A/N: Band is Pentagram. This song rips. Enjoy!
Chapter 6: Be Forewarned
Alex was on her way back from a walk around the block with Sid. She purposely evaded going around the auto shop that day. Unsure what she'd do if she ran into Jax Teller. The sun had just finished setting, and she enjoyed the breeze while Oasis' F***ing in the Bushes blasted on her headphones, as she approached the motel, she saw Jax Teller leaving his bike, parked by the reception. He wasn't wearing his leather but a hoodie and a black shirt that read SAMCRO.
Their eyes met and Alex took a deep breath, removing her headphones as she approached, turning off her music on her iPod.
"Jax Teller," Alex called as she approached, a sincere smile that surprised herself.
Jax was lying against his bike, hands in front of his body. He spotted her orange hair al the way down the road when he parked. When she said his name, he found himself appreciating it even more coming out of her lips, with that accent.
"I was hoping I would run into you," he replied with his disarming smile, but something in his eyes didn't seem as relaxed. He then glanced at Sid when she stopped in front of him, a few feet apart.
"Can I pet him?" Jax asked, looking at the dog, sitting by her side. Calm, but eyes watching his every move.
"Yes," she grinned at his hesitation. "I'd get on eye level, though," she advised, then as he kneeled in front of them, nodded to the dog that looked at her.
Sid looked back at Jax and stared the same way as before, Jax reached his hand to his ear and the dog checked again with Alex, when she nodded one more time, he opened his mouth with a playful look at Jax, moving forward and sniffing his face, then licking him once.
"He is great." Jax said, his smile was there, but his eyes still seemed lost. He scratched the pup's ear and thought that if Alex so wanted, his face probably would've been chewed off by now.
"Are you ok?" Alex asked when he got up, her eyes searched for his like the night before.
"No," he replied sincerely. She blinked, slightly surprised at the blunt honesty. "I was wondering if you'd like to go for a ride," he added and motioned to the bike, she looked unsure. "It will be safe, I promise."
"Wouldn't be my first motorcycle." she assured him. The hesitation of course wasn't the motorcycle. Jimmy's voice rang in her head: stay the fuck away from blondie.
"Not surprised," he smiled sincerely, but expectantly still.
"First Harley, though," she added with a smirk.
"Crotch rocket? Lame." he teased, the darkness in his eyes seemed to ease up more and more as they talked.
"Thought you'd say that," Alex said. She felt the phone buzzing in her back pocket, but decided to ignore it. Likely Scott again.
"Alright, I will get Sid sorted inside, and I will be right out." she decided quickly. Jimmy was right, she had a tendency to go hell bent decided to fuck some other shit up. It didn't matter.
[xxx]
After giving Alex a second helmet, Jax took off with the redhead. She seemed quite comfortable on the bike. He didn't expect it any other way, especially she'd been on a lame crotch rocket before. They took the road outside of Charming - he'd asked her if it would be ok if they headed out before they took off, she seemed unbothered. He made his way through Lodi and slowed down as they reached Lodi Lake. Before passing away, his father used to take him there at night for alone time to talk; away from everything, especially in the months leading up to his death.
They parked by familiar picnic tables that overlooked the lake. The park was mostly deserted with a few joggers passing by very sporadically by the time they got there. They both left the bike, their helmets on top of it. Alex stretched and looked around, walking calmy by herself for a moment before he followed her. She sat on one of the picnic tables, actually putting her feet on top of two bolted stools in front of her, knees bent. She put her phone next to her and just looked forward, towards the lake. Jax followed her and sat by her side, a joint already lit in his hand.
"Very quiet here," she noted, lowly, he could hear her perfectly as he passed the joint to her.
"I like quiet," he said as he looked forward as well. "I can think better that way. Enough noise on the inside."
"Ooh, angsty," she teased, tilting her head to the side so she could see him. They shared the joint as they talked.
