Oof. It has been a long time since I updated! Thank you all so much for sticking with me and for your understanding and patience! Been going through quite a bit of changes in my life with my new job so finding time to write has been quite a struggle! Also had a little hiccup motivation-wise that I addressed on my Tumblr several times if you're curious about it. :)
I cannot say THANK YOU enough to all of you who have been so patient and have sent me reviews and Tumblr messages of encouragement and love. You guys all make me so happy!
The next chapter should come out faster than this one has. Like I said, I've been trying to find time to write with my new schedule, but I think I've got a good handle on it (finally).
So here goes! Let me know what you think! I love ALL of your reviews, comments, suggestions, etc. You guys make my day with all the time you spend leaving me your thoughts. :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Angela, Chloe, Charlie, Bones, and Evie. The rest is all from the mind of the brilliant Kurt Sutter. :)
Overexposed
Chapter 18: Ready
By Love Ink
Juice held Angela's hand as they drove to the hospital to pick up Evie. Lyla's funeral had been earlier that day. It'd been filled with porn stars and producers who definitely didn't know what appropriate funeral wear was, but it somehow was fitting for Lyla. He had a feeling she would've been happy to see how many people came out to say goodbye. Hell, even Ima was there; she'd cried harder than anyone.
Angela had gone into full mortician mode during the whole funeral. She'd stayed quiet and professional, greeting everyone with a small smile and a nod and making sure everything was running smoothly. Kenny was the same way, more focused on the ceremony itself than who it was for. That was how they were keeping things together. Bottling it all up and working through it. Juice knew it wasn't a healthy way to deal with things, but he didn't know how to change it either. Even Piper looked numb to it all in his Prospect's cut. Juice had heard he'd left it behind at the clubhouse after he'd heard what happened to Lyla. There was still a dirty tire mark going down the back of it from where he'd ridden over it. He wondered what Chibs had said to convince him to put it back on.
Juice heard Angela sniffle and frowned. Just the night before, she'd had a mental breakdown, something he wasn't used to coming from his strong wife. He was grateful she got it out, though; she'd needed the release. Today, she'd seemed better, but he had a feeling it was all an act. She was going to break eventually, and he'd be right there to help piece her back together. "Talk to me," he urged, squeezing her hand.
She shook her head and laughed lightly. "Think I'm losin' it," she admitted, her voice rough. "My head feels like its going to explode."
"Know the feeling," he said, pulling off on a familiar exit, the rental car they had straining a bit as it climbed up the hill to their little spot just outside of Charming.
"This how your head feels all the time?"
Juice shrugged, squeezing her hand tightly before letting go to put the car in park. "Not all the time, just when I'm overwhelmed."
Her dark eyes stared out the windshield for a moment, her jaw clenched tightly. "Sucks."
"Want to talk about it or do you want me to distract you or do you want me to leave?"
Angela's mouth turned up in the smallest hint of a smirk. He knew why too; those were the same questions she always asked him when he was on the brink of a panic attack. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and let out a long breath. "All three."
That would be the hormones, he thought with a smirk. Kissing her temple, he got out of the car with a grunt and went to sit on the hood of it. He looked out over the small town of Charming. It had changed a lot since he'd last been there. Charming Heights was now nestled in a valley that had once been wild and covered in trees. If he squinted, he could just make out the Starbucks logo on top of what used to be a quaint little family-run coffee shop.
He heard the car door open and felt the car dip a little as Angela sat down next to him. "I didn't really want you to leave," she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. "That was the one I wanted least."
He chuckled softly, moving his arm around her shoulders and kissing her temple. "Which one do you want the most?"
"Tell me its going to be okay," she asked softly, playing with her rings. "That we're going to get Chloe and Dia and no one else is going to die."
"It's going to be okay. We're going to be okay," he told her, moving his lips against her skin. He didn't want to add on the rest because it was something he couldn't promise even though he desperately wished he could. He turned to look at the view again, playing with her hair lovingly. "View's changed a lot since we were here last," he said, trying to distract her.
If she caught on to what he was doing, she didn't say anything. "A lot's changed," she agreed, tilting her head back to look at him. "Last time I was here, I thought you were dead."
He grimaced, squeezing her shoulder. That was definitely not how he wanted to distract her. "Thought this place would remind you of the good times. Not…that."
"The whole town reminds me of how I almost lost you, Juice," she murmured sadly as she turned her head to look out at the view.
