Chapter 4:
"Set fire to the broken pieces; start anew."
―Lauren DeStefano, Sever

I just finished unpacking my clothes and I had them folded in Dad's dresser. He cleaned it out, so I guess he was making room for me. I only managed to get 2 pairs of shoes in my bag and other than the red low-tops on my feet, I had my favored black combat boots and my nebula SK8-HI Vans. The bare prescription bottle of Librium was on top of my laptop, that I somehow managed to grab in my haste, on the dresser. I decided to keep my photos and art stuff in their bags next to the dresser.

I sat on the bed and leaned forward to look under it, seeing Melinoë's eyes. I knew she wasn't going to come out from under there unless she was hungry or had to go to the bathroom. I was grateful I taught her how to use a toilet because I didn't bring her litter box and I didn't want her stinking up Dad's room. If I knew how the Spartans were, I knew the Sons mainly used these dorm rooms to get laid and I didn't want to repel any of Dad's feminine attention.

I knew I was supposed to talk to Juice about Gage and his guys. I didn't know if he was in his dorm or out in the bar, but I wish I knew because I wanted to plan a route to avoid Jax at all costs. I didn't have it out for the guy, but he just seemed like a...sexual person. He practically reeked of pussy and Gage was the same way, always smelling like he just walked out of a brothel.

I sucked it up and got off the surprisingly comfy bed. What I'd really like to do is change into something comfortable, play some tunes and start drawing. I had things to do though. I crouched on the carpeted floor and put my hand under the bed in front of Melinoë. I felt her paw on my hand and I smiled.

"I'll be back later, okay?" I promised and I felt her paw patting my hand. Melinoë was a very smart cat and I talked to her all the time, so she probably understood English.

I got up and stepped out, going down the hall. I had to stop at John's bike again because that Harley was just too damn gorgeous. I'd love to take a ride on it. Gage gave me a few lessons, but Zane was the one who actually taught me how to ride a motorcycle. I liked when he'd drive though. I could hug his back and just breathe him in. Zane always smelled like the Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb cologne he always wore and I adored it. It was masculine, but not too powerful and classy. It gave Zane that bad boy gentleman aura that constantly reminded me of James Bond, but it reflected his personality because he really was a sweetheart. Jeez, I missed him so much already...

I went out to the main area and saw Piney at the bar with Tig and Kip was behind it. Tig was leaning on the bar and when he took his shot back, he saw me.

"Hey, darlin'." He smiled and waved me over, catching the attention on the other men. Tig slid out to let me sit in the stool he was standing in front of and told Kip to make me something. "You settle in okay?"

"Yeah, the room's cozy. Melinoë decided that she doesn't wanna come out from under the bed though."

"That your sister?" Piney asked and I turned in my stool to him. Kip was mixing something in a shaker with his back to me. Piney took a shot of what I'm sure was Scotch and looked at me. Now that I was close to him, there was nothing stopping the husky musk of an earthly weed emitting from him and I wouldn't be surprised if I got a secondhand buzz. "How many rugrats does your Pop have running around?"

"Melinoë is the demon cat she adopted from Satan." Tig explained from over my head. "That is one pussy that could use a good fucking."

"You don't have a filter, do you?"

"Filter for what?"

"There's a teenage girl right in front of you and you're cussin' like a sailor."

"Technically, I am a sailor." Tig's arm stretched out next to me and his sleeve was rolled up. On his forearm, I saw a tattoo of a naked woman laying on a dagger and it looked like the kind of ink men would get if they served our country. "And what's wrong with cursing? It enhances conversations, especially 'fuck'. That's my favorite word, it goes with everything."

"Tig-"

"No, no, really. It works with everything. 'How the fuck are ya'? When the fuck did that happen? Get the fuck outta my face. Suck my fucking dick, bitch.'"

"Tig!"

"Hold on, there's a few more. 'I fucking love you. Go fuck yourself. Where's my fucking money? Who the fuck do you think you are?' And one of my most favored lines, 'Fuck off!' See? Perfect."

"It's not chivalrous to curse in front of a lady." Piney chastised and winked at me before taking another shot.

Piney and Tig started arguing because Tig believed he was the prime example of a gentleman and I was just smiling at their bickering. The Sons weren't anything like the Spartans. Gage's guys joked around, but I could feel the love between these men. It wasn't as evident around the Spartan clubhouse.

