9/
I sat back to back with Tara, in dim light of a basement, a pole between us that we were both tied to with our hands behind our backs. We had learned through listening to the two that had taken us that they were Hector Salazar and his girl, Luisa. What they had to gain from taking us I still wasn't sure.
"So you still have Tig's crow?" Tara asked me.
"Yeah." I answered with a heavy sigh.
"I heard about how messy your break up with him was. Thought you would have had Happy cover it over."
"I thought about it and Happy has offered but I don't really want to give him any ideas that it makes me his."
"Well you are sleeping with him."
"On occasion but that's all it is. It's just sex Tara. I'm not his old lady."
"Maybe you're just not ready to admit that you and Tig are completely over."
I sighed. "I don't know Tara. Maybe. Being pulled back into the club and this huge shit storm is kinda forcing me to address it all quicker than I wanted to."
"You were young when he put it on you right?"
"Yeah. 18. Dad made us wait until I was legal." I answered thinking back.
I smiled a slightly uncertain smile and bit my lip as I entered the clubhouse on the day of my 18th birthday. I knew Jax and my mom had organized a huge party, but before that something else was set to happen. Something I'd been waiting for for nearly two years. I was so nervously excited that finally I was going to have Tig's crow inked on me.
"Happy birthday baby girl." Dad greeted me as I entered.
"Thanks Daddy." I smiled. He noticed my nervous anticipation.
"Tig mentioned to me that he plans to put his crow on you today. You sure you want that?"
"Yes Daddy. I love him."
"I know you do. That's what scares me."
"Daddy I know I was young when Tig I got together but you never said it couldn't happen."
"You have your mother to thank for that." He answered.
"He's protected me from so much over the last few years. He loves me and he's not going to hurt me."
"Kat you know I trust Tig to take care of you but inking his crow on you? Being his old lady? That's a big step."
"I've been his old lady for well over a year now Dad. I'm ready to make it official."
"Okay baby girl. So long as you know it's what you want."
"It is what I want Daddy." I said resolutely with a smile as I leaned in to kiss his cheek.
"Hey Kitty Kat!" Tig greeted me as he sauntered through the clubhouse doors a moment later. "You ready for my ink?" He said wrapping his arms around my waist and running his lips down my neck.
I giggled as his stubble tickled my neck. "Aha." I answered watching the smile come across my father's face. His blue gray eyes got this sparkle to them when he was truly happy and I saw that sparkle there now. I knew seeing how happy Tig made me, made him happy also.
"Hey lovebirds. You ready to get this done?" the unmistakable rasp of Happy Lowman's voice rang out. I gasped and bit my lip as the meaning of his words sank in. Happy was the enforcer of the Tacoma charter. He had a large and foreboding presence. I knew he was well trusted and admired by Samcro but truth be told he had always made my spine tingle with fear.
"He's tattooing me?" I whispered urgently to Tig before he could turn me around to face the large bald headed man that I'd grown up fearing.
"Relax Doll. He's not nearly as scary as you think."
"He's killed people Tiggy." I continued to whisper in his ear.
Tig chuckled. "Baby girl you know I have too."
"But you don't keep a tattoo tally of them all. How many is he up to now?"
"Doll he's good at what he does and that includes tattooing. I wouldn't trust anyone else to do your ink." he said gazing directly into my eyes.
"Okay well if you trust him."
"With my life Kitty Kat." He murmured.
I nodded and allowed him to lead me over to where Happy waited.
"Where are you putting it?" The tall bald headed biker asked.
"Right here. Just above that beautiful perky ass." Tig said running his hand across the small of my back.
"That's my cue to leave." Dad said from across the clubroom.
"Hey. Sorry man." I blushed as Tig apologized to him. "You know I love your daughter's assets."
"You don't say." Dad said as he left the clubroom.
Happy handed Tig a razor and a tube of numbing cream. "You know what to do brother." He said as he set up his inks and pulled on a pair of latex gloves. I cast my eye across them and then laid them on the tattoo gun that lay beside them. I drew in a deep breath and bit my bottom lip as I felt Tig run the cold gel of the numbing cream across my back.
Happy saw my trepidation. "You'll be fine okay?" He said.
I nodded as I heard the raspy voice directed at me. I didn't know what else I was supposed to do.
A nervous anticipation took over me as Happy and Tig swapped spots. Tiggy sat in front of me and took my face in his hands as Happy sat behind and prepared to begin my tattoo.