Juice felt guilt swirl around his stomach, but he pushed it away; he couldn't focus on his own mistakes, not when she needed him. "So I'm guessing moving back is out of the question?"
Her eyes snapped to his, growing wide. "Are you serious? Move back to here? To Charming?"
"I was thinking somewhere else in the Bay Area. San Jose or some shit. Close but also very far," he suggested, gauging her reaction. She looked shell-shocked which he thought was strange considering he'd brought it up to her before. Maybe she hadn't thought he was serious back in the hospital when he'd first suggested it. "You're gonna deny it, but you're happier here. I know that. Before everything went to shit, you were happy to be here with the funeral home and your family and Hap…"
"Juice…"
"No, hear me out. Dino wants to put a satellite office out here somewhere 'cause of Silicon Valley and all the tech shit that's goin' off down here. Said if I wanted to stay, he'd give me some upper management position when he set up the new office," he explained slowly. "It'd be a bump in salary for me, you could work at the funeral home, we'd be closer to Ken's college and Hap and the crazy Uncles, have your Ma and Aunt and Dia close by to help with the kids. The weather's nicer out here, and we've got enough money saved that we could get a really nice place in a nice neighborhood."
Angela stared at him in bewilderment. "You're actually considering this," she stated in surprise. "After everything that's gone down, you really want to move our whole life out here? What about your sister?"
He shrugged a shoulder. "Jo will deal. Plus, I'll still be workin' with Dino. Ain't like they're not gonna visit. Shit, maybe they'll even move out here. 's not like they have any roots out there either," he said, though he doubted they would. Jo wasn't a big fan of Texas, but she wasn't the California type either. If anything, they'd move back to New York. "Think it might be nice to raise our kids with your family close, actually. Its bigger than mine. Stronger. Plus, with your Ma and Aunt we'd have free baby sitting with people we trusted."
"Ken was worried about not being close while the twins are growin' up. Thinks we're trying to replace him with these new bugs," she said on a laugh.
He chuckled with her, shaking his head. "As if that was possible."
"Moving back…wouldn't that be bad for your…head?"
Juice shrugged again, looking out over the town for a moment. "It's getting better, easier. I mean, I survived it, right? Happy said no one's gonna come after me. I've already been here for a couple days, and the club hasn't done shit," he explained, keeping his eyes on the houses instead of her. "Just want you to be happy, Angel. 's long as you're happy, I think my head'll be just fine."
"Juice…"
"Don't start telling me how you're happy in Texas 'cause we both know you are, but you're happier here. Even with all this crazy shit that's been happening, California is home. For both of us. Always has been."
Angela sighed, almost as if in defeat. Leaning over, she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Can we please get through all this craziness before we start making all these big plans?"
"Yeah, baby. 'course," he agreed, kissing her forehead. "Love you."
"I love you too. So much," she replied, her hand on his thigh.
Her hand slid higher as she caught his lips in a hot kiss. His eyes widened as fire starting racing through his veins, pushing his blood to one specific area. He swallowed hard. "Baby, baby," he murmured as her lips trailed down his neck, her hand slipping under his shirt, fingernails raking over his stomach. "Here?"
Angela nodded, pushing him back onto the bonnet of the car. "Wouldn't be the first time," she mumbled against his lips as she moved to stand between his legs. His fingers went for the buttons of her blouse, struggling to undo them. He let out a frustrated sound, and she swatted his hands away before he could rip it open. "Can't have you ruining another one of my shirts."
He chuckled softly, reaching out for the button of her jeans and carefully pulling them open to reveal dark red lace panties hiding underneath. Grabbing her hips, he pulled her towards him, mouthing the small bump of her belly. Her being pregnant had never deterred him from wanting her like it did some men. He thought it was sexy as hell to see her pregnant belly, knowing his children were inside of it. "You're beautiful, baby," he murmured against her skin, nipping softly at it as her fingers slid into his hair.
She tugged on his hair lovingly. "Besame."
He got this feet, sliding one hand into her hair as his lips crashed hungrily against hers. She nipped at his lower lip, leaning into him as her hands tugged open his jeans, one slipping inside his boxers to grip him. He groaned softly as she stroked him, her tongue moving into his mouth.
And then her phone went off. The Imperial March from Star Wars filling the air; Graciela's ringtone. Angela didn't stop what she was doing, though, seemingly determined to ignore it. Juice grabbed her wrist, pulling away just a little. "Baby, baby, stop," he said, hating himself a little for it. "What if it's Evie?"