They both felt Alex's phone buzzing between them, and looked down. No Caller ID. Alex shifted, slightly, trying to contain her reaction but Jax caught the discomfort as she picked the phone up and turned it silent. The front screen dimming again.
"Quite upset over a No Caller ID," he noted when she looked forward again, taking another drag. "That may also be why you didn't answer earlier, I'd show up like that."
"Oh, sorry," she glanced at him briefly. Shit, he called, and she missed. Probably for the best, though.
"I tried only once though," he added, one eyebrow raised, as he noticed the screen light up again and No Caller ID flash. She looked down at it again and picked up this time, turning it off.
"Wanna talk about that?" he asked as she passed him the joint. Her eyes lingered on his.
"Tell me yours, I will tell you mine?" she smiled gently. "Why are you not ok?"
"I prefer the original version of that game." he smirked as he took a drag.
"Honestly, me too."
Jax was silent for a moment as he passed her the joint again. He stared at the lake, watching the water move ever so slow. The high made time stand still just like the other night. He wasn't interlocked with the redhead this time, but he felt connected to her either way. Even more so, he'd dare say. He glanced at her for a moment and she seemed relaxed, her elbows on top of her knees, bent over as she sat, her eyes lost in the lake in front of them as well.
"I don't know how much of this will make sense to you," he just started talking, she turned her head at him to listen, but didn't move. "I've had this looming thought in my head. So many things have gone wrong in the past few months, so many fuck ups. I need to instill some change into my club, otherwise it will suffocate me and I may have to leave."
Alex looked at him intently as he spoke, in silence. She listened. Really listened, didn't just wait for her turn to talk. There were a few seconds of silence.
"I don't want to leave." he added lowly, and looked down.
"This all seems like a real big deal," she added lowly and when he looked up her eyes were still there. She let out a gentle smile. "Why all that?"
Alex knew Jax wasn't about to spill her detailed secrets, but she was still somewhat astonished at what he's said so far. As he spoke, she could see the tension leaving his eyes, although they still looked sad.
"Some things have happened in the past few months that have pushed me this way," he said, their eyes meeting again. He then also rested his elbows on his knees, bringing his hands together, passing her the joint.
"I have a son," he added, and glanced at her almost instantly. "His mother and I are not together anymore," he clarified quickly when their eyes met, she smiled at his need to let her know that, and nodded for him to continue.
"And someone innocent died because of some decisions made within the club," he looked away from her, she still watched him, his eyes lost in the lake in front of them. "Decisions I was not aware of and frankly would have tried to stop. It has messed with me. My father was one of the founders of the club, and he left behind his vision and his thoughts, he was going through the same thing when he died. I don't want that to happen to me, but I don't know if I can make things right."
Their eyes met again. Jax felt like he just vomited his thoughts on the redhead, yet she seemed as intent on listening as before. Her eyes were calm, her mouth slightly opened as he talked.
"And why wouldn't you be able to make things right?" she asked. She seemed to ask all the right questions. But he couldn't say much more without spilling it all right now.
"It's your turn." he evaded and shared a smile with her. She nodded.
"Fair enough," she said and was the one to watch the lake intently for a second, she took a long drag at the joint they kept passing to each other, trying to organize her thoughts.
"No Caller ID is an ex, most likely," she glanced at the turned off phone between them and met his eyes again. "He called me last night when you were speaking to your mates. From jail, for violating a protection order against me. We dated for four years, he grew increasingly possessive and volatile. He had always been, how do you say it..."
"A scumbag?" he asked, without missing a beat. She appreciated the humour, and chuckled gently.
"No," she said. "I mean, I guess so, in retrospect. He was very hard to anticipate for, he'd switch quickly. Anything could make him snap. Bipolar, I think."
Jax was the one to watch her intently now, she paused, for a moment and he let her collect her thoughts. She also looked down for a moment, as if gathering the courage to say something. Their eyes met again, when she looked up.
