curious. Everything was moving too slow for Mac. It was precious seconds before they were on Chibs' bike and moving, stopping for helmets and for questions that Mac didn't answer.
"Just drive." was her constant answer.
Finally they were moving, and Mac kept yelling faster until Chibs was going dangerously fast and ignoring most traffic signals. Mac barely notices the rest of the Sons following them, but she definitely takes notice when Opie joins them, now sans kids, but still in Donna's car. Mac thinks back to where she was when she saw Donna driving, and makes her best guess at where she might be now.
It is pure luck that the group catches up to Tig.
The image is frozen in Mac's mind. Donna in the truck, stopped at an intersection. A black SUV parked behind her. A man in a black sweatshirt pointing a gun through Donna's back window.
"STOP BY THAT MAN." Mac yelled in Chibs' ear, and Chibs lays down rubber trying to slow down enough to not run the guy over. Mac jumps off as soon as she can, abandoning her helmet and running towards Tig.
"TIG NO!" Mac screamed, tackling him as soon as she reaches him. There's a brief scuffle where Tig doesn't realize it's Mac who tackled him. And when he does he's wildly confused.
"Mac?" he asks.
"You idiot." Mac yells at him. "That conniving bitch played you. Opie's not a rat! And now look what you almost did!" Mac points at Donna, who's just stepping out of the truck after seeing the commotion behind her.
Tig goes so white Mac wonders if he'll pass out.
Opie runs to Donna then, and as the guys gather around Tig - with his sweatshirt and his gun - what almost happened slowly crosses the group.
The truth comes out in stops and starts.
"No one move." Mac says, in a low voice that is infused with something that makes the guys respect her command.
"Mackenize." Chibs speaks now, and his voice reflects the severity of the situation. "Wha's goin' on?"
Mac took a deep breath. "When I was stuck at the station, I tricked a deputy into giving me a phone call. I called an old friend at the ATF, and she confirmed that the Feds were making Opie look like a rat. They took him from his house without force, and Stahl left her card there on purpose. She wanted you to find it. She also wanted you to find the federal wire transfer that paid off the rest of Opie's debts. But Opie was let out. He came back and convinced you all that he wasn't a rat, right?"
There were nods from most everyone; with the notable exception of Tig and Clay. Mac narrowed her eyes.
"But it seems that two of you still didn't believe him. Those two searched Opie's truck and found the bugs, right? So you decide that Opie has to die, for the good of the club. And this set up, right now, was a mistake. It wasn't supposed to be Donna with a gun pointed at her, it was supposed to be Opie. That sound about right?"
She was talking completely to Clay and Tig now, and they both nodded.
"You fucking idiots." Mac's voice was scathing. "I got confirmation from the friend that Stahl planted the fucking bugs. You were about the kill the wife of an innocent man."
—
A few hours later, Mac was sitting on the curb with Gemma and Donna. They both had an arm wrapped around Donna, who seemed to be alternating between fury and terror. Understandable, considering she'd almost been shot by a friend aiming for her husband.
Tara was tending to Clay and Tig, both of whom had had the shit beaten out of them by various angry club members. The rest of the guys were sort of circled around them, and they were still trying to hash out everything that had happened. It was slowly becoming clear that Clay and Tig had honestly thought Opie was a rat - and Mac had explained several times over how the ATF had purposely tricked them.
It didn't look like the guys would be done anytime soon, so when Tara wandered back over to Mac, they decided to head home. Chibs gave her a hug and a kiss, and looked disappointed to see her leaving, but he needed this time with his club. Mac's job was done. They had some healing to do, so Mac just told him that she'd be okay, and to find her when he was ready.
Something was up with Tara, Mac could tell. She waiting until they were in Tara's car, driving away, before asking.
"What's wrong, Tara?" Mac asked. Tara was silent for a few moments.
"You mean besides the clusterfuck we just left behind?" Tara asked sarcastically. Mac was quiet.
Tara sighed. "Something's up with Jax and Wendy."
"His ex?" Mac asked.
"And the mother of his child." Tara shook her head. "Jax and I, it kind of feels like our relationship never stopped, just paused for a while. Except that we've both changed. He's got a kid with a junkie and now this shit with his club. Gemma keeps saying that if you love the man, you learn to love the club. Do they know how hard they make it?"
Mac smiled. "It doesn't sound like it's the club that you're having trouble loving, Tara."
