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Chibs is making breakfast. He would admit to anyone who asked that he's not doing a great job. Despite living alone for most of the last 12 years, he rarely cooks. The eggs on River's first morning at the house had been a valiant effort on his part and he knows they were not appreciated. This morning he's attempting a packet of instant pancake mix found at the back of pantry. He pushes at a messy looking pancake with the spatula and slides his eyes over to River perched on a barstool at the kitchen pass through.
She has a book open on the counter but he's pretty sure she's not making any progress. He doesn't blame her. He's not sure he'd be able to focus on Pride and Prejudice with today hanging over him either. He's having a hard enough time with the pancakes and they really aren't that complicated. She looks up and catches him watching. A slow smile spreads over her face and she picks up her phone from the counter.
Like what you see?
She gives him a wicked grin as the phone reads the words out and he shakes his head. "Yeh start that up and we're going to end up back in bed." He's not kidding. She's wearing one his shirts and he knows there's nothing on under it, one long bare leg pulled up on the barstool. He can still remember the feeling of that leg wrapped around his hips as he moved above her the night before.
It might be more enjoyable than eating those. Are you sure the mix didn't go bad?
He drops the spatula on the counter and turns off the gas with a huff. The entire attempt really doesn't look good. He turns to face her silently weighing dragging her back into the bedroom against ordering out for breakfast when his prepay starts to ring. Jax's name lights up on the screen and Chibs shoots River a warning glance before answering. They don't need a repeat of his last phone conversation with the VP.
"Hullo" Chibs pulls out a stack of take out menus from the junk drawer as he speaks. Tossing them to River he moves into the other room.
"We've got a problem." Jax sounds agitated and tight.
"What's going on brotha'?" Chibs forces himself to keep his shoulders loose as he talks. He knows River is watching him.
"Luis called Clay this morning. He wants to pick her up today. Clay is supposed to call him back with a location." Jax speaks over the jangle of keys and Chibs can tell the younger man is actively getting ready for a long day. "We have to get everyone to the table, now." Chibs glances back to River, she's examining a menu for a diner up the road. She looks relaxed but the hand rubbing up the back of her hair reveals her nerves.
"Aye. I'll bring her in. Yeh call in the lads?" Chibs can feel reality settling in.
"Most of them are already there. I'll see you in 30." At least Jax sounds confident.
"We'll be there." Chibs turns to face River now and she looks up at the movement her eyes locked on his mouth.
"Chibs, it'll be fine." The reassurance coming from the VP feels in direct conflict to the earlier confidence.
"Aye, see yeh Jackie-boy." River's eyebrows go up and her face asks a question when Jax's name falls from his lips but Chibs just closes the phone and then speaks clearly for her benefit. "Get dressed we have to get to the clubhouse."
She is calm as they quickly get ready and mount the bike. He can feel her steady against his back, her legs braced on either side of hips as he rides and she's getting a lot better at leaning into the turns. It's not until they hit the long stretch leading to Teller Morrow that Chibs feels her fingers start to tap nervously against his stomach. They only have five minutes until they're supposed to be at the table but Chibs pulls over anyways.
She's off the bike like a shot and he kicks down the stand to follow her just in time. His hands catch at her body preventing her knees from hitting the rough sidewalk. Throwing a glance over his shoulder to make sure they're alone on the street he tugs her up, holding her upper arms to keep her still and facing him.
"Deep breaths." She's not looking at his face though and he knows the words get lost in the air. Spinning her he presses her back to his front and sucks in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. She's shaking against him, her hands attempting to move in signs he doesn't know. He takes another deep breath and then another. It takes a moment but she seems to catch on and he can feel her calm as she mimics his breathing. When she's calm he turns her again so she can see his face.
"You Okay?" He speaks as clearly as he can to make the lip reading easier and tries to add the signs as he speaks.
No
Her fingers come together in the sign quickly. "Head in the game." His hands move in the signs she'd taught him for what is quickly becoming their catch phrase while he talks. The familiar motions seem to help and her eyes focus. Her fingers fumble to get out the phone and he waits patiently while she types.
What if they vote to turn me over to Luis? What if they kill me?
This is not the cool and collected woman of the last two weeks. She's got to get her head right before they go any farther. He takes a beep breath, reaching out to catch her chin in one hand so she has to focus on his lips while he speaks.
"No one is going to kill you." She takes a deep breath but he can still see what-ifs floating in her eyes. "You are Sofia Santorini. It will be fine." It's the first time he's ever said her name and it seems to bring something new into her face. He watches as she pulls the same trick she had the first night, one he's seen a few times since. Her shoulders straighten, her eyes go flat, and her body slowly relaxes until she looks calm and collected. She takes a deep breath and signs a slow thank you.
He nods, "Okay now?" He knows she's not but he can tell she's going to hold it together.
