So my previous chapter got uploaded twice! For some reason, it's not showing up on the website, but is in the app. I'm hoping the same won't happen with this one! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own OCs and storylines…

She Will Be Loved

Chapter 39: Protectors

By Love Ink

Juice stared at Angela's face, taking in every scratch on it from the bright white bandage on her forehead to the small cuts on her cheeks from broken glass. Her arms had large bandages on them from the scratches she'd gotten when he'd pulled her out of the car. He'd been so scared when he hauled her out, he hadn't thought about the broken glass, and her scratches were evidence of his carelessness. Other than the scratches and the cut on her forehead, the nurses said all she really had was a concussion and some broken ribs. They'd told him she'd been lucky. They had no idea just how lucky she'd been. If he hadn't gotten there in time, and the Niners had done what they'd plan to do, things would've been much worse.

The urge to reach out and hold her hand was strong, but he didn't, settling instead on keeping his hands in closed fists on his knees. As much as he wanted it to be, her hand wasn't his to hold. He looked down at his hands and arms, noting the streaks of blood on them. Her blood. For once, it didn't bother him to be dirty. He didn't want to take the time to wash his hands in case she woke up. He'd barely let the nurses fix his broken nose, only doing so because they threatened to kick him out completely. He didn't want that. There was no way he was going to leave her; he didn't want her to wake up alone.

He didn't know what had possessed her to go running off into the night. What she was thinking leaving the safe space of the motor show to go who-knows-where. He was just grateful she'd called him eventually and set him in the right direction. Grateful the police had believed him when he'd said he'd been the one driving, so she didn't get in trouble for driving under the influence. She'd been a little over the legal limit, the nurses had said, praising him for being sober as they fixed up his broken nose. The cops had gotten their statements and left. They'd committed no crime and the guy who hit them had been dead on impact. They hadn't known about the second person in the car. They suspected there was someone else because of the evidence on scene but believed him when he insisted he hadn't seen anyone. It was surprising how kind and understanding the cops were when he wasn't wearing his cut, and his head tattoos were covered.

The door opened and Esai burst in, looking worried as hell. "What the hell happened?" he exclaimed, Lino coming in after him.

"I was driving and someone clipped us," he explained, just in case there were any nurses within earshot. "Car flipped. What the fuck did you do to make her want to leave like that?"

"Me?" he asked askance, pointing at his chest.

Juice got to his feet, squaring his shoulders in an attempt to look intimidating. "Yeah, you, asshole! She wouldn't have left like that otherwise! The fuck did you do to her?"

"None of your fuckin' business, shithead," Esai said taking a step closer to him. They were in each other's faces, both of them puffing out their chests, fists clenched, ready to throw down if it should come to that. "Think you need to get the fuck outta here."

"I'm not goin' anywhere."

Lino stepped in, physically putting himself between them. "Stop!" he said, putting his back towards Juice instead of Esai. A move that showed exactly who he trusted more, and it wasn't his sponsor. "Throwin' fists is only gonna get us kicked out! Calm the fuck down!"

"He needs to go," Esai seethed, taking a step towards Lino.

They heard her groan from the bed, diffusing the tension a bit. Juice broke his staring contest with Esai first, looking towards Angela. Her brows furrowed together in pain for a moment before she murmured, "Juice?"

Esai's whole body tensed in response, anger in his ice blue eyes. Juice smirked at him, heading towards Angela's bed. He gave in to the urge to hold her hand, reaching out and grabbing it tightly. "Right here, Angel. 'm here."

"Fuck," she groaned, squeezing his hand. Her dark eyes opened, a bit glazed over by the pain meds, but still dark and beautiful. "What happened?"

"Niners," he explained, holding her attention for as long as he could. He was well aware that Esai was hovering nearby waiting for her to ask for him. "I got 'em."

"Thanks," she murmured before her eyelids started to droop closed. She squeezed his hand again. "You're the best."

