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Taming Ava & Fixing Jax - A Modern Fairytale

Chapter 40 Lunch with Mom

"

Ava thought about the scene she had just witnessed. She was shocked that Jax would treat a woman that way. He even spit in her face.

She waited until he had his helmet on.

"You were just threatening Lowen, right? You wouldn't really hurt her."

Jax turned to face her.

"I was serious."

"She's a woman. Men aren't supposed to treat women like that. You spit in her face."

"What did you want me to do?" Jax demanded sharply. "I sold just about everything I owned to help pay for my defense. Your father's research shows that she could not have worked all the hours that she billed me for which means she stole from me. I also think she knows who is behind the attempts on my life."

"You could just make her do a deposition. She would have to tell you the truth then," Ava suggested. TB talked about his cases a lot over dinner. Ava had picked up a lot of information over the years.

"And she would lie just like she did today. What would you do if someone took all your money and got you looked up for 30 years?"

Jax's face was flushed with anger and his eyes flashed with blue fire. Ava wished that Jax was chained up. She wondered if he could be a danger to her.

"I don't know, but violence isn't the answer. That's the toxic male in you speaking."

"You need to grow up. Life isn't filled with polite people asking polite questions and getting truthful polite answers. Lowen isn't going to tell me what I need to know unless she knows what the consequences are for not telling me. I don't care what I have to do to get the truth out of her."

"She's a woman," Ava said. "You can't beat up on a woman."

Jax shook his head cursing under his breath.

"Isn't equal rights about treating people equally? That's what I'm doing with Lowen. I'm treating her the same way I would if she were a man. No, that's not true. If she were a man, I'd have beaten the information out of her already. If TB doesn't make some progress, I will visit Lowen and force her to tell me what I want to know."

Ava just figured out that if Jax hurt Lowen he would go to prison for assault and once again, he would be behind bars. It was the best solution to the mess she found herself in. Suddenly, the overcast day seemed brighter.

They dropped by Sandwich A Lot, the best sandwich shop in town where Jax had called in an order. The MC had a usual order the sandwich shop kept on file. Jax had added a combo sandwich of turkey, ham and roast beef for Ava. He put the two large bags of sandwiches in his bike's saddle bags and they headed off to TM.

Jax was immediately swarmed by the guys at TM when he put the bags of sandwiches on the picnic table. He grab a smaller bag inside one of the larger bags.

"This is for you and Gemma," Jax said handing her the small bag. "I thought you would prefer eating in the TM office with Gemma. Give you a chance to get to know each other."

"OK. I'm more of an inside person than an outside person."

"I get that."

Jax followed her into TM's offices.

Gemma got up from behind her desk in the office and hugged and kissed Jax like she hadn't seen him in years. Ava looked on at this lavish display of affection with surprise. She couldn't remember the last time her father had hugged her. Maybe he had never hugged her. Even after her mother died, he hadn't hugged her.

"I thought you two would be more comfortable eating in the office," Jax said to Gemma. "After lunch, we'll head back to your father's. I need to rest."

"You shouldn't be on the bike now anyway," Gemma scolded. "Imagine what would happen to you if you went down."

Jax kissed his mother on the cheek and left.

Ava handed Gemma the sandwich with her name on it's white paper wrapper. Gemma ate at her desk. Eva ate her sandwich several yards away on the sofa.

"Were you surprised about Jax getting out of prison?" Gemma asked.

"It was a surprise. I'd been on a spa retreat, so I had no idea what was going on."

"TB didn't tell you he was working on getting Jax out of jail?"

"Did he tell you what he was doing?" Ava asked.

"No," Gemma admitted.

"That's my father. He likes to surprise people. The surprises are usually unpleasant."

"Discovering that Jax was released from jail must have been such a pleasant surprise for you," Gemma said in a voice packed with fake sweetness.

Ava wasn't taken in by Gemma's tone of voice. She was a veteran of the fake nice act. All her friends had it perfected. She knew better than to believe that Gemma was suddenly going to be nice to her. She would be careful and wait for Gemma's verbal knife because it had to be coming.

"I'm not sure I'd use the word pleasant. It was more of a shocking surprise."

"Now you can begin your married life together. I know Jax is staying for a few days with your father, but you and Jax are welcome to come live with Clay and me. Sooner or later, you'll want your own place, but you should think about coming to stay with Clay and me for a couple of weeks until you decide what you want to do."

It just goes to show you that when you think things have gotten as bad as they can get, there's always something worse lurking around the corner. Living with Gemma and Clay would be even worse than sharing her bedroom with Jax. There was no way in hell she would agree to live with Gemma.

"Thanks for the invitation," Ava said calmly, hiding how revolted she was at the idea of living with Gemma and Clay.

The more Gemma saw of Ava, the more she hated her. True her father had gotten Jax out of prison, so she was grateful to him. As far as his daughter went, she was a stuck up little bitch and now that Jax was out of prison, she didn't have to be nice to her anymore.

"You know your marriage will never last," Gemma said.

"Most marriages don't according to statistics."

"You think you can beat those statistics and live happily ever after."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Ava said cheerfully.

Gemma was stunned by Ava's attitude. When she told Ava that her marriage would never last, she expected Ava to get upset. Instead, she'd shrugged it off. She decided to try again to hurt Ava.

"You know Jax doesn't love you."

Ava put down her sandwich and wiped her fingers on a napkin before putting a dramatic hand over her heart.

"Oh, no! How will I ever live if he doesn't love me?" Ava said mockingly. "Oh, yeah, I remember now. I don't love him either. Gemma you can take all the shots at me that you want, but you can't hurt me. I'm barb proof."

That little bitch should have been in tears by now. Gemma had never met someone like Ava. She was just cold and hateful.

"Maybe you and Jax ought to just get divorced now."

"OK, Gemma, stay out of my business and my marriage. I know exactly who you are. You will never approve of any girl that gets with Jax because you want to be the only woman he loves. It's pretty sick."

"You bitch," Gemma said. She put her sandwich down and stood up.

Ava had a great retort on the tip of her tongue. It was really over the line, but when she thought of a great response, it was hard for her to not use it. The temptation to say it was just too much for Ava.

"You were practically making out with Jax when you saw him. I think I even saw a little tongue in one of those mouth kisses. Definite incest vibes. You ever wonder what it would be like to have sex with Jax?"

That was it for Gemma. She came around the desk and was going to smack Ava. Ava realized that Gemma was going to get physical. She grabbed her purse and was going to run from the office when Jax flung open the door.

"You ready to go?" he asked Ava.

"Yes. I had such a nice talk with your mother. Thanks Gemma," Ava said in her sweetest voice.

Gemma glared at Ava. Ava wrapped up her sandwich and tucked it into her bag. It was delicious. She'd enjoy it later.

As they left, Ava turned her head and saw Gemma mouth the word "bitch". She reached up like she was going to touch her hair and flipped her off.

Jax had his back turned and had no idea of the drama going on behind his back.

"

Next Chapter: Dinner with Dad

"

Author's Note: Ava finally says what some of us have been thinking about the Gemma/Jax relationship. Sandwich A Lot also appears in Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run.