Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2017 brings you all a lot of love and laughter! :)

Sorry this took me so long to post, but thank you all for sticking with me and for your awesome reviews! I got back to most of you, but thanks also to: bethie86, Guest 1, Lyla (Your review made me laugh out loud!), Guest 2, Sabrina, Guest 3, and Guest 4!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Angela, Chloe, and Evie. The rest is all from the mind of the brilliant Kurt Sutter. :)

Overexposed

Chapter 9: Lucky

By Love Ink

Happy sped down the road counting the mile markers as he went, thankful Angela had thought to tell them exactly where they were when they got run off the road. He spotted the skid marks just beyond the mile marker and stopped his Dyna, jumping off of it and running towards the crash site. The car was still smoking, flames licking at the hood. As he neared, he could hear Angela's ragged breathing over the cackling fire. He ran to the driver's side, ripping open the door to find his cousin still inside, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe. "Hap," she wheezed, coughing a bit as she reached out a hand to him. "Can't…seatbelt…"

"Got you, kid. Hold on," he assured her, assessing the situation. Her skin was pale, lips quickly turning blue. There wasn't much blood on her which scared him. Visible injuries were easily fixed with some stitches and bandages; internal injuries were something no one in his club was equipped to handle. Taking out his bowie knife, he cut the seatbelt off of her and carefully scooped her out of the car, carrying her as far away from it as he could. Angela's breathing was getting worse as her eyes slid closed, her body becoming limp in his arms. "Angela! Open your eyes for me, c'mon!" he shouted at her, trying to get her to open her eyes again, panic filling him. If he lost her this way, he'd never forgive himself. Her eyes opened just barely, a soft groan escaping her lips. "Good. Stay with me, kid. You're okay."

Chibs ran over to him, a concerned look on his scarred face. "What's happenin'?"

"She can't breathe," he explained, slowly lowering her to the ground at Chibs' direction. "She's not bleedin' just…"

The Scot gently pulled up her shirt, carefully probing over her ribs before grimacing. "Must be a lung collapse. Need some kinda straw."

Happy hesitated, not wanting to leave his cousin's side. Thankfully, Quinn heard Chibs' instructions and went to go get what he requested. Meanwhile, Chibs pulled a flask from inside his cut, opening it and pouring the whiskey inside onto her skin and the knife to sanitize them. Quinn came back with Chloe's reusable plastic cup, screwing open the cap and pulling out the plastic straw. Chibs sanitized it too before kneeling down next to Angela, feeling along her ribs again. " 'm gonna make a cut, put the straw in. Should relieve some pressure, get her breathin' again."

Happy brushed the hair away from her face, holding tightly to her hand as he nodded in understanding. "C'mon, kid," he said, focused on her face instead of what Chibs was doing.

He heard a hiss of air before blood came pouring out of her side, she gasped, coughing a bit as she came to. Chibs cursed under his breath, shaking his head at amount of blood still coming out of the incision. "Think it's punctured," he explained with a grim look. "We gotta get her to the hospital. Now."

Happy looked down at his little cousin, slowly getting to his feet with her in his arms. "Breathe, kid. You're okay. Gonna get you to St. Thomas. Just hold on."

She grasped at his t-shirt with a bloodied hand tugging it to get him to look down at her. "Hap, 'm…"

"Best not to talk righ' now, love," Chibs said, still looking nervous. He met Happy's gaze. "This isn't good, brotha. Get her in the van. We gotta get her to the hospital 'fore she bleeds out."

Happy nodded, carrying her towards the van, thankful someone had thought to bring it. He climbed in, holding her on his lap. "You're okay, kid. Just breathe," he said, leaning over to kiss her forehead. He could feel the warmth of her blood as it soaked through his pants and knew whatever was going on with her wasn't good. "Stay with me, kid. Please."

She grabbed for his hand, squeezing it tightly as tears leaked from her eyes. There was something she wanted to say, and he knew she wouldn't stop trying until she got it out. He leaned in closer to her, putting his ear closer to her lips. " 'm pregnant," she wheezed, her dark eyes filled with fear as he pulled away.

Happy cursed quietly under his breath, thankful it was Quinn behind the wheel of the van and not Chibs. "All right, kid," he murmured, kissing her forehead. " 'm a take care of you. Don't worry. I got you. You're gonna be okay."