Juice could feel Esai staring at the back of his head, but he didn't give him the satisfaction of turning to look at him. Esai moved around to the other side of the bed, reaching out to touch Angela's cheek before doing the one thing Juice couldn't do, leaning over to give her a kiss. "Estoy aqui, Angelita. No me voy de tu lado, chiqui." (I'm here, little angel. I'm not going to leave your side.)

Juice bristled at the fact he couldn't understand what Esai was saying. He could've been saying the nastiest shit about him, and he'd never know. Lino hovered between them at the foot of the hospital bed as if he was waiting to step in and play referee. His brow was creased in worry as he gripped the foot of the bed. "What's her damage?"

"Concussion and broken ribs," Juice answered, his eyes on her face. "Rest is all superficial. Nurses say she got real damn lucky."

Lino nodded in response, shifting from foot to foot. "What happened to your face?"

"She had too much to drink, so I was driving. Airbag went off. Hit me in the face," he explained, though by the look on Lino's face, he knew the other man caught on to his lie.

"Okay," he replied, nodding his head appreciatively. He sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his short hair. "This is fucked up."

That was the only thing Juice and Esai could agree on as they both nodded slowly. They all sat there in silence for a long time before the door opened, and Hap and Kozik walked in. Juice stood at attention, but Esai paid them no mind. "Out," Happy said, staring at Esai.

"Fuck you. Ain't goin' nowhere 'til she wakes up," Esai spat at him with a sneer.

Hap lurched forward but Kozik held him back. "Easy, easy," he warned the Tacoma Killer before turning to the Mayans. "You best get the fuck outta here."

"Esai!" Marcus' voice came from the door. Esai turned to look at his father. The older man jerked his head towards the door. "Vamos, mijo. We got shit to take care of."

Esai reluctantly stood, leaning over the bed and kissing Angela's cheek softly. "Ya vuelvo, mi amor." (I'll be back soon, my love)

Happy glared angry daggers at him until he was all the way out of the room. Once he was gone, he leaned forward and kissed Angela's forehead, touching her cheek lovingly. Juice had no idea how someone with the nickname "Tacoma Killer" could be so gentle, but he knew better than to comment on it. Angela was his little cousin, and Happy clearly cared about her. "Eveythin's taken care of," he told Juice as he sat in a chair beside the bed.

Juice hadn't even considered all the loose strings they'd left hanging. He let out a long breath and nodded. "Good, good."

Kozik leaned over to kiss Angela's head as well before slapping Juice on the back. "You did good today, Juicer. Thanks for taking care of our girl. She say what happened at all?"

He shook his head slowly, standing up to let Kozik take his chair and taking a seat at the foot of her bed instead. "Came to a second ago, but was out five seconds later. She's on lots of pain meds."

"Poor kid," Kozik muttered before letting out a long breath. "You can go, prospect. Get cleaned up. You got blood all over your pants."

He looked down at his pants, just noticing the smears of red on his pants. "She um...she asked for me when she woke up, so I don't..."

"No shit. In front of the Mayan?" the blonde asked, eyes wide.

Juice felt his cheeks heat up as he nodded. "Yeah."

Happy and Kozik exchanged a quick look before Happy nodded. "Okay," he said, leaning back in the chair. "Any idea when they'll let her out?"

"Keepin' her overnight for observation," he replied, glancing at Angela again. "Think they might let one of us stay."

"So stay," Happy said, much to everyone's surprise. "Someone needs to protect her."

Juice knew his suggestion was a sign he'd earned the other man's trust. He fought the urge to smile as he nodded in agreement. "I'll stay 'til they kick me out. Then I'll sit outside. Make sure no one gets in."

" 'ppreciate that, Juicer," Kozik stated, getting up from his chair. "We'll tell Alvarez we got this handled. You let us know if anythin' happens, all right?"

He nodded quickly, sitting in the chair Kozik vacated and scooting it closer to Angela's bed. He watched his brothers leave and went back to studying Angela. He wished she'd wake up already so they could talk. Watching her sleep was starting to feel creepy. He settled in, grabbing the remote control and turning on the TV to some Animal Planet special. Putting the remote down, he took her hand in his again and gave it a squeeze. "I'm here, Angel. Not goin' anywhere, promise. I got you. Always."