I smiled at remembering how much I used to be afraid of Happy.
I sighed. "It'd probably break him even more if I had Happy cover it." I said thinking out loud rather than continuing the conversation at hand.
"Yeah. I reckon it would."
"Enough chit chat ladies." Salazar interrupted them as he came down the basement stairs. "Who do I call to make a deal with?"
"They've got no money." Tara answered him and then recoiled at the sharp slap that met her cheek, put there by Luisa.
"I didn't ask that. Who do I call?" Salazar asked again.
Without thinking I reeled off the garage number knowing that someone would be there. I knew whether they had the money he wanted or not they'd figure out someway to get us back.
I figured Chuckie had answered the phone when Salazar began to bark impatiently down the phone,
"Who's this?"
"Get me a patched member!"
"You a patched member?"
I continued to listen intently hoping to find out at least some inkling of what this was all about.
"I got myself two doctors here that I believe belong to you. I need the Sons to kill Alvarez and steal $250,000 from his safe and deliver it to me if you want to see them alive again."
Salazar suddenly gave an exasperated sigh before putting the phone to Tara's ear. "Tell them it's true." He said.
"Piney? It's true. He has me and Kat too."
Salazar whipped the phone away from her ear as quickly as he'd put it there. "So you see? Deliver or they die." he barked down the phone before slamming it shut in his hand and stalking back up the stairs.
Left alone in the room again I could tell Tara was as anxious and scared as I was. "They'll do everything they can to get us out of here." I said to reassure her.
"I'm sure they will." She said. "You know Tig would do anything for you right?"
I sighed a long drawn out sigh. "Yeah. I know that." I admitted.
"He still loves you Kat. We can all see it."
"Yeah. I'm beginning to see it too."
"If we get out of here do you think you'll give him another chance?"
"I don't know Tara. There's so much we need to get through first."
I felt her hand brush across mine in a reassuring way. "Do you still love him?" She asked me.
I closed my eyes and bit my lip as I thought carefully about my words. "I think there was a part of me that never stopped loving him but I need to able to trust him again if I'm going to let him back in."
She held my hand briefly and gave it squeeze. "You'll sort it out Kat."
I rested my head back against the pole between us and swallowed back the tears that were forming behind my eyes. "Maybe." I said quietly not even able to admit to myself yet how much I wanted to be able to let him back in.
"We could be here a while. We should try to get some sleep." Tara said still holding my hand behind our backs.
With a lack of windows in the basement we were being held in I had no idea how long had passed when we heard footsteps at the top of the stairs again. I had drifted in and out of fits of sleep but hadn't actually managed anything near restful.
"Times up ladies." Salazar announced as he hit the bottom step. "You're club hasn't delivered so I've got no choice." He said leaning forward to cut Tara free.
"Wait. They will come for us."
"I didn't ask for an opinion." he said kicking her to the ground. I heard her whimper and saw her hands fly protectively to her stomach as his foot came flying at her again.
"Stop. I'm pregnant!" She cried out as she'd tried desperately to protect her unborn baby.
He looked to me for affirmation. "It's true. She is." I said hoping he would stop.
His phone began to ring in his pocket and he whipped it out looking at the caller display.
"You're late." He said as he flipped it open and placed it against his ear.
"I need proof." He barked down the phone and a moment later, "You're up Blondie. Tell them you're okay." he said as he placed the phone at the side of my head.
"Kitty Kat?" Tig's voice carried down the line. I swallowed hard. I'd never been so glad to hear it.
"I'm okay Tig." I said trying hard to choke back my tears.
"We're gonna get you both outta there baby." he assured me. "You hang in there okay?"
"Yeah." I answered not knowing what else to say before Salazar pulled the phone away from my ear.
He walked up the stairs still barking something down the line to Tig as Tara pushed herself back up from the ground.
"Are you okay?" I asked her.
"Yeah. I think so." She answered running her hand across her abdomen. "How do you think Jax is going to take my news?"
"I don't think he ever truly got over it when you left Tara. You might have only been back for a little while but he loves you. He'll make it work."
She smiled. "Thanks Kat." she said as Luisa came down the stairs.
"Hector sent me to check on you bitches. Need anything?" She announced.
"I need the bathroom." Tara said from where she sat beside me.
