"… Kate came in and checked on me today at chemo. She is such a sweet girl. I hate that they overwork her..."
I read Ma's letter for the for the third time. I was glad to know if would be the last one I would get. Tomorrow my brother's and I would get out of Stockton and I would be able to see my Ma with my own eyes. I refused to put her on my visitors list. I wanted her to focus on getting better, and not to have to go on a two-hour car ride to come see me.
Kate
That was a name that had been drilled into my head over the last 6 months. It started with letting me know she had finally met a doctor whom she finally liked, and who seemed to genuinely care about her patient's. It pissed me off to know that mom didn't have the best, but she was in Charming and my brothers outside would take care of her, and that helped me sleep at night. And I was glad that Kate was there to help her.
Last week Kozik visited me, and wouldn't shut up about how hot Kate was. How every time he saw her she had on a dress or a pencil skirt that looked like a second skin on her. How she had shut him down time and time again when he would flirt with her. But then he got serious and told me that she stayed with Ma overnight a few weeks ago when she was hospitalized, and she asked to be informed when Ma's medicine was changed.
"I am telling you Happy, this broad is something else" were his parting words.
I shook my head trying to sleep. I would wake up tomorrow, and ride my bike after 14 long months and go see Ma, and then drown in hot and tight pussy. Unlike Tig I was not into self love, at least not in prison. Especially not after the last few rough months after Jax was attacked. He was in the infirmary for a couple of months before being released. It could just be me, but I sensed that something had changed between Clay and Jax. Not as bad as it was before we went in. I didn't know if it was that Jax finally realized his own mortality, or the same crap that was on the outside of how to earn.
I took a deep breath and put Ma's letter away. Closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep.
The next day my brothers and I walked out of prison with smiles on our faces. Kozik and the rest of the guys had our bikes lined up waiting for us. Kozik was the first one to greet me and hug me. While I considered all of them brothers I was closest to Kozik as we were both in the Tacoma charter for a few years before I transferred to the Nomad charter and then Charming.
"Brother good to see you" I returned his hug
"Good to be on the other side" I said.
We drove towards Charming enjoying ourselves. Goofing off but determined to get home and see our loved ones. But as we entered Charming we were met with a half dozen pigs.
"There is a new Sherriff in town" I lost interest about that same old bullshit. Basically, a dick measuring at this point. Trying to show us his was bigger. I rolled my eyes and as soon as we could ride away.
Riding into Teller-Morrow was great as soon as I parked I spotted Ma sitting on a bench. She looked pale had clearly lost weight lately. It saddened me to see this strong woman looking weak, and I promised myself I would do anything to make her feel better.
"Ma" I said walking towards her and pulling her in to a hug. I felt her tears soaking my shirt
"I missed you so much, Mijo" she said wiping her tears way.
"Me too Ma, me too" we walked into the clubhouse where there was an array of food every where. I was glad to see Ma eating well, not as much as before she got sick but a good portion.
"I should get going" she said
"Ma, no stay" I said not wanting to let her out of my sight yet.
"Mijo, you and all they guys will soon be getting drunk and I am sure you don't want your mother here while you try to have sex" and that's where I got my bluntness from
"Ma" I would never admit it, but that was a whine
"Ah Mijo, how do you think you got here?" I shook my head at her. Before I could come up with a response I saw Chibs walk in with his arms wrapped around the most beautiful woman I had ever see. With thick chocolate brown hair, almond shaped eyes, high cheekbones, full plump lips, delicate shoulders, nice perky breast that I knew would fit perfectly in my hands, she was wearing gray jeans, but I could tell she had a nice ass and nice shaped legs. She looked unsure walking into the clubhouse was the only think that kept me from getting up and ripping Chibs arms away from her. I wanted to see what she was doing here. Was she a croweater? A Hang around? Someone's old Lady?