Angela woke up with her head pounding. She groaned as she opened her eyes and the bright light practically blinded her. She went to rub at her eyes when she found another warm hand curled around hers anchoring it to the bed. Her stomach turned for a moment as she thought it might be Esai; however, when she looked to the side, it was actually Juice sitting beside her. His head was on the bed by her hip, hand holding hers as he snored, his face turned away from her towards the TV as if he'd fallen asleep while watching. He wasn't wearing a cut, and his arms looked badly scratched, but she couldn't quite remember why.

Her memory of the accident was spotty, but she remembered hearing the gunshot. Remembered looking up to see Juice above her, his fingers caressing her cheek as he called her 'baby' and told her she was going to be okay. He'd called her baby. Her heart did a strange sputter at the memory of it. She squeezed his hand, wondering if it'd get him to wake up. "Juice," she said, tugging gently on his arm.

He woke up with a start, his head snapping up. "Shit," he said, rubbing at his face before hissing in pain.

Her eyes widened at the large purple, almost black bruise spanning across his face, the small cut on the bridge of his nose. "Holy shit! Are you okay? What the hell happened?"

"You got run off the run off the road and you're asking me if I'm okay?" he asked in surprise. She nodded, and he chuckled a bit, shaking his head at her. "I um...anyone asks, and I was drivin' you home 'cause you were drunk. The airbag blew up in my face which is actually a lot like bein' on the receiving end of one of Jax's punches."

Angela stared at him, her mouth hanging open. "You let Jax punch you? For me?"

"Ssshh," he hissed, putting a finger to his lips. "I was drivin' 'n' we got clipped, and I lost control of the vehicle. That's the story, all right? Hypothetically, we were tryin' to save you from getting charged with a DUI, so...hypothetically, I told him to punch me in the face. And then I told the cops, the airbag exploded in my face."

She wished she could kiss him then, right on that stupid bruise. Kiss him and thank him for taking a fist to the face for her. "Why would you do that for me?"

"You're my best friend, Angel. I'd take a hit for you any day," he told her, squeezing her hand. "You scared the shit outta me, though. What the hell were you doin' leavin' like that? Without someone to protect you. You know Niners are lookin' for retaliation."

Angela frowned, looking down at her lap as she thought of the guilty look on Esai's face when she called him out on what he'd done. He'd barely tried to deny it. "I um...Esai and I got into a fight, and I was so mad that I just...I didn't think. I needed to get out of there. Fast."

"You shoulda found me first. I woulda gone with you. If Lino was busy..."

"Lino's was trashed," she sighed, frowning to herself. "Wasn't gonna ask him to drive."

"Could've asked me."

She looked down at their hands, the way his fingers were curled around hers. His skin was just a shade darker than hers, but their colors complemented each other well. She wanted to lace her fingers through his, see if they fit together unlike the awkward way her and Esai's fit together. She didn't though, instead she focused on the way his calloused thumb was rubbing over her skin, sending little sparks of electricity through her. "I um...I didn't think about it."

He squeezed her hand again. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as his thumb rubbed over her skin. "You should've. Y'know I woulda been there. No judgement. Woulda taken you wherever you wanted to go."

She'd known that, of course she had, but she wasn't about to go running to him after getting hurt by Esai. That would pit the Mayans against the Sons in a way that wouldn't end well. She was about to reply when the door burst open. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Rosa shouted as she swept in, Vanessa following after her with an armful of flowers. "You fuckin' leave without telling anyone and then get into a fuckin' car crash? What the hell were you thinking?"

Angela laughed at the shocked look on Juice's face as Rosa kept on chastising her in a mixture of English and Spanish that was way too fast for anyone but her best friend to really understand. "Relax, Ro. I'm fine."

"Yeah, you look real fine," she snapped back, sitting on the edge of her bed. Her dark eyes landed on Juice, one perfectly plucked eyebrow raising. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Uhh..." he trailed off his mouth gaping, his brain clearly trying to figure out who she was.

