Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize.
A/N: Just want to say a quick thanks to everyone who is reading this! You guys keep me going. Special thanks R3-1 M4y3r and LaughingWarrior for their constant support and to all the freak circle ladies for making life much more interesting.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Happy would deny it until his dying day but he loved being at Kozik and Eden's place, she was actually pretty fucking crazy these days but it was amusing to watch how she put more terror into the prospects and sweet butts helping with her upcoming wedding than some of his brother's did.
She also busted her ass to make sure he had whatever he needed even as he was getting stronger and soon wouldn't need any help.
"Are you serious?" Eden raged from the couch. "Trisha, Sweetie I said that I wanted gardenia's at the wedding. These are not gardenia's, they're carnations."
"They're pretty and way cheaper than the gardenia's."
Happy debated interjecting, not that he was seeing Trisha or anything but she knew how to work her mouth and wouldn't be able to do that with her jaw wired shut.
"If she wants gardenias, she gets gardenias." Katie spoke up, she wasn't exactly an Old Lady but Donut was working on changing that. "I know a florist. I'll take care of it. What about bridesmaids?"
A dark looked flashed over Eden's face, replaced a second later by a smile. "None."
"You can't have a wedding like this with no bridesmaids." Katie pointed out.
"Who exactly should I ask?" Eden snapped. "We barely know each other and no offense to the rest of you but I'm not slapping a dress on someone who's probably fucked my husband to be." She shot to her feet. "You know what? Forget all of this, I'll handle it."
"Come on Eden, we're happy to help," Katie kept a cheerful smile on her face. She was some sort of home care nurse, looking after old sick people or some shit but Happy couldn't be sure. What he was sure of though was that Kozik's Old Lady was about to blow if the other woman kept talking.
Happy did the only thing he could to defuse the situation, he shifted in the chair he was sitting on and let out a soft grunt as if it had hurt. It certainly hadn't felt good but he could have stayed silent but then Eden would have verbally, or maybe even physically, ripped Katie's head off.
"Shit Hap, it's past time for your pill. I'll go and get it." Eden told him. "You hungry?"
"I could eat," he replied and turned his attention back to the television. In the time it took to fix him a plate of whatever she found in the kitchen would give her time to cool down. "Thanks," he added.
He'd been skeptical about staying with her and Kozik, part of his mind had expected her to turn into a crazy person like that woman who chopped off the guys foot but instead she'd actually found the balance between helping and hovering.
"She is completely hormonal," Tricia whispered to Katie and Debbie who hadn't yet spoken. Katie nodded in agreement, opened her mouth as if to speak but stopped when Happy cleared his throat.
None of the women were really comfortable around him, he knew that and he preferred it that way. Most of them were just idiots, he couldn't stand idiots no matter what was between their legs.
By the time that Eden brought his food back in, a thick bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich with some kind of chips and a beer, the women were ready to go. At least Katie and Tricia did, Debbie seemed in it for the long haul as she picked up one of the discarded magazines.
"Only half a pill?" He looked down at the tray as she put it on the table next to him.
"You can have a whole one but then I get back the beer."
"I'm good."
"We're just going to take off Eden, I've got an appointment," Katie told her. "Let's meet at my place tomorrow and we'll do some more stuff. Call me."
"Bye." Tricia followed hot on Katie's heals.
"Bitches," Eden sighed as she sat down on the couch. "You can go too Debbie, you don't have to stay."
"I don't mind. I don't really have anything else to do," she admitted. Happy took a good look at her, she was pretty enough but didn't wear half as much makeup as the other girls, her clothes were different too. She dressed was dressed now in jeans, sandals and a tank top. When the hell had she become a sweet butt? "If you're going for gardenia's, why not try to have a bit of Southern influence?"
"Oh, I like that." Eden's eyes lit up.
Happy picked up his pill, downed it and wondered if she'd get involved enough to forget he was only supposed to have one beer. He leaned his head back and focused on the television, neither woman noticed when he turned it up.
25 25
Kozik drained the last of his beer, it had been a long day at work so he'd stopped by the club for a quick one to wind down. He stopped in every day after work for more than the beer. One day he'd walk in and his brothers would know exactly where Lee was.
Yesterday hadn't been that day and obviously today wasn't either. He set the glass down, nodded to Lump behind the bar for a refill. He'd have another and then head home to see what Eden was up too and hope like hell he'd missed the wedding planning.
He was all for the big wedding but that didn't mean he wanted to sit around and listen to the women go on and on about dress designs, flower arrangements and finger foods. All he wanted was to show up and get it done.
"Kozik!" Donut came over, the Secretary was taking the wedding very seriously. "Just got word from Quinn, the Nomads will be here the day after Charming arrives. Indian Hills is in as well and there's talk of some of the guys from New York riding out too."
There were also Rogue River, Tempe and Olympia. He'd even heard talk about Anchorage making the long cold trek down for the big day. He wasn't sure where the hell they were going to put everyone but somehow they'd make it work and show the rest of the charters that SAMTAC was back and as strong as ever.
