Filip-
Aella had been on my mind since her abrupt departure from Church last night, it was a late one but many of the boys including myself wanted to party in celebration. So after a couple of shots, and realizing that we did have a run to do tomorrow, I headed to bed.
Today was the children's blood drive, we would be using the charity run as a cover to mule the Irish pistols. The Tacoma boys would be at the club house soon, and all the boys including Opie would be participating in the run. The only person staying behind was Piney, to tend to the Garage. After a nice long hot shower, I got dressed slowly while I wondered if Aella even knew we would be on a run today.
With everything that had happened the past couple of days, and her distance I doubted Jax or Clay had time to really tell her. Not wanting to seem clingy, I refused to text her and let her know. If she needed to know she would have made sure she did.
Walking into the common area, I could see Happy and some of the Tacoma boys already sitting at the bar. It makes sense they would be here early, especially since the run was considered an early run with us looking at leaving around 11. Grabbing a cup of coffee I slid into a stool next to Happy.
"Morning Brother, wheres that sexy killer of yours today?"
Turning to Happy with a surprised expression, his smile letting me know he was only teasing but knew it would hit a nerve. "She ain't mine Hap'. I ain't gotta righ' to claim her yet."
Happy laughed as he realized my slip of tongue, "Yet is right Chibby."
I grumbled and walked out, deciding I no longer wanted any of Tacoma's finest company. Propping myself into the picnic table once again checking my phone I heard Jax pull in and park his bike. He stopped by me and lit a cigarette as well.
"No word from her either?"
I just shook my head.
"That was a pretty exhausting thing she did yesterday. Especially having Tara and Sadie's lives in her hands. I'm sure she's sleeping it off Chibs."
Again I failed to speak, just continued to smoke and nod. Jax was one of the few I didn't even trying playing my feelings for Aella off on, he knew me too well and knew Aella as well.
Jax flicked his cigarette and walked into the club house without another word, just patting me on the shoulder in silent comfort.
Within the next half hour, the rest of the Club was ready to go, as well as most of Tacoma's charter. Half Sack was busy trying to open up about his fake nut transplant, while the boys and I gave him a load of crap about it. But he had me thinking whether Aella felt the same way about her scars, did she ever hate them so much she considered plastic surgery? As I tried to focus on giving Half Sack crap, and not focus on the question that popped in my mind, I realized I knew I was happy she hadn't, for the scars made her all the more beautiful to me.
With a few more jabs at Bobby's backfiring beast and Half Sacks fake nut, Clay pulled into the lot ready to go. The President's arrival meant it was time for business. After Bobby informed Clay that he didn't want to know what the current joke was, Clay started to lead the group out.
Being on the road again, surrounded with the boys always reminded me why I signed up for this, bullshit in all. I loved the feel of being surrounded by my brothers on two wheels, most of our pipes were loud enough by ourselves. Together we were setting car alarms off as well as vibrating my own heart. As we passed Aella's driveway, I wondered what she was doing. If she was curious now as she had to have heard the mass number of motorcycles driving by. I wanted so badly to turn down her driveway and have her join us on her own Harley. But I knew no one without a patch could ride beside us, especially not as a club.
It was funny during 4 years straight of one night stands with strangers or croweaters I had never had any problems staying detached from women. As matter of fact, I finally had come to terms that I'd never really know love at all, as Fiona didn't count. Being the man I was, and the Scot that I was bred to be, I didn't dwell on wishes for love to come either. But as I thought of Aella I couldn't help but realize how glad I was that not a woman had caught my attention the way she had. She was the only woman to ever cause me to look twice, or have such problems trying to figure out what I was feeling around her. Even though I knew it was completely unlike me, I had to pray that she would allow me in and maybe give this a chance.
Our run was going along nicely, no hiccups with Cameron's son Edmund, as well as no problem so far from the Law. Unfortunately that couldn't be said about Bobby's bike. That thing was going to kill him or someone else. It was backfiring all over the place and sounded as if it was missing on RPMs as well. I only prayed that it would get him there and back.
Sure enough about 40 minutes out of the drop location, Bobby's motorcycle started acting up horribly. As he tried adjusting the choke a little the back fire became violent enough for Bobby to almost lose his control. Where he was lucky enough to gain control again, I watched as he had caused Tig to run straight off the road and down a hill. Everyone pulled to the side of the road as I heard Clay yelling who was down. I slammed the bike into park and ran down the hill to check on Tig.
