Jess felt the shift in her as she glared across her desk at Georgie. Through her mind ran everything she'd been through since moving to Charming – the drive-by, the kidnapping, her attempted sacrifice. Through all of it, she had managed to reach a strength inside of herself by channeling the strongest women around her – Gemma, Luann, Lux.

And now here was Georgie Caruso, a cockroach if ever there was one, and he thought he was going to get the drop on her? Jess, who had survived death and destruction time and again and come out every side stronger, was not about to roll over for Georgie fucking Caruso. She was sick of all the people coming in and out of her life underestimating her, thinking they could use her, take advantage of her. Daisy, Zobelle, Gemma, nearly every man she'd ever dated, and now Georgie thought he could do the same.

He didn't know it yet, but he'd just made the biggest mistake of his life.

Jess felt her body relax into a sense of calm, knowing that in the end, she would win. She no longer needed to ask herself what Gemma or Luann would do in this situation. She leaned back in her chair, her mouth set in a thin line and her chin raised.

"Alright, Georgie. What arrangement did you have in mind?"

Georgie's face broke into a wide smile and he leaned over the desk towards her.

"From now on, I own you. I own you and all your girls."

"I don't even own my girls, Georgie. They don't do anything they don't want to do."

"Then you better figure out how to make them. And don't go grabbing your bottom of the barrel, either. I want your top girls on stage at Georgie's." "They'll never go for it," Jess said, shaking her head as she pictured Ima and Lyla sneering in her face for even suggesting they go dance at a disgusting pit like Georgie's.

"Not my problem," Georgie said carelessly.

"Or, instead of trying to ruin me, why don't you just make Georgie's a place girls like Ima and Lyla would want to work? Why don't you try being the competition."

"Why build it when I can steal it?" Georgie asked, grinning. Jess felt her upper lip pull in disgust. This sweaty, repulsive man would have nothing of hers.

"I'm having a private party at my house on Thursday," Georgie continued. "Got some people I want to show a good time. Have your best girls there tomorrow, 10 PM, or you and your whole club are going down."

Jess began to shake her head, but Georgie cut her off. "As a matter of fact, why don't you come, too? I wouldn't mind seeing you shake it around a pole. It might be a good reminder of your place in the world."

He strode to the office door, turning back to her at the last moment. "Go ahead and keep that recording. I've got a spare."

With that he shut the door behind him, leaving Jess deep in thought. First and foremost in her mind was the recording. That had been a private conversation between her and Nero, held right there in her office. Someone had bugged her office, which made the first problem on her newest 'to do' list to find the bug and figure out who had planted it.

She was sure Georgie couldn't have accessed her office himself – since the fire, security around Cara Cara had been at Fort Knox level. But she had girls in and out of here all day, and any one of them could be working for him. They'd be working for him full time once she figured out who they were.

She stood, looking through her bookshelves and filing cabinets, digging through her drawers, looking under chairs. Finally, as she felt around the edges of her desk, her fingers came into contact with a small plastic object. She peeled it off the desk to see a small, round recording device no bigger than her thumbnail. She set it on her desk and pulled off her stiletto, banging down hard until the bug shattered.

She sat back in her office chair, the throne of her kingdom, seething that anyone would dare try and take it from her. She'd lost her parents, lost Luann, lost Jax, and she'd be damned if anyone would take Cara Cara from her. The more she thought, the more the plan formulated in her mind, the more she realized what an opportunity Georgie had given her. After she was through with him, people would think twice before they messed with her again.

SOASOASOASOASOA

Jess had meant to drive home after work, but with all the thoughts warring for attention in her brain, it wasn't until she'd pulled up in front of her old apartment that she realized that's where she really wanted to be. She opened the door of her car and practically ran up the steps, knocking on the door.

"You know you don't have to knock, silly," Lux said as she opened the door, smiling at her. She was glowing the way only pregnant women can, her belly slightly protruding through her tank top.

Jess was so grateful to see her, so grateful to have someone in her life that she knew would always have her back, someone that was truly family to her. She threw her arms around Lux's shoulders and collapsed into her, the stress of the day too much for her to take. Lux stepped back slightly, surprised at the hug, but wrapped her arms around her.

"You live with Tig, Lux," Jess said, her face buried in Lux's hair. "There's no way I'll ever walk in this apartment unannounced." Lux giggled.

"Yeah, that's probably a good plan." They broke apart and Lux looked at her curiously.

"You all right?" she asked. Jess hesitated, wanting to be strong, but she knew she didn't have to pretend in front of Lux. She was one of the few people she could be vulnerable in front of now.

"Not really," Jess said, taking in a shaky deep breath. Lux pursed her lips, nodding.

"Tig's over at the clubhouse tonight, so it's just us. You wanna beer?" Lux walked to the fridge when Jess nodded and grabbed her a beer, tossing it to her and nodding towards the balcony.

"Like old times?" Lux said, grinning, and Jess nodded following her outside. They sat next to each other for several minutes, watching the clubhouse across the street as Jess sipped her beer.