"That's Juice," Angela answered for him, slyly pulling her hand away from his before Rosa noticed. Vanessa caught it though, and a small smile graced her face. "Juice, this is Rosa and Vanessa."

Juice looked disappointed at the loss of contact, but he nodded to the two girls. "Nice to meet you guys."

Rosa looked him over appreciatively before making an impressed at Angela. "You too. Heard a lot about you. You got a nice place and a nice face...despite the bruises and shit."

"Thanks?" he said, the cutest confused look on his face.

Angela rolled her eyes at her before glancing at Juice. "Can you um...can we get a minute?"

Juice hesitated a moment and Rosa scoffed at him. "Relax, dude. We ain't gonna hurt her. You can stand down the hall or some shit," she assured him, shooing him away with her hand. "Get outta here."

With a sigh, he pushed himself out of the chair. He stopped at her bedside, staring at her for a moment as if he wanted to say something more, do something more. His fingers trailed over the bed beside hers before he seemed to think better of it and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I um...I'll be right out there if you need me."

"Thanks," she said, nodding to him. They all watched him leave in silence.

Once the door closed behind him, Rosa rounded on her. "He's fuckin' hot, Ang. Did Esai knock him out? That why his face is purple?"

"No," Angela replied on a scowl. "He...he had one of his brothers punch him so it looked like he was drivin' and got bruised by the airbag goin' off."

Vanessa sighed softly, sinking into one of the hospital chairs. "That's real sweet of him."

"Uh-huh," Angela agreed, ice in her tone. Vanessa had to know about Esai cheating if Lino had, and she hadn't said a damn word about it. "Real sweet."

"So what the fuck happened? Why'd you leave?" Rosa asked, grabbing Angela's chart off the foot of her bed and flipping through it no doubt to see what kind of meds she was on.

She looked down at her hand, remembering the gentle way Juice's thumb had ghosted over it, leaving her skin tingling in its path. "Esai cheated," she said, lifting her head and catching Vanessa's guilty look. "Lino told me."

Fear passed over Vanessa's face; she knew the repercussions Lino could face for telling on a brother. "Que?" (What?)

Angela nodded slowly. "Don't worry, I told E I overheard one of the Santo Padre boys talkin' about it. I'll protect Lino no matter what."

Vanessa let out a long breath. "I know you will," she stated, though she still looked relieved. "This secret's been killin' him. Hasn't been able to sleep since it happened. He loves you so much. Been thinkin' about switchin' sponsors 'n' everything."

"Hellooo! How come no one told me?" Rosa asked, clearly annoyed. "You were just gonna let her keep fuckin' him?"

"I couldn't tell you, Ang! Lino would look like a pussy runnin' to his girl, and Ang, I love you, but Lino comes first. He wants to be a Mayan 'n' I'm gonna support that."

Angela couldn't find it in her to be angry with Vanessa; she actually loved how protective Vanessa was over him. It just showed what a good match they were. "It's fine, Ro. Relax."

Rosa glared at Vanessa, still looking irked she'd been kept out of the loop. "I'm not relaxin'! That's fucked up! I told you he was gonna do it again! Men don't change," she insisted waving her finger as she talked. "And where is he now? Huh? You're in the fuckin' hospital, and where is he?"

"I dunno where he is, but I don't want him here."

"Still fucked up. He should be tryin' to get his ass in here. Fightin' tooth and nail. 's what you would do," Ro pointed out. "Unless you're done with him. Which you are. Right?"

Angela sighed softly, closing her eyes and leaning back on the pillow. She hadn't thought that far ahead. "I should be."

"Yeah. You should," Ro agreed a little too eagerly. "Should be done with him and onto that hot sexy man out there with the cute little bubble butt."

She laughed, shaking her head at her friend. "Shut up, Ro."

"Am I wrong? Nessa, am I wrong?"

"No, not at all," Vanessa agreed, glancing nervously at the door. "Except they're on their way. Lee and Esai...probably Raffa too."