"He had never physically assaulted me though, until he did," she said. For the first time out loud outside a doctor's office or the police station. The high made the words easier to come out, and so did Jax. "As others had warned me he would eventually. He was immediately very apologetic, but I left, I just couldn't."
"Is that what the neck is about?" he asked when she paused. She nodded, her eyes still on his.
"That was six months ago," she continued and shifted, slightly as she looked at the lake again, she gestured lightly with her hands as she spoke next.
"He grabbed me, slammed my head against the wall and just... Tried to choke me. Then just like that, he snapped back to normal." she looked at him. He had a narrowed look, of genuine concern. He ran his eyes to her neck covered by her hair at that angle, and back up to her eyes.
"He started showing up in places he knew I'd be in. I am a music journalist, coverings lots of concerts," he eased his look as she said that. A normal life, he thought. Or at least partially normal. Scumbags existed in all walks of life though.
"He'd be there, always," she continued. "About a month back I was in LA covering Metallica and there he was... I finally followed some advice and filed for a protection order."
"Let me guess, that didn't work?" he said with a slight sarcastic tone. He knew those were a joke. She nodded with a 'I know, right' look, and let out a breath, glad that he understood without her having to explain.
"He showed up at the magazine I work on Friday," she continued lowly, but he noted she was speaking faster, as if she was so glad she was letting this out, that if she took longer, he'd stop listening. He wouldn't stop listening, of course. He couldn't. His eyes focused on her.
"He was very high, just like the night he attacked me. The other times he followed me I was able to diffuse, you know? And he was never like that. Then he reached to grab me by the neck," she reached gently for her own neck with one of her hands, but stopped short, touching her chest instead. She looked straight again. "And I just completely lost my shit. I don't think he was going to attack me, but I completely lost control."
"Was he arrested?" he asked, searching for her eyes. He wanted to reach to her and touch her, but he didn't move. She looked at him.
"For violating the order, yes," she slowed her tone again, and nodded. "But he will be out tomorrow, I know it."
Alex sounded defeated at that. She looked away from him again and turned her head straight, her eyes on the lake. She took a deep breath, as if saying all of this was both exhausting and liberating. He knew that feeling from just moments ago. He couldn't resist reaching out to touch her anymore.
Jax got up, putting out the tip of the joint on the table, then approached her, standing in front of her. He made his way between the two bolted stools by the table where she rested her feet, standing between her legs. She sat straight as he did that and felt that cold in her stomach from the night before. His hands ran through her legs and stopped by her hips, she pulled him closer by grabbing the zip seam of his hoodie. This time around neither of them hesitated.
"Is this why you're here?" he asked low after a brief moment of silence, looking down at her eyes.
"It's your turn, Teller." she said with a gentle grin. He licked his lips and got less than an inch away from hers.
"Can we change the game?" he asked. She closed the gap between their lips and they kissed.
It was soft and moist and hot and breathy, not trying to win a battle but seeking union and closeness. Different from the night before, it was an expected close to them having just been extremely vulnerable in front of each other, not just aroused anticipation.
Stay the fuck away from blondie, Alex heard in her head as they kissed. It was too late now. Hell bent for self-destruction.
[xxx]
Alex opened her eyes slowly; she could see by the light fighting under the blackout curtains that it was a bright sunny day outside. She was lying on her stomach on her motel bed, her face facing the window and the closed door. She was naked, and a cotton sheet covered only part of her body. She felt Jax's arm on her waist, he was sleeping close to her, she could feel his skin against her, his head buried in the back of her neck, she could feel him breathing steady, calmly.
She took a big and slow breath before she moved ever so careful, sliding away from his arm and placing it on the bed as she sat up, watching to see if he'd wake, he didn't. They had made their way back to Charming and into her room shortly after that kiss, and their night continued as intense as it started. She braced one of her knees sitting on the bed, and exchanged a look with Sid, lying on the bathroom floor. She smiled, thinking he could be absolutely judging her right now.