Quinn looked over his shoulder. "Was she drivin' alone, Hap?"

"What?" he demanded, more concerned about his little cousin than whatever bullshit question Quinn had.

"Ang. Was she alone?"

Happy felt a new wave of anger roll over him at the realization that Angela wasn't the only one of his girls who'd been hurt. Chloe had been the driver and by the looks of it, whoever had taken Alvarez's Old Lady had gone after his as well. Whoever it was had signed their own death certificate when they went after his family. They were all going to die. Like a lot.

Tig watched Chibs pace back and forth in the hospital hallway from the doorway of the small St. Thomas waiting room. While Chibs, Hap, and Quinn had gone out to find Angela, he'd made sure to call Kenny and Ellie to get them down to the hospital. They'd gotten there in minutes with Bones and Jazzy in tow. Now Bones and Ken were working on seeing if any traffic cameras caught the guys who'd taken Chloe while Ellie had taken Jazzy down to the cafeteria to explain the situation to her. The poor girl had looked like a deer in headlights when she'd walked into the room filled with outlaw bikers.

Happy was outside, going through pack after pack of cigarettes as he waited for news of any kind either about Angela or Chloe. His pants, shirt, and cut were covered with blood, but he refused to leave the hospital no matter how hard Chibs pushed him to go get cleaned up. The farthest he'd go was outside the front doors for a smoke or up to the fourth floor to visit with his mother.

The only people missing were Angela's husband and daughter, Tig realized with a grimace. He knew Evie was safe with the Mayans, but Juice was probably still in Texas, completely clueless to what was going on with his girls in California. He had to call him. It wasn't right for him to be so far away while his wife's life was in danger. He needed to be there for her and his family. "Shit," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. Clearing his throat, he stepped in Chibs' path. "Need to talk to ya."

Chibs gave him a quizzical look but stopped pacing, eyebrows raised. "Now's not a great time, Tiggy."

"Hear me out. This is some big shit," he insisted, scratching nervously at his eyebrow. "There's somethin' I gotta tell ya, and it ain't gonna make sense, but just hear me out, all right?"

He cocked his head to the side curiously. "All right."

"Angie…she's pregnant again," he explained, wondering if he was making the right choice in telling him.

Chibs paled a little bit, running a hand through his hair. "No shite," he scoffed with a small smile. He let it sink in for a moment before asking, "Who's the lucky father?"

Tig shifted awkwardly, knowing this was the right decision even if it could possibly damn him. "Juice."

A flicker of hope briefly passed over Chibs' face. He tilted his head to the side as if he were unsure if he'd heard him right. "Tha's not possible. Juice is gone, brotha. Ye killed him yerself. This some kinda turkey baster baby?"

He shook his head slowly. "Nah. Its legit. I never went through with the hit. There was no Mayhem vote or anythin'. Didn't feel right, taking a Dad away from his daughter like that, 'specially after everythin' that happened with Ope so...I let him go."

Chibs leaned back against the wall, looking a little impressed with him. "Shit, Tiggy," he said, shaking his head. "Tha's a bold move."

"Too many brothers dyin'. Didn't seem fair he didn't get his day at the table," he admitted with a shrug. "You've seen that little girl. I didn't want to be the guy to take her Daddy away. Wasn't right."

"No, t'wasn't," he agreed, nodding his head. He took a minute to consider the new information before sighing. "He want back in?"

"Nah. Tats are blacked 'n' everythin'. But his girl needs him," he explained, hoping it was enough. "His family needs him."

Chibs scratched at his chin as he considered it. "Have to take it to the table. We gotta get right on this 'fore we make decisions. I'm not Jax. Not going over everyone's heads 'cause I think its right."

Now that was an answer he could handle. Chibs didn't seem all that upset with him; in fact, he seemed happy with his decision. Sure, it'd been Hap's final decision, but he was willing to take the fall for it if it came to that, though it didn't seem like it would. "All right. What's next then?"

"Dunno. Never sat well with me the way things ended with Juicy-boy. Not gonna welcome him with open arms, but he needs to be here for his girls. I get that," he answered vaguely. "I'll call the rest of 'em. Vote on it tonight."

"Thanks, brotha," Tig replied as they exchanged a manly hug. "I'll get Ken to give me his number and get him over here. But you gotta get out. He won't want to see ya. Ang neither."

