Chapter 29
Ellie woke up alone but the empty spot in the bed next to her was still warm. She got out of bed and peeked out of the small window. The grey sky hid the sun and threatened to rain. Scowling, she saw a van pull up and Fiona and Kerrianne get out. She knew the guys would be leaving soon to see O'Phelan and she'd be stuck in this place with that woman. She put on her running clothes and ran downstairs hoping to catch Chibs before he left. There was no way she was going to spend her morning with Fiona so she needed to ask him for permission to go on a run. She needed to clear her head and in the absence of her paints, a run would work just as well. It was ridiculous to her that she was having to ask but she had already flown halfway across the world without permission and didn't want to repeat that performance.
As she made her way out into the cool morning air, she saw Chibs embracing Kerrianne as well as Fiona. She stood back on the sidelines looking at the picture in front of her that she didn't fit into. A man and his wife and daughter. There was no room for the girl he kept on the side. Gemma stepped next to her "Better go say goodbye to your man."
"I don't want to interrupt his time with his family."
"Baby you are his family, go."
Looking at her she knew Gemma wasn't going to take no for answer. She made her way through the crowd towards them. Chibs saw her as she approached, thankful for the smile that crossed his lips when he saw her. "Ellie, you're up early. Thought you'd be sleeping in."
"No, you know I hate waking up alone" she remarked, staring Fiona down as she took her place on his other side. "Chibs I was wondering if I could go for a run and get out of here for a bit. Seems it'll be a bit cramped today."
"No, Ellie it's not safe. Ya stay put right here. No one ta watch ya, all the guys are going."
She was just about to adhere to his wishes, wanting to be the ever compliant girlfriend when Fiona piped up. "Oh Fillip let the little girl have her run, Seamus and Peter are here with us."
Seamus, the bigger of the two men, stepped forward upon hearing his name. "Aye, I'll keep an eye on the lass Fillip."
Chibs sighed but retreated. "Ellie you stay close and within sight of Seamus."
"I will, come back safe." She leaned in to give him a kiss goodbye but he dodged her lips, pulling her into a hug instead. She could feel the smirk on Fiona's face even before she turned her head and saw it for herself. Chibs pulled away from her, giving her a nod and then going to his bike. She stood by Gemma and watched as the men took off then Gemma headed inside with Fiona and Maureen. Ellie nodded to her bodyguard for the day. "You run Seamus?"
"Do I look like I run lass? I'll follow you in the car." Seamus walked toward the van that had brought Fiona while his brother Peter went inside with the women.
Ellie took off out of the lot and ran towards the country road she remembered they had taken to this place. She passed the red barn and continued further, she wasn't sure how long she'd been running for but her body was screaming to stop although her mind pushed her forward. She'd glance back every once in a awhile and true to his word, Seamus was still following her. Her body finally gave out in an open field, dropping to her knees. Sweat poured off her, soaking her clothes. Shivering, she took deep breaths trying to regain the air that had been forced out of her. She heard Seamus stop the car and get out. When she heard his boots crunch behind her, she put up her hand to stop him. "I'm fine I just need a minute" she said, her voice hoarse and her throat parched. He walked away without a word as the tears joined the sweat dripping down her face. She sobbed like never before, making all the tears she had shed in the previous weeks seem like mere trickles, nothing compared to the ones that had taken a hold of her now. She was so lost in her own world that she didn't hear the other vehicle pull up and the conversation that was had.
"What the fuck is she doing out there?"
"Don't know. She stopped there, dropped to the ground and said she needed a minute then started crying" Seamus responded as the man continued staring at the broken girl in the field.
"You're needed back at the clubhouse. I'll get her."
At the sound of boots approaching, Ellie turned and looked up from the ground where she had been staring. "Oh fuck, go away Happy" she groaned. He was the last person she wanted to see her like this but she didn't have time to think as her stomach lurched and her breakfast vacated her body. She heard Happy walk away as she continued to retch on the ground. No he certainly wasn't the sympathetic type. By the time he returned, she had crawled away from where she had been, wanting to be away from the smell of eggs before it made her sick again.
"Fuck Cherry you're a fucking mess" he said, throwing a bottle of water down next to her.