Alex got up on the tip of her toes and very slowly made her way to the bathroom, grabbing her oversized Motorhead t-shirt from the day before from the floor and putting it on. She entered the bathroom and took a breath, bending over and scratching Sid's ear.
"Yeah, I know," she whispered. "I did not stay the fuck away."
I don't think that was an option at that point, she thought to herself. She used some mouthwash and splashed water in her face. Then grabbed the sink with her hands and looked down.
She wrestled with her thoughts for a minute. She should be feeling absolutely worried for sleeping with Jax Teller. And maybe even worse for having had such an intimate conversation with him. Yet, she wasn't. She was calm, she felt even good. She had no idea how she would tell Jimmy this, yet this wasn't the thing that was bothering her either. There was only one thing bothering her.
She had to tell Jax she was a journalist investigating the League. There was no turning back now, she was involved with him one way or another, and the only guilt she was feeling now was that he didn't know that. She also wondered if he was aware of the League at all - sure they showed up at the party, but that didn't mean that he knew the danger they posed to him. To his club. To his desire to "make things right", as he said. She wanted to help.
Alex opened the door and watched as Jax still slept soundly, his back Sons of Anarchy tattoo fully visible. She could see light red marks her nails left on him. She watched from the bathroom door for a moment as he breathed slowly, peaceful. She continued to move quietly around the room and fed Sid by a corner, then grabbed her phone from the floor. A lot of their belongings were on the floor, it had been a vigorously passionate night. She was sure had they not spilled their guts to one another before it, it would've likely not have been the same. Perhaps this was why she didn't feel like she'd made a mistake.
She turned on the phone as she approached the bed, then left it by the bedside table. She sat gently on the end of the bed, and brought her elbows to her knees, burying her face in her hands, pensive.
"Hey, you alright?" Jax sleepy voice called out.
He opened his eyes and noticed Alex was not by him, his eyes searched for her immediately and found the redhead by the feet of the bed, her long hair was slightly messy, falling on top of her shoulders, contrasting heavily with her white t-shirt. The light sneaking from the blackout curtains made her look almost unreal. She seemed lost in thought.
"Yeah, I'm alright," she looked back at him, and smiled, sincerely. He sat up on the bed as she approached, sitting by him. He reached for the back of her head and she leaned forward with his touch, he kissed her softly and she smiled, bringing one hand to his arm.
"Listen, I've got to tell you something," she looked straight at his eyes. He pulled back but remained close.
"Uh-oh," he said, half-joking.
"You should be really careful about those Nazis that showed up at your shop," she said at once, although calmly. He narrowed his look. "They're called League of American Nationalists."
"How do you know that?" he was immediately defensive, but didn't move. Fuck, was she one of Darby's girls? Was all that she told him lies? It couldn't be, she was so sincere. His thoughts raced.
"Remember you asked me about why I am here? Well, part of it is the ex, the other part..." he eased as she said that. Ok, not related to Darby. Not lying.
"I am here to write a piece on the League, undercover." she continued, then added quickly as his eyes continue to narrow. "Not you, or your club, I promise."
Jax knew instantly that he believed her. She made sure to look right in his eyes as she said that, and her look was of genuine concern and maybe even shame for not have shared sooner. There were things he didn't share either and he couldn't blame her. He eased his look and when her eyes searched for some reassurance he nodded, and reached for her hand, pulling her closer.
"What do you know?" he asked gently when she approached, and moved her hair behind her ear.
"They were in San Bernardino a few months back," Alex said, relieved he believed her. "An MC there attacked one this bloke's cigar shops then were all sent to prison. These gits are the real deal, not some rednecks."
"What do you mean the MC attacked the shop?" he grew interested.
"I don't know exactly for sure," she continued. "But I have a feeling their MO may be blackmail, instigating retaliation of some kind," he nodded, she was probably right.