"Aye. Suppose saving her life ain't enough to put me in her good graces," Chibs joked, looking disappointed. Tig knew he'd been doing his best to get in on Angela's good side, but it didn't seem to be working. From what he knew, the bruise that was just starting to darken around Chibs' eye was Angela's handiwork.

"Not for her. That's a grudge she ain't gonna let go," he agreed, laughing a bit. "Might be easier to get Juicy to forgive ya in this case."

Chibs sighed, shaking his head. "We'll see abou' tha'. Yer vote for Mayhem, yay or nay?"

He took in a deep breath, relishing in the fact that he could vote without any consequences. Chibs never threatened to hang him out to dry for his transgressions like Jax had. With him at the head of the table, he finally got an honest vote. He shook his head. "Nay," he answered with a smirk. Chibs was only asking to make it official; a Mayhem vote was not going to be unanimous meaning Juice was safe no matter what.

"Good. Then its settled," he said, slapping Tig on the back.

"This gonna blow back on me, Pres?"

Chibs considered the question for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "Don't think so, Tiggy. Think we got bigger shite to worry about than what happened in the past."

"Yeah." He let out a sigh of relief, nodding his head in agreement. "I'ma see if I can get Ken to give me his number."

"Aye. I'll check on Hap. Make sure he hasn't killed anyone."

"Good call," he stated, patting Chibs' shoulder lovingly. Once he was gone, Tig headed back into the waiting room, throwing himself into the chair next to Kenny. "You got Juice's number handy?"

Kenny looked up at him with the same hazel eyes as Opie's sending a chill down Tig's spine. It was almost like he was looking at his old friend again. "Already called my Dad. He's on his way. Apparently, the same assholes that got Chlo scooped up Alvarez's Old Lady too. Almost got his kid and Evie along with 'em. Ellie's reaching out to Lyla now. You should call V."

Tig panicked briefly; he hadn't even considered that the men who'd run Angela and Chloe off the road would go after Venus. "I'm already here, Alexander," Venus' heavily accented voice came as she strode into the small living room. "Was here giving dear sweet Elena a much needed manicure when Chibs came in and told me I was needed down here. Now, what is going on?"

He let out a sigh of relief, going over and pulling Venus into him in a crushing hug. "Jesus Christ, baby. Scared the shit out of me for a second there," he murmured before pulling away.

Venus' pretty eyes searched his for a moment. "Why? What in the Lord's name is happening here?" she asked, looking over at Kenny instead. "Kenneth?"

"My mom and Chloe got run off the road," he explained dismally. "Over in Oakland, someone nabbed Alvarez's Old Lady and almost got his kid and Eves in the process. They're all fine, though."

"Oh my word," Venus breathed, pressing a hand to her heart. "And your Mama? Is she all right now? What about Miss Chloe?"

"Looks like they grabbed Chloe but decided to leave Ang for dead," Tig answered on a frown. "She's in surgery now. Juice is on his way."

Venus nodded slowly, processing it all. "And with those ladies being taken, you were worried about little ole me?"

Tig nodded, smiling just a little. They'd been together for a year or two now, and she still doubted how much he cared for her. "Of course, baby. I always worry about you."

She gave him a quick kiss before reaching a hand out to ruffle Kenny's hair. "And you, sweetheart? You all right?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, at least they didn't take her, right? Her and Eves, they're safe. I mean, she's hurt but…she's gonna pull through, right?" he asked, his eyes wide.

Venus draped an arm over his shoulders, squeezing his shoulder gently. "I know she will, sugar. She's too strong to give into this nonsense. She'll come back ready to kick some ass."

Juice barely saw the town around him as Lino sped through it. On a normal day, he would've been on the verge of an anxiety attack at being in Charming again, but he had bigger things to worry about now. He wasn't afraid of the club or what they would do to him, he was afraid he was going to lose his wife. He looked over his shoulder, thankful that Evie was still asleep in her carseat. As soon as he'd heard what happened to Angela, he'd bolted from the Mayan clubhouse with Marcus' blessing. The Mayan President told Lino to go along with him, making sure he knew that if any Son were to get in his way, they'd have to deal with the Mayans. Lino may not be the most intimidating of Mayans, but he knew the threat from Marcus wouldn't go unheeded. Chibs might be an asshole, but he wasn't stupid enough to piss off the Mayans. Not when they had an enemy in common.