"Shit, you're right." Angela sighed against his lips, pulling away with a frown. She was out of breath, cheeks flushed, lips red and swollen, absolutely beautiful. He couldn't help but kiss her again. She smiled into his kiss, her hands on his chest, gently pushing him back. "Pause for a sec. I'm sure its nothing."
He nodded, doing his best to catch his breath as she reached into the back pocket of her jeans for her cell. "Haven't been interrupted like this in a while," he said on a breath, nuzzling her neck with his nose.
"Just like old times," she replied on a smile, her fingers moving through his hair as she put the phone up to her ear. "Hey Ma, what's up? Everything okay?"
Juice couldn't hear what Graciela was saying on the other line, but whatever it was had made Angela tense, her hand falling from his hair as she gasped. He stopped kissing her neck, lifting his head to study her face. She'd paled a little, her eyes growing glassy with tears. "Angel, what's wrong?" he asked, eyes wide with fear. "Is it Evie?"
"We'll be right there, Mama. Tell her to hold on, please," she said hanging up the phone. Her dark eyes locked on his. "It's Elena. We gotta go."
Angela's heart was in her throat as Juice pulled in front of St. Thomas. Elena had gone into cardiac arrest, they were working on getting her stable now. She held tightly to Juice's hand, his touch comforting her as they both ran through the hospital to get to the elevator. Once inside, he squeezed her hand, trying his best to give her a smile. "She's gonna be okay, Angel," he assured her, lifting her hand to kiss her knuckles. "She's a strong lady. She'll pull through."
She nodded slowly, sucking in a deep breath. "God, I hope you're right."
Once they stepped onto the floor, she spotted Nero with Evie in his arms, bouncing her up and down. He was singing softly to her, some Spanish song Angela recognized from when she was growing up. As he sang he dipped his knees down, leaned her back all the way, and tickled her. Evie's giggles rang through the hospital hallway, a sound of happiness rarely heard on the in-patient floor.
"Mama!" Evie shouted in glee when she saw her, her little hand reaching for her.
"Hey baby," she greeted, managing to give her a smile as she went to pick her up. Juice stepped in front of her, taking her instead. Angela did her best not to scowl at the action; she knew he was doing it for her own good, but she just wanted to hold her daughter for once. Healed or not, she wanted to give her baby girl some love.
Juice kissed Evie's cheek, holding her close. "How you doin', Monk? Havin' fun with Nero?"
"Tio Nero's so fun, Daddy! He sings the best songs," she told him, her little arms around his neck. "He take me to day care with Tommy!"
Nero scratched nervously at the back of his neck. "Yeah. Graciela had to work 'n' everyone else was at the funeral. Margaret Murphy said it was okay for her to be there."
"It was fun!" Evie exclaimed, a huge smile on her face. "They had all kinds of toys! Me and Tommy played with the cars!"
"That's great, baby! So glad you had fun!" Angela exclaimed with more enthusiasm than she felt. She nodded to Nero. "How's Elena? What happened?"
Nero hesitated, his dark eyes falling on Evie for a moment. Juice grimaced a bit before kissing Evie's cheek. "How about we go get some Jell-O, Monk?"
"Yes! Geen Jell-O, Daddy?" she asked, her dark eyes wide.
"Yeah, baby girl. All the green Jell-O you want," he confirmed, bouncing her gently.
Angela let out a breath of relief. As much as she loved her daughter, if Nero was going to give her bad news, she didn't want Evie to see her break down. "Thank you," she whispered to him.
He winked at her, kissing her temple quickly. "Love you. Text me."
Angela nodded, watching him walk away while Evie babbled away at him, one of her hands tapping at his cheek. She wished he would stay with her, hold her hand because she had a feeling whatever news Nero was going to tell her was not going to be good. She swallowed hard before clearing her throat. "What's going on with Lena?"
"She uh…she went into cardiac arrest not too long ago. They resuscitated 'cause your Ma was there and told 'em she didn't have a DNR. She's stable now pero they're not sure she'll last through the night. If she crashes again, that DNR's gonna stand."
She sucked in a quick breath, tears pricking the corner of her eyes. "Shit," she breathed, raking a hand through her hair. She didn't want to cry. Knew she shouldn't. Not yet. Not when Elena was still alive, but the pregnancy hormones were kicking in hard, and she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "Goddamn."
