CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Website where all photos of all outfits mentioned is on my profile.
Sorry if my note of previous AN seemed rude. I had a massive migraine Sunday night and was still stuck at work, the pain killers I take tend to knock me around for a few days afterwards.
I know that the review from The Young Volcano wasn't meant to be nasty, I do appreciate all reviews that I get, negative, positive, pointing out errors I've made…it's all good for me. With that over here's chapter 33...I'm aiming to get up to 44 posted by New Year.
Minutes later both Donna and Gemma are being ushered through the front door.
Opie looks at me and says seriously, "I have a solution, but both of these two, and Clay, need to agree."
Donna and Gemma look confused, Gemma turns to her husband and raises an eyebrow, but Clay looks just as puzzled.
Clay runs over the message and conversation with Donna, Gemma already knows, having been on the receiving end of both of them. When he's finished he looks at Opie and motions him to continue.
"Right, Sarah is worried about Craig showing up at our house and she's already been thinking of going somewhere else. Sorry, but Jax told me,"
I shoot a glare at Jax but he doesn't look at all apologetic about it so I just sigh and nod.
"Well, you KNOW that Donna wouldn't let you do that, and you know that I wouldn't either, so if Clay and Gemma agree this is my idea."
Everyone round the table is listening and I have a feeling I know where it's going to go, and I hope it doesn't result in me in a dark hole somewhere.
"The kids go and stay with Gemma and Clay, and a prospect or two, while Jax comes and stays with us. The kids are out of the way, and Sarah isn't moving. If Craig does show up at our house he'll have a hell of a situation on his hands."
Clay leans back in his seat and Gemma heads over there, they put their heads together for a few minutes, talking softly, but none of us try and listen leaving the Charter president and his Old Lady to make the final decision.
Gemma leans back, and heads back out of the office leaving Clay to fill us in on what they've decided.
"Gem says that's fine, but she doesn't want any prospects living in her house, so Tig, Chibs, for the next few days…or until this asshole is dealt with…you are going to be guests of the Casa De Morrow. Jax, you'll be staying with Opie, but I want Happy there as well." The way he says it we all know that it's a final decision; no more discussion will be entered into. Everyone nods and Donna gets up to leave, presumably to go and sort out her kids and get stuff for them for an extended stay at Nana's.
Donna's almost out the door when Clay tells Jax and Opie to go with her, I tag along so that we can take the side trip to the storage while we're out.
After debating for a minute if it's safe for me to use my truck I decide that seeing my Challenger is still sitting in their driveway using the Nitro isn't going to make a difference.
Donna and I hop up into it and follow Opie out the gate; Jax catches up with us just as we hit the main road, pulling in front of us and alongside Ope's bike.
We stop at their house first; Donna goes in and spends about 15 minutes packing clothes for the kids, while I sort some of the baking that's still in the cupboard to take back to the garage with us. We end up loading the rest of the sugar cookies into the backseat and half the vanilla cake that was intended for dessert that night. I know I'll probably spend the next few days in the kitchen, cooking was what I always turned to when stressed, while Donna is packing for her kids I go and pull a few things out of one of the boxes of my stuff.
Loading the bags into the back of the truck we're back in the 4x4 within 20 minutes of arriving and we turn towards the storage lot.
Pulling into the yard I go to the unit I've rented, but before I open it I turn to the three people looking very curious about what was so urgent. "I will explain, but please let me wait till we get back to the garage?"
They all nod so I ask Opie and Jax if they would put the large coffin shaped trunk in the luggage compartment.
Heading back to the garage we're not even out of the complex before Donna quirks an eyebrow "What is in that?"
"Just wait, okay." I ask.
She nods and I know for at least the rest of the trip back I'll be free from questions; she takes the time to flick through a few songs on the radio, but doesn't find anything she likes before we're pulling back in the gates.
Opie heads inside and gets the 2 prospects to come help carry the case into the clubroom. When they're inside and set on the pool table I head over to the coffin shaped case, pulling out one of the two things I collected from my room at the Winston's. Slotting a key into a hidden keyhole I turn it and a latch pops open on the other end, going round the table I enter a 6 digit code and the box opens with a loud click.