"Love isn't the problem. I kissed him in front of Wendy and he panicked. Said he was worried about her getting upset and relapsing."
"Bullshit." Mac said. "Look, he's allowed to have his club problems and his kid problems and his baby momma problems, but when it comes to relationships, if Wendy wants to be in Abel's life she's gonna have to get used to you."
"I'm worried that if I tell him that, he's gone." Tara said.
"If he leaves, he's an idiot. And I think that's all you need to know, Tara. You went and grew up, and so did he, in his own way. You two still clearly work. It's not as if you're asking him to give up his son. Hell, you saved the kids life. If he still wants to try with Wendy, that's his problem. You can't blame yourself for that, and it's not fair that he half-asses a relationship with you while he's trying to figure shit out in his head, especially if it's going to end with him back with Wendy. I think it's fair that you tell him that."
See, this was what Mac appreciated about her and Chibs' relationship. It was laced with complications from their past and from the club, but Chibs had said their marriage was over in all but name, and Mac believed him. Nonetheless, she decided to talk to Jax at some point. Tara was her best friend, and if the asshole was going to hurt her, Mac would do her best to soften the blow.
—
Mac had just gotten off the couch for another beer when she and Tara heard the motorcycles. Tara stood up, looking out the front window.
"Chibs and Jax." she said, and Mac smiled. The time in jail had passed slowly without Chibs with her.
Tara let the guys in, and Jax immediately went to her. Tara gave him a hug, but it was clearly perfunctory at best.
"We gotta talk." she said quietly, and Jax nodded.
"Let's go to my place." he said, and the pair left with Tara yelling out a goodbye to Mac. Mac grinned and responded from behind Chibs, who had embraced her as soon as he'd walked in. As the door closed behind Tara and Jax, Mac turned her attention to the man in front of her.
"Chibs?" she said. "Are you… shaking?"
He was. Her man was shaking.
"Whoa, Filip, what's wrong?" Mac asked, pulling back in an attempt to see his face.
He looked… scared.
"I jus'…Donna is Opie's girl, his old lady, and to see her almost killed…" he trailed off, but Mac got the jist.
"Filip, I'm here." Mac said, taking his face in her hands. His brown eyes were big and sad. Mac honestly didn't know what to say, and so she just returned his hug, trying to convey everything she felt without words.
"Don't leave me." he finally said, quietly. "You're not allowed to die. You have to keep yourself safe." Mac just hugged him tighter. Chibs sighed, clearly still upset. When he kiss her, it was different from their norm. It was still passionate, but it was slow and soft and - dare Mac say it - loving. When he took her clothes off, it was in adoration, treating her like she was fragile. When they finally came together, it was unhurried, but with a sense of something more. Like every other time had been sex, but this time they were making love. When he cried out her name, it was like a prayer. Mac felt her eyes burn with tears. No one, not even Peter, had made her feel like this.
—
Well, Mac thought, it could've gone worse.
The guys had just come out of church, and while everyone looked grim, they were at least alive. Most of the old ladies were sitting outside, including Donna, who was still silent and grim, though she did look better than the night before. They were supposed to be planning a Halloween party in a few days time, but they were understandably distracted.
According to Chibs, Opie, Clay, and Tig hadn't come to a resolution, not that anyone really thought there was a good resolution for something like this. It was clear that Tig and Clay were doing what they thought was best for the club, being purposely mislead by Stahl. Opie was, of course, pissed that they didn't believe him when he told the club he was in it for good, and explained how he was not a rat. The rest of the club was pissed for the same reason, and also pissed that Clay and Tig had made such a large decision without telling anyone. And everyone was pissed at Stahl. Conniving bitch.
When the guys came out, Donna quickly went to Opie, who gave her a smile. Mac looked at the group appraisingly. Tig was in about as much shock as Mac had ever seen him in. He was also more apologetic than Mac had thought he could be. It was clear that this was going to stick with him for a while. Good. Than there was Clay, who also looked guilty. That he should. And finally Opie, who looked more relaxed than Mac had maybe ever seen him.
"Well?" Gemma asked the group at large.
Opie nodded. "We'll be fine." he said, and Mac saw the room relax. The guys didn't look happy in general, but there was something between them that hadn't been there the night before.
