"Morning." Happy said with a little bit of a laugh as I came out to the garage around one in the afternoon. I groaned and swatted his comment away, not wanting to be teased. He wiped his hands on a shop rag and stopped working on his bike to give me a hug. "You hungry?"
"Starving." I admitted with my stomach growling in agreement. Happy chuckled and motioned towards my car. "Where to?"
"Your place, J. I've got to go to Tacoma tomorrow and I won't be back for a few days." He said, holding out his hand. "I'm driving."
"Why?" I asked, rolling my eyes and handing my keys over. He didn't answer until we got in the car.
"It's supposed to rain." He said. I glance out of the window to see a cloudless sky and shook my head. It rarely rained and it didn't look like there was any chance today. I grabbed my sunglasses out of the center console and leaned the seat back, feeling some nausea setting in.
"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" I asked, rolling over in the bed and putting my hand on his chest. He smoothed my hair and traced his fingers down my back. We'd eaten and then quickly got into bed and hadn't left it yet. The sun was setting and I felt uneasy about him leaving.
"Noon. You worried about me, baby girl?" Happy asked with a grin. I laughed and hitched my shoulder. He chuckled and kissed me roughly.
"Maybe a little. What did Roosevelt mean about parole?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't shut me out. He took a deep breath and let it out quickly through his nose. "Hap, I don't ever ask what you do but I don't want you risking going to prison."
"Jaden, you let me worry about that. It's not your problem." He said nonchalantly. I shoved off his chest and sat up, staring down at him angrily.
"It's not my problem? What is my problem, Happy? If you get enough pussy and food? You're an ass!" He propped up on his elbows and looked at me, not showing any emotion at all. I turned to get out of bed and he caught my wrist quickly.
"Calm down. That's not what I meant, J. It's just not something you need to worry about, okay? I've got it under control. You aren't getting rid of me that easily." He said with a smile. I was still mad, but I let him pull me back to him. "You don't really cook enough to keep me fed anyways."
"Shut up." I grumbled, putting my head back on his chest as he held me tight. Before that moment, I hadn't really thought about what I would do without him. He'd become so intertwined with my life that the thought of him not being there almost gave me a full on anxiety attack. To be honest, if he wasn't there to talk me back down I probably would have had a bad one.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked, pausing in his stroking of my back. I traced one of his many demon tattoos on his arms and closed my eyes.
"Do you think I'm weak for loving you?" I asked. He took a couple minutes to answer.
"No. You're one of the strongest minded people I know. It pissed me off in the beginning. Now I'd be worried if I didn't catch some shit from you every day." He said. I could hear the honesty in his voice and it made me feel a little better. I nodded and threw my leg over him so that my knees were on either side of his hips.
"You think you can go for another round or are you too tired?" I asked with a wink. I knew his birthday was coming up soon, thanks to Mya, and I'd been teasing him about being old. I honestly didn't even notice the nearly fifteen year difference between us.
"Smartass. Don't plan on walking tomorrow." He growled, narrowing his eyes at me. I laughed and leaned forward, placing me lips right between his ear and his jaw.
"Is that a promise?" I whispered. He answered by flipping us over and pinning me onto my bed with a hard kiss and his hand travelling down my body.
After three more rounds of sex, spinach lasagna and a movie in bed, we fell asleep together. I let the sound of his even breaths calm me into a deep sleep that I never got when he wasn't there. He pulled my back to his chest in his sleep and I didn't mind that he had no plans of letting me go.
I spent most of Sunday cleaning and texting Happy about being sore. He seemed to think it was hilarious that I didn't even get out of my car when I dropped him off at the garage. After that, I promised myself that I'd get back into yoga. If I planned on staying with Happy it would be necessary if I couldn't have a day to recover after sex.
"Hey! This is cute!" Barbie said, pointing at the light blue maxi-dress I was wearing. I shrugged, not wanting to admit that I hadn't done laundry and had to start wearing clothes in the back of my closet. My washing machine was on the fritz and the one time I mentioned going to the laundry mat, Happy about lost his mind. He'd said I should use the washer and dryer at the clubhouse but the thought of how much semen and vomit had been in those machines made me queasy.
"Thanks. Are we going to Lodi Memorial or St. Thomas?" I asked, grabbing my purse so we wouldn't be late for her doctor's appointment. Happy tried to talk me out of going with her but I assured him that being there for my friend was more important.
"Neither, actually. I've got an appointment with Dr. Montgomery at Oakland General. I can give you gas money, hun." She must have thought my hesitation was over the distance but in reality, I was nervous about being in Oakland. Other than passing through on the way to Bakersfield with Happy, I hadn't been to Oakland in years.
"No, no, it's fine, doll. I just thought you'd go to St. Thomas since it's closer to Juice and everything." I said, stumbling to find an excuse for my surprise.
"So he can find out from someone else? No way." She laughed. I was going to mention the laws that stopped doctors or nurses discussing patient information but decided there wasn't really any point.