Lifting the lid the reason for the case being so heavy is revealed when everyone realises that the wooden outside is attached to a steel case of the same shape. Nestled into the top case is a steel box about the size of a cigar box. The bottom 2/3s of the case has a door which I leave closed for the time being.
Pulling out the box I close the case again, hearing the locks snap into place automatically I slip the key back into my pocket.
I put the case on the table and reach into my other pocket for the leather card holder I also retrieved while we were at the house. I open it and pass it over to Clay.
He opens it and doesn't seem at all surprised when he finds only a single piece of plastic in there that shows I'm licensed to carry a concealed weapon in New York; I can see the knowledge dawning of what's in the case in front of me.
"I'm working on the application for California, all the paperwork was done during my rest's along the way here, and all I have to wait for now is the approval, the DA from New York has been talking with the Department of Justice here who have said that because of the history in New York, and the fact that I still managed to keep the licence after everything with Craig…they made me go through 3 months of psychiatric assessment before they released anything back to me. Charlotte, the DA, managed to get a temporary release for me to carry while I'm here, but I have to be able to prove that I'm not at risk of hurting anyone."
The guys are starting to look a little confused; Clay still has hold of my licence, and hasn't passed it to anyone else.
I finally opened the case and inside it, exactly was it was the last time I put it away was the grey and black Smith & Wesson that I'd picked. I knew that I could have had something bigger, something more powerful but for some reason the small gun had drawn my attention.
Turning to look at the guys I notice that half of them are looking at the case still sitting on the table and the other half are looking at me like I've sprouted another head.
"What?" I guess it comes out a little angrier than I thought, maybe that and the fact I'm now standing in front of them with the semi-automatic pistol none of them knew I owned in my hand. I won't bother to tell them that the ammo for it is all still locked in the case, or that the magazine is also empty.
Jax looks the most uncomfortable; I can't help but laugh at them when I put the gun back in its case they all seem to relax.
"Oh for fuck sake, really?" I snort. "The magazine is empty; the ammo is still locked up. What do you think I can do with an unloaded gun, throw it at someone?" For a second I'm sorely tempted to do just that but I remember that they are trying to help me, none of them realise that I got a gun licence at the same time as Al and Cam did, 9 months after my arrival in New York. Al had been mugged one day walking home from a job and it had terrified her, Cam had made the mistake of telling her father and before we knew it we were being put through courses and assessments and having modifications done to the apartments. Al and Cam had brought small pistols not long after the licences were issued, but I had never found the need to get one, till after the whole situation with Craig happened, then I had to wait months.
Clay looks curiously at the case, "What else is in there?"
That's got nothing else in it like this. However Cam and Al both have things in one of those huge Hope Chests you guys moved. They store them all together; after my licence was suspended it was easier for Al to have them all in her apartment. They've each got one of them; it's a Smith and Wesson 4506. But they also have about 10 others between them. I don't ask one is more than enough for me."
Chibs obviously remembers the other cases they moved and asks, "What the hell else is there then. There were lots of heavy cases in your stuff lass?"
I grin at the Scotsman; he's far too quick for me. "One of the cases has all the ammo and magazines; they were separated for the move across state lines. That's all packed into the one of the hope chests. The second hope chest has all of Al's tattooing gear in it."
Happy's head pops up and I can tell when all of this dies down that him and Al are going to have some conversations about tattooing equipment, suppliers, ink, designs and all the other stuff that Al regularly rants to me about, normally while she's injecting ink into me.
Opening the case again I take out a box of ammo and the shoulder holster that Al had forced me to buy. Other than that the only thing I remove from the cupboard shaped piece at the bottom is the bullet proof vest that Al brought me as a joke when we went target shooting for the first time and Cam completely missed the target (she'd brought herself one as well) when I'm done Clay sends Chibs and Opie on a quick trip in my car to deliver the cases back into storage.