Disclaimer: Kurt Sutter owns SOA and all recognizable characters and places used in the story. I'm just borrowing them for my own twisted tale.
Chapter 25:
"I love you guys."
Those words hung in the air of the van, suffocating the men inside. Happy actually felt like crying. He never cried—hadn't since his dad took off when he was 5. He knew what she was saying with those 4words—she was saying goodbye, just in case she didn't make it. He couldn't let this happen like that. He needed to be there. "I don't give a fuck what she said, find her. We will be there."
Jax looked in the rearview mirror. "Juice, find out what hotel he is staying at. I'm gonna drive towards town while you look."
With that the van took off. Hap needed to express his fear. "She was saying goodbye. In case she died."
Clay just shook his head, tears falling down his face. "I know."
Juice spoke up from the back, "My computer is down. I'm not near a server. I'm gonna call Ope. He and the guys are at the clubhouse, they can look up the hotel if I talk them through it."
The guys at the clubhouse were silent. They were all distraught at the news of what was happening. Opie was on the phone with Juice. They were working towards their answer. They just hoped they found it in time.
Brenna was starting to panic. They had made their way to the outskirts of town. As he pulled up in front of a nice house near the woods outside of Charming, she turned in her seat. "I thought we were going to a hotel?"
"I figured we would have more privacy out here. Relax, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just want to spend some time with you."
Red flags were flying through her head. She knew she should call it off now—run as far away as she could, but she started this and she needed to finish it. Stepping into the house, she jumped at the sound of the lock clicking into place.
In a moment, Ethan ad his arm wrapped way too tightly around her. He kissed her with a bruising force. Pulling back, his voice dripped venom, "I thought I'd never get you alone, Ms. Morrow."
Her eyes widened in fear and she attempted to pull away but his grip tightened. One of his hands gripped both of her behind her as he slammed her into the wall face first. He held her there with his upper body. His other hand ran around to the front of her dress, dipping up under the bottom hem. As his fingers found her pussy lips, she yelped. "You know, Brenna, I figured you smarter than this. You didn't even bring any of your outlaws with you. No matter, I'm gonna fuck you till you bleed and then I'm gonna slit your throat and leave you as a message for your family." His fingers slipped inside of her and he bit down on her neck.
Brenna started to fight him. In retaliation and to make her compliant he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head into the wall, her temple and cheekbone taking the impact. It dizzied her slightly, but her fight wasn't gone. She bucked backwards trying to throw him off balance. Ethan kicked her legs out from under her and swiftly kicked her in the stomach. He grabbed her arms with a blunt force that she could already feel bruising. Her skin was heated all over—aching.
She had enough physical evidence on her body to justify the killing now. She was losing strength quickly though. She knew there was a chance she might not survive, but she hoped she would be wrong.
In the van, Juice screamed into the phone, "what? We heard him tell her he was taking her to a hotel." Looking up he broke the news, "He's not registered at any hotel in the area by his name, his men's names, or any known alias'."
Happy was terrified and angry as shit. "He has her somewhere remote. Maybe we need to go to Unser. He might be able to help."
The guys agreed and made their way toward the station.
In the house, Ethan was on top if Brenna ripping her underwear off and shoving fingers into her core. He screamed and kicked him in the balls. He fell to the side in pain, holding his hand over the pained body part.
Struggling to her feet, Brenna grabbed the heaviest item she could find within reach—a bronze bust sitting on the entryway table. She slammed it into his head 3 times with every bit of strength she could muster. He lie still on the floor—head covered in blood and concaved on the right side. He couldn't have survived the beating. She could see into his skull and blood covered the floor.
Brenna sank to her knees against the door, sobbing. She was wracked with pain and hurt and she had caused it to come on herself. Worst of all, she had lived and would live without Happy. She almost wished she had died right along with Zoebelle.
After about 10 minutes, she gathered herself enough to call Unser at the station. She didn't have to fake anything in her voice. She was distraught and told him where she was. She told him she needed help. His response simple, "we're on our way, sweetheart. You're gonna be okay. You got a little Gemma in you somewhere. You're strong."
The guys were following Unser when he made a quick U-turn and started speeding to the outskirts of town. They knew something had to have happened.
Pulling up to a house nestled on the tree line of the woods outside of Charming, the van hadn't even stopped completely before Sons started pouring out. Bikes of the other members could be heard rumbling toward the destination as well. Even Gemma and Tara were driving the escalade in their direction.
Happy was the first person through the door. The first thing he saw was her ripped underwear lying beside a very dead and bloody Ethan Zoebelle. He opened the door completely, stepping inside. The others were close behind him. He found her huddled in a corner, bleeding from her cheek and bruised to hell and back.