She grabbed the water and took a small sip, looking up at him. "You think?" she replied, tears welling up in her eyes as he took a seat next to her.
He lit a cigarette and handed it to her then lit his own before pulling his phone from his pocket. "Yeah, I found her. I'll bring her back. Sent Seamus back." He closed his phone and glared at her. "You know you have half the Sons out looking for you right now?"
"What? Why?"
"Fucking shit went south. Jimmy O tried to fucking wipe us off the map, showed up at the club, killed Peter and scared the shit out of the women. Had Chibs worried he'd come after you. But nah, you're just sitting out here in a fucking field feeling sorry for yourself."
"You don't know shit about what I am!"
"Yeah, you got your mind all twisted up over that Irish cunt of Chibs' when you don't fucking need to and he doesn't need you going off the rails right now either."
"Why don't I need to be worried about it? He's back here with her, got his family with him. Once Jimmy's out of the picture, what's going to stop him from staying?"
Happy took another drag of his cigarette and popped his jaw. Once again he'd been forced out on bitch babysitting patrol instead of where all the blood, violence and mayhem was. And this bitch seemed to cry more than anyone he'd ever met. Shit even his mom hadn't cried this much the first time he'd gone inside. He sighed and focussed his onyx eyes on her. "You."
"How's that?"
"Fuck Cherry, guys are simple. You have what he wants so he'll stay with you. And right now he wants your ass back at the clubhouse so let's get fucking going." He stood up, stubbing out his cigarette with his boot. Ellie stood up and stumbled. Happy reached out and grabbed her, helping her to the van.
When she got back to the clubhouse, Chibs had already left to take Fiona and Kerrianne back to safety. She went upstairs and took a long hot shower, soothing her angry muscles. When she joined Gemma and the rest of the men downstairs, she was filled in on what had happened. In the chaos, Chibs' nephew had been killed. The kings had met with Jax and wanted Jimmy O out of the picture in exchange for Abel. Waiting on the couch in grey sweat pants and a black t-shirt, Ellie jumped up from her seat when Chibs returned. Rushing to his side, she looked him over. He was covered in ash but seemed to have no major damage. "I'm so sorry about Patrick." She could feel the tension radiating off him at the mention of his nephew.
"That's why I didn't want ya here. Too dangerous with that bastard O'Phelan out there." He stood next to her rigidly, not putting his arms around her even as hers went to his waist.
"Chibs we can get Fiona, Kerrianne and Ellie on Oswald's flight tomorrow."
"No, my babies will never be safe as long he's around. We got ta take him out Jacky, and I'll be the one ta do it for my Fi and my Kerrianne."
Ellie's hand dropped from him when the words "my Fi" came from his lips. "I think I'm going to head to bed" Ellie said in a whisper, afraid her voice would betray the hurt she felt.
"Aye I'll be up in a while."
She left the living room but instead of heading upstairs, she went out the side door and into the private area to the side of the clubhouse. She lit her cigarette then crept behind the dumpsters to retrieve the hidden phone. She'd found a small crevice in the wall when she got there and figured it was safer to have it here within her reach instead of on her.
"How's Ireland?" Stahl asked when she knew it was Ellie.
"Grey and wet."
"What do you have for me?"
"Jax met with a father Ashby, he knows where Abel is. The kings aren't happy with O'Phelan."
"Already got that from Jax, what else?"
Ellie hesitated. She should tell Stahl about Ashby wanting Jax to kill O'Phelan in exchange for Abel but if Jax hadn't told her that, she didn't want to compromise the safety of a baby. She struggled with the next words. "Stahl I want it to go on record I've compromised this investigation."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I've let my personal feelings for Telford get in the way of my job."
"Fuck," she sighed. "Have you been withholding information?"
"No." Except for the part about Jax, she hadn't really been withholding information. She just hadn't been getting the information she should have. "I've been too preoccupied here with my issues with Telford to follow up on what Teller is doing. He had a meeting with the kings and I don't know what was said during it. Also O'Phelan was here today but I wasn't when he came. I could have taken him down by myself or snuck off and called it into you for Interpol to pick him up, but I was out. I was too emotionally wired to spend the day with Larkin when I could have been pulling information out of her on O'Phelan's whereabouts and plans."
"You realize I'll have to put this in my formal write up at the end of this. You could face serious reprimand for this."