Rosa stood up, pulling her pants up before tying her curly hair away from her face and up into a ponytail. "Fuck no," she said, cracking her knuckles. "They ain't gettin' in here. None a them. I'll call your primo over here, get him to kick Esai's ass out. C'mon, Ness, we'll meet 'em out front. Ain't no way they're getting up here." (cousin)

Angela laughed, appreciative of both of them. She knew Rosa would stop at nothing to keep Esai out, and she loved her for that. "Thanks, Rosa."

She smiled at her, leaning over and kissing her forehead. "I got you, girl. Love you. Stop makin' stupid decisions," she said, slapping Angela's cheek lovingly. "Don't give into E so easily. You're better than him."

"Love you too, Ro," she called as Ro left the room leaving Angela behind with Vanessa.

Vanessa approached the bed with a little frown. "I'm sorry for not tellin' you. I just...Lino's my everything. I...I couldn't go behind his back."

Angela nodded, picking at the sheets with her fingers. "I get it," she said softly. "Thank him for me, please? Tell him I won't tell E he was the one who blabbed."

She smiled, relieved again. "I will. I'm sure he'll be by on his own to see you. Pretty sure he's gonna be helpin' Ro keep E outta here. He loves you a lot. Wants what's best for you, and it's clearly not Esai. He'd definitely take a fist to the face from E if it meant keepin' him away from you."

Angela smiled at the idea of skinny Lino and Rosa, her best friends since she was a kid, standing up to Esai. Fighting her battle as they always had for each other. "He's a good guy, Ness," she said around a yawn. "Take care a him."

"You know I will," she said, squeezing Angela's hand. "Get some rest and get stronger so you can kick Esai's ass the second you're outta here."

She snickered at that, shaking her head. "I'll do my best."

Rosa walked out of the room and almost ran straight into Juice. He was standing on the opposite side of the hallway across from Angela's door, leaning against the wall, hands deep in his pockets. He was shifting from foot to foot looking like a nervous wreck. God, he was cute. Cute and clearly head over heels in love with Angela, and she loved him back! Angela had come back to California excited to be with him not Esai. She doubted Esai had even been a blip on Angela's radar when she got back! But this stupid, idiot Son decided to show how macho he was by making out with another girl in front of Angela, making her run straight to Esai. How could he have fucked up so badly?

"You're a real idiot, y'know," she said, catching his attention.

His face contorted in confusion. "What?"

She thought about explaining what had happened to him. Laying it all out on the line as blunt as possible so it would get through his thick, tattooed head, but she knew Angela would be pissed, and she was going to have her girl's back no matter what. "Nothin'," she muttered, shaking her head in disappointment. "I dunno how you can sit there and watch her in pain 'n' not want to smash Esai's head in."

"She won't tell me what he did!" he exclaimed, shoulders raised to his ears, arms thrust to the side. "Said they got in a fight, and she left!"

"Man, you're thick. Put two and two together! What could he have possibly done to make her leave like that?"

It took him a minute, but she could see when the realization dawned on him. "He cheated?"

She nodded emphatically. "Her arm was fuckin' hurt so she wouldn't fuck him, so he decided to fuck some whore like the classy asshole he is."

"Shit," he murmured under his breath.

"Uh-huh," she agreed, checking her phone. "Now him and my idiot brother are comin' to talk to her."

Juice stood up a little straighter, puffing up his chest. "That ain't happening. He's not getting anywhere near her."

"Damn right about that," Rosa said, smirking at him. She could feel how much he cared about her best friend and appreciated it. "Not gonna let him swoop in while she's a captive audience."

He nodded in agreement, his eyes falling on the door of the hospital room. "She's gonna give him another chance, isn't she?" he asked sadly.

She sighed softly, hating the answer to the question. Angela was a strong girl, a smart girl, and Rosa loved her to death, but the way she loved Esai was like a sickness she couldn't get over. "Yeah," she rasped before glancing at him. "And its gonna break her."

"I won't let that happen. I'll kill him myself if it comes down to it," he swore, and she knew he meant every word.