"Great, going to be a good time with so many brothers around," Kozik replied. "Where the hell are you putting everyone Donut?"
"No clue," the man laughed loudly, "but we'll figure it out."
Kozik took the beer Lump offered him, drank a good part of it down. "Sounds good Brother, I'm going to head out. Go see if Eden's driven Happy completely insane yet."
"Heard she flipped out on Katie and Tricia," Donut chuckled, "got to tell you that Katie is shit scared of her now after something about gardenias."
"What the fuck is a gardenia?"
"It's a flower, white with a really sweet cent," Lump said from behind the bar, "pretty rare in these parts."
Rare meant expensive. Christ, this wedding was costing him more than he'd anticipated. Probably going to end up being more than what he'd saved that hadn't burned with the house. He needed an influx of cash and fast.
"How the fuck do you know that?" Donut questioned.
"I just know stuff," the prospect replied, "got a cousin down in San Francisco who owns a flower shop, might be he can help us out."
"Make the call."
"Might be costly, even with the family discount but they'll be real pretty."
"Enough talk about flowers, feels like I'm growing a vagina." Lorca came over. "Koz, a word?"
"Sure," Kozik left his glass on the bar and followed Lorca into the chapter, "what's going on?"
"Sit," Lorca did so, took out a cigar and offered Kozik one. He accepted and for a moment the two simply sat in silence and smoked. "Three more overdoses today, two of them were sweet butts."
"Which ones?"
"Carol and Erica," Lorca named two women who had been with, in the loosest sense of the word, SAMTAC for about ten years. They weren't the go to girls but they were liked, even respected some, and attended holidays and special events because they knew how to act.
"They weren't junkies."
"No," Lorca exhaled a series of smoke rings, "they weren't."
Kozik knew that Lorca had favored Carol when she'd first come around and still did even now. "Fuck, I'm sorry Brother."
"It's Vance trying to punish us, he's starting slow but it's going to get worse. We both know that, the question now is what we do about it."
"What are you thinking Lorca?"
"Wolf has been working on more information on Vance, I think we need to strike back. Strike at someone that means something to him."
"Who?"
"His mistress," Lorca rose to his feet, walked over to the safe and pulled out a folder. He handed it to Kozik. "That's all that we know about her so far."
Kozik took the folder, opened it. Her name was Megan O'Rourke, she was twenty nine and had been linked to Vance for eight years. He paid for her car, her phone, her apartment and she was a listed card holder on several of his shell company's accounts. "You bringing this to the club?"
"Of course, can't blame you for asking after Lee but before I did that I wanted to see if you were up for it. Normally I'd call on Hap but he's in no condition for this."
"Straight up hit or getting information?"
"Information," Lorca replied, he set his cigar down, "can you live with that Brother?"
Kozik looked down at the picture of the smiling blonde. He shut the folder and tossed it on the table. "I can live with that."
25 25
The illuminated numbers of the clock told her that it was just after three in the morning, she ran her hand out over the cool bed next to her. Kozik had been there when she shut her eyes. Quietly she pulled her robe on over the tee shirt she was wearing and slid on her slippers before she took the 45 from the holster attached to the bed.
She followed the sound of the television to the living room where he was on the couch with his feet propped on the coffee table with Wolf snoring on the floor. "Hey."
"Hey," he looked over at her, "couldn't sleep. Didn't want to wake you."
"Weren't you worried about waking him?"
"Earthquake wouldn't wake him," Kozik replied.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing, just couldn't sleep. You should go back up Baby."
Eden ignored him and walked over to the couch. "Thought we had a thing where if one of us doesn't sleep, the other one doesn't either." She settled down next to him. "We can sit here and talk, sit here and watch television or just sit here, it's your call."
"You should be in bed and asleep," Kozik put his hand on her leg, "it's not good for the baby for you to not get enough rest. I'm fine Eden, I promise."
"Fine, don't tell me what's going on. I know that something's going on, I'm not stupid."
"It's.. it's club shit Eden. I don't want to bring this on you."
"Should have gotten one of those Old Ladies who doesn't know anything then," she pointed out. Eden shifted and laid her head on his arm. "If we're not talking, give me the remote."
"Vance has a mistress," he told her, "we think she'll have information we need." Kozik glanced over, Wolf seemed to still be passed out but he didn't want the man to overhear, think that Lorca was going behind the club. "Let's go back upstairs."
"I just need to grab something to drink, maybe something to eat," Eden said with almost a guilty tone, "I know it's late and I shouldn't."
"If you're hungry, you eat."
"The doctor thinks that I could gain too much weight by what I've already put on," she admitted with a sigh.
"When did he say that?" Kozik had been at the last visit, he'd been at all the visits.
"He called today with the results of my tests, everything is normal. It's just that I've put on twenty pounds already and..."