Something smooth touched my finger and I looked forward, seeing a Collins glass in front of me. The rim was coated in sugar and the liquid was a cherry red. It looked pretty good, but I wasn't sure what it was. I was used to drinking beer and taking a couple shots of Jack or Tequila, but I've never had a real drink before. Hell, I wasn't even old enough to drink.

"It's a Crushed Velvet." Kip said and I looked up at him, seeing him smile.

"Like the ones at the Hard Rock Café?"

"Exactly. The guys don't care for anything that doesn't burn when it goes down or comes out, but I keep a few safe recipes tucked back here." He nodded behind him and I saw a small black box with flashcards in it. "It tastes pretty good."

I grabbed the thick column of the glass and gave it a smell. It smelled like cherries and sweetness, like some kind of candy. I brought the rim of the glass to my lips and took a testing amount. It was like drinking a liquid cherry Jolly Rancher and I loved it. Zane's let me have a few Long Island Iced Teas and I was pretty used to them because they didn't taste like liquid acid, but this was even better!

"Whoa. Easy, easy." Kip chuckled and tugged the glass from my lips. "There's Gin in there. Take too much back at once and you'll have a hangover before you finish. Not fun."

I smiled at Kip and set the glass down. I felt some of the sugar on my lips and I ran my tongue over them, tasting the sweet crystals. I looked up at Kip and saw that he was focused on my mouth, his pupils expanding for a second. When he looked at my eyes, he smirked and I could feel the heat on my cheeks.

"Um, have you seen Juice around?" I asked quietly, trying to keep my voice steady. "Dad wanted me to talk to him about Gage and the Spartans."

"The hell kinda name is that for an MC?" I heard Piney grumble and I flinched a bit when I heard his rough cough. Tig wasn't behind me anymore and when I looked around, I didn't see him anywhere in the bar. That man was like a shadow. "I tell ya', kids don't know nothin' about keeping tradition or classical values. Still wet behind their ears and need their Mamas to wipe their asses, but they think they know every goddamn thing. How old's the President?"

"Probably the same age as Jax." Piney scoffed at me.

"Is there anyone in that MC that's gone through puberty for the last time?"

"I think their Sergeant-At-Arms, Grimm, is the oldest around there, but he's a little younger than you and Clay. That guy is just..." I shuddered at the thought of that deadly man. "You guys are much...nicer looking than the Spartans. They're a pretty rough bunch."

Piney muttered something about how the younger, naïve generation was sucking all the customary things out of the world and I was snickering with Kip. I went for that tasty drink again and Kip playfully raised an eyebrow at me. I took a few sips and set it down, getting a nod with a smile from him. Piney said he had shit to do, so he slid off his stool and pat me on the shoulder before he walked to the door.

"Don't worry about him. He's just a grouchy old man." Kip reassured me and I started drinking from my glass again. "Juice should be in his room, but give him a minute."

"He's gotta Doxy back there?"

"A what?"

"A Doxy. You know, the women that hang around just to bang the members."

"We call 'em Crow Eaters and sweetbutts around here." I started laughing and set the cup down to prevent choking.

"Of all the names, you guys pick sweetbutt?" I asked, laughing harder when he nodded.

"Hey, I don't even think I was born when the name was thought of." Kip chuckled and it made me smile. He leaned on the counter and on his folded arms. "So, where'd you come from?"

"Scotts Valley. It's kinda like Charming, nobody knows it exists and the town kinda picks who lives there."

"I think we made a pit-stop there on our way to San Jose. I usually go with Bobby when he does his Elvis impersonation shows and he had one over there a few months ago."

"Does he have another show coming up?"

"He just had a show in Salinas not too long ago. They did it last year, but I dunno if they're gonna set up a stage at Fun Town for singing acts."

"What's that, an amusement park?"

"Carnival. They setup once or twice a year. It's actually pretty cool. They've got rides, dunk tanks, photo booths, all the good stuff. The Sons always stop by for a day of fun. You'd love it."

"Save me a spot in the photo booth?" Kip's eyebrows tweaked a bit, but he smiled at me and I smiled back.

