CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
By the time the four of us emerge from the room hours later it's completely spotless. Al is dragging a rubbish bag behind her and Donna has the mop and bucket hanging from her hand. I'm the last one out, locking the door behind us. The main room is almost empty, only Gemma and the kids are there, but it's clean as well.
After checking the room I decide the best place for me to sit is on a stool so I prop myself up on one and look round, "Did you have a miracle team come in?" I ask Gemma amazed that the room is so clean.
"Nope, just me ordering the skank section around." A grin splits her face and I can just picture her arriving at some ungodly hour to make the poor girls that had managed to sleep here start cleaning. Gemma never gave sympathy for hang overs, if you were cleaning and vomited you had to clean it yourself.
"Do you still do the 'first chunder cleans the loo's?" I ask giggling at the memories from the weekend, before Jax and Tara became an item, when Tara, Donna and I had had a drinking contest and Tara threw up on the top of the bar, right after she'd finished cleaning it.
"Of course, it works to make most of them hold their mouths closed." Gemma says, I don't know if she remembers the particular incident I'm thinking of, but it really was a spectacular event. Tara had been standing at the end of the bar, having just finished wiping it down when I walked past with the rag and bowl to start wiping down tables. I didn't know till that day that the smell of lemon makes Tara vomit when she's drunk or hung-over...though after her and Jax started fucking I used it to my advantage many times.
My eyes lock with Donna and I can see she's thinking exactly the same thing as I do, which is confirmed when she giggles and says, "Lemon scented cleaner!"
Gemma looks between the pair of us and shakes her head, "Right, I'm out of here now. Kids, you coming?" Ellie and Kenny jump to their feet give their mother a huge hug and trail behind their Grandma. Gemma stops at the door and turns around, "Do you two want a lift back to the hotel?"
Cam nods and they get to their feet, Al steps over, hands me a pottle of cream and trails behind them out the door.
Donna and I don't stay much longer at the clubhouse, I'm ready to try and get some sleep in a real bed and it'll take me a while to sort out how to sleep. Stepping out into the lot we realise that Opie's nor Jax's bikes are there, Donna looks irritated at herself, smacking her forehead with the palm of her hand, "I knew I forgot something. They've gone for a ride with the Tacoma guys to Cara Cara."
I'm not surprised that the guys are using this opportunity to showcase their porn studio; it's become the major source of income for the charter.
I sit down on the picnic table but a few minutes later Happy comes out of one of the bays, "You ready to head home?" He asks, his voice making him sound really angry, but I've never heard him speak any other way.
We both nod and he strides over to his bike, "Well, move ya asses then."
Donna runs over to the car and unlocks it while I hobble over slowly. Getting into the passenger's seat proves to be an interesting experience, gingerly lowering myself to the seat I hear Donna laugh at me and I hear Happy give a chuckle as well, "I'll get you both for this. Oh wait, I don't have to. Donna's cooking all week; she'll get herself and us."
Donna groans and starts the car, "Why am I cooking?" she says, "I thought you loved cooking?"
"I do, but from previous experience I've learnt that standing for long periods is not fun. I will help of course, but I'll help from the table." I say as we pull out of the lot.
Arriving back at the Winston house I'm not prepared for what I see. The second we pull in the driveway Happy's face appears at Donna's window, "Do not get out of the car."
We both nod and Donna locks the doors for good measure, though I'm not sure if that will help. From the driveway we can both see the front door is wide open. The windows on either side of the door have been broken and through the gaps we see Happy as he pushes the door open slowly with his toe, arms stretched out in front of him, his gun the first thing that goes into the house.
He's back within 10 minutes as he steps outside he runs a hand over his face and the top of his head. The first thing he does is go to the curb and crouch down before he comes to the car he taps on the window and Donna jumps in her seat, for some reason she'd been looking the other way.
"Start the car, drive to Gemma's. Don't argue." Happy's voice is stern and I know whatever he's found in that house is going to be a big issue.
Donna nods, her hand going to the key and within seconds we're back on the road, Happy's bike right behind us. We're only 3 streets from the Winston's street when another 4 bikes appear behind his, I don't see who they are but at the next intersection Happy's bike and 2 of the others turn the corner while the remaining 2 trail us.
I'm starting to relax a little when we pull into the driveway of Gemma's house, but the feeling vanishes when I recognise the 2 bikers that have climbed off the bikes. While I'm not surprised that they've sent Tig to follow us, the blond haired SAA from the Tacoma charter makes me realise something beyond bad has happened. Kozik and Tig have a long standing distaste for each other that has stretched back many years and is legendary among all Sons. Anyone who knows anything about the pair would be surprised to see them standing together in the driveway.
Donna and I climb out of the car and head inside, Gemma opens the door as we get to it and ushers us inside. Tig and Kozik follow not long after and it's a testament to their respect for Gemma that neither utters a negative word to the other.
Before long we hear the sound of more bikes coming down the road and Clay comes through the door shortly after, Bobby, Juice and Kip trailing behind him.
Jax and Opie come in first and Opie looks absolutely shocked, he walks over to Donna and yanks her to her feet, wrapping his arms round his waist he buries his head in her hair and stands there for several minutes.
He eventually sits down in the chair she was in and pulls her onto his lap. Looking over at me I know it's going to be bad when the first words out of his mouth are, "You do NOT blame yourself for this."
I blink a few times; I can feel my brow crease in confusion. I've pulled one of Gemma's dining chairs into the living room so I can sit without leeching ink onto her lounge suite.
Jax walks over and crouches beside me, "Its bad darlin', real bad."
"What?" I ask.
"The house, it's been fucken trashed." Jax says, and I'm glad he hasn't minced his words and tried to hide anything from me.
"I need to see what he's done." I state, using Jax's shoulder to stand up I'd like it say it was accidental the amount that I pressed my nails into his shoulder, but the wince that crosses his face helps the incredibly pissed off part of me settle enough to deal with whatever the latest round of shit that's just dropped on me will be.
"Nuh-uh. That's not happening, not till we've caught this fucker." Tig states from the doorway.
"Look, I don't care if every single one of you comes I NEED to see what he did." I say, walking towards the door.
I hear Donna behind me, "Ope, it's my house too. Please let us see."
Clay speaks from where he's sitting on the couch, "Right, this is how it's going to go. Donna and Sarah can go see, but they will be with at least 4 of you from the second they leave this house till the second they get back. You two do NOT leave their sight, you listen to anything you're told to do and the second they tell you to leave you do it. Got it?"
Donna and I both nod at Clay so he continues, "You have 1 hour unless you are told to get out sooner. Collect enough stuff for an extended stay elsewhere. Gem and I will work out where and let you know when you're back here."
Happy, Tig and Jax all head towards the door Donna and I get to our feet to follow them with Opie trailing behind us. Out in the driveway we're push towards Gemma's Caddy, I protest about getting ink on the seat, Jax turns around and heads back inside before coming out with an old towel which he throws on the seat, he takes a second to look at the design, but it's been wrapped for the afternoon nap I was hoping to have so nothing is clear.
Happy and Opie pull out of the drive first and Donna steers Gemma's car out behind them, Jax and Tig forming the back of the formation.
We're back in Donna's driveway quickly enough and both of us get out of the car and head towards the front door. Opie stops us after unlocking the door, "It's pretty shitty in there guys." With that he opens the door and lets us in.