"The liquor guy called me this morning. They should be delivering our first order Wednesday morning. He said we're getting a new client discount for the first six months, so that's good." I said, trying desperately to get my mind off our destination as I got on the interstate. Barbie and I jumped into a conversation about suppliers and dancers that did a decent job of distracting me until I turned off the interstate and into downtown Oakland.
"Are you okay?" Barbie asked as we got out of the car. I almost choked on my forced smile but nodded all the same. She pursed her lips in disbelief but didn't press me on it. I motioned towards the building as I scanned the parking lot and the road behind us.
"Come on, don't want to be late, momma." I said with a nervous laugh. Barbie smiled and her cheeks blushed with excitement. A custodian by the doors looked up at us as we walked in, probably wondering what we were there for. Barbie was no where close to showing yet and I knew I would be curious about patients if I saw them come and go all the time.
We were sitting in the waiting room of the doctor's office and Barbie was filling out paperwork when the anxiety started kicking in. I felt like the walls were closing in on me and it seemed like everyone in the room were watching me, only to look away when I glanced their way. I jumped when Barbie dropped the clipboard onto the tile floor.
"J? You sure you're okay? You're jumpier than Phil when Tig or Happy are looking for him. Seriously, what's wrong?" Barbie said, abandoning her paperwork.
"I'm not great with doctor's offices or hospitals. I'm going to step outside and have a smoke, okay? I'll be back before they call for you." I said, squeezing her hand. She frowned but nodded all the same, thankfully understanding that I needed some space.
I was glad I'd started keeping a pack of Happy's cigarettes in my bag for the rare times I would want or need a smoke. It started being less about the nicotine and more about the smell that, mixed with leather, meant Happy. I lit up and took a long drag, letting the smoke fill my lungs and mouth. The custodian from the front doors was talking to someone in a dark SUV across the lot now. I started counting things, hoping to ground myself fast enough to get back inside before Barbie saw the doctor.
"JJ! Long time no see, chica!" I tensed all over and blew out my mouth full of smoke in a huff. No one outside of the Aztecs called me JJ. Sure enough, I looked up at a couple men coming from the direction of the dark SUV and recognized them both. Alonzo had more white in his dark hair but he still wore the same, gold rings on his right hand. Martinez, his right hand looked even crazier than I remembered.
"You haven't been getting my Christmas cards?" I asked with a smirk. Martinez yanked my cigarette out of my finger tips and threw it into the mulch behind me. I nodded. "Obviously not."
"You look good, JJ. Got some more curves than before. You could almost pass for a Latina." Martinez said with a wink. I hitched my shoulder and gave him a smile.
"Almost. Seriously, I'll work on that mailing list but I need to get back inside." I said, taking a couple steps back. Alonzo snapped his fingers and I felt a pair of smaller hands on me. I looked back to see the custodian holding my arms. She shoved me back towards the two men.
"Let's go for a ride, Jaden. We have a lot to talk about." Alonzo said, grabbing my upper arm tightly. I didn't miss the grips of the pistol in Martinez's waistband when he lifted his shirt up. My own gun was in my purse but I couldn't exactly get it without being obvious and getting shot in the process.
"We could probably talk on the phone or email or something. Seriously, Alonzo. I didn't say shit to the cops. I didn't know Eddie was going to flip like that! I told him not to go for that Escalade!" I said frantically as they shoved me towards the SUV. Alonzo turned and back handed me across the face with his rings cutting into my skin. I yelped and jumped back.
"Hey! Let her go!" Someone yelled in Spanish. Alonzo's grip on my arm only tightened further and Martinez drew his gun. "Bad idea, ese."
"This doesn't concern you, Esai. Mind your own." Alonzo snapped, shoving me over to Martinez. I saw Esai start smiling and his silver grill flashed in the sun.
"See, she's a Son's old lady and the Mayans and Sons are good. You hurt a Son's old lady you hurt a Mayan's old lady." Esai said, stepping closer to the SUV. I swallowed hard, hoping his tactics paid off. "Heard of the Tacoma Killer?"
"What about him?" Martinez asked with venom in his voice. I raised my brow, wondering what Esai was getting at. He laughed like a villain in a comic book, head back and all. I started to wonder if he wasn't crazier than Martinez.
"You're holding his old lady hostage there. Also split her face open pretty bad." Esai said, clicking his tongue in disapproval. I wondered if he was bluffing or if I was in fact dating someone nicknamed the Tacoma Killer. I knew he killed for the club and probably had more blood on his hands than in his body but that name sounded like some serial killer.
"That true, JJ? You that psycho's whore?" I narrowed my eyes and threw my elbow back, connecting with Martinez's nose with a crunch. He dropped his hands from me immediately and I bolted, only stopping once I'd reached Esai and gotten a grip on the gun in my purse.
"I'm not anyone's whore. I'll make sure to work on that mailing list. I didn't know you'd be so offended." I said, spitting blood towards them. Esai laughed and tried to put his arm around me. He stopped when I shot a glare at him. We watched as the dark SUV sped off out of the parking lot. "Thank you."
"Yeah, no problem, chica. You know who they are?" He asked. I nodded, pulling a Happy by not explaining any further. He nodded and pointed towards the doors. "Go ahead. I'll make sure you get to Charming safe."