Happy bent down in front of Brenna who was visibly shaken and crying. He pulled her forward and held her. Gemma gasped at the sight in front of her. "Who the fuck let her go with this fucking douche bag?"
Brenna spoke up, "It was my idea. I took it upon myself and took them out of the scenario forcibly. This is on me." She sniffled from the tears she had shed.
Unser walked up to Brenna as she stood. "I'll need your official statement, but by your injuries, it's pretty obvious that this was self-defense. Nothing will come of this. You go on home, get cleaned-up and rest. We can talk in the morning." She just shook her head and walked toward the door, visibly limping from the injuries she sustained during the beating.
Outside of the house, away from the authorities everyone gathered as she spoke to her mom. "I didn't want this to fall at the club's feet. I flushed my earpiece and took them out of the equation. They guys did everything they could." Gemma's eyes softened in a questioning look, "I'm okay. I feel like I got hit by a fucking truck, but I'm going to be fine. Zoebelle has been taken care of and the club is clear of suspicion."
Tig hugged her—like full-on bear hug. "I think you should be an honorary member of the Sons. You took a big hit for us today." He kissed her forehead and stepped back. Chibs was next. He just held her like a child to his chest. "You did good, sweetheart." Bobby shook his head and hugged her. "If you ever scare me like that again, baby girl, I just might kill you." She chuckled. Ope and Jax both just hugged her. They couldn't speak. They had been terrified and knew that if they opened their mouths they would sound like pussies and start crying. They almost lost someone very important.
Clay wrapped her in his arms and settled his face in the top of her head. "You ever pull that shit again and I will ground you like you're still 13, you hear me?" She shook her head beneath his chin. "I love you, princess." He kissed the top of her head and released her.
Gemma was visibly crying and shaken to the core. She pulled Brenna to her, placing her hands on Bren's face, avoiding the bruising and bleeding areas. "No mother ever wants to get a call like that. You scared the shit out of my, baby. Don't you ever do that again. I swear if anything happens to you or Jackson, they might as well bury me with you." She kissed her forehead and let her go.
Everyone started walking away once it was clear that she wouldn't even look at Hap. He wanted to hold her so badly and tell her everything was gonna be alright, but he figured the conversation they needed to have should be a private one.
Once they arrived at their house, she slowly limped to the door, letting herself in before walking towards the staircase. Hap just followed behind her.
She stripped down and climbed into the shower. She was too tired to argue as Hap followed suit. She stepped under the hot spray of water, finding her muscles relaxing. Happy rubbed soap over her body. "I didn't leave you. I was here." Her eyes were questioning, so he continued, "I took a spare room. Thought you might want some distance. I needed some time to clear my head too." He didn't give her a chance to speak as she turned to face him. "Words cannot tell you how terrified I was when we didn't know where you were going or if you were okay." Tears glistened in his eyes. He needed to let it out—breakdown a little. He fell to his knees, "I can't lose you." He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, his face pressed to her stomach where a deep bruised had begun to form. "And I would never give up on you—us. I love you, Brenna. Don't let this go." He was shaking.
Brenna bent down onto her knees in front of him in the shower. "I love you too, Emmanuel—Happy. I'm sorry I was letting you go. I need this too. I wanna marry you and have your babies and grow old with you. We can make it, babe."
He kissed her softly, but with need. She felt every ounce of love in his kiss. It was intoxicating. They made their way out of the shower. He took stock of her injuries as he dried her off. The deep purple and black bruise on her stomach—a kick he supposed. The cut and bruised side of her face. The purple hand prints on her arms. Lastly he caught sight of bruising on her inner thigh. "Did he…?" He couldn't even get the whole question out. It caught in his throat.
"He didn't rape me. He shoved his fingers in me, but that was all. I fought him off before he could get any further." Hap look relieved until he saw the tears gathering in her eyes again. "Hap? He said he was gonna fuck me until I bled then slit my throat so you guys could find me. He knew who I was the whole time. I was so stupid to think that I could do this." She started silently crying.
Happy cradled her to his chest and led her to the bed. After they cuddled together, he finally spoke. "You were not stupid because you thought you could do it. You did it. You took him out and you were so brave—so strong. I just wish he hadn't been able to hurt you. That is what bothers me. I should never have let him get his hands on you. But you did everything right, Bren." He kissed her again before wrapping her up in his arms and both of them finding sleep.
The world could wait till tomorrow, they were all each other needed at that moment.
AN: We're not done yet, people. I just wanted to get all of it out in this one chapter. I still have a few cards up my sleeve for this story. Just you wait!