Rosa smacked him on the back. "I'll help. We'll find a good place to hide the body later."

"What body?" Vanessa asked as she closed the hospital room door behind her.

"Esai's," she answered honestly.

"Oh. Okay," Vanessa replied, looking between them nervously. "Well...she said for you to go inside, Juice, so...don't kill anyone today...or ever. Either of you."

"No promises," Juice replied, sliding by her and into the room.

Rosa sighed as she watched him disappear. "That guy loves her so much."

"I know," Vanessa agreed with a frown.

"We gotta fix this. He's the one she should be with. "

"Yeah, but I don't think murder is the answer for that, though," she said, a concerned look on her face.

"We'll see about that," Rosa said on a smirk. At Vanessa's horrified look, she slung an arm around her shoulders, dragging her down the hall. "Relax, V. It won't come to that! Least I don't think so. Only time will tell."

Juice walked back into the hospital room, his heart feeling heavy with the weight of what Rosa had told him. Angela was asleep again, so he took a seat in the chair beside her bed, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, grateful she was alive. He couldn't believe Esai had cheated on her. The asshole had won her heart, gained her trust, and then thrown it away like it was nothing all because just because she was hurt and wouldn't have sex with him. It angered him to hear that. She deserved better. Deserved someone who treated her right, took care of her when she was hurt instead of going behind her back and cheating on her. He was thankful Rosa and Vanessa had gone down to run interference with Esai, because if he saw him again, he'd kill him. Fuck the club politics, he would tear that Mayan asshole apart with his bare hands!

The door opened, and he jumped to his feet, fists clenched, ready to throw down with Esai if he had managed to somehow get past the girls. Kozik walked in with his hands raised. "Woah, Cujo!" he teased, chuckling slightly. "The hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothin'," he replied, rolling his shoulders and dropping back down into the chair. "Thought you were the Mayan."

Happy raised an eyebrow. "She want him out?"

Juice nodded slowly; it wasn't a total lie, he had a feeling she would if she was awake. She just hadn't told him specifically to keep him away...yet. "Yeah."

"She say why?" he asked, perching at the edge of the foot of the bed.

He hesitated for a moment, considering what the repercussions would be if he told him. Angela might be pissed, but it was worth it if it kept Esai away. "Fucker cheated on her again."

Kozik cursed under his breath while Happy's jaw clenched noticeably, a small tick apparent in his cheek. "We can't kill him, Hap," the blonde stated quickly. "No way. It'll start a war."

"Can hurt him though," Happy posed, a pensive look on her face. "Lots of ways to do that without killin' him."

A shiver went down Juice's back at the dark look on Happy's face. "Shit."

"No," Angela croaked, her squinting in the hospital room light. "Leave him alone."

Happy's dark look dissipated when he glanced at his cousin. "Not gonna let him just skate by."

"He was on a run," she rasped. Her eyes were downcast, staring at her fingers as she picked at the sheet covering her knee. "You know the rules."

Juice wanted to pull her into his arms, hold her close, and tell her how wrong she was. He'd heard of the run rule and thought it was bullshit. What kind of man couldn't stay faithful while on a run for a few days? It was a ridiculous rule made for weak men. He'd never follow it. "That's so wrong," he muttered, shaking his head.

Happy and Kozik both nodded in agreement, which made her scowl. "Don't act like you two wouldn't follow that shit too. It's what you boys do. You all cheat. Its part of the lifestyle or whatever," Angela said, rolling her eyes at them. "Please just leave it."

There was a knock at the door, and they all froze as they heard two men arguing with a loud, female voice joining in. Happy went to the door and opened it, revealing Esai on the other side of it. Lino and Raffa at his side, holding his arms to keep him back. In one swift move, Happy pulled back his arm and sent his fist flying into Esai's face, the force of it made Lino and Raffa lose their grips and Esai fell to the ground. "Stay away," Happy ground out, a threat in his tone.

Raffa help Esai to his feet, a scowl on his face. "C'mon, E. Not a good idea right now."