"I'm sorry, Mama. Know it's a hard day for you what with Lyla 'n' all," he said, setting his hand on her shoulder. To her surprise, the small act of comfort made her cry harder. Nero enveloped her into a hug, holding her tightly as she sobbed into his stupid argyle sweater. "I know it hurts. I know. I'm sorry, mija. So sorry."
It was strange to her how much comfort she found in Nero's embrace. Pulling away, she wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry," she murmured, sniffling slightly as she tried to regain her composure. "I just…I thought I was ready for this, and I…"
"Nothin' to be sorry about. I get it. You can't prepare for stuff like this, Angelita," he said, offering her a handkerchief from his pocket. "You think you can 'cause you deal with death all day pero when its this close to you, its not so easy."
She stared at it for a moment, fighting the urge to laugh at the handkerchief; he was such an old cholo, she couldn't get over it. Smiling a little, she took it from him and used it to wipe her eyes and blow her nose before grimacing. "I'm gonna wash this 'fore I give it back to you."
"Fair enough, Mama," he said around a soft chuckle. He rubbed her shoulder lovingly. "Lena was askin' for you not too long ago."
"Okay. Hap in there?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Yeah. Looks ready to kill anyone who tells him to get out," he said on a chuckle.
Angela didn't smile back at him. If Happy had that murderous look in his eyes, it meant he would actually kill anyone who got in his way especially for his Mom. "He will," she stated before heading into her Aunt's hospital room. The second she stepped inside, her heart dropped. Elena looked frailer than ever in the big hospital bed. She had less machines hooked up to her which wasn't a good sign; it meant they couldn't help her anymore. Happy was in a chair next to her, a worried look on his face as he held his Mom's hand. Angela swallowed hard, forcing a smile as she said, "Hey Tia."
Elena gave her a bright smile. "There you are. Mi Angelita tan preciosa," she greeted, holding out a wrinkled hand to her. (My little, precious angel)
Tears came to Angela's eyes before she could stop them. She crossed the room towards her and grabbed her other hand. "Tia, I…"
"Stop the tears. No more tears. I'm fine," she said, coughing a little bit. "Everyone is so dramatic. I'm going to be around a lot longer. Got to see my new grandnietos." (grandnephews/nieces)
Angela laughed lightly as she wiped at her eyes. "That's what I keep tellin' everyone," she said, squeezing Elena's hand. "You're gonna be fine, Tia. I know it. Right, Hap?"
Happy nodded slowly. "Yeah," he rasped, his voice softer than usual. "You're gonna be fine, Ma."
Juice sat in Elena's room, watching the shitty television screen instead of sleeping like everyone else around him. He was sitting on the couch in the corner, Angela asleep with her head in his lap. Elena was sleeping in the hospital bed her breathing heavier than it should be, Evie on the bed next to her, her head in her grand aunt's lap. Happy sat on the other side, his Mom's hand in his own, his head on the bed. Everyone was content, comfortable, except him. Try as he might, Juice could not fall asleep. He had a feeling it had something to do with being in Charming. Mostly because everything bad that had ever happened to him had happened there. How was he supposed to sleep when he felt like danger was lurking around every corner?
There was a soft knock at the door, making him tear his eyes away from the screen. Chibs stood in the doorway, his riding gloves clenched in his hand. Just looking at him made bile rise up in Juice's throat. He wasn't afraid of him; there was nothing the Scot could do to hurt him anymore. Honestly, he was more afraid of himself, of the black hatred taking over his body and mind at the mere sight of him. That man had almost taken everything away from him. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. "What?" he spat out, trying to appear calmer than he was.
Chibs' mustache twitched just a bit as he played with the riding gloves in his hand. "Need a moment," he replied, his voice a little louder so it woke Happy up.
Happy rubbed at his eyes, sitting up a little. "What's up?" he asked, looking at his president.
"We got a chance to save your girl," Chibs explained, walking closer so he could keep his voice lower and not wake Elena. "Piper's been sitting on the place where they're keepin' them. Thinks he knows their schedule 'n' how we can get in there."
Happy sat up a little straighter, his fingers twitching as if he were eager to get going. "What's the plan?"
Juice saw Chibs hesitate and smirked; he didn't want to say his plans in front of the present company as if Angela would get in the way of saving someone she looked at as a mother and her best friend. He leaned over and pressed his lips to Angela's temple. "Wake up, Angel," he murmured, shaking her gently.