"Maria, look who's here?" Chibs said standing in front of us. Ma knew this beautiful woman? She responded letting Ma know that there was something wrong with her car and had brought it in to get checked out. Chibs left letting her know that he was going to check on her car. That bothered me I should be the one taking care of her. Ma clearly was close to her as she called her by endearments.
"This is my son Happy" she turned and finally faced me. Her eyes bright hazel almost golden. In that moment I felt deja vu. Its only ever happen to me twice before. The last time almost 20 years ago when I met John and he sponsored me as a prospect for the Sons of anarchy. I know I'm not a good man, I know I carry blood on my hands that will never wash away. But being here in this moment I knew I was supposed to meet her, and that she was supporting to be in my life and in that moment. I know I would never let her go. Because I was greedy selfish bastard that was not willing to let her walk out of my life.
"Hello Happy" she said smiling at me and stretching her hand for me to shake. I barely heard Ma say that this was Kate.
Kate
Her god sent that kept a close eye on her in the hospital
"Thank you" I said to her, meaning every word from the deepest of my soul. I stood up and kissed Ma and left with out another word. I had to get out. That was Kate. My Kate was Ma's Kate. The same Kate she would write about in every letter she sent me in her letters. I had to get some air.
I walked out of the clubhouse and saw Chibs and Lowell looking under the hood of a Honda.
"I need to order the part" Lowell said to Chibs
"Fine, make sure it gets here tomorrow morning. The Doc needs her car"
"Ma's Doc?" I asked walking closer to them
"Ay" said Chibs walking into the clubroom.
"Anything else wrong with the car?" I asked him
"Chibs only asked me to look for the noise"
"Pull the car to the garage we. We are doing a full tune up" I ordered him. We did a full tune up, changed the car oil, topped all the fluids. When I was rotating the tires, I saw that at least one needed to be replaced now, and two more were pretty word but would hold for a couple of weeks. I grabbed the spared one and changed the tires. I ordered Lowell to put in an order for the tires and that I would take care of them and everything else we did to her car. By the time we were done I walked back to the clubhouse and saw that the party was well on its way. Loud music blaring Tig and Bobby had a couple of croweaterd on their laps. As I was walking past the pool table where Juice was laying down getting a blow job I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist.
"Hey baby" a whiny bitch voice said. I turned around and pushed her away from me. Any other time I would drag her into my dorm room and fuck her until I was satisfied, rub her clit until she came. I didn't care if the croweaters got off, but I found that when they came they were more compliant.
"Back off" I growled walking away from her. I laid in bed thinking about Kate. Trying to remember all details Ma wrote in those letters. I pulled my phone and called Ma.
"Hey Ma, just wanted to check that you got to the apartment okay"
"You worry to much, yes I did." She said
"Good to hear, so what's going on with Kate?" I asked trying to keep the curiosity out of my voice. Ma told me that Kate took the spare Toyota and was asking about where she could rent a lawnmower to fix her yard. We talked a bit more before Ma started yawning and I told her to get some sleep and call me if she needed anything.
I was up the next day. I was getting ready to go and mow Kate's lawn but before I could leave Clay called church. Shit
"Hey Pres, I was going to something for Ma, think you can spare a prospect?"
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, just some shit" He nodded his head
"Yeah, use Rat" I nodded my head and walked to the clubroom. I didn't see him and figured he was probably still sleeping.
"Hey shithead I have a job for you" I said throwing a pillow as a wake-up call.
"Its good to be back at the table, thanks to all you guys for keeping the fort afloat while we were away" Clay said sitting behind the table. We all nodded our heads.
"Glad to have you guys back" said Opie to all of us. We all slammed our fist on the table multiple times in agreement.
"Settle down" laughed Clay
"The first thing we need to do is settle with the Russians" he said looking at Jax who was sitting next to him. We all nodded our heads. "And we will, tonight at Opie's wedding." We were walking out of church when I hear Rat talking to Miles.