"So, is this about Jax?" Lux asked tentatively when Jess had spoken for awhile. Jess shook her head.

"No, for once my problems do not revolve around you brother," she said. "I got into this one all on my own."

"What happened?" Lux asked. Jess sighed, finally detailing Georgie's confrontation with her, the blackmail, and the threats, as well as finding the bug in her office.

"He's such an asshole," Lux said when Jess had finished. "Any idea who left the bug?" Jess shrugged.

"It could be anyone of the girls," she said. "They've all been in and out for one reason or another." Lux hesitated, biting her lip as if to keep herself from speaking.

"There is another suspect," Lux said, looking over at Jess. Jess stared at her, her brain whirring until it finally clicked with what Lux was saying.

"Oh my God," she muttered. "How did I not see that? Fucking Daisy. She came by the day after I fired her. But that was weeks ago." Jess shuddered at the thought of being spied on for weeks.

"Well, you don't know for sure," Lux said, but Jess did. She knew as soon as the thought occurred to her.

"I'll check the tapes," Jess said. "But I can guarantee you it was her."

"What are you going to do about it?" Lux asked. Jess looked over at her, contemplating.

"First, I'm going to get those tapes," she said. "Then I'm going to deal with Georgie. And Daisy."

"Just don't… don't do anything stupid," Lux said. Jess snorted, looking over at Lux.

"You're telling me not to do anything stupid?" Jess asked. Lux shrugged.

"You really should tell Jax," Lux said. Jess looked away, shaking her head.

"This is something I have to deal with," Jess said. "And Jax and I aren't together anymore."

"He'd still want to know," Lux said. "He should know." Jess pursed her lips, not wanting to argue the point any further. Jax wouldn't know anything, if Jess could help it.

"Maybe," she finally said. "Anyway, enough about me. How are things going with you?" Lux smiled, leaning back in her chair.

"Honestly, things are amazing," she said. "I finally feel like I've found my place in the world, my purpose. Like, this is what I was meant to do this whole time." Lux ran a hand over her belly, smiling. "And Tig has really stepped up. He's been amazing, actually. He gives me foot massages." Jess grinned, reaching out to grasp her hand.

"I'm happy for you, Lux," she said, and Lux smiled back at her.

SOASOASOASOASOASOASOA

The next day, Jess was busy researching the type of bug she'd found in her office when Nero rapped lightly on the door, poking his head in.

"You doin' alright, mama?" he asked. Jess bit her lip, looking up at him. She wanted to do this on her own – wanted to beat Georgie on her own. But she knew that if she failed, she wasn't the only one fucked.

"Sit down, Nero," she said. The command in her voice caused him to raise his eyebrows, amused, and he did as he was told.

"What's goin' on?" he asked.

"Georgie," Jess said, taking out the recorder Georgie had left behind and pressed play. Their voices rang out, discussing the workings of Diosa. Nothing explicit was said, nothing that could be used in court against her, but it would be enough to start an investigation – something neither of them wanted. Nero looked grim as Jess hit stop on the recording and sat back to look at him.

"How'd they get it?" he asked. Jess held up the bug, now smashed into pieces.

"It's a radio frequency transmitter," she said. "I looked it up. Georgie left this behind so he must have copies on his hard drive and who knows where else."

"What's he want?"

"Cara Cara," Jess said. "But I'm handling it." Nero pursed his lips but nodded.

"You let me know if you need anything."

Jess nodded, appreciating his faith in her. "Thanks, Nero. And I will."

He closed the door behind him and Jess turned back to her computer, opening the program that housed her surveillance recordings and opened up the camera in the corner of her office. She rewound the tape over a month back, to the last time Daisy had stepped foot in Cara Cara. She stopped when she saw the bottle blond hair flash on the screen and paid close attention to Daisy's hands as the woman pleaded with Jess for her forgiveness.

And there it was. Her hand curled under the end of the desk, right where the bug had been planted.

Her own fucking mother.

SOASOASOASOASOA

One thing Jess didn't have was computer hacking skills. For her plan to work, she would have to be completely sure that Georgie didn't have any other copies of the recordings lying around, which would mean breaking into the computers at his house and his club and deleting his hard drives. Something outside of Jess's wheelhouse, but she knew someone who could help, if he was willing.

She pulled up to the clubhouse and parked in the lot, noticing just a few hang-arounds and crow eaters outside. She'd been hoping for a bigger crowd so that she wasn't noticed, but time was of the essence.

Nothing about her plan made her nervous. She felt strong and confident. She knew she could protect herself, her club, her girls, and Luann's legacy. But the thought of walking in to the clubhouse and seeing Jax suddenly made her weak in the knees. Their last interaction flashed through her mind and she could feel herself wrapped in his arms. It felt so good, as if all her problems could disappear if he just held her.

She forced herself to think of the way he looked at her at the zoo. The anger distorting his expression, the emptiness of his eyes as he looked at her as if she were nothing to him. The words he spat at her as he told her they were over.