Her brows furrowed for a brief moment before she sat up with a groan. Her dark eyes landed on Chibs, and she immediately tensed. "What's goin' on?"
"He wants us to get out, so he and Hap can plan some shit. Said there's a chance to get Chlo and Dia back."
Angela's brows furrowed in confusion. "So? Elena and Eves are sleeping, its stupid for us to go. They should go. Leave us alone."
Juice and Happy shared a smirk at her attitude. She was right, of course; it didn't make any sense for Chibs and Happy to stay while they stepped out. Happy nodded, getting to his feet with a grunt. "Everyone else here?" he asked.
"Yeah, they're in the chapel downstairs. Was goin' to run it by you 'fore we told the masses," Chibs explained as if to save face. "Also thinkin' ye might want to come along, Juicy."
Angela's hand fell on his knee as if she was stopping him from going. Juice grabbed it, squeezing it reassuringly; he was fine. He could do this. "Why?" he asked, a little curious.
"We're outta our depth with the tech shite. You know that. Pipes is learnin', but he doesn't hold a candle to ya. Now, I can get Kenny 'n' Ellie's boy to do it, but I think ye might not want them wrapped up in all this."
Juice tilted his head to the side, considering his offer, an amused look on his face. "You want my help? After all the shit you put my family through, you want me to help your fuckin' club?"
"Ain't the club you're helpin'," Happy stepped in, looking annoyed. " 's for Chloe."
He nodded slowly. Chloe was Angela's best friend, someone who had helped them through everything. From bullet wounds to babies, Chloe had been there. Now, it was his turn to be there for her. Leaning over, he caught Angela's lips in a quick kiss. "Be right back, baby."
"If anythin' happens to him, I will end you," she threatened, glaring at Chibs.
Chibs nodded, his amused smirk barely hidden as he headed out the door. Happy kissed his mother quickly before following after. As soon as Juice took a step closer, Angela grabbed his hand tugging him back, a worried look in her eyes. Juice settled his hand on her neck, thumb tracing over her jawline. "I'm gonna be okay, Angel," he said, leaning forward to kiss her before gently bumping his forehead against hers. "Love you."
She smiled just a little and nodded. "Love you too."
He kissed her once more and followed Happy out of the room. The three of them walked towards the elevator in silence before sharing the most awkward elevator ride to the bottom floor where the old chapel was. Juice clenched his fists tightly, trying to remain calm as he walked down the familiar hall. The SAMCRO prospect guarding the door opened it for them, nodding to Chibs as he did so. The inside of the chapel was split in two. SAMCRO sitting in the pews on one side, the Mayans on the other.
Juice stood awkwardly in the center aisle, unsure of which side to sit on. There was no way he was going to sit with the Sons, but he didn't want to assume the Mayans would be okay with him sitting with them either. Lino beckoned him over with a smile, patting the space beside him in a way that made Juice roll his eyes. He sat down in the spot, though, resolving to stay quiet and listen unless someone spoke directly to him.
The plan was simple enough. That night, the two clubs would ambush whatever warehouse they were keeping Dia and Chloe in. Piper had already mapped out their routines and found out when the least amount of people were there. "They have cameras," Piper said, standing tall and confident despite only being a prospect. The kid was on a mission for revenge, and he seemed determined to get it. "I know where they are, and they look wireless, but I couldn't hack my way into the system. Ken tried, but he couldn't either."
Juice bit back a grimace; this was why they needed him. While he'd taught Kenny a lot about hacking and coding, breaking into security systems was not something they'd really gone over. It wasn't needed in their normal, ordinary lives in Texas. He felt his leg start to shake as his nerves set in. He wanted no part in this, no part in anything that could possibly lead to jail time. All the illegal outlaw shit was behind him. He had too much to lose now. There was no way he was going back inside and leaving his family to fend for themselves in Charming. He'd left Angela once before, he wasn't about to do it again.
"Juice?" Piper's voice cut into his thoughts. "You think you can do it? Please?"
He blinked at him for a moment before sighing softly. "I can try, but I'd need a new laptop and some strong-ass WiFi so I can do it remotely. I'm not goin' anywhere near this shit."
"Coward," Montez muttered under his breath.
Tig smacked Montez upside the head while Happy leveled him with a glare. Juice didn't care, though; he'd stopped caring what the Sons thought about him a long time ago. "Nothin' cowardly about wanting to stay around for my family," he stated, shrugging his shoulder.