"I know."
"Fuck, I can't pull you fucking out right now, it'd cause too much questioning but I can't fucking trust you to do your fucking job."
"I won't let it happen again. Telford is getting close with Larkin again, has feelings for her."
"Just fucking sit tight for now. Get me something from Teller and then we'll talk about how much of this conversation will go in the report."
"You're willing to leave this out?"
"Possibly, you know some shit about me that should be reported and I now have something on you. Maybe we can scratch each other's backs."
She ended the call and was just putting the phone back in place when Gemma came out the side door. "Thought you were headed to bed."
"Just needed some time to myself for a second."
"You doing alright sweetheart?"
"I'm good, just needed to get my shit straight."
"You sure? Happy said something about finding you in a field puking and crying."
"Jesus, nothing in the club is a secret."
"Nope, he was worried about you."
"Happy was worried about me?" she asked in disbelief.
"Honey he may be a prick but he's got a heart of gold and a soft spot for smart women. So you want to talk about it?"
"Not really."
"It's Fiona?"
"You heard him Gem he said "my babies", he's never called me that so obviously I'm not in that category that he wants to keep safe. Called her "my Fi."
"Baby he wasn't thinking when he said that."
"That's the point, his subconscious still thinks of her as his. Happy said he'd stay with me because guys are simple and I have what he needs but it's not that simple when he has a wife and a kid. I feel like I'm on the outside here, he didn't even introduce me to his daughter so what does that mean for the future?"
"You're part of his life Ellie, a huge part of it. I'm sure he just doesn't know what to tell Kerrianne. She's a teenager - who the fuck knows how to talk to teenage girls? Plus with all the other shit going on he doesn't want to add more stress to her right now. She's been removed from her home and had her whole world turned upside down."
"You're wrong Gemma. I'm part of his life in Charming but I'm not part of it in whole. I'm thinking about cutting my losses when we get back." She hated to lay the groundwork for her disappearance from Charming but it needed to be done. Stahl would come after O'Phelan and the Sons with a vengeance and Donna Winston's death had made it very clear that Stahl wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice Ellie to get what she wanted. Even if she wanted to, she would never be able to stay. With her current troubles with Chibs and the stress of the club shit, it would just look like she'd had enough and left.
"Ellie don't do that, shit's going to still be crazy when we get back and he's going to need you. The club is going to need you. I don't know what's going to happen to me and the guys, or between Jax and Tara. Someone needs to be there if I can't or it's all going to go to shit. You're family now baby - can't run from family."
"What if he doesn't come back?"
"He will. I know my boys and that man loves you. Happy doesn't talk much but he never lies. You are what Chibs needs."
Ellie finished her smoke, getting a mama bear hug from Gemma with the promise it would all be alright. She went upstairs and finding their room empty, she took a seat on the side of the bed. She was still sitting there in silence when Chibs came into the room fresh from his shower wearing his boxers and a black t-shirt. He threw his dirty clothes on the bed next to where Ellie was sitting. She could still see the flash of anger in his eyes and the dim overhead light cast his face into shadows. "Come here Ellie." His voice was neither soft nor harsh, just indifferent. She got up from the bed and stood in front of him. He reached for her, pulling her close but maintaining eye contact. His hand traveled up her back until he wound his hand around her ponytail, pulling her head slightly back. His lips nipped at the delicate skin on her neck before giving it a kiss. Whispering softly, his husky voice sent shivers down her spine. "Are ya my good girl?"
"Yes." Her voice wavered and his free hand pulled her roughly to him nipping at her neck again. "Be my good girl now yeah?" His mind was still abuzz and needing to be cleared so that he could decide what to do in the fast approaching morning. He was angry that Jimmy had come here and tried to take Fiona and Kerrianne back with him, had killed Peter, and had caused the death of his nephew and almost him as well as his brothers. The only saving grace had been when he heard Ellie hadn't been here but even that was short lived when Hap had told him his girl had lost her shit today. He released his hold on her "Take your clothes off."