Tig was conscious but had a horrible gash on his leg, he would need stitches and not the kind I could administer. As Clay passed Bobby with an angry glare, I informed the need our brother had for a hospital. As Half Sack dialed 911, I held pressure to Tig's leg. Bobby was apologizing over and over, but trying to defend the old beast he rode as angry glares kept finding him. It was a pretty big risk rolling around town, especially a hospital, with our illegal bed rolls of the M9's.
We arrived at the hospital behind the ambulance, and watched as they wheeled Tig into the Hospital. Clay ordered Bobby to be his bitch and at his every beck and call until he was stitched and ready to go. Half-Sack was already on his phone calling for a tow for Tig's bike. Leaving Happy, Half-Sack and Bobby behind, we continued on with two extra bed rolls for the rest of us.
Aella-
Waking with a smile and taking a long shower, I felt more at peace and stress free than I could remember feeling in years. Something had happened with Jimmy's kill, for some reason I felt as if I were weightless and the world couldn't hurt me anymore. I felt rejuvenated and happy, and that was definitely a foreign feeling.
Max and I had leisurely completed our morning routine, I laid on a picnic blanket staring at the blanket of trees shielding me from the sun, Max laying beside me looking as if he was doing the same. That dog, I swear was something else, he seemed more human than dog half the time. After our morning routine, Max had laid down in the Shed as I had finished painting the exterior, and put last touches on the interior.
My phone rang as I was unloading the supplies from the truck back into the garage, Max barking at the offending phone almost as if he read my irritation at being interrupted. Seeing it was almost 1 in the afternoon, I was honestly surprised it had been quiet this far. However, I expected Gemma, Jax, or even Filip to be calling, the name on the screen had me surprised and confused.
"Half-Sack?"
"Aella, you busy?"
"Not really, but you are interrupting my peaceful day. Better be for a good reason boy."
Suddenly I heard Bobby asking to talk to me, "Aella baby girl, I need you to do your Uncle a favor."
"Yeah Bobby, what is it?"
"Go to the shop and grab the Tow truck. I ran Tig off the road."
Nothing seemed to be making sense at this time, so I stuttered before forming an actual question out of the millions floating in my head.
"Where the hell are you guys?"
"Well right now we are at a hospital about 2 hours from Charming. It was our run today baby girl. Didn't you know?"
Shock set in as I had no idea that all of the club was currently on a run, including Filip. "Uh, no I didn't."
"Well come join us, we will meet you at the hospital."
After writing down directions to Tig's bike, I hopped in my truck and rode over to the Club House. Piney was taking a nap as the other boys were working on the cars. Walking into the office to find it empty had me puzzled. Come to think of it I hadn't seen much of Gemma in a while. Making a mental note to contact my mother, I grabbed the tow truck keys and took off.
Filip-
We drove another 20 minutes before gassing up at an almost abandoned gas station, that looked as if it was stuck in the 70's. Clay's phone rang. The further the conversation went, the louder Clay yelled as his face turned red with anger. With a final yell telling Bobby to stay put, he hung up.
Things had been strained between Clay and Jax as of late. No one really knew why, but I had a feeling it had to do with the fact that Clay knew he was getting older, and Jax didn't like the way that Clay led the club. For some reason Clay was starting to act as if we were more about money and taking risk, instead of the brotherhood.
So after informing us that Tig had been taken by some bounty hunters, I could feel a fight starting between Jax and Clay as they argued on whether to go get Tig or not. I couldn't understand how Clay would even allow Tig to get close to the border. We should be on our bikes and already headed to meet up with Bobby and Hap. Not debating on whether to deliver a load of weapons first.
After Clay laid down his bike, and Opie finally talked sense into him, we headed to meet up with Bobby and Happy. Hoping Half Sack would be calling soon with a location to meet up with him.
We found a Gas station a couple miles down the road that was abandoned and waited for the tow truck to get here, apparently Half Sack was behind it. I figured Piney had been in contact with Sack since hearing about what had happened. About 10 minutes of waiting and cigarettes being puffed in silence, there was tension settling over us. Bobby and Hap had arrived shortly after us, and Clay had lit into Bobby pretty well. Nobody really spoke after that.
Suddenly the Tow truck was pulling into the area, but instead of the old man driving, my heart fluttered and pounded as Aella made eye contact while parking. Apparently she wasn't as out of the loop as I thought. Half sack pulled in behind her, explaining to Jax that Tig was being held down the road about 2 miles. My attention was on Aella as Clay asked about Gemma and Piney.