Marcus nodded slowly in approval. "We'll make it work. You tell me what you need and I'll get it."
"Then I'm in," Juice said on a nod. His stomach churned at the idea of helping the Sons again, but it wasn't about them. The men who'd taken Dia and Chloe had tried to hurt his wife, his daughter; he wasn't going to let them just skate by. They had to pay.
"Make a list of what you need. We'll get it tonight," the Mayan President said, slowly taking over the meeting. "You can work from Lino's apartment. There's so many people there, ain't no one gonna know who's usin' what."
Lino didn't look a hundred percent comfortable with the idea, but he nodded anyway. "WiFi sucks, though. People are always hackin' their way into my shit and stealin' my signal."
"Your old place still has all your shit set up," Tig put in, leaning forward a bit. "We still can't figure out that damn password. Chloe's the only one who can remember it."
Juice's skin prickled at the idea of being inside his old house. He hadn't even had the balls to drive by it, much less going inside of it. There were so many memories inside those walls; he wasn't sure how he'd handle it. But if all of his security measures were still in place, it would be the safest place to do his hacking. "Yeah, okay."
"Lino, you and the Santo Padre guys will go with his family," Marcus ordered. "Rest of us will make sure this plan goes smoothly."
"Montez, Rat, Tiggy," Chibs elected nodding to each one. "You guys go too."
Juice tensed at the names, watching as Montez scowled at the assignment. He knew there was no love lost between Montez and Angela; they hated each other. He met Happy's gaze and knew he was thinking the same thing. "Not Montez," Hap stated definitively.
"I'll go," TO offered, getting to his feet. At everyone's curious look, he straightened out his cut and cleared his throat. "I wouldn't be here, in this cut, with this Reaper, if it wasn't for you, Juice. Gotta say thank you somehow."
"Thanks, man," Juice said on a quick nod. "I appreciate it."
Chibs didn't look too happy with the exchange, but he nodded anyway. "Fine. Let's get this done. Get our ladies home safe."
They'd moved them again, Chloe realized as she came to in a stale-aired room. They'd knocked them out with fucking Chloroform of all things which was surprisingly fine by her; she'd prefer chemicals to being hit in the head. Her head was covered with a foul smelling bag, hands and arms tied to her chair. She shivered a bit in the cold air, searching for any hint of sound. "Dia?" she called out. There was no response except for her own echo. She was alone. "Fuck."
A lump formed in her throat as tears came to her eyes. Being separated from Dia didn't bode well for her. Of the both of them, she was the expendable one. Dia was the wife of a club president while she...she was just Happy's...whatever. She had no doubt Happy was doing everything in his power to get her back, but the club would only go so far to support him. If it came down to it, she was pretty sure the Sons would let her die instead of risking their lives or their club.
She heard movement from behind her before the bag was ripped off her head. She took in a deep breath of the stale air, blinking in the bright light of whatever weird building they were in. It was some kind of nightclub with an open floor plan, balconies surrounding it. The scenario was straight out of some stupid action film; a helpless girl, tied up in the center of a dance floor while men with guns stood in the balconies lying in wait for her savior to come so they could try to kill him while he attempted to save her. In the film world, the hero always came through without a scratch on him. She had a feeling in real life, it was going to end very, very differently.
Charlie stepped into the light, her Louboutin's clacking as she walked, her henchman close behind her. Chloe breathed in deeply, trying to relax and appear calm, collected like she knew Angela would. She channeled her friend, drawing strength from the idea of what she would do in this situation. Lifting her head, she stared Charlie straight in the eye and said, "What action movie did you steal this set from? Could you be more cliché?"
"You would think that, wouldn't you?" Charlie asked, walking around the larger space. "But here's the thing, it may be expected and cliché, but its also predictable. Something I can control. Your boys will walk in here thinking they know exactly what's going on and never walk out."
"Bull shit. They're smarter than you think," she spat back.
"Are they? I don't think so. I tried to reason with them. With all of them. Tried to find a way we could work together, and they refused. So now, I'll slaughter them all. It'll be the end of SAMCRO and the Mayans," she explained with a wicked smile. "And you get a front row seat. Well, until a stray bullet hits ya, then there's no guarentees. Hopefully, you and your loverboy get a sweet little reunion before you die."
Chloe grit her teeth together, her hands clenched into fists. "Go to hell."