Luisa sighed. "Fine. Get up both of you." She said grabbing a hold of me and pulling me to my feet while Tara struggled to hers. She maintained a tight grip on me while pushing a gun into Tara's back.
"Bathrooms upstairs." She said pushing us both up the stairs to the house above.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the brightness of the sunshine that suddenly hit them but once they did I darted my eyes around me looking for an escape.
"Don't even think about trying anything." Luisa said as she noticed.
She opened a door at the top of the stairs. "Piss quickly bitch." She said pushing Tara into the bathroom. Tara closed the door and I hoped that she had enough smarts about her and this life to have a plan hatched up. With Luisa now pointing the gun at me I knew I had little chance at escape.
"Where's Hector?" I asked hoping to distract her.
"Out bargaining for your release."
"You don't expect me to believe your just gonna let us go after all this?" I asked.
"You maybe but not Teller's girl. You were just in the wrong place. Who's old lady are you anyway?"
"No one's. I just never got it covered." I stupidly responded.
"If you're no one's old lady anymore what are still doing hanging around with them?" She asked skeptically.
I knew I should shut my mouth before I revealed they had more leverage against the Sons than they had previously realized. "I'm still friends with Tara." I said hoping she believed me.
Her attention on me wavered as I mentioned Tara, making her realize how long she was taking. "Stay here. Don't move." She ordered as she opened the bathroom door gun held out in front of her. I heard her scream as Tara grabbed her from behind the door, the gun falling from her hands. I took the opportunity to clamber forward and grab it from the floor at her feet. I turned and drew the gun on her just in time to see Tara drive a piece of broken glass into the side of her neck.
"Shit." I swore. "I was hoping you had a plan." I said knowing it would likely be a fatal wound if she weren't to receive medical treatment fast.
Tara raised her eyebrows at me. "Help me get her into the tub." She said as we both heard a car pull up outside. It had to Salazar back.
I placed the gun aside on the counter before I grabbed the Spanish woman's legs and helped Tara lay her in the bath tub as she continued to bleed out.
"Luisa?" We heard Salazar call from downstairs.
Tara grabbed the gun from the counter I had laid it upon and made her way to the top of the stairs holding it in front of her. I wasn't sure if she'd ever fired a gun before and hoped she knew what she was doing going up against Salazar.
He looked up to the top of the stairs a look of surprise upon his face. "Where's Luisa?"
"She's bleeding out in the bathroom." Tara informed him.
His face dropped as he rushed up the stairs past her. "Luisa baby?" He cried bursting into the bathroom and pulling the shower curtain aside, finding her lying there barely conscious, blood oozing from her neck.
"I can keep her alive." Tara said. "Just let Kat go though. It's me you wanted anyway."
I looked over to her surprised that she would bargain for my release over her own.
Salazar scooped Luisa into his arms and moved quickly down the stairs to his car where he laid her over the backseat. "Get in there and keep her alive." He barked at Tara. I knew that was near impossible considering how much the woman had already bled out. "You get in the front." he barked at me.
I did so having no idea what was going through his mind or what he had planned.
He floored the accelerator and sped off from the roadside, making his way quickly toward the center of town.
I had no time to realize what was going on before he pulled up in front of Charming police station, leaned over and opened my door only to push me out of it and speed off.
I scrambled to my feet as Unser and a female officer in plain clothes that I didn't recognize came bursting out the doors.
"Is this one of them?" The female officer asked. I looked around at her before Unser answered and immediately decided I didn't like her.
"Yeah. It's Kat." Unser answered helping me to my feet.
"Are you okay sweetheart?" Unser asked me.
"Yeah. I think so." I answered him as he helped me into the station, the side of my arm grazed from where I'd hit the pavement.
"So this is the Samcro Princess?" The woman officer asked.
"Yeah. Clay's daughter. Give her a minute before you start interrogating her alright?" Unser said casting his eyes at the woman.
The woman raised her eyebrows at him as he sat me down on a chair and passed me a glass of water. She ignored him and began questioning me anyway.
"Why'd hey cut you loose?" She asked.
"I'm sorry but who are you?" I asked.
"How remiss of me. Stahl. Agent June Stahl." She answered an air of pompousness about her.
"Is that like Bond. James Bond?" I couldn't help but quip at her.
She raised her eyebrows again. I could tell this was a woman who didn't like someone smart mouthing back at her. I didn't know then why she was in town but I did know she had picked the wrong town and it's crowd to mess with.