Her hair was in another one of her messy buns, she was wearing a thin, loose flowing tank top, paired with blue jeans that hugged her in all the right places. The facet that she wore this with her Army boots and fingerless gloves just made the style more unique to her. But what stood out to me the most was how she seemed to glow, with happiness and a sense of peace. Seems Jimmy's death helped her in more ways than one. She literally stole my breath, this woman looked more like an Angel to me right now.
Suddenly Jax and Clay started bickering again, i realized Clay was still debating on going to get Tig or delivering first. This man was getting on my nerve.
So I decided to point out that Jax was right, and that we didn't know how long they would keep him at the motel. Clay not wanting to hear that he was wrong, cut me off midsentence claiming that the middle of daylight wasn't how we laid low. When Jax demanded that Clay call a vote, they went at each other in an attempt to fight. I pulled Clay from Jax immediately as Opie held Jax back. Bobby blamed it on people being fried, and it being his fault, but my attention flew to Aella who was climbing back into the tow truck.
I watched as Jax noticed and followed her to the tow truck, slowly dragging on my cigarette I watched the smile break over Jax's face and the mischievous smirk break out on hers. As she started to pull out, Jax yelled asking if I was coming.
"To where?"
"To get this done!" Laughing I jogged to Jump on the back, grabbing ahold as I heard Happy yelling that he was in, jumping on as we left the driveway. Hearing Clay yell the entire way down the street, a smile formed on my face as I saw it mirrored on Jax who shrugged.
"Her idea, I swear." Looking through the back window, I saw her looking at me with sparking eyes, and I could tell a smile was on her face as well. My body warmed at the woman's courage and wickedness.
As we pulled into the hotel, we found the van with ease, followed by the room. As Aella pulled into the parking space in front, I realized we didn't have a plan.
"Whats the plan little lady?!"
She laughed loudly, hearing the tow truck shift into reverse we started straight into the room, "Hold on boys!"
Taking out the front of the hotel room, Jax, Happy, and I drew our weapons yelling for no one to move. Tig made some smart ass remark about this being his ride, and I drug him onto the bed of the truck. As soon as Aella saw that Tig was safely aboard, she flew out of the parking lot back to the rest of the Club. All of us laughing as we went.
As we pulled back up to the other boys sitting on their bikes, I could see Clay headed for Jax. Aella climbed down from the truck and stood between them.
"It was my idea Dad, don't you go at him for it either. It had to be done. There was no telling how long they would be there. From my experience, a patch job would only have taken an hour maybe two tops. Tig's warrant is out of Oregon, so they were headed out of state."
Tig suddenly piped in that she was right and I saw the fire in Clay's eyes deflate. Apparently when it was Aella, his anger was quick to disappear, but I couldn't blame him.
Aella-
Turning to see Jax still smiling, I hugged him while whispering into his ear.
"Don't worry brother, Dad can't handle that he is getting old and desperate for his retirement fund."
Pulling back I saw Jax nod in understanding, and saw him relax with my presence.
Walking over to Tig I hugged him next, "You aren't supposed to be hurting yourself Tiggy. It makes me worry." Seeing the damage done to his face I clucked my tongue in disapproval, "And did you have to provoke them too? Shesh."
He laughed and hugged me again.
Finally I turned to tell the boys that I would handle getting Tig back to St. Thomas and that they could finish their run. Jax nodded as he followed the rest of the boys back to their bikes. After getting Tig into the passenger seat, I walked around to my side and was surprised to see Filip waiting for me.
"Ye are one crazy woman lass. Ye know that?"
"Well, its better to do it and ask forgiveness than regret not doing it all. Plus I knew you were right, even if Clay wasn't going to listen. He is getting more and more stubborn about the wrong things."
Filip took a step too close, his proximity had my mind reeling and going blank at the same time. I so wanted him to kiss me, to hold me close. But I knew now wasn't the time. That didn't keep my breath from catching as he pulled me into a hug, or keep my body from melting into his. My arms behind his neck, my entire body crammed to his and fitting perfectly there, my head in the crook of his neck. Feeling bold and knowing he would think about it the rest of the ride, which was what I wanted, I placed a chaste kiss on the underside of his jaw. Only allowing him to feel my lips move against his skin for a brief second, and then pulling back. I laughed as his mouth had fallen open, and his arms hung at his sides.
"See you when you get back?" I was shocked I asked, but I knew I meant it. We needed to talk, and I wanted his company tonight.
"Definitely Angel."
I responded with a small smile as I pulled out of the lot and headed to St. Thomas. Blushing a little as Tig face was lit with a knowing smile. I cranked the volume on the radio, only causing him to laugh at me.