"But." Opie continued. "I will not have us doubted again. We're as much a part of this club as anyone - I did five fucking years inside for you guys - and I'll will have that respect. We are not rats, have never been, never will be. If anyone else doubts that, speak now."
The room was silent. Mac felt like Opie had grown a foot just from his tone of voice.
"Good." Opie said. "Now, if what happened yesterday ever happens again, in any way, shape, or form, your good intentions won't matter. I won't have our loyalty to the club publicly or privately doubted every again."
There was silence. Then Gemma - thank god for Gemma - walked over to Opie and Donna and gave them a hug. It was the match. There were hugs all around - Mac privately thought she saw tears in Tig's eyes, though the tough guy would never admit to it - and she rather thought they'd found a way forward. It wasn't perfect, and it was kind of fucked up, but it was something.
—
Mac found herself on the porch of Gemma's house with Jax, both enjoying a break from the party-planning madness that they'd been conscripted into. Jax was brewing about something, but Mac didn't care. She put Tara above Jax, and she was damn sure going to find out what the fuck was going on with the Prince.
"Jax, are you fucking your ex behind Tara's back?"
Mac had been hoping to break through his walls with one stroke, and it had worked. He choked on his beer, coughing and turing to glare at Mac.
"What the fuck, Mac?" he asked. "No!"
Mac raised in eyebrow. "I dunno what happened after you left our house the other night, but before you and Chibs showed up she and I had a pretty concerning conversation about you and Wendy."
Jax made like he wanted to interrupt, but Mac held up a hand.
"No, let me finish. She's my best friend. She's my sister like Chibs is your brother. I don't give a damn about the club; if you hurt her pointlessly - and that includes sleeping with your junkie ex behind her back - I'll hurt you worse. And you know that's a promise. She's a good woman Jax, and she's trying to come to terms with what it means to be your Old Lady. She has it in her, I can see it, but you've gotta give her yourself, or there's really no incentive. She's doing it for you. She's strong, smart, she's a wonderful mom to Abel, and she loves you. Yes Jax, loves you. So what the fuck is wrong?"
Jax sighed. "I'm not sleeping with Wendy. What I said to Tara was an excuse to not put our relationship front and center right now. I can't do it again. If she's gonna leave, if she's gonna find some excuse to walk away, I can't put everything into her and have that happen again. I have to know."
Mac nodded, but Jax didn't seem done.
"I was just… there's some shit with the club and you know most of it but… I found something. An… inheritance from my father, something that tells me Clay is… I dunno. I just wonder sometimes if brotherhood is worth it. The pain I've put Tara through in the past, and probably the future. Wouldn't it just be easier to leave? Walk away? I just… Never mind."
Mac let him ramble. She couldn't be sure of what he was saying, but she had a fair idea. Jax had been trying to force the club into a more respectable earning direction. Away from the danger and the greed and the fear and towards brotherhood and family. It was something that Mac respected about him. She suspected that the idea came completely from him. Now this thing with his father, well, maybe it was pushing him too far away. The club couldn't afford to lose Jax, that much was obvious, and Chibs would be devastated to lose the son-figure in his life. And on top of that, Mac truly believed the brotherhood was completely worth it.
"The club is going to come to a point, Jax. I don't know when, maybe tomorrow, maybe in ten years, when it's going to have to decide if it's worth it. And maybe it isn't. Maybe you should listen to you dad. But in my experience, if I learned anything from my uncle, the people we look up to can be right, but also very, very wrong. Don't throw it all away on the word of someone else, Jax. I think you're doing the right thing, trying to drive the club in the direction that you are. And I think if you're careful, you can bring everyone else around with you. There's fear and danger and greed right now, but I think once that curtain is lifted, your brothers will come to appreciate the hard road they've taken. Don't blindly throw your lot in with someone else's experiences."
Mac stood up, thinking she'd said plenty, and walked back inside, leaving Jax out on the porch to think. She jumped back into the party madness. It was Halloween, which meant other charter members making an appearance and more raucousness fueled by an absurd amount of booze and, of course, the requisite croweaters. It meant that the planning was more intensive than usual, and Mac was quickly roped back into it.
Luann wandered over to her after a while, and the two women chatted about nothing in e particular while going over possible decorations. Mac is half-listening as Luann talks about CaraCara and the regular disputes she deals with in her stars. And then Mac has an idea.
"Luann, can I ask you something?" Mac said. The woman nodded.