Kip promised we'd get some pictures and we kept talking about Charming. When I asked if there was a mall around here, he said their wasn't and the closest one was in the next town, but there were shops for me to get clothes from. Scotts Valley wasn't a huge place to live, but I found a decent mall that had whatever I wanted. It wasn't gigantic and it only had one level, but there was an amazing thrift store in there. It took a few months, but I managed to woo the main cashier at the mall's Game Stop and he'd always give me discounts when I'd go there. I thought about my job then.

I always had weekends off, but what the hell was I going to do when Monday rolled around? My boss' name was Carter and he was a really nice guy. He was recently divorced and he got to see his son a lot, not just on weekends. When he was interviewing me, he looked past my light criminal record and said he knew I'd be a hard worker. I really tried to be. I never called out and if I did, it was for something important. I could still hang out with Zane because I'd be working all morning to the afternoon. Some people hired a maid because they were having a party and they wanted their friends to think they were extremely wealthy. I've rarely been booked for a few of those spots, but Zane would always be there to pick me up.

The pay was amazing too. I've done my fair share of simple jobs like being a bagger at a grocery store, summer camp counselor, neighborhood dog walker, being a waitress at a diner and none of them were as fulfilling as my maid job. The uniform wasn't scandalous, the clients were usually kind, family-oriented people and my hours were perfect. Not to mention, I got a few appreciated benefits.

I came out of my thoughts when I heard a clacking sound and Kip was looking behind me. I turned and saw a woman coming from the hall of the dorms with Juice behind her. Judging from the black heels, tight faux-leather skirt, white halter crop top and her slightly frizzy butterscotch-blonde hair, she was a Doxy...or sweetgirl, whatever they called their whores around here.

The woman ran a hand though her hair and smiled when Juice put his arm around her waist, tugging her to the exit. When he came back inside, Kip and I were looking at him with knowing expressions.

"Someone just got laid." I jested.

"You guys have very dirty minds. A man and a woman can't go into a room for an hour without taking their clothes off?" Juice smirked and I shook my head, not believing a single word. "We were just hanging out."

"You're still hanging out, bro." Off instinct, I was about to look at Juice's pants, but Kip spun my stool around and I was facing him again. I heard Juice mutter a curse and I could hear him fiddling with his belt. "I'm pretty sure you didn't wanna see that."

"I didn't, thanks." Kip smiled at me and when he looked behind me, I felt like it was safe to look at Juice. He just zipped his fly up, but he was presentable.

"We need to talk about those Spartan guys, right?" He asked me and I nodded. "My computer's in my room, come on back."

Juice started going to his room and I slid off the stool, but looked back at Kip. He just grabbed my glass and looked like he was about to wipe the bar down. He glanced up at me and smiled. I smiled back and went after Juice, just barely managing to see which door he went into. He asked me to wait in the hall for a minute and I did. I could see Dad's room from here and I was surprised to see Melinoë at the door. Her head was poking out of the crack and she was staring at me. I opened my arms to her and she experimentally put one of her paws out into the hall, but slipped back inside when she heard someone's footsteps. Opie just walked by John's bike and he slowed down a bit to look at it before he kept going.

Juice finally opened his door and I was immediately greeted by the smell of mango air freshener. I guess he was trying to tidy up in here, but his dorm wasn't very messy. His fold-out bed wasn't unfurled and there weren't any piles of clothes on the floor or rotting plates of food anywhere. His room was unusually tidy and I felt like he kept it that way.

Juice motioned for me to sit in the chair next to a desk with a computer, printer and another tower-like attachment on it. I wasn't sure, but I think it was a gaming system for computers. He sat down at the desk and unlocked the computer. He pulled up a few windows and I saw a picture of me occupying one of the screens.

"Chibs got me some starter info on you." He explained and glanced at me. "Just tell me if everything sounds right. You are Marceline...Kait-rhee-own-ah Telford."

"Ka-tree-na." I corrected because I knew he'd pronounce it wrong. Most Americans pronounce 'Caitríona' how they see it, which was always the wrong way, and the less than handful of foreign people I've met were the only ones that said it right.

"Yeah, that's so Irish."

"I'm half Scottish."

"What's the difference?"

"For starters, Scots are from Scotland and Irish people are from Ireland. 2 totally different places." Juice didn't look like he believed me and he started typing on his computer. When I stole a glance at his screen, I saw him looking at Google Maps. He turned to me and I knew what he was about to say, so I pointed my finger at him. "They aren't connected. They're both part of the UK, but they're still completely different. It's like Iceland and Greenland."