Charlie's smile widened as she stroked a finger over Chloe's badly bruised cheek. "You first, sweetheart."
Happy couldn't shake the bad feeling he had swirling in his gut as he slid his bullet proof vest over his head. He did up the straps, the heavy weight of it strangely comforting. The rest was mechanical, a force of habit. Vest on, knife tucked into its sheath hanging from his hip, Glocks locked and loaded, tucked safely away into the holsters underneath his arms, cut on. Everything about this moment was second nature to him now. He'd suited up like this dozens of times for different reasons, but this time, it was personal. Someone had taken his girl, and he was going to get her back.
Once he was suited up, he rode straight to his Aunt's new place. Nero's lowrider was parked in the drive, his brothers' bikes parked at the curb next to some flashy Mayan bikes. He sneered at them, not a fan of the glitz and glamour of the Mayan motorcycles; he much preferred the subtle style of SAMCRO. Shaking his head, he walked towards the front door, spotting the Mayans intermixed with SAMCRO around the perimeter of the house. He never thought he'd be thankful for Angela's connection with the Mayans, but he was now. Sure, SAMCRO and the Mayans had already been in good standing with each other before Angela had showed up in Charming, but with everything going on with Chloe and Dia, Angela's presence helped instill an added level of trust between the two clubs. Marcus would never do anything to hurt her, and Happy would never let anything happen to his little cousin, whether his President approved or not.
He nodded to the guards before knocking on the door. A moment went by before Rat opened the door with a nod in greeting. He wasn't wearing his cut, no one inside the house was which only made Hap smirk; he wondered how Angela was able to convince them to take off their cuts. "Sup, Hap?" Rat asked, stepping back inside to let him in.
Happy took a step inside and looked around the place. It had changed a lot since Angela had last lived there. The furniture was the same, though, except now the couch was covered in plastic just like his Ma and Aunt liked it. He found Juice sitting at the kitchen table with more than one laptop open in front of him and two more at the other ends of the table for Piper and Lino to help with. Evie was asleep in Juice's lap, her little hand clinging to the front of his shirt while he worked around her seemingly unfazed by her presence.
"Better take that cut off 'fore Angel sees you," Juice commented with a smirk.
"She don't scare me," Happy replied, sitting down at the table next to him. He looked around the place, surprised she wasn't hanging around. "Where she at?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Went on a booze run with Boner, Ken, and like three Mayans. Sent her with them to distract her. She's not happy with all this shit."
"It workin'?"
He snorted and shook his head. "No. She doesn't want me to have any part in this. Keeps trying to convince me that offering her up as bait is still the best idea."
"It's not a bad idea," Rat supplied, earning himself murderous glares from Juice and Happy that made him take a step back. "Shit. Nevermind."
"Get outta here," Happy growled at him. He waited until Rat walked outside before nodding to Evie. "I can take her to bed."
Juice kissed her forehead, breathing in deeply. "Nah. I'm good," he replied softly. At Happy's questioning look, he explained, "Need somethin' to remind me why I'm doin' this. Ang was sittin' here for a while, but she was drivin' me nuts."
"You all right?"
"I don't like this," he replied, gesturing to the screen. "An old abandoned club in the middle a nowhere? HD cameras that were relatively easy to hack into? Somethin's off."
Happy nodded in agreement, tapping his fingers on the table nervously. "You got a better plan?"
He breathed in deeply, running a hand over his face before sighing. "No. Wish I did, but I don't know enough about what's been goin' on. Don't know shit about this Charlie lady. She seems smart, though. My guess? The girls are separated. Whatever you're walkin' into tonight, there's only one of 'em that's gonna be there. They'll light the place up. Blow away everyone in there leavin' behind the weakest players in the Mayans and Sons."
"We know where they were holdin' the girls before, though. Piper said some warehouse."
Juice nodded slowly. "Yeah. Out in the boonies," he said, thinking for a moment before he smirked. "They gotta be keepin' one of 'em there. No way they found another new, secure location. If you guys pull a switch, hit that place first and then the warehouse, you could catch 'em off guard. Pull everyone from the second location back to the first. They ain't that far away from each other. With the Sons and Mayans together, that shit is doable."
Happy shook his head. "We'd have to pull guys from here to cover both."
"We don't need an army protectin' us. Just a couple guys. I know how to protect my family, Nero does too. That's two less guys from SAMCRO. Mayans got a whole charter on us and for what? Santo Padre's lookin' bored out there. Plus, Lin's crew is all tied up at both locations. They're not gonna be goin' for us. They're at the end of the line here. This is the final play. "
"And the Niners?"