"Smartest thing you've ever said in your whole damn life," Rosa commented, arms folded over her chest. She nodded to Happy in a respectful greeting as she said, "Happy."

"Rosa," he replied, nodding as well.

Lino watched Raffa drag Esai away before clearing his throat. "Can I uh...can I go in there? I kinda...caused all this. Want to apologize."

Happy looked over his shoulder at his cousin. "Lino okay?" he asked Angela. At her nod, he turned to the young Mayan and took a step back to let him inside the room.

Lino walked in slowly, his shoulders slumped as though his cut weighed a hundred pounds. "Hey Ang," he said, standing at the foot of her bed. His brows furrowed in concern as they took in the bandage, the state of her arms. "Lookin' good, girl."

Juice saw Happy and Kozik tense at the teasing, but when Angela smiled, they relaxed. "Thanks," she said before glancing around the room. "Can we get a minute?"

Kozik nodded, getting up and heading towards the door. Happy was slower to, leaning over the bed and kissing Angela's forehead before he followed the blonde. Juice didn't want to leave her. He liked Lino, trusted him to a point, but he didn't want any Mayan there trying to sway her into giving Esai another chance, or worse, letting him into the hospital room. Lino nodded towards him, as if knowing why he was hesitating. "I won't let him anywhere near her. Promise you that," he assured him.

Juice reluctantly pushed himself out of the chair. "I'll be outside Angel. Let me know if you need me."

She nodded slowly, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "Thanks, Juice."

He nodded in response, heading towards the door, his hand still tingling where she'd squeezed it. He shoved it deep into his pocket, not surprised when he opened the door and Koz and Happy were still standing there with Rosa and Vanessa. He was surprised to see Rosa and Happy talking in quiet tones; he would've thought the two wouldn't get along.

"She's going to go back to him," Rosa told him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Not on my watch," Happy replied, a murderous look in his eyes.

Rosa shook her head, her curly hair bouncing as she did so. "You don't get it. That whole thing with Raj turned her world upside down. She's weak and lonely, needs someone to make her feel better. If someone else doesn't step up, he will, and she'll give him a chance again 'cause he's easy. You don't want that to happen, then you're gonna have to keep her locked up somewhere tight, 'cause that asshole's a slippery motherfucker. Dunno how he even got her number to begin with. I'll do my best to keep him away, pero I'm not a miracle worker. Someone needs to step up," she explained, the emphasis on the word indicating she had someone in mind.

"Yeah, thanks," Happy stated, setting his hand on her shoulder and squeezing it. "Get home safely. Talked to Alvarez. He knows not to let the asshole loose again."

"Think that hit alone would keep him away. Esai doesn't like getting his pretty face all messed up," she said on a laugh. "Come on, Ness, we'll wait for your man in the lunch room. Think these boys can handle security."

Vanessa gave them a quick little wave before following her quickly down the hall, clearly still nervous around anyone with a Reaper cut. Kozik smirked as he watched them walk away. "Always liked that girl."

Happy chuckled and nodded in response. "Was always a good kid. Her brother and his friends are assholes, though."

Juice nodded, still glaring down the hallway where the Mayans has disappeared. "Couldn't agree with you more."

Kozik signed, staring at the hospital door. "Now we just gotta find a way to keep 'em apart."

"I know how we can do that," Happy said on a smirk.

The blonde rolled his eyes, shaking his head at his friend. "Without killin' the guy."

Happy scowled in response. "Where's the fun in that?"

Lino sat at the edge of Angela's hospital bed, his heart heavy as he looked at his injured friend. He'd known her practically his whole life, and to see her like this hurt, especially knowing it'd been his fault. He didn't even know how to begin to apologize to her. "I'm a shitty friend," he admitted softly, looking down at his hands. "Shoulda told you when we got back from the run."

"Shut up," Angela replied, rolling her eyes at him. "I get why you didn't. Nessa kinda explained it."

He bobbed his head slowly, a smile touching the corners of his lips at the mention of his girl's name. "I tried to stop him. I really did. He was drunk and just...did it. He knew what he was doin' was wrong. I told him so. When I came back, I wanted to tell you, but I also..."