She stood from her car, pushing her shoulders back before making her way to the doors of the clubhouse. The music was low and she saw most of the guys sitting around a table laughing over a drink. She spotted Jax before he saw her, and she felt jealousy rip her heart a little wider as she watched some croweater she'd seen several times before sitting on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck while she laughed at something he said. She watched as he grinned at the girl, his hand moving up and down her back and Jess's spine tingled, as if missing his touch. When the girl leaned towards him and began kissing his neck, Jess couldn't stand it anymore. She almost turned and walked out, forgetting all about her plan, but Jax looked up and spotted her before she could.

"Jess," he said, grabbing the girl and pushing her off of him as he stood, looking curiously at Jess. The girl glared at Jess before turning her attention to another Son sitting at the table. Jess shifted her weight, her eyes darting around the room to avoid watching Jax walk towards her. Even his walk was sexy.

"Hey, Jax," she said awkwardly, giving him a small smile. She shifted from side to side, her eyes roaming the room before they landed on Juice, sitting at the bar talking to the prospect manning it. Her resolve came back to her, the sight of Juice reminding her why she was here.

"What are you doing here?" Jax asked.

"I thought I was welcome here," Jess said.

"You're always welcome," Jax said. "You never come."

"Just… had a hard day. Thought I'd stop by for a drink."

"A drink?" Jax said, his eyes flashing. That was obviously not the answer he was looking for. What had he wanted her to say?

Jess nodded, moving to walk around him towards Juice but he grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him. She was pressed against him, her free hand on his chest, and she wanted nothing more than to forget all the reasons they could never be together – the secrets and lies and betrayals – and kiss him. But she didn't.

"Jax," Jess said, trying to keep the pain out of her voice as she looked up at him.

"Maybe this isn't the best place for you to get a drink," he said, wincing at his own words. His eyes flicked away from hers and he let go of her wrist. She stepped away from him, staring at him in shock. She never expected him to use his power this way, but what was more, she had to get to Juice. Her plan was the only thing keeping her sane, the only thing keeping her from focusing on Daisy's betrayal. Suddenly, as she stared at him, he wasn't the man she would love forever. He was another obstacle in her path. She crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"Really, Jax?" she asked. "You're going to keep me from the club? This is the only family I have. Please don't do this, just because we aren't together anymore." Jax sighed, running a hand through his long, blond hair, before finally nodding and stepping aside.

"Have a nice time," he said, his voice dripping sarcasm as she moved around him and towards the bar.

"What's up, Jess," Juice said as she took a seat next to him. She turned to the prospect.

"Can you give us a minute?" she asked. Juice raised his eyebrows in surprise and curiosity as the prospect nodded and walked towards the other end of the bar, out of earshot. Jess kept her voice low anyway.

"I need your help," she said. Juice's eyes flicked towards Jax, who was watching them from his seat at the table, and then back to Jess.

"Okay," he said.

"And I want to ask you to keep this between us," she said. Juice studied her, taking a sip of his drink, before finally shaking his head.

"You mean keep this from Jax," he said, "and I can't make that promise." Jess sighed, finally relenting.

"Yeah, okay, fine." That just meant she couldn't tell him the whole story. She took a deep breath and pulled the destroyed transmitter and the recorder out of her purse, placing them on the bar in front of them.

"I found this bug in my office today after Georgie Caruso came in with this recording of me and Nero. A compromising recording," she said. Juice nodded, picking the transmitter up and looking at it.

"Well you killed it good," he said, grinning at her. She chuckled, nodding.

"Yeah, well, I took most of my frustration out on it," she said. "But I need to make sure that recording is destroyed. All copies of it." Juice nodded, pursing his lips as he set the transmitter down and picked up the recorder, looking it over.

"This is an mp3," he said, "which means he downloaded it onto the device from a computer. My guess, knowing Georgie, he downloaded it to threaten you and has the original sitting on his hard drive. He's not the sharpest tool."

"No, just a tool," Jess muttered. "I have an invite to a party at his house tomorrow. I figured we could get rid of it there."

"What kind of party?" Juice asked.

"I don't know. He said he had some clients he wanted to impress," she said, shrugging. Juice narrowed his eyes, looking concerned. "Which is why I also need you to get me some GHB. By tomorrow." Juice's eyes once again flicked towards Jax.

"Jess, you should really let the club handle this for you," Juice said. "Georgie is into some bad shit. These clients could be dangerous people." Jess shook her head.

"I can handle Georgie," she said. "And his clients. I just need you to help me destroy the recording." Juice sighed, rapping his knuckles on the bar before he finally nodded.

"Yeah, okay. I'll be there," he said. She smiled, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Juice," she said, standing from her chair. "Oh, and don't forget the drugs. That's important." He nodded, his lips pursed in unease.

"Yeah, no problem," he said.

Jess made it a point not to look at Jax as she made her way out of the clubhouse, but she could feel his eyes on her until the doors closed behind her.