"Where were-" Barbie stopped midsentence and yanked me into a bathroom. "What happened, Jaden?"
"Sorry, doll. What did the doctor say?" I asked, ignoring her question about my face. She reached out to touch it and I dodged her hand reflexively.
"He said I'm about six weeks. Seriously, Jaden. What the hell happened?" She said, coming towards the brink of tears. I paused for a single moment and everything that had happened in the last hour hit me like a ton of bricks. My chest tightened and I couldn't catch my breath no matter how hard I tried.
"You drive." I managed to gasp. Barbie's eyes were the size of Harley wheels but she nodded and started helping me out of the hospital. Esai was standing there with several other Mayans when we came outside.
"You okay?" He asked, looking at my paled face. I shook my head but didn't stop to explain. I knew that the sooner I felt safe, locked in my car, the sooner I could breathe. Barbie opened the door for me before quickly going to the other side. I buckled my seatbelt and locked the doors, almost instantly feeling some relief.
"Here, talk to him." I said, handing Barbie my phone. Happy was calling it for the second time but I still didn't feel up to explaining anything. She held the phone with her shoulder as she pulled out of the hospital.
"I don't know, Jesus, don't yell at me. We were at an appointment and she went out to smoke and came back with her face busted up. I think she's having an anxiety attack. My mom used to have them." Barbie said quickly. I nodded and looked in the rearview mirror to see four Mayans riding behind us.
"What does it matter where we went?" She paused and bit her lip. I could hear him yelling loudly and felt guilty for subjecting Barbie to that. "Oakland, okay? I had a doctor's appointment in Oakland."
"Sorry." I whispered to Barbie as she handed me my phone back. She twisted her mouth and looked over at me.
"Does he yell at you like that a lot, Jaden? I know you like him but if he hurts you or yells at you." I stopped her with a shake of my head.
"It's not like that, Barbie. We fight but he's never hurt me or yelled at me more than I've yelled at him. He's just worried." I said, knowing Barbie wasn't used to Happy yet. We'd been around the club for over four months now but she still had limited interactions with him.
"Why are those guys following us?" She asked, looking back at the Mayans who had merged onto the interstate behind us. I explained what had happened in the parking lot, leaving off the bit about Martinez and Alonzo being Aztecs and my previous partnership with them.
"I'm sorry, Jaden! I shouldn't have made you come to Oakland with me." She said, almost crying again. I chalked it up to hormones because she wasn't so emotional normally.
"Don't, Barbie. It's not your fault and you didn't make me. I agreed to come, remember?" I said, noticing my face was starting to hurt more and more.
"I'm guessing we're going to the clubhouse instead of your apartment?" She asked with a weak grin. I nodded and glanced back in the mirror, noticing they were still behind us. We'd crossed into Charming a couple minutes ago and I had thought they would have left already.
"Esai, Alvarez, thanks for getting them back safe." Jax said to the two Mayans that had gotten off their bikes and walked onto the lot. Alverez had jet black, slicked back hair and a neat goatee.
"Of course, brother. May want to keep that one out of Oakland unless she's escorted though. Esai says she has some bad blood with the Aztecs. They Mayans and your club are on good terms but I can't afford a war with the Aztecs, my friend." Alvarez said, shaking Jax's hand. Jax's blue eyes moved over to me as he nodded.
"I appreciate it." He said before they parted ways. Jax pointed at me and then the clubhouse. I groaned and followed him inside.
"Want to tell me how you managed to start a war in Oakland? Why were you even there? How do you even know the Aztecs?" He was firing question after question at me and it was making me angrier and angrier.
"I didn't start a fucking war! I took my best friend to the doctor and went outside for a cigarette! I'm not a prospect and I'm not Tara, you don't get to yell at me and expect me to bow to you." I spat, letting my anger speak for me.
"How do you know the Aztecs? You one of their old ladies?" He asked, jumping to conclusions. I scoffed and shook my head.
"That's the only way women can being connected to anyone isn't it? You're either an old lady or trying to be one. You can't bring anything other than your pussy to the table." I snapped.
"Well, you are a stripper. I don't see what else you could have done to get in with them." Jax shot off. I felt the urge to slap him across the face, but I knew it wouldn't do anyone any good.
"I'm not a stripper anymore and I wasn't a stripper in Oakland." I said, digging my keys out of my purse.
"Happy wants you to stay here until he gets back tomorrow." Jax said lightly. I could tell he felt at least some guilt in saying those things to me but he was to egotistical to apologize.
I held up a key to his dorm room before storming off in that general direction. My anxiety attack, Jax's verbal attack and Alonzo's physical attack had drained me of any energy I had. I considered myself to be a strong person, but even I had limits. So, after taking a shower and happily using Happy's body wash, I climbed into his bed and went to sleep quickly.
A/N: I don't really plan on having Jax be an asshole in this story, he just came off that way during this interaction. He does have a lot going on with the cartel in the background so let's cut him some slack for what he said to Jaden, although I'm not so sure Happy will or not 8) Anything you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters (besides Juice's reaction to the baby news, we'll get there I promise)