Disclaimer: I own nothing but Madeline.
A/N: Just got my power back after three days because of Hurricane Sandy. Nearly wept tears of joy when I saw my lamp come on. So I decided to update. I know this is a short one but it's also seriously necessary to the story.
Chapter Fourteen
"What's going on?" Madeline glanced over at Happy as Piney, Phil and Kozik prepared to get on their bikes. "Hap?"
"Taking Jax and Op's families out of harms way. Gemma too." He replied as he motioned to the older women currently smoking a cigarette and standing next to an SUV. "You meet her yet?"
"She doesn't seem like she's in the mood for pleasant small talk. Now I know why." Madeline crossed her arms over her chest. "All the old ladies are going then?"
"That's right." He glanced over at her. "Gonna ask me why you aren't going?"
"No. I'm not an old lady." But she wasn't a crow eater either, she knew that from the way she could walk through the club house without having anyone paw her or make lewd comments. "They going to be safe?" She'd gotten a quick education on the difference between the two just by observing the way the scantily dressed women were treated.
"Yeah." Happy took a cigarette out of his pack. "Nothing's going to happen to them or to you." He added.
She nodded. "I know." He'd protect her if he could. She knew that. In the two days since the shooting he'd woken up both nights with her when the nightmares came. Talked to her softly and stroked her skin until she fell back asleep or was so distracted that she forgot all about it. "I should get back in. Bobby needed a hand in the kitchen."
"Alright." He said easily, already used to her hiding away in the kitchen with the older man. "Hey." He reached out and grabbed her arm as she started to walk away. "Forgetting something?"
A smile crossed her lips as she turned back to face him. She wrinkled her nose. "You're smoking." Not that she really cared if he was or not, it was a little bit of a running joke that they had going on. He kept the cigarette in one hand and reached out with the other to grab the back of her hair.
It was a move of possession, of dominance. Showing her who was the man. She didn't mind the reminder. His mouth covered hers, devoured every inch of her. He pulled back and she twisted her lips into a pout. "Go on and help Bobby."
Happy watched her go and finished his cigarette. "She don't look like a sweet butt to me." Gemma approached him with a smirk.
"She ain't."
"Then why are you treating her like one? Sure, it's hands off where the guys are concerned but you're keeping her here right in the path of danger. Doesn't make sense to me."
"Doesn't need to."
Gemma laughed. "I hear she's a school teacher. She got a pair of those little dark rimmed glasses?"
He didn't respond. Gemma was still as much of an influence on the club as she'd always been. The sainted mother, widow of their founder. Wife of their former President. Mother of their current President. Telling her to play her old lady role didn't go over well or happen often. "You need something Gemma?"
"Give me a cigarette." She told him.
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"Son of a bitch. I told that moron diced tomatoes, he brings me back pureed!" Bobby was on a tear as he moved around the kitchen. "How the hell do I make my sauce with this shit?" The offending can went flying and landed with a thump on the floor.
"I'll run out and get the right ones." Madeline offered.
"You ain't supposed to be leaving the gates little girl."
"Please." She rolled her eyes. "The store is right on the corner, Juice's precious cameras will be on me the whole time. I'd tell you to go yourself but you're about three sheets to the wind."
"I am not drunk. Just been enjoying my coffee is all." Bobby sighed. "Take someone with you."
Madeline had every intention to do just that but as she walked into the clubhouse she heard the roar of several bikes leaving the lot. Happy was among. "Well shit." She looked around. "It's right down the street."
The guy at the gate was one of the Tacoma crew, a prospect. He made a bit of a fuss over her going to leave but she'd spent some time watching how Tara handled people. Not that she was an old lady but she wasn't a nobody. A narrowed eyed glare at him had the gate pulled back.
Unbelievably satisfied with herself Madeline started down the street. Maybe she wasn't just the meek little school teacher after all. That was how she saw herself, how she'd always seen herself even before she'd got with Justin but maybe now her true colors were ready to come out.
She could be strong. She could be tough. She could be someone that Happy would want to make his Old Lady. Fuck. Why was she thinking of that now? It was clear that wasn't what he was looking for. Madeline had acknowledged that and on the outside seemed fine with it.
But on the inside, well she could barely look at him without feeling a pull in her belly and a pang in her heart. When she'd met and married Justin she believed that she'd known love. She'd been dead fucking wrong.
With a smile she walked into the corner store. "Hello." She smiled at the old man behind the counter. The store was small and crowded but had everything that one could possibly need even if it might not have been the brand that you were hoping for. Madeline grabbed a small cart and found the diced tomatoes that Bobby wanted.
"Been the day for tomato products here. Had some Sons in here earlier damn near brought out the whole shelf." The man behind the counter told her.
"Except for the ones that the cook actually needed." She pointed out. The man chuckled and began to bag the groceries. "Don't you need to ring those up first?"
"They'll go on the tab." The clerk told her. "Didn't anyone come with you to help you carry them?"
"I think that I can manage." Madeline told the man. "And there's no need for the tab, I can take care of it."
"Suit yourself." He told her. "Give me ten and we'll call it even."
That's when it dawned on Madeline that there probably wasn't a tab at all. Ten dollars had to be half of the value of the groceries he was bagging up but she handed over the money without additional comment. "Thanks so much."
"Sure you don't wanna get someone to help you?"
"I'll help." The hair on Madeline's neck stood up as she turned to face the redhead who'd come to her house to borrow eggs. Was she going to be so suspicious of everyone now? "Hey. Small town."
"It is. Thanks but I can handle them."
"Going back to the club house?"
"Exactly, it's right up the street. I'll be fine." She lifted the bags off of the counter to prove her point.
"Suit yourself, I was just trying to be nice after you helped me out with the eggs." The woman shrugged her shoulders. "Can I get a pack of Newport?"
Madeline began to second guess leaving the club as she walked out the door. The Tacoma Prospect who had been manning the gate wasn't where she could see him now. She walked as fast as she could with the bags in her hands. The cans did make them heavy.
It was silly, there was no reason for the fear building up inside of her but yet there it was. Each step that she took made it amplify. "Hello Madeline." Tom spoke from close behind her. Too close as if he'd been there waiting for her but how was that even possible?
She dropped the bags and the cans of diced tomatoes thumped heavily against the concrete. Madeline began to run but she didn't get far. Only a few steps before she felt his hand grab her hair and something prick her neck. Then everything went black.
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"Where the hell is that girl with my tomatoes?" Bobby came out of the kitchen. "Hawk? You seen Hap's girl?"
"Let her out the gate to go to the store, came in to piss. Why?" The Tacoma prospect asked without a clue that he'd just done the wrong thing. The thing that would probably get him pounded into the pavement.
"Let her out?" Bobby demanded. "You were supposed to go with her."
"She ain't ask." The man replied. He'd been a prospect for about five months, he should have known better.
"Son of a bitch." The older man swore. "Don't just stand there. Get out there and fucking find her." He started for the door himself and when they reached the gate the sidewalk was empty. Empty except for two plastic shopping bags with the contents spilling out. "Fuck." He declared as he glanced over at the Prospect. "Go down to the store, see how long ago she left. NOW!"
The prospect hurried away and Bobby turned back to the clubhouse. He was too old for this shit. Juice was coming out of the clubhouse with a beer in his hand. "Hey Bobby, why so glum?"
"Check the cameras. We got a problem." And he was already wishing he could be somewhere else when Happy came back and found his girl gone.