"… walked out wearing nothing but a pair of booty shorts, and a tank top. Clearly not wearing a bra. Oh man the air hit her nipples and the stood out- "but before he could finish I pulled him by the back of his cut and pulled him into the clubhouse.
"What the fuck? I told you to go mow her lawn and now your talking trash?" I asked angrily pushing him back against the wall
"What happened there?" I growled
"Nothing, nothing. I mowed her lawn. She made breakfast, we ate, and I left. nothing more" I nodded my head
"I better not hear you talk about her like that again. You treat her with respect or you will have to deal with me. Got it?" he nodded his head over and over
"Yeah man, I got it" I let him go and he ran out the room. I shook my head knowing he would be getting shit jobs from me for the next week, but for now I needed to focus on today. First, we need to distract the Sherriff.
And that's how I ended kicking the pig's car for trying to run Chibs off the road, and in handcuffs on the side of the road. We are released an hour later and made it just in time for Opie's wedding, and then took care of the Russians to show them not to mess with the Sons.
A week later I saw Kate drive into the shop and when she stepped out of the car I could not stop looking at her. Her pale legs came out first. She clearly did some type of exercise her calves were well defined but not overly muscular. Her skirt looked like it was painted on her skin her ass looked great, she was either wearing a tiny pair of panties or nothing at all. Her blouse was modest showing no cleavage. She walked into the office. I went to the shop remembering the tires came in earlier today. I told chucky to let her know it would be ready in 30 minutes. When I walked back outside I could see a small blush on her checks
"Eyes up here buddy" she said to Tig. He told her he blamed her breasts and that made my blood boiled. I walked closer to them and told Tig to leave her alone. Any other guy would have walked away even a brother. I was not nicknamed Killa for nothing. But Tig had almost as much blood on his hands as me. She introduced her self to him and left saying she was going to walk to get breakfast. As soon as I thought she was far away I punched Tig in the arm. Hard. Again, and again. He laughs it off clearly knowing he pissed me off by flirting with her.
"Okay brother, I got the message loud and clear" he said walking away while rubbing his arms.
30 minutes later I drove Kates car to the dinner. Just as I parked I saw Kate by the counter paying for breakfast. I sat on the hood of her car waiting for her. I told her Chuck told me that she wanted to know who had paid for her repairs and I told her the club had. I wanted to ask her out and I didn't want her to say yes thinking she owed me something. She asked why, and I told her we took care of our own. I was surprised when I mentioned the club she seemed genuinely not knowing about us. It made me feel lighter knowing that no one had bad talked us to her. After everything that went down before we went in. I knew we had burnt a few bridges and that most of charming was weary of us now. I thanked her for watching Ma and left her. As I walked away I could feel her staring at me and it made me smirk knowing she was attracted to me.
Just as I walked into the clubhouse Clay called church. We all walked back into the clubhouse and took a seat.
"Brothers, now that the Russians are no longer a problem we need to figure out on how to make money. Our funds are non-existent barely making ends meet" we all nodded our heads knowing it was true. Clay told us about being approached a few days before we got out by one of our contact. Offered us thousands doing the same we were doing now. Protection runs and storage, but now we would be protecting heroin for the cartel.
"Fuck Clay! You said no right?" asked Kozik. He was pissed. We remembered he was basically kicked out of Charming when he couldn't quit the habit a few years ago.
"That's why I brought it to the table" Clay said looking down to Jax. He looked deep in thought playing with a lighten in his hand.
"Nah, just got out the joint. Not looking to do time any time soon" Jax said.
Tig was a yes to no one's surprise. He always followed Clay. Jax, Chibs, Bobby, Piney, Kozik were a no. Clay, Tig, Juice, Miles, filthy Phil were a yes. Looked like the final vote was up to me. I thought about Ma, how much we could use the cash, but I also missed seeing her. Then I thought about Kate, I knew she was supposed to be in my life and I wasn't willing to jeopardize it.
"Jax is right, I'm not ready to go back. Nah" Clay looked pissed his face turning red. He was surprised in all my time with the Sons this was the first time I didn't vote with the President.