She quickly pulled her shirt over her head and then going to her grey pants, hooked her fingers in the waistband letting them fall to the floor. She stepped out of them, never losing eye contact with him. He nodded to her as she stood before him in just a white bra and matching underwear. "All of them love." She let her panties slip to the floor and unclasped her bra, letting the bra slide from her body. Still holding his gaze, she watched as his eyes roamed her naked body. "Turn around." She slowly turned away from him until she was facing the wall, his hands went to her shoulders, stopping her as his lips whispered in her ear "Put your hands on the wall and stay there." She reached out, placing her shaky hands on the smooth white wall before her. "Good girl."
She felt him leave her, the cool air replacing the heat of him. She heard the belt of his jeans jingle along with whatever was in his pocket but she kept her eyes glued to the wall. She assumed he was going for a condom, which his pockets always had an endless supply of, but when he returned to her she felt the cool metal run down the length of her back and heard the sound of old leather being folded. His hand ran down her ass running cheek which was then replaced with the feel of his worn brown belt sliding softly over her skin. His hand reached back and flicked the belt on her bare bottom. She gasped, letting her head drop. He repeated the movement again with greater force, the belt slapping against her. She let out a whimper of pleasure and bit her bottom lip as the third smack came. She waited in anticipation for the next slap of the belt and heard a deep moan coming from Chibs. After the fifth one she heard the belt being thrown across the wooden floor, sliding to its resting place. She could hear his ragged breathing as his arms encased her spinning them both around and pushing her on the bed. The thought crossed her mind that maybe Happy was right, she did have what he needed. She couldn't imagine Fiona ever letting herself be put in this position and allowing him to control her. Chibs lifted her hips slightly as he pulled her to him, slamming into her and grunting "Oh my sweet good girl."
This time he didn't hold her in place as he had done before. His hands remained attached to her hips as she was bent over the bed, her feet barely touching the floor as he made quick work of bringing her to the edge. She clutched the ruffled sheets in her hands as she screamed out his name. He didn't stop his rushed movements, the sound of his body smacking up against hers and heavy breathing the only sounds in the room. Chibs held out until she had come again then suddenly removed himself from her. This time he didn't leave her to fall to the floor, he pulled her up into his embrace. Kissing her shoulder then turning her around to face him, he cupped her face and kissed her softly then pushed her back down on the bed. Climbing on top of her, he rested between her thighs as he placed sweet kisses on her lips and neck. She felt him rock hard against her leg and spread her legs wider giving him access as he slowly slid into her. This wasn't about his need, this was about him loving her and letting the slow fire build between them. Perched above her on one arm , he stroked her face gently as he whispered "I love ya Ellie."
"I love you too." Her voice turned into a moan as she hit her peak again.
Once relaxed and cuddled into bed with each other, he leaned in and kissed her naked shoulder, concerned by her silence. "I didn't hurt ya did I love?"
"No, no I'm fine just tired." She waited a moment, hesitating then speaking again. "Chibs if you want me on Oswald's plane tomorrow, I'll go."
"Oh love I just want ta keep ya safe. I'm glad you're here with me though. I need ya, I don't want ya ta go."
"And what happens after Jimmy's gone?" Turning her head to look at him, he propped himself up on his free arm to look down at her upturned face.
"What do ya mean love?"
"With me and you, you and Fiona. You'd be free to be with her."
"Lass is this what has been bothering ya? Hap told me how you were when he found ya. You're worried about me going back to Fiona?"
"Of course I am! She's your wife, the mother of your daughter, and you'd have a chance to be a family again."
"Ellie I love my baby girl but that doesn't mean I love her ma anymore, us being a family went out the window a long time ago. I don't want that with her."
"What about Kerrianne?"
"She won't come to the States this is her home and I'm not going ta uproot her. With Jimmy being gone it just means she's safe and I can see her more often but my home is with ya in Charming. I can be a father and be with ya, we could even have Kerrianne for a visit yeah?"
"Yes" she nodded to him. "So you're coming back with me to Charming?"
"Yes love that never wasn't the plan." Kissing her he looked into her eyes. "I love ya Ellie. I only want ta be with ya, ya need to get that in your head ya silly girl. Now get some sleep love."
"You'll be here when I wake up?"
"Aye, I'll not leave your side until ya do."
Thank you all for all the support and reviews. I am so glad you are all enjoying this story so far! Have a great weekend! Again thanks to poppyandbeeb for taking the time to edit theses chapters.