"Would you put me in front of the camera?" Luann looked surprised, but she leaned back, evaluating Mac with a critical eye.
"You've got a nice body, good tits, pretty face, hair I can work with. Yeah, I think so. Can you act?" Mac grinned at the woman's frank study of her.
"Thanks, but I didn't mean like that." Mac said. "I want to do something for Chibs. Something that involves tasteful photos, possibly sans clothes." A smile creased Luann's face.
"Oh sweetie, why didn't you just say so?" she said. "It's a wonderful idea. I have the best ideas already. Oh, we'll have to find a time to get you in there, all female crew of course, and you'll have final say on all the photos. Oh, the things we can do. Maybe something Scottish? Or something that shows off your background?" Mac just grinned at her excitement.
She hadn't planned on asking Luann for this, but the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. She liked her body, and she certainly didn't mind showing it off for Chibs, and he would appreciate - in more than one way - the photos. So why not? Mac just smiled and kept at work on the party stuff, listening to Luann's excited chatter beside her.
—
The night of the Halloween party, Mac was taking her time. The week had actually gone back to normal. In a way. Mac was on tenderhooks at work, thanks to her short stint in jail and to Stahl's meddling, but her students had been happy to see her and Mac had actually relished a little bit of, well, legality in her life. So after school, she'd gone straight home to find Tara and get ready for the party. There was something telling her this would be a big one, and not just that it was Halloween.
"Where you at, Tara?" Mac yelled as soon as she got in the front door.
"Kitchen!" Tara called back.
Mac tossed her stuff on the table, the two friends exchanging small talk and excitement for the upcoming party. Something was on Tara's mind, though.
"So, Jax says you talked to him." Tara said, and Mac just blinked, surprised that Jax had come clean to Tara about their conversation. She just raised an eyebrow in question.
"Thanks." Tara said, and Mac was even more surprised. "You helped."
"I'm glad." Mac said.
"Look." Tara said. "He's got the weight of the world on his back. Between the club, Clay, his mom, and his son; it's tough for him. And I want to be there to help." Mac's eyes widened in surprise.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Mac asked.
"We're gonna give it another go." Tara said, a smile creeping across her face. "Mac, he had his head in the clouds over something his father gave him. But whatever you said, it's like you cleared the fog just enough for him to find his way. And he and I, we talked about Wendy, and how he was using her like a shield in case I left again, but I can't leave, Mac. How can I leave him and his child?"
"Yours now too, no?" Mac asked. Tara shrugged.
"As good as." she said. "Jax was surprised that I was okay with it, but the kid deserves a better mother than Wendy, and if I'm going to be Jax's old lady, I'm going to do it properly."
"Properly?" Mac asked.
"Like Luann. Like Donna. And especially like Gemma." Tara said. "I'll embrace the man and the club. Not one because of the other but both."
Mac grinned big. "Excellent." she said. "That's fantastic. Welcome back. So, is the sex everything you remember it being?"
Mac had to dodge when Tara threw a carrot at her.
—
Mac was just putting the finishing touches on her lips when Tara walked in.
"Christ." Mac said, staring at her friend. "I should warn everyone that their childhood's are about to be ruined." Tara grinned at her. She was Snow White, but in a skirt-top combo that Mac was sure would never be allowed on television, much less a Disney movie. Mac bit her lip to stop herself from making a porn star joke. Tara looked fucking fantastic, and Mac didn't want to scare her into changing.
"And you are?" Tara asked. "Save a horse, ride a… Scotsman?" Mac flipped Tara off, but rather thought she had the right idea. Mac was a cowgirl, right down to the cowboy boots that came from a mission a while back. She was wearing painted on blue jeans and a belt, topped with a red and white gingham shirt that was tied off like a crop top. She had a proper hat too, and was trying to tame her hair so that she could wear it.
"Cowgirl, huh?" Tara asked. Mac nodded.
"Easiest thing to do." she said. "Though I'm pretty sure all the shit I've collected from various mission could make almost any costume." She turned to Tara for final approval.
Her friend nodded. "Perfect." Tara said. "Nice stud." Mac had put her belly button piercing back in, knowing it would drive Chibs just a little crazier. She was looking forward to a good night.
"You as well." Mac said. "Shall we?" Mac motioned out the door. "Let's go find our boys." Tara said. They both smiled.