Lino pulled into the parking lot, stopping in front of the front doors. "You go. I'll get Evie. Take her to Lena's room," he offered, his eyes flitting to the rearview to check on her too.

"Thanks," he replied, jumping out of the car. He ran into the hospital, going straight for the front desk. "Hi. Angela Ortiz, please. I'm her husband and she's supposed to be in surgery, I guess."

"Graci's girl. Right. She just got out of surgery," the nurse replied with a warm smile before she told him the room number.

Juice said a quick 'thank you' before running for the stairs. He took them two at a time, his heart in his throat. He didn't bother checking in on the waiting room, deciding to run right passed it to her room. Sucking in a deep breath, he pushed open the door. The sight before him left him feeling like he couldn't breathe. Angela was lying in the stark white bed hooked up to all sorts of machines, one in her nose, an IV in her arm, and something coming out of her chest. "Jesus Christ, Angel," he rasped, taking a step closer. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Assholes ran her off the road," Hap's rough voice filled in from where he was seated in the corner of the room. "Grabbed Chloe. Left her there. We got shit goin' with the Chinese and Marks' crew. Dunno which one went after 'em."

His thoughts went to what happened earlier that day with Dia. There was a trend going on there, and he wondered if the same people were responsible for what had happened to Angela and Chloe. Just like that, he was write back into intelligence officer mode, trying to piece things together with what little knowledge he had. He rubbed his fingers over the big black square over his arm, reminding himself that this wasn't his life anymore. Whatever was going on with the Sons was none of his business. "Right," he breathed, looking back at Angela again. "Doctor's say anythin' about her?"

"She told me she's pregnant. Kid could barely breathe, but she got that shit out. Didn't want anythin' to hurt the baby," he rasped, running a hand over his face. "Just got outta surgery a minute ago. Told Doc's to hold up on an update 'til you got here. Wouldn't tell me shit anyway. Should be one coming."

Juice nodded, letting out a long breath. He finally tore his eyes off of Angela to look at Hap. The older man's clothes were covered in blood, some of it streaking over his arms and hands, crusted along his rings. "What happened to you?"

" 's hers," he explained on a grim frown.

A lump formed in his throat as he looked at the amount of blood on Happy and back at Angela. "Holy shit," he breathed, his eyes searching for any sign of injury. "But she's not..."

"Chest was fillin' up with blood. Chibs drained what he could, but he ain't trained for surgery. If he wasn't there, we'da lost her."

Juice felt like he was going to be sick at the mention of his former brother. Chibs had been the one to save her? Chibs, the man who'd wanted him dead, had saved his wife? The idea that he'd had his hands on her, even if it was to save her life, made his stomach churn. "Does he...does he know?"

" 'bout you?" he asked, waiting until Juice nodded before answering, "Yeah. Tig told 'im to stay away. He got our proxys for the Mayhem vote already."

He felt like he couldn't breathe for a moment. His fate had already been sealed. Was Happy there to carry through with it? Had he just been stalling to give him a few minutes with Angela before finishing him off? "And?"

"Hasn't been voted yet, but it ain't gonna be unanimous," he replied as if it weren't a big deal.

Juice sat down on the edge of Angela's bed feeling numb to it all. It could've so easily gone the other way. "Shit," he breathed. "You?"

"Me 'n' Tig, Quinn too, probably," he rattled off on a shrug. He pushed himself out of the chair, setting a heavy hand on Juice's shoulder. "You're safe here. Ain't no one gonna touch you. Focus on her now. She needs ya."

"Yeah, right," he rasped, feeling like a weight had slid off his shoulders. "Thanks."

Happy squeezed his shoulder. "Yeah. Take care a her."

"Always," he replied, reaching out to grab Angela's hand. "Wash up 'fore you go to check on your Ma. Eve's is there. You'll scare the shit outta her with all that blood. She's had enough to deal with for today."

He sighed, running a hand over his face. "Yeah."

"And Hap?" he said, catching his attention again. "I'm gonna find Chlo. Promise you that. I got a lead on Dia, and I'm willing to bet the same assholes that took her, went after Chloe."

A look of appreciation passed over Happy's face as he nodded again. "Thanks, brotha."