Yes
The nodding fist she uses to sign the word is steady. He moves back to the bike and climbs on, waiting as she swings a leg over and settles against his back. They're on his smaller sport bike today and he's grateful for the way it forces her against his back. He can feel her even breathing and the edge of her borrowed helmet pressed into his back, the only sign that's she's still not completely calm, the twisting of her fingers in his shirt. He turns them into the lot and almost every brother's bike is already in place. Chibs backs in the Dyna and when they're both off, helmets stowed, he leads them towards the clubhouse.
The main room is dim despite the morning light but Chibs can see most of his brothers spread out over the area. He scans over faces and finds only a few missing, not surprising given the short notice. The most gaping absences are Jax and Clay but given the sealed door to the chapel this is not entirely unexplained.
River is standing calmly at his side and he glances over just in time to see her returning a small wave from Tig. This is going to be fine. It has to be. Chibs has been holding back the events of the night before because he knows if he lets his mind replay those stolen moments it's going to send him somewhere dark. It helps that River seems to have the same goal. They'd gotten up that morning and there'd be no discussion of the shift in their dynamic, it just became the new normal.
He feels her move and she's heading for the bar. His eyes follow her but she's headed for Phil and Bobby and he lets her have the moment alone turning instead for Tig, Happy, and Kozik on the other side of the room. Knocking Tig's booted feet off the couch Chibs throws himself down with sigh.
"I don't know, man, Clay looked pissed when Jax pulled him in there." Kozik is adding to an ongoing conversation between the three and Chibs leans in to join.
"You have any idea what's going on?" Tig directs the question at him and Chibs keeps his face impassive.
"It's about the girl." Happy answers for him and the killer cuts his eyes in River's direction before he continues, "Pussy problems."
"Aye, it's about her." Chibs tries to figure out how to navigate the situation.
"Bobby hinted that you know who she is and we may not give her back to the cartel?" Kozik doesn't seem upset about this change in plans with River, just curious.
"Why wouldn't we give her back. Cartel property. Not going to keep her just because Chibs is getting his dick wet." Happy argues. Chibs pulls a face at the expression.
"I'd want to keep her if I was tapping it. Does she really talk in bed?" Tig asks the question like they're discussing the weather.
"This has got nothing to do with where I'm putting my dick and she's deaf not mute Tigger." Chibs decides deflecting is the best course of action.
"You know what I mean. Does she use those signs? Must make getting a quick hand job complicated." Tig pumps a hand over his crotch while waving the other one wildly while he speaks and the other men let out laughs.
"Yer a disturbed man." Chibs runs his hand over his face.
"Don't pretend you're not getting some though. You've been doing nothing but keeping an eye on her for almost two weeks and she's fucking hot." Kozik is giving River an appreciative look and Chibs follows his glance to find her leaning over the bar, her toes balanced on the brass foot-rest in a way that makes her ass look fucking perfect.
"Let's put my sex life away, it's not why we're here—" Chibs is about to say more when the door to the chapel opens and Clay and Jax come out. The old man looks furious and Jax is impassive.
"Chapel." Clay calls the room to attention with the single word and then points towards River, "She stays out here." It would be a strict breach of protocol to have a non-brother at the table much less a woman so Chibs isn't surprised.
"Excuse me lads," Chibs leaves the other men behind and moves to talk to River. She looks up at him expectantly and he makes sure to speak slowly, "We're going to the table. I'll be back soon." She nods and he feels for her being left out here to wonder what will happen. He opens his mouth to reassure her and then closes it. She gives him a small smile and there's nothing else to say. Turning away from her, he follows his brothers into the other room.
When everyone has filed in and taken their seats Chibs looks around. Almost all the SAMCRO brothers are present, the only empty chair belongs to Piney but the old man had been in the hospital recently so his absence isn't surprising. Clay takes his seat at the head of the table and Chibs doesn't miss the way his eyes stick to River through the open door like glue. The doors close and the gavel comes down to open things.
"It seems," Clay takes a deep breath "that our Cartel guest is a little more complicated than she appears. We've been asked to turn her back over in a few hours but I've been informed that there complications we need to consider." Clays turns to Jax as he finishes speaking and Jax takes up the theme.
"We've got confirmation she's Italian mafia." There's a number of noises from the men around the table as they take in this new development from Jax, "daughter of the Chicago outfit's number two. We're talking national scale shit here."
"And like I said before I'm still not sure why this matters. We don't have any promises made to the Italians." Clay jumps in quickly and Chibs can tell from the way Jax pinches the bridge of his nose this isn't the first time he's heard this argument today.
"It matters because if her family finds out we had her and gave her back to the people who kidnapped her the blow back could be overwhelming." Jax's voice is tight.
"Can someone start at the beginning?" Bobby, at least, seems ready to see this conversation done right.
Jax nods to Chibs, "You know more of it than any of us." Chibs nods.
"Aye." He takes a deep breath. "Lass told me her real name a few days ago, it wasn't enough to id her but she eventually admitted to the family connection. Juice managed to find her online around the same time. When pushed she admitted Luis used her real name with her the night he turned her over to us." Chibs pauses to let this information sink in and then continues. "Means that not only did our brown friends know who she is but they knew the risk they were putting on us."