"One of them, his name is AJ Weston, he followed a couple of blokes from your club yesterday morning."
"Did you follow him?" Jax felt a cold in his stomach, concerned.
"I did," she nodded. "I found out where he lives and I just happened to watch him leave as your mates went by, so I followed. He watched them from afar, took some photos of them speaking to some black lad. Fairly certain he didn't see me."
"Did the Sons see you?" the cold in his stomach felt stronger, instinctively he squeezed her hand in concern, although he controlled the expression in his face, not to scare her.
"I-I don't think so, I was far from them," Alex was surprised by the question, she didn't expect that. He let out a breath and caressed her hand after the gentle squeeze.
"Ok, good," he felt instant relief, looking down for a second and collecting his thoughts, then looking back at her.
"You need to be careful," he said when their eyes met again. "If the club thinks you're following them, you can get in trouble."
"Now I guess I can get you in trouble too." she said almost guilty. He shook his head lightly and smiled.
"Yeah, I'm not worried about that," he said reassuringly and caressed her cheek. He could handle Clay if he came to him, but he absolutely did not want Clay near her.
"This League, do you have a lot of info on them? Can you share?" he asked and she nodded, getting up and reaching for the safe, she took her laptop out and walked towards him already searching for a file.
She opened a word document where she had noted all of her findings on the league. Info on the League itself, on Weston, and Zobelle. Detailed notes of their movements that she observed the day before. She also pulled up the newspaper article on the War Boys getting arrested in San Bernardino.
"This is all I've got," she said, and he gestured for her to sit by him and she did. He put his chin on her shoulder to look at the laptop she placed on the bed in front of her. He read all her notes, scrolling slowly. She watched as he read.
Teller read every single line with intention. He had a feeling this League thing was more than he knew as well, but he hadn't had the chance to discuss with the club. He didn't have much to go on either, except that Unser had told him that they'd spoken to the Hale brothers. Which was a bad sign in itself. He made mental notes of all the names, he'd ask Juice to run his own research later.
"Ok," he let out a breath when he was finished and she closed the laptop, putting it beside the bed on the floor.
"Thank you," he said sincerely when she sat up again, then reached for her waist, bringing her closer. She sat close to him and smiled.
"Thank you for telling me. And sharing this," he said again. "I know you were probably not supposed to do that. Why did you?"
"I don't actually bloody know," she shrugged lightly and looked down. She really didn't. "I guess I have a weakness for that smile. And..." her eyes ran through his toned arms and his chest, then back at his eyes.
"And everything else," she added, looking back his eyes with a grin. He chuckled at that and ran one hand to the back of her neck, she hadn't flinched once at his touch the night before or now. With his other hand, in a very sudden movement he had turned her body and she found herself under him, lying on the bed.
He gave her an intense kiss and ran his hand to her leg, then slowly brought it up and up. She felt a shiver and he broke the kiss, a smile on his lips.
"Well, allow me to thank you bloody properly," he whispered before gently kissing her neck, his hand continued to go up slowly, teasingly. Alex relaxed under him and smiled as he continued his way.
Her cellphone rang on the bedside table, and he stopped, but only looked at it. She looked too. Fuck, she thought. It was Monday. He grabbed the phone, still on top of her and brought it closer, he read on the screen "Scott Davis" and glanced at her, feeling the redhead tense up under him as she read it too.
"That him?" he asked and she nodded briefly. "Guess he is out. Even his name screams scumbag," he said jokingly and she smiled, although still tense.
"Here," he turned off the phone and dropped it out of the bed, his hand making his way between her legs again. He smiled at her tension turning into expectancy at his touch.
"Now where were we?" he asked with a smile and gave her a kiss. "Ah yes, no talking, just thanking," he whispered between the kiss, and made his way down.
While Jax made a mental note to look into Scott Davis, Alex's thoughts were nowhere even remotely close to Scott at that moment.