Juice nodded back before turning to face Angela again as the door closed behind Happy. He leaned forward to tuck a stray hair behind Angela's hair, letting his fingers linger on her soft cheek. "Hey baby," he murmured, leaning in to press his lips to hers. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest when his nose bumped into the tube in hers. A tube that was helping her breathe. "I love you. So much. Please be okay. Eves and Ken need you. I need you. Please just...wake up for me."

Through the fog of the anesthesia, Angela could hear the loving tone of Juice's voice before she could understand what he was saying. With her eyes closed, she let the sound of it soothe her, draw her deeper into her slumber, fighting against the reality that would hit her when she opened her eyes. She liked this state of relaxation, it was so peaceful. His touch came next, the soft warmth radiating from the rough skin of his fingertips felt like heaven. His words became clear as the fog began to wear off. "Please just...wake up for me. Tell me you're okay."

"Juice," she moaned, slowly opening her eyes to find his eyes staring right back at her, wide with worry.

"Hey baby," he greeted on a breath of relief. His hands framed her face, thumbs stroking over her cheeks as tears filled his eyes. "Hey. How are you? Are you okay?"

Angela smiled at his concern, moving her free hand to brush away a stray tear that'd slipped down his cheek. "I'm fine, baby."

He touched his forehead to hers, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. "You scared the shit outta me."

"Can't get rid of me that easy, goof," she murmured, knowing exactly how he was feeling; she'd been in his shoes many times before. Her mind went back to what had happened to put her in that hospital, and she panicked, her heart beat monitor beeping loudly as she sat up. "Shit! Where's Chloe? Did you find her? Is she okay?"

"Easy, Angel. Easy, breathe, baby," he coaxed, stroking her cheek softly. "We're lookin' for her. Her and Dia. Got a good lead, though. I'll find 'em. Got my laptop here, so I don't gotta go anywhere. Just breathe. Relax."

She let out a long breath, relaxing back into the bed with a wince. "Shit," she groaned, moving a hand to her side.

He slapped her hand away before she could touch whatever was protruding from between her ribs. "Don't. You got some kind of boob tube," he said, grimacing with her. He sat down by her hip, a worried look on his face.

A light laugh escaped her hold, making her wince again. "That is not what its called."

"It's a drainage tube," Graciela said from the doorway. "Your rib pierced your lung making it collapse and the doctors had to do surgery to fix it. Que paso, mijita? Where were you going? Driving like a maniac, I'm sure. And in your condition?" She clucked her tongue and shook her head. "Sin verguenza. You could've died!" (What happened?...Shameless)

Angela stared at her mother in disbelief. She'd just been in a horrible accident, and she was lecturing her. "But I didn't," she muttered, dropping a hand to her lower belly. She'd been so worried about Chloe, she'd forgotten about the little being inside of her. Her heart rate kicked up a again, making the monitors beep a little faster. "Mama, what about the baby? I didn't..."

Graciela moved to stand by her bed, reaching out a hand and smoothing her daughter's hair down lovingly. She grabbed one of her hands and one of Juice's hands, giving them both a squeeze. "I'll tell you something," she said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "We have twins in our family, sabias? My Mama was a twin and you, Juancito, your sister has twins, does she not?"

Juice nodded, his eyes already wide in surprise as he met Angela's gaze. "Graci..."

"And you, mijita, are strong like your Papi," she stated with a warm smile. "A Ruiz. Y ahora an Ortiz, which means you're even stronger because from what I've heard about you, Juan, you're a strong one, too. Which means your babies, the two of 'em are going to be strong like their sister. Te prometo." (And now...I promise)

"Twins," Angela managed to say around a laugh.

Juice laughed with her, his hand settling on her stomach. "Holy shit, Angel," he breathed, his eyes wide with happiness.

Graciela grinned, leaning over to kiss Angela's head before moving to kiss Juice's cheek. "Congratulations, you two. I love you both, even though you took my grandbabies away to a different state. I'll always love you."

Angela rolled her eyes at her mother's dramatics. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Love you too, Mama."

"You take care of my grandtwins," she told Juice, sticking a well manicured finger in his face. "I'll be checking in on you periodically. Don't move too much or you'll pull that tube right out and that's very messy. Are you in a lot of pain, mija? You're due for more medicine. The babies will be safe with it, don't worry."

"I'm okay, I think. It just hurts a little," she lied. Now that the initial anesthesia had worn off, her side was throbbing, but she could deal.