"Want to be a Mayan," she finished on a frown. "I get it, Lee. Just...do you really want to be a Mayan, or is this all for Nessa?"

He was quiet for a long moment, the cut on his shoulders feeling heavier than usual. It was a question he'd asked himself many times before. Vanessa had never, ever pressured him to take on the cut, but he wanted it. When he wasn't with Esai, he liked being a Mayan. Liked the feeling of brotherhood and while the illegal shit wasn't great, the Mayans did do some charity runs to help people, which he did actually like doing. "I like being a part of the club. Don't like E, but I didn't want Raf as my sponsor and the only other guy who was willing to do it was Nessa's dad, and that would just look like favoritism. Nessa supports it, but she never forced it."

"God, I like her," she replied, smiling a little.

He swallowed hard, nodding his head. "But I shouldn't have let club shit come between us. Shoulda told you the second I knew. Keeping shit from you, that ain't me."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, you told me eventually," she said on a shrug.

"And look what happened. You coulda died. You would have if Juice hadn't been there," he pointed out. He wished he could tell her about Juice and New York, about the way he'd insisted on paying for the whole damn trip just to be with her. "He saved your life."

Angela took in a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, he did," she rasped, sniffling a bit.

"But you're still gonna go back to E."

"Everyone keeps sayin' that," she muttered, one shoulder raising then falling. "I can't answer that question. I told him if he did it again, it'd be over."

"But..."

She smirked at him. "But, I do love him and..."

He groaned, knowing what was coming next. "Don't make excuses for him. There are none. He knew exactly what he was doing. Drunk or not."

Angela nodded, her eyes slightly glassy as she swallowed hard. "I dunno what to tell you, Lee. I dunno what I'm gonna do. Guess, I'll have to talk to him and find out what he has to say for himself first. 'cause his initial reaction was not good."

He had a feeling the only reason she'd take Esai back was because she was afraid of being alone. She hadn't grieved properly after losing Raj. She'd been single for maybe a month, and then jumped right into with Esai. "You scared of being alone?"

"I dunno. Maybe."

"Don't settle for him because he's easy. You might be overlookin' somethin' better."

Angela looked a little defeated a she shrugged a shoulder. "I dunno."

Lino wasn't totally satisfied with that answer. He knew he should be supporting his sponsor, but he couldn't. Not when he saw the way Esai treated her. "Maybe...maybe you should spend time alone. Like not alone, alone, obviously, I'll always be here for you and you got Ness and Ro too, pero like...single."

She didn't look too thrilled with that idea. "We'll see. Just gonna take it one day at a time, Lee."

Lino knew that was the end of their conversation. Sighing, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Love you, Angie. Take care a yourself, all right? Lemme know if you need anythin'."

"Will do. Thanks Lee."

"Want me to send in the dream team?" he asked, nodding towards the door where he knew Happy, Kozik, and Juice were standing just outside.

She laughed at that and nodded. "Send in the goons!"

He chuckled, shaking his head as he headed towards the door. Like he'd imagined, all three men were standing outside, only they were joined but several other members of SAMCRO. They all looked up when he closed the door behind him. "Didn't sneak in that Mayan, did you?" Kozik asked, a smirk on his face.

"Dude, we're on like the third story and the windows don't open. I ain't fuckin' Spiderman," he said on a scowl. "Wouldn't let him in anyway. Think the whole situation is fucked up 'n' I'm gonna do my best to keep 'em apart."

Kozik grinned, smacking him on the shoulder. " 'preciate that. Thanks, man."

"Uh-huh. I'm gonna go grab my girls and make sure they get home safe and one doesn't commit a murder," he said, saluting them as he started walking away. "Take care a my other girl."

He heard a chorus of agreement as he headed down the hall and smirked to himself; he was glad she had so much support and protection. Thankful that it wasn't just from the Mayans since it would make it easier for her to separate from them. To stay away from Esai. He just hoped she actually did it.

Another long chapter! I just don't know where to separate it! 😬

Let me know what you think!