"Yeah, we're so gonna talk about this later." Juice promised and smirked at me, making me smile. "Okay, you were born to Filip Telford and Rosemary Chandler on...hey, your birthday was last week. Your 19th birthday, might I add."

"Don't even try it, hotshot."

"Hey, I'm not old. Unlike all the sagging bags of dust around here who need to visit Mr. Blue to get riled up, I am a vigorous 29-year-old."

"I'll keep that in mind." I scoffed with a dismissive shake of my head and Juice smirked at me.

We went though some more of my personal information and he even pulled up the few convictions I had. He told me he wouldn't go snitching to Dad and I was grateful for it. After we were finished with my stuff, Juice started asking about the Spartans and I gave him Gage's real name because that was the only one I knew. There were just about as many Sons in this charter as there were Spartans, but I only knew their nicknames.

Grimm had to be the oldest because there were gray hairs starting to show on his chinstrap beard. The guy was the same height as Clay, but he had a little more muscle, dirty-blond dreadlocks, silver eyes and his arms were covered with tattoos. That man's been getting shipped off to war since the day he was born and that's probably why it's not common to see him smiling or laughing. He usually stuck to Gage to protect him, but Gage was really tight with Scrap.

Scrap was the Intelligence Officer and he was probably the smartest member of the Spartans. I think he was the only one that didn't drop out of high school either. His long honey-blond locks usually hid his jade eyes, but they could pierce though your skin and right to your soul. He was really good at knowing when people were lying and he always called out their bullshit, which is why he gets into a lot of fights, hence his name. He and Gage have been friends since they were 6 and 7, nothing could separate them.

Lucky had his black hair in a taper cut and he had russet eyes. He was the club's unlicensed medic and the so-called best mechanic in California. He could fix anything someone deemed a piece of shit and the guys almost nicknamed him 'Jesus' because he could save, or end, your life with a few basic tools. He's gotten out of sticky situations with a hair's length of luck, but he did get nicked across his right eye and the pink scar was there to stay.

Dutchman was the club's Martinet and he kept the Spartans in line. He was usually the one to stop fights and he decided punishments. He was usually hanging with Grimm, but they were very different men. Dutch was one sly son of a bitch and he could convince you that he was right, even when he was dead wrong. He sported a light beard and a modern mullet, but those forest-green eyes showed just how devious he was. Dutch looked like the kind of guy that's been in jail half his life and due to the prison ink occupying his chest and back, along with a few shank scars, he probably was. He reminded me of both Jax and Tig. He was a handsome man, but he was fucking crazy and he could snap your goddamn neck without a problem.

Madman Max and Beast Boy were the only blood-related brothers in the Spartans. They both had shamrock-green eyes, but Max had butterscotch-blond hair and he kept it in a faux hawk. Beast Boy's hair was dyed dark green, just like the character from Teen Titans, and he had a septum piercing. He got his name from his brother because when they'd go to the Zoo as kids, all the animals would press against the glass or get vocal when Beast Boy would come around.

Madman Max managed to get on America's Most Wanted list once, but I never figured out how he got on the list and I really didn't want to know. Other than that, there are lots of videos of this man on high-speed chases and upon watching some of them, it looked like a real-life version of Grand Theft Auto while Beast Boy was the asshole you'd see on YouTube doing something incredibly stupid or reckless because he was dared to do it. Needless to say, neither of the brothers were camera shy. Max and his brother didn't have specific positions, but they had deep connections with a lot of Kingpins and I'm sure that came in handy.

"There's no Vice Prez?" Juice asked and I shook my head.

"When the President dies, doesn't ride for 3 weeks or decides to step down, his son gets the President patch. If there's no heir, the remaining members vote on who they want the next leader to be and the vote has to be unanimous before the current President can step away."

Juice nodded, but was still typing on his computer. He said it was going to take a minute for him to dig up any dirt on the rest of the Spartans without their real names and I might have to pick out their faces, but he promised he'd get something.

"Is it safe for me to talk to anyone from back home?" I asked as Juice was typing away. I wasn't sure what he was doing now.

"You leave a boyfriend behind?"

"...no."

"A girlfriend?" I rolled my eyes at the suggestive tone in his voice.

"No, Juice. It's just a really close friend of mine, Zane."

"Do you know his last name?" When I didn't answer, Juice turned to look at me, but kept one