—
Chibs had been at the clubhouse pretty much all day, and now was no different. The party was starting to pick up, and he had to admit that the old ladies and crow eaters had done a god job. The place was decked to hell with spooky, gore-centered decorations, with some happier-looking ones. There was halloween candy in bowls everywhere. There were brothers from several other charters down for the holiday, and more crow eaters than Chibs had seen in a while. His focus was on Happy and Tig playing a game of pool when Mac walked in with Tara. He almost dropped his beer. Jax, beside him, let out a low whistle.
His girl was wearing jeans that left absolutely nothing to the imagination, and Chibs had to forcefully tear his eyes away to look at the rest of her. She had proper cowboy boots and a gingham shirt that was tied high to show off her flat stomach. It was unbuttoned enough to show off her chest as well. Chibs had a moments thought of tearing out the eyes of every other guy here. Then she caught his eye, and tipped the cowboy hat she was wearing at him, and Chibs could only grin at her.
He noticed that Jax was staring at Tara with equal fervor, and it wasn't hard to see why. The normally button-up doc was wearing a skirt-top combo that he recognized as one of the disney princesses. He thought maybe it was Snow White. But either way, she'd earned Jax's stare. The two girls exchanged grins before walking over. Chibs ground his teeth, noticing heads turn and eyes follow them across the clubhouse.
"Happy Halloween, boys." Mac said, giving Chibs a kiss. He put his hands on her bare waist, keeping her in front of him. He looked her up and down slowly, and it was then that he noticed something sparkly in her belly button. Hello.
He brushed a thumb over it, and met Mac's eyes.
"You've been hiding something from me." he said, his voice betraying his desire. The stud was low-key and sexy on Mac's flat stomach.
"I thought you'd like it." Mac said, giving him a big smile.
"I do." he said. "All of it." His hands tightened on her waist.
Mac smiled at him, but before she could continue the conversation, she was dragged away by various Sons and Tara for drinks. Mac let herself get tipsy - she was safe here, surrounded by Chibs and Tara and those she'd come to know as her family. She danced with Tara and Donna and Chibs, let Tig fail to drink her under the table, kicked Half-Sack's ass at pool. She talked with - or rather at - Happy, who looked suspiciously happy. It was relaxed. Mac watched happily as Donna and Opie danced together, she tried her best to cheer up Half-Sack, who was missing Cherry, and Luann, because Otto was in jail.
Surrounded by family.
—
When Mac woke up, Chibs was gone, and there was a piece of paper on her bedside table.
Mackenzie-
Left before the sun rose. I'll see you tonight at CaraCara. Good luck today.
-C
Mac sighed and laid back against the pillow. She had to get up and go to work, but she wasn't looking forward to today. Thanks to her stint in jail and her growing relationship with the Sons, she was being forced out of her job. There were new enemies in two; Chibs had been telling her about Zobelle and the two Hale's, and Mac was their next casualty. The school couldn't have it, so Mac had turned in her two weeks notice, and today was her last day. She'd be sad to leave it, but it wasn't like she needed the income. She did feel bad for abandoning the kids, though. Teaching had been the normal in her life.
Mac sighed again and forced herself out of bed. There was other stuff too. Gemma had been up in arms lately and Tara new why, but had been apparently sworn to secrecy. Add to it that whatever was going on with Gemma was turning her against Clay, and it was a recipe for a ton of tension within the club. Not to mention that there was something going on with Zobelle that went beyond Mac's job.
But tonight was supposed to be a stress reliever, at least for the guys. There was a porno wrap party for Luann at CaraCara, and Mac and Tara were going. Mac expected Gemma to be there as well, for Luann, but who knew with her these days. Gemma and Tara were better now that Tara had come around to the club as well as Jax, though Gemma was hesitant to abandon her suspicions completely. Anyways, tonight should be interesting.
—
Mac had been to CaraCara before, but that night it was transformed. The sets, cameras, and other porn detritus was gone, and the place was decked out for a party. Mac linked her arm with Tara's, and walked across the room to the guys. Chibs greeted her with a kiss that made her toes curl. She wrapped an arm around him and just enjoyed his presence, letting the guys shoot the shit around her, not really paying attention.
What did catch her attention, though, was later, when one of the blonde porn stars - Ima, Luann had called her - was hanging all over Jax. Mac caught Gemma's eye, separating herself from Chibs and walking over.