"Fuck!" he yelled slamming his fist on the table
"Clay, there is other ways to make money" said Bobby
"Clay, pussy stills sell. We've been working with the porn studio. Now that Juice is out he can work on the website and we can make more money" Said Chibs. Clay shook his head
"I already told them yes" Clay said.
"What the fuck Clay?" yelled Jax jumping out his chair
"What the fuck was I supposed to do Jax? You just gotten stabbed we had no protection and nothing to bargain with"
"Fuck!"
I felt betrayed and looking around the table I was not the only one. I may not have agreeded with all the clubs vote but never did I think to go around them. It pissed me off more that he made us vote on it knowing he had already agreed.
"Look brothers" started Jax taking a seat, everyone followed him including myself. "I'm not willing to risk my freedom. After being locked up for 14 months it made me realize that I am willing to do anything not to go back in. I have been thinking of leaving the Sons" we all stared at him surprised
"Jax, your dad created this legacy for you" said Piney
"Look Piney, I love you guys, but I'm not going to miss my kids growing up or fuck up with Tara again. I'm not giving you guys an ultimatum, but I'm saying that I WILL not work with the cartel. I still think we need to get out of guns and go legit."
Everyone started talking at one clearly upset
"Lets all cool down. Tacoma and a couple of other charters are coming down tomorrow. Let's keep all this quiet. Go home cool down and we will meet back tomorrow" Bobby said. We all nodded our heads walking out.
The next night there was still tension but we all tried to keep it cool not wanting the other charters to know. I kept close to the bar wanting to keep an eye and who came in and out. Now that I knew about Clay's deal just wanted to know who was here. All my brothers from the other charters came welcoming back, as well as Quinn the nomad president. He was the one I knew I could trust no matter what and could come to when I might need a push in the right direction. But for now, Bobby was right. We needed to keep quiet.
"Oh, someone must have really pissed of Gemma" laughe GoGo pointing his hand to the other side of the room. I couldn't see who Gemma was arguing with, but she looked pissed. Who ever she was arguing with had a hot body. Wearing a tight black dress with her back mostly exposed by a thing layer of lace. Any other night I would be on that in a second.
"Bitches trip, probably a hang around trying to step on Clay" we both turned around and started talking about how things were with the nomads. Everything was the same they had recently partnered up with a strip club offering protection and a percentage of the nights earning.
"What the hell?" I turned to where GoGo pointed just to see the same hot girl with the lacy black dress bring her knee up into my brothers' groin. As he bent down I could see her face and saw it was Kate.
I was up in the next second on my way to her
"… whore and you do what your told" my blood boiled when I heard him talk to her that way but when I realized that he was going to hit her I saw red. I put myself between them and punched him twice and he fell, but I didn't stop there I punched him repeatedly. I had never wanted to kill someone as bad as I did now. Rat and a couple of other brothers stepped in separating me from him. I knew I wasn't done with him and told him I would be seeing him in the ring tomorrow. A promise he would get his ass kicked. Mother fucker.
I heard Tara tell Kate that she was sorry for bring late she had gotten stuck in surgery. I let out a breath glad to hear that she was not here to see my one of my brothers. She said she was fine thanks to me. Jax stepped in before she could say anything else saying she was the famous Kate. What the hell? I threw him a dirty look. As she walked away with Tara I could see that her lipstick was all smeared and that just made me angrier. It took me a minute to realize just how protective of Kate I felt. The only woman I had ever felt protective of was Ma, but this was so much stronger. The rest of the night she sat next to Tara. I wanted to go over there but I was just so angry. I didn't want her to think I was upset with her.
The next day I came in early to the shop trying to control my anger. Working on cars and bikes was always relaxing to me. I was surprised when I heard Kate's voice telling someone that she wasn't trying to steal anyone's man. I asked what the problem was to Opie's wife ,Lyla, and she told me it was a bitches problem. I was quick to correct her that Kate was not a bitch and glaring at her. I looked at Kate and nodded my head to the bar. I heard her heels click as she followed me inside but not before thanking Lyla for her help in an oversweet voice clearly fucking with her. Good to see she would stand up for herself.