Graciela chuckled, going over to the machine that administered the medicine. "So more medicine," she stated, pressing the right button. She looked over at Juice and winked. "When she says a little, it means a lot. Trust me. She thinks not admitting it makes her look tough like her primo pero it doesn't. Just makes you stupid for suffering for no reason. You'll thank me for this later, mija." With that, she turned and walked out the door as if she hadn't just called her 'stupid'.

Juice waited until she left before leaning in closer. "I always think you look tough," he confided, kissing her cheek. " 'specially now that you got two babies growin' inside of you."

"Twins, Juice," she told him excitedly.

"I told you I have a magic penis."

Angela laughed, wincing when it tugged at the tube in her side. "I've always thought so," she murmured, reaching out to grab his shirt. "Beso."

He leaned in and kissed her again just as she requested. "Kiss you all you want. Nose tube and all."

She smiled, relaxing back into the pillows with a soft sight. "Where are our other kiddos?"

"Ken and Eves are downstairs with Lena and Lino and the rest of the Scooby gang," he answered, playing with her fingers. "Hap, Quinn, and Tig are watchin' them. Makin' sure whoever went after Dia and Chlo doesn't go for them."

Angela closed her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. "Lyla and Venus protected?"

"Not sure about Lyla, but Venus is here."

"Good. How's our baby? She's had a crazy day, huh?"

Juice sighed softly, shaking his head. "Monk's okay, I think. Cried a lot, wouldn't let me go 'til she fell asleep," he told her, swallowing hard. "Tessa didn't even bat a fuckin' eye. Had the plate memorized, no tears."

For some reason, hearing about Tessa's reaction made her sadder than hearing about her daughter's. "She's been trained. Eve hasn't. We've had her in her safe little bubble where nothing bad happens."

"Guess it popped today, huh?" he asked, his eyes filled with regret. Since the day she was conceived, Evie had been neck deep in club shit. She'd had to go through the whole drama with Mel, Juice trying to kill himself, the clubhouse being bombed, and the club killing her dad. There wasn't a moment in her early years that wasn't rife with chaos. But they'd gotten out before she could remember any of it. Now, they were back, and she'd been thrown into it all again, unprepared for how to deal with it. Juice squeezed her hand, bringing her out of her thoughts. "She'll be okay, though. She's strong, like her Mama."

Angela knew he was trying to comfort her, but it didn't do much. Closing her eyes, she thought back to the moment they'd been run off the road. The impact, the smell of gas and fire, feeling like she couldn't breathe, Chibs' scarred face hovering over her as he helped save her life. She remembered every moment of it. "I forgot how dangerous this place was," she admitted, feeling her eyelids grow heavy as the machine she was hooked up to gave her another dose of pain meds. "Should've never come back."

"Can't say I don't agree with you there."

She squeezed his hand, tugging it gently. " 'm glad you're here, though," she divulged around a yawn. "Missed you so much when we were apart. Thought I was gonna die 'n' all I could think of was you. I love you. Do you know that? Do I tell you that enough?"

She could see the tears brimming his eyes as he nodded, leaning forward to put his lips against hers in a sweet kiss. "I know, baby. Don't always understand why but I know you do," he rasped, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "I love you too. More than anything."

"I know. I'm tired, baby," she slurred, the drugs taking effect faster than she expected. She grabbed at the collar of his shirt, tugging gently, wanting him to move closer. She needed to feel his body against hers, his arms wrapped around her, holding her close, keeping her safe. " 'n' you're too far away."

Nodding, he stretched out next to her, careful not to mess with any of the things she was hooked up to. "Better?"

She started to shift to snuggle in closer, but a tug at her side made her wince. "Ow," she groaned, pouting a bit. "My boob tube."

She could feel Juice's chuckle against her as he sidled in closer. "Don't move. I got you, baby. I'm right here," he murmured, shifting around her so she was leaning into him. He moved an arm around her shoulders and played with her hair. "You're safe now, Angel. Not gonna let anythin' happen to you or our little bugs. I got you."

She smiled, finally closing her eyes as she leaned, breathing in his comforting scent. " 'm so lucky."