"What's up, Gem?" Mac asked, actually wanting an answer. There was a look on the woman's face like she was trying to solve a problem with no clear answer, and Mac was tired of the snippy Gemma who was keeping a secret from everyone. Gemma pulled her to the side of the room. She looked nervous, which was slightly disconcerting. Gemma never got nervous.
"Look." she began. "I've only told Tara this, so you gotta keep it a secret. At least for now."
Mac nodded slowly, surprised that she was gonna come right out with it. It must be big for Gemma to be so open all of a sudden. Then she told Mac about the rape, and Mac forgot all about the biker queen being bitchy. It was horrifying, Gemma's story, and Mac came to realize that she absolutely hadn't gotten the worst of Zobelle and Weston's plans.
"Gemma." Mac said. But Gemma shook her head.
"I don't want pity, I don't want sympathy, and I can't tell the guys because they'll get themselves in trouble going after Weston and Zobelle, and Clay won't ever want to see me again, so you can't tell them either."
"Whoa, wait, Gemma that's way off base." Mac said. "I agree the guys would do something stupid, but to say that about Clay is wrong. He loves you, Gemma. You're is strong, beautiful confident, powerful wife, and he's not going to walk away because you were attacked by one of his enemies. If anything, that'll make him stand by your side. You aren't poisoned or spoiled or anything, you're a survivor, and that takes more strength than most women have. If I were Clay, I'd be proud to stand by your side."
Gemma's face lifted slightly. She looked like she was thinking about it.
"Yeah, well." she said, and Mac knew it wasn't going to be just her who convinced Gemma. But maybe she'd made an impact. She wasn't surprised when Gemma changed to subject to Ima, who was now rubbing on Jax like a cat in heat.
"The bitch couldn't try any harder." Gemma said. Mac snorted. She and Gemma watched carefully as Tara pulled Ima aside, having a conversation that clearly wasn't friendly. Ima got the last word and walked away, leaving Tara with a face that would cut glass.
"Tara's catfighting days aren't over." Gemma said, and Mac grinned.
"What, you got a plan?" she asked. Gemma nodded.
"Tara's gonna go to the bathroom. I'll get Jax there, you get Ima there… in a little while." Gemma said. "You never know what she might walk in on." Mac's grin grew as Gemma walked away. She watched Tara walk towards the bathroom and then Jax follow her. She paused a few minutes until Gemma gave her a nod, and then walked over to Ima.
"Hey, you're Ima, right?" Mac asked, playing nice with the porn star. The girl turned towards her, giving her a serious look of disdain. Clearly she didn't know her.
"What?" Ima asked.
"Jax wanted you." Mac said, trying to look earnest. "He's in the bathroom."
Ima gave her a half smile, and flounced off.
Mac walked back over to Gemma and waited. It didn't take long at all for Ima to come running from the direction of the bathroom, red-faced and angry. She looked towards Gemma and Mac, just as Chibs walked up and gave her a kiss on the cheek from behind. Mac just grinned at the porn star. Mac smiled at Gemma. Success.
Chibs, Gemma, and Mac talked for a while, until Luann came over and pulled Mac to the side, handing her an envelope.
"Is this what I think?" Mac asked. Luann nodded.
"Printed them today." Luann said. "The only copies are in here, and I deleted all the negatives. No evidence left. Enjoy." Luann winked at her and walked away.
Mac had gone the weekend before for a photoshoot at CaraCara, keeping the destination a secret from Chibs. It had been her, Luann, and a female assistant who'd helped with hair and makeup. They'd done a couple of shoots, but Mac's personal favorite was her, wrapped in only a Scottish flag. She was excited to give them to Chibs. She motioned him over; he was eyeing her and Luann curiously, and came quickly.
"Wha' was that about, luv?" he asked, eyeing the envelope in her hand. Mac handed it to him.
"If these get out anywhere, I will castrate you, Filip Telford, make no mistake." she said. "They are for you and you only." She gave him a dirty grin. "I'd also recommend you don't open them here." Chibs' eyes got dark. He wasn't an idiot, he knew what was in the envelope.
"Really?" he asked, gesturing slightly with the envelope.
Mac grinned. "Luann's a good friend." she said, and Chibs grinned too. He tucked the envelope in his kutte.
"Stay right here, luv." he said, voice gravelly. "We're leaving."
Mac just smiled and did as she was told.
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