11:58 pm:
With the letters in hand, I took a seat at the kitchen table, waiting for my husband to make it home.
I could feel the irremovable lump in my throat continue to swell with each passing second.
My overly active fingertips began playing with the corners of the aged letters when the sound of Jax's motorcycle broke through the rather still night air just outside our home.
I turned my head toward the window and placed the letters down onto the table.
I moved the curtain back with my hand to get a clearer view of my man.
He removed his helmet, hanging it onto the bike's handle closest to him.
He quickly ran his gloved right hand through his flattened locks and bent down next to his bike, opening up the saddlebag and pulling out a white multi layered grocery bag.
I turned away from the window and looked down at the letters.
This was it.
Jax unlocked the door to the front of his home, letting out a sigh of relief.
He was so happy to finally be home with his wife and son.
Without noticing Mel sitting at the kitchen table, he walked past the entrance way to the kitchen, sliding his leather kutte off of his weary shoulders.
Once the kutte was placed on its usual hook, he made his way into the kitchen with the grocery bag.
His blue eyes found mine, causing him to slightly jump back in surprise.
"Hey darlin'. I didn't see you sittin' there," he greeted, setting the bag onto the table.
He made his way over to me, placing a tender kiss on my lips.
"Hey baby, how was your day?"
"Eventful. I'll tell you all about it when we get our asses to bed."
" Okay. What's in the bag?"
Jax opened the bag and began removing the items.
"I got you some more ginger ale to help with your nausea and I picked up your scripts that you dropped off earlier and failed to pick up."
God damn it. I knew something on my internal to do list was completely neglected. I just couldn't figure out what the hell it was.
Until now, of course.
"Oh shit, I completely forgot."
"Babe, I'm not trying to sound like your father here, but you can't just forget when it comes to your meds."
"You're absolutely right. I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Promise. Thanks for picking them up for me. But, you didn't have to get me more ginger ale. I still have two more liters in there that you bought yesterday," I stated with a smile.
He walked the bottle over to the refridgerator, yanking open the stubborn door.
"It's better to have it on hand, ya know," he responded as he made a clearing for the ginger flavored beverage on the last shelf.
" True. Thanks baby. You're always taking care of me."
He closed the fridge and turned around, smiling at me.
He yanked his riding gloves off and shoved them into the back pocket of his baggy jeans.
"It's in the vows, darlin'. Hey, is everything okay? You're usually dressed down to nothin' and in bed waiting for me 'round this time of night."
I shook my head no.
"No, actually. Jax, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."
Jax's beautiful blue eyes filled with concern and he pulled out the kitchen chair closest to him, taking a seat across from me.
"What's going on, Mel?"
I took a deep breath, feeling the fucking lump in my throat begin to pulsate.
"A couple of months ago, I was doing menial chores around the house to keep my mind off of you not coming home another night when these literally fell at my feet."
I picked up the letters from the table and handed them over to Jax.
"What are these?"
"Letters that John wrote Maureen Ashby. She slipped them into your duffel before we left Belfast."
"Have you read them?"
"I have. Your father paints a pretty vivid picture of who was really responsible for his death. I learned the truth and so should you."
Jax's eyes fell from my own and he began reading the first letter.
Dressed down to a wife beater and his favorite black sweatpants, Clay slowly climbed into bed next to Gemma.
"Did you talk to Mel about the letters?"
" I did. She's not going to give the letters to me. She wants to give the letters to Jax."
Clay's body automatically tensed and he sat up against the headboard.
"She actually came out and said that?"
"Yeah, but I know she won't actually do it. She knows what will happen if those letters are brought to light."
"I.. We can't take that chance, Gem. You said you would handle it, yet those letters are still in her possession. Now I'm gonna handle it, my way.
The tone in his voice immediately changed, causing her consistent worry to get kicked into overdrive.
Gemma moved her body out from under the covers, bringing herself in front of her husband.
"Mel would never hurt this family. She will come to her senses. Clay, promise me nothing will happen to her. This is the mother of our grandson and the wife of our son we're talking about here. I know I can get through to her."
"I promise."
The next day:
Clay leaned up against his bike which was parked outside of the barn located on Elliot Oswald's extensive property.
A large silver Hummer soon pulled up a couple feet away from his bike.
The back doors of the vehicle opened up in unison as Romero Parada and Luis Torres made their exit.
"Hey pres, our meeting wasn't until tomorrow, am I right?", Romero asked once he reached Clay.
Clay stood up straight and nodded.
"You're right. The reason I needed to meet with you is not necessarily about club business. It's personal."
"Okay, we're listening," Torres stated.
"My son's wife.. she came across some information and I'm afraid she'll expose us all if we don't put her down."
"To take care of this threat won't come cheap."
"That's not a problem. But, her death can't be traced back to me."
" That won't be a problem either. Our contracter knows what he's doing. We'll supply you a phone to arrange the time and place. And Clay, once it's set in motion, it can't be stopped. You understand?"
"Understood."
"I'm proud of you Mel. You came forth and told Jax the truth," Britt smiled as she took a seat across from me at the picnic table outside of Cara Cara.
I opened the bag containing our lunch from Riker's Deli, pulling out her overly seasoned macaroni salad.
I set the wrapped plastic spork on top of the lid, sliding her meal in front of her.
"Thanks Britt," I replied, moving the bag away from me, suddenly losing my appetite.
"How did Jax react once he read them?", she asked, ripping the plastic and removing the spork from its now torn wrapper.
"He fell quiet and just let himself marinate in what he just read. He was gone early this morning and haven't heard from him since."
"What do you think he'll do?"
" I have a good idea of what he'll do and I'm sure you do too."
Britt stopped eating and let her imagination run wild.
"Even though the outcome of this will most likely be bloody, I still believed you did the right thing."
"Yeah..", I trailed off, breaking eye contact with my best friend.
"What? You no longer think so?"
"No, I do. I stand by my decision. I just don't think I'll get out of this unscathed is all."
"Mel, why are you talking like that?"
"You didn't see how Gemma looked at me yesterday. When I refused to give her those letters, I drew a god damn target on my back. I'm just trying to mentally prepare myself for the worst."
Britt reached across the table, taking my hand in hers.
"Well, you can stop. Nothing is going to happen to you, okay?"
"Okay?", she repeated, lightly shaking my hand.
"Okay."
"Good. Now, please eat something. You need to keep your strength up and you can't do that on an empty stomach."
"You're starting to sound like my husband."
"That's because we have plans wrapped up in you. Such as me being godmother to all ten of your unborn children."
"Ten. I'll be lucky if I push out one."
"You'll have ten and one of them is named after me, of course."
"Of course," I replied, winking at her.
A black van pulled up to the entrance of Cara Cara.
The five men crouched down in the back with Ak-47s loaded their weapons and covered their faces with black ski masks.
" You heard what Morrow said. Aim anywhere but her face," Mateo stated, getting nods from the four men.
The van turned into the parking lot and the back door swung open.
The armed men stood to their feet with their fingers on the trigger, spraying the entire building with bullets, saving Melanie for last.