We sat at the bar where Rat grabbed drinks for us and I was glad to see he was respectful to her. Not that he had any other choice. I asked her what the problem was she said left a couple of things last night and thought she dropped them in Jax room. I walked with her to show her what room it was. She looked around for a couple of minutes and couldn't find them, she then bent down to look under the bed and it took all my will power not to touch her. She came up and I could see she had found what she was looking for. She was so beautiful with a smile playing on her lips. I closed the distance between us and stared at her lips, then her eyes giving her a chance to tell me no.
"Happy…. oh Happy" fucking Tig
"What?" I yelled stepping out of the room. Tig told me the fucker from last night was waiting for me on the ring. Tig greeted Kate and winked at her clearly trying to annoy me. I pulled Kate's wrist pulling her with me as I walked. I then intertwined our fingers together. I felt the anger from last night rushing back to me, her hand was so small in my own.
I told her to stay. I wanted her to see me kick his ass, and for her to realize that I was here to protect her.
"Brother" Quinn stopped me before stepping into the ring "Don't kill him, we are already short on bodies"
"I won't kill him, but I can promise you he won't be riding out of here. And he will be leaving right after" Quinn nodded his head understanding. Bobby stepped into the ring calling for no cheap shots. I didn't hold back, I got hit after hit on the fucker and he got a couple of his own but nothing to stop me. I knocked his ass out and he landed on the mat unconscious. I got down after getting a high five from Bobby. I was annoyed when 3 crows eaters surrounded me, but I ignored them and walked to Kate again grabbing her hand and pulling her with me to the dorms.
I sat her down on the bed and went into the small bathroom to grab a couple of things to treat my bloody knuckles, but before I could start she offered to do it. Her touch was firm but gentle. I had to be honest with her before we moved forward, I told her I was a criminal and not an upstanding citizen. She said that she had known men who were upstanding citizens but were anything but. She told me how her ex beat the crap out of her when she found him cheating. She felt guilty for not seeing the abuse for what it was. But that just made her stronger in my book. There were women who were never strong enough to leave no matter what. I pulled her down to the bed with me and I felt her body start shaking as she cried. I kept my arm around just letting her know that I was there for her. When her breath evened out I realized she had fallen asleep and that made me relax enough to fall asleep.
I woke up with a start realizing she was no longer laying next to me. It surprised me I was such a light sleeper always knowing my surroundings that I didn't realize she had left. I decided I would look for her at the hospital later to finish our conversation. I took a quick shower and walked out thinking of going to the diner for breakfast.
I saw the guys all seating at the bar eating. I saw Kate behind the bar and it made me smile that she got along with the rest of my family. Juice ordered her to serve him coffee and I told him to get it himself smacking him upside the head.
After breakfast we went back to my dorm. I started not wanting her to feel pressured. I told her about loosing my dad, that after that it was mostly Ma and my aunt and how when I Joined the Son's I found a family. How my nickname was Killer, and I was part of the unholy ones. I did the jobs no one else was willing to. I was expecting to see disgust or anger in her face but all I saw was understanding.
She told me about her father being abusive blaming her mother of cheating when he was the one who cheated. He ran out on them. She was angry at her mother for staying in an abusive relationship and she avoided her when she was in college, how much she regretted that now. They were just starting to have a better relationship when her mother was taken from her. it made me realize more that I was with Jax, I refused to go back to jail and leave Kate vulnerable to suffer again.
She told me she was very attracted to me which made me smirk, how she had not been on a date since her ex. That she was not looking to jump into bed with me right away because she cared about her friendship with Ma. That just made me happier to hear. And that she would understand if I wasn't willing to wait. It made me smile and I promised her she was more than enough.