"Risk they paid us for." Clay reminds the group.
"Yes, risk they paid us for but there's still several unknowns. She says she was picked up Lobos Sonora almost three months ago in Vegas, same night her da was arrested on bad evidence in Chicago. She's incredibly well connected and her disappearance was big news out east." Chibs trails off not sure how much more to add.
"Do we know what the Italian threat could be?" Opie asks, always one to do a risk assessment.
"I looked into her dad, Piero Santorini, he's a big deal in Chicago. Mostly he's the legitimate face of the business." Juice is looking over a new set of research as he speaks. "It's his boss we need to be worried about, Nic DiForno. He's her godfather, literally, and the heads of the L.A. and San Fran mob both report to him. We're within his reach without much effort." Juice throws a few pages out on to the table to support his claims.
"Blow back Galindo would certainly help us clean up." Clay seems amazed that the conversation has gotten this far.
"Did Luis tell you how big a favor this was then? Or did he lie and say we were taking on some mid-level Lobos shot caller." Jax practically shouts the words.
"What's the big plan then? Break a multi-million dollar gun deal for pussy?" Clay hasn't missed the implication in Jax's words and Chibs can tell the older man's patience is wearing thin.
"It's a good question, we can't just keep her." Tig throws his weight behind Clay.
"She has offered to call her cousin. He's high up in their organization and is authorized to negotiate while the boss is in lockup." Chibs can tell this is where Jax's plan is coming together. "I'm suggesting we let her make that call and see what he has to offer us. We could end up earning a very nice favor from some very rich and powerful friends."
"And if the cousin comes to get her with his very rich and powerful friends?" Kozik asks and his question appears genuine rather than suggestive of any type of double cross.
"Then she managed to make the call herself. Luis can't exactly call us out for letting what was supposed to be Lobos shotcaller escape into the Italian mafia." Jax's logic not only gives them an out but it emphasizes the lie from Luis and Chibs is impressed. He figures now is the time to throw in his own ace.
"Lass has indicated that the Italians might be willing to match or exceed the current gun deal with the cartel, without some of the other stipulations." There's some shuffling at the words and Chibs resists the urge to lean back in his chair in triumph. He knows the drugs are controversial even more so after the messy trip to SAMTAZ.
"She's got negotiation rights then?" Clay's voice is condescending.
"Why don't we ask her?" Bobby suggests. Chibs watches Clay slide his eyes around the room. Most of the brothers look at a minimum curious and at best hopeful for this possible way out of the drug muling. The president is trapped.
"Fine, go get her." Clay throws the gavel down in annoyance and Tig jumps up first, darting out of the room.
He reappears in the door a moment later dragging a chair, River behind him. Tig sets up the chair off to the side of the table and Chibs is almost proud of the way she sits down looking calm and confident. The look on her face reminds him of the one he'd seen in several of the pictures Juice had uncovered of her at poker tournaments. She's ready to play the game.
"How do we even talk to her?" Clay is being intentionally difficult. It's Jax who turns to River and speaks clearly into her face.
"Can you read lips like this? You can't have the phone in here." She nods and mimes writing. Bobby produces a pen and Kozik digs up a pad from one of the side tables passing them over. "Well, what do you want to ask?"
"If we call her cousin can she promise he won't retaliate against us?" Opie speaks first and Jax repeats the question to River slower. She writes quickly and passes him the pad.
"She says yes. She can guarantee it." Jax reads.
"Is the offer of a replacement deal real?" Kozik one of the most opposed to drugs speaks next. Again Jax repeats the question slower so River can lip read and she passes him an answer.
"She can promise us a deal but can't speak to the size." River passes Jax another page, "She says she knows we already supply Jimmy Cacuzza because the deal had to come through the DiForno for approval. She says there are several Cacuzza's in our distribution range." There's muttering of agreement at this statement.
"Why was she picked up by Lobos at all? Can she trust her family right now?" Happy asks and it's an astute question. Jax starts to repeat it but River is already facing happy and her pen is flying.
"She says she won't know until she calls her cousin but if her family wanted her dead she would be dead." Happy laughs at that answer.
"She's probably right about that. Italians love a dramatic threat but if you're dead to them you're dead." Happy's words come on the end of his laugh and River nods along. Then she writes again.
"She says it's not like she can call alone so we'll know everything and we've got more to gain than to lose. If nothing else we'll be paid for her return." Jax drops the last page on the table and looks at Clay a challenge in his eyes.
"Are we really going to vote on this?" Clay seems at a loss.
"It makes sense brother. At least to let her call, like Jax says worse case she got away." Bobby puts air quotes around the last part and Clay rubs his hand over his eyes.
"Fine. All those in favor of calling the mob."
Only Clay votes against and Piney is abstention in absence. It says something to Chibs that Tig voted against his president but he doesn't have time to think to hard on it because Clay is speaking.
"Take her to make the call. I will stall our brown friends." It's clearly the end of the meeting and Chibs pulls River up leading her from the room with the rest of the lads. For better or worse the wheels are in motion now.
More soon :)