"And you'll eat if you're hungry." He rose to his feet, pulled her up off the couch. "You just aren't eating any of those brownies."
"Deal, but after the kid comes out all bets are off. I'm making a whole batch and just stuffing my face with them and I'm having a huge glass of wine and by glass I mean several bottles."
"You've got it," Kozik grabbed her hand and squeezed.
"That means you'll be on Daddy duty, diapers and all."
"Diapers? That's what Prospects are for Eden."
"You'd give our kid to a Prospect to change," her eyebrows furrowed which was the first warning sign of an impending melt down.
"Well only if there wasn't a sweet butt around," he knew that it was wrong to enjoy winding her up but he did enough to risk her going nuts on him.
"Then I guess that I'll be doing the Mommy all the time thing, I can not believe that you would..." she trailed off, her eyes narrowed further, "and you're fucking with me. Real smart only feet away from a kitchen filled with knives asshole."
"But you love me anyway," he grinned.
"You're damn lucky that I do," she replied as they entered the kitchen. "Do you want anything?"
"What I want isn't in the fridge," he leaned against the counter.
"The cabinet?"
"Nope," he told her.
"If you're trying to get in my pants to distract me from our conversation, it's not going to work. I'll just ask you about it after," Eden opened the fridge, let out a low whistle, "Christ, they ate everything."
"Tell me what you want and I'll make it," Kozik offered.
"I wanted a cheeseburger with bacon and the sweet potato fries but that's not healthy."
"So you'll have a salad tomorrow."
"Forget it, I'll just have ice cream instead. I'll make myself the burger for breakfast."
"Eden, I said I'll make it," Kozik wasn't sure if she'd really changed her mind about wanting it now or if she just didn't want him to cook. Sure, he wasn't the best cook but he could make a burger, especially the very well done burger that she liked. And now that she'd mentioned it a burger didn't sound half bad.
"Alright, extra cheese and I hid some bacon in the vegetable drawer so I wouldn't have to fry anything in the morning for your breakfast." Eden sat down, ran her hand over her stomach. "So, who's going to be getting the information from the mistress?"
"Me," he replied as he set the frying pan on the stove to heat. He gave her a second to take in the news, turned to grab her a water out of the fridge because she was always thirsty.
"I knew that you were going to say that," she took the water he offered. Kozik was a wonderful man, amazing and caring. He loved her in a way she'd never thought possible, he loved her for who she really was. And she loved him. She loved him more than words could ever say even though she realized just what he was capable of.
Kozik could be hard, ruthless and there was nothing that he wouldn't do for the Sons. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure one of the reasons she'd believed Lee was because she knew exactly what he was capable of. Eden had seen it with her own eyes shortly after they'd become serious.
The man they'd spotted at a gas station had betrayed the Sons, he'd snitched to the cops after they threatened him with hard time and because of that a Charming Son had gone to prison. He'd paid for his sins, in the ladies room of the grungy truck stop, with Eden watching Kozik literally beat the man to death with his fists and the top to the toilet tank.
It had been brutal, it had been bloody and she'd been scared of him. So scared that she couldn't even move when he'd walked over to her after cleaning up but he'd been gentle with her and she'd relaxed but the fear lingered underneath the surface. With the things Lee had said it had come up for air, taken over and that was why she'd run so fast.
"That's all you've got to say?" He questioned as he put the hamburger patty into the frying pan.
"What else can I say? I'm not dense, I know what this means and that it's what needs to be done."
"And for the first time you don't have an opinion?" Kozik asked as he leaned against the counter. "I talk to you. You talk to me. That's how this works."
"I know that it needs to be done, I know that you're capable of it and I know that I love you," she sipped her water and smiled at him. "Nothing that happens is going to change that. It just... it scares me."
"You don't need to be scared," Kozik told her. He knew that it was easier said than done for her, that she was always somewhat scared even when she was happy. He knew that Lee still breathing was what frightened her the most because there was no way to know what would happen. "You trust me?"
"Don't even ask, you know I do." Eden felt a flare of guilt, the dark part of her brain reminding her that she hadn't trusted him once.
"It has to be done Eden. He's not going away, two crow eaters are dead of overdose. We've got to find out what she knows, she's got to know something we don't. Fuck, she might even know where Lee is. I just want to find him Eden, I want this to be over."
"That makes two of us," Eden knew that her nightmares would be less once the man was dead but she also knew that he was the only one breathing who knew what the terms between him and her father had been. She really wanted to know what had happened, it was something she'd been wondering about more and more. "Koz?"
"Yeah Baby?"
"I know that you're going to kill Lee, I think he's probably figured that out too but I.." she sighed, "he's the only one who can tell me what the arrangement was with my father."
"And you want me to ask him?"
"Yeah, I'd like that."
"I'll ask," he promised, "but you know that you'll never be sure that he's telling the truth."
"I know but it's better than nothing," Eden ran her hand over her stomach. "I hope we find him before the baby is born."
"I'm working on it Baby. Now, what do you want on your burger?"