Chloe fought the urge to curse as the men who'd taken her grabbed her by the arms and lifted her out of the shitty van they'd taken her in. The bag they'd placed over her head blocked her from seeing anything. She didn't fight against them, knowing it was best not to piss them off. Happy had taught her that. Remain calm until an opportunity arises. No need to piss them off unnecessarily. She walked with them, mentally keeping a tally of the route it took to get to wherever they were taking her, down to how many steps between turns, how many stairs they went down.

The air turned cold and stale, the smell of a familiar perfume hung in the air, making her heartbeart kick up a notch. She knew that sickly sweet, cotton-candy scented perfume. Lyla. The men pulled the bag off her head, pushing her into some kind of concrete room and latching a cuff around her wrist before leaving, slamming the door behind them.

Chloe tugged on the metal cuff, following the chain that was hanging off of it to where it was anchored in the wall. The cuff and chains looked relatively new, though she couldn't help but notice the dried blood stuck to the chain. "Gross," she muttered, pulling her eyes away from it to assess the rest of her surroundings. She saw Lyla's still form in the corner and her stomach flipped. "Holy shit! Lyla!"

"She's out cold, pobrecita," a voice said from the other side of the room. Chloe squinted her eyes, trying to see better in the faint light. There was an older woman sitting on the floor against the wall, her legs straightened in front of her, perfectly manicured hands set atop pristine dark jeans, the cuff on her wrist looking more like a fashion accessory than anything. She was the picture of calm and ease despite being in a cold makeshift jail cell. "They brought her in here like that. Mentioned something about some chemical."

"They drugged her?" Chloe questioned in disbelief.

The woman nodded slowly. "When you fight back, they fight back. Best not to unless you know you can win pero you knew that. She did not," she stated as if they'd known each other for years.

"What?"

"You walked in on your own. No struggling, no cursing, quiet. Someone trained you well," she explained on a shrug. "Which Son belongs to you?"

The way she worded her question intrigued Chloe; this was obviously a woman well versed in the club, yet she didn't see herself or other Old Ladies as property. It seemed the reverse was true, in fact. "I'm with Happy," she answered, feeling weird saying he belonged to her. Happy Lowman belonged to no one.

"Ah, so you're the nurse I've heard so much about. Angelita talks a lot about you, mija. Says you're one of her best friends. Godmother to my granddaughter," she commented on a warm smile. "Nice to finally meet you, mija. Sorry its under these circumstances, pero what can you do?"

Chloe laughed at how nonchalant the other woman was. Though now it made sense. She was Marcus Alvarez, the Mayan President's wife. No wonder she remained so calm; she knew the drill. Probably had been through it before. "Dia, right? Heard a lot about you too. Angela was worried sick and we were-"

Dia held up a hand, effectively stopping her from continuing. "No talk of the outside. Not now. Now we focus on this and figure out how to get out."

She let out a long breath, nodding in agreement. "Right. Do we even know who has us?"

"Not yet. We will soon, though," she assured her, picking underneath her acrylic nails. "They'll come tell us their plan. They always do."

Chloe smirked. Damn, she was cool; she understood now why Angela held her in such high esteem. "They only have three of us?"

"No. They scooped up a Mayan girl who's been chasing after our VP. They don't have a relationship pero they don't know that," she explained on a facial shrug. "Whatever they're trying to get, they're going to start by using her. Once they realize she's of no use to them, they'll move on to another of us. Make things worse gradually until the Mayans and the Sons have to do what they want. They're a ballsy group, I'll give them that."

"What will they do to the girl?"

Dia's shrugged a shoulder. "We shouldn't worry about it. From the way it looks, we're at the top of the chain. Its why they haven't laid a finger on us other then to take us away. Respect. We're lucky our captors have some sense."

"Lucky." Chloe scoffed, rolling her eyes a bit as she took a seat against the wall. She tilted her head back and looked at the dark ceiling. The events of the night before flashed through her head; the sound of Angela's ragged breathing still filling her ears. Closing her eyes, she pushed those thoughts into the back of her head. Dia was right, if she doted too much on those thoughts, she'd crumble. She had to be strong now just like the Mayan Queen was being. "So what do we do?"

"We wait," she answered simply. "Our boys will find us. It might take awhile, but they will come. Have a little faith."

So Juice is in Charming, Chloe's locked up somewhere...lots of drama on the horizon! Stick with me! :)

Thanks for reading! As always let me know what you think. Your reviews make my day!

~Love Ink