"Dispensable and small. They'll be at the first location. Lin won't mind losin' them. You guys'll be doin' them a favor by getting rid of 'em. This whole thing works to her benefit. She's smart, Hap."
Happy shifted in his seat a bit, considering what Juice said. "You don't think she planned for this shit too?"
Juice considered it for a moment, his hand playing with one of Evie's pigtails. "I think she's underestimating you guys. She thinks you're stupid, too emotional to think it through. Which is true. Always has been."
He didn't appreciate the way Juice was trash-talking the club, but he wasn't wrong necessarily. A lot of mistakes had been made because his club was acting on what their hearts told them and not thinking things through. "I'll run it by the Pres. Have him take it to Alvarez."
Evie started to stir, her little brow furrowing for a moment before she opened her eyes. "Daddy? I go bed now?"
Juice nodded, dropping a kiss to her forehead. "Yeah, Monk. Let's get you in bed. You go, and I'll be right there," he said, pushing away from the table and setting Evie down on her feet. He waited until she disappeared before nodding at Happy. "Let me know what the verdict is. Boner's got a sweet drone I'm sure he'd love to use for some surveillance."
"The kid don't want him involved in this shit," Happy said on a frown.
He shrugged a shoulder. "She doesn't have to know."
Happy narrowed his eyes at him, tapping his finger on the table. "Thought you weren't keeping shit from her anymore."
Juice's shoulders sagged for a moment as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm doin' it for Chloe and Dia. She can't…she won't be upset about that. I'll tell her just not right away."
He didn't like it, but he understood where he was coming from. Juice was trying to keep her out at all costs. "Watch yourself, idiot. Don't let club shit fuck up family shit."
"Daddy!" Evie's voice called from down the hall.
Juice looked in the direction of her voice, his eyes unfocused and sad. "That's not happening," he rasped, swallowing hard before sighing. "Not this time or ever again."
Happy stared at the building knowing of the two locations the once rival clubs were going to, this was the most dangerous one. He was surrounded by his brothers and some of the Mayans. All of them wearing bulletproof vests and armed to the teeth. All of them willing to lay down their lives for Chloe. He'd never been prouder to be a part of SAMCRO. They were doing this because they knew he would do it for them. No questions asked.
"You ready to go get your Old Lady?" Tig asked, racking the slide of his gun.
He smirked and nodded, fiddling with the strap of his bulletproof vest. "Shit's gotta end. Tonight."
"You know who woulda loved this shit?" Quinn asked, a wistful tone to his voice.
"Koz," Tig and Hap replied in unison.
Quinn nodded with a big grin. "Fuck yeah. These guys went after the kid, went after Chlo…Koz woulda been ready to tear 'em limb from limb."
"Even Juicy's skinny little ass woulda been good in this fight. He was always faster than the rest of us," Tig commented on a chuckle.
"Aim was shit, though. We'd be better off with the kid here," Happy muttered, thankful his brother-in-law was far away helping them from behind a computer screen. "Speakin' of…if anythin' happens to me…take care a my kid 'n' my family."
Tig nodded solemnly. " 'course, man. Your family is our family. Somethin' should happen to me, take care a V, okay? Know she's not the most conventional…"
"We got her, Tiggy," Quinn assured him, laying a heavy hand on his shoulder. "I don't got anyone but you guys, so just take care of yourselves, aight? If shit goes down, I got your families, no matter how unconventional they might be."
"Thanks, brother," Hap said, smacking Quinn on the shoulder. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and scowled as he pulled out the smart phone and the little Bluetooth ear piece that went with it. It had been Kenny's idea to hook at least some of them up with a way to communicate with the team monitoring the video feed back in Charming. He hooked it over his ear, pressing on the button Juice had instructed him to. "I hate this shit."
"Be thankful Bones didn't find a way to hook y'all up with GoPros," Juice's voice replied in his ear. "You guys ready for this?"
Happy did a quick press check on his Glock, making sure a bullet was in the chamber, ready to go. "Yeah. We're ready."
Dun. Dun. Duuuuun. Please let me know what you think! :) Your reviews are constant reminders that all the time and effort I put into this story are worth it! 3
New chapter will be up faster than this one, promise! Hope y'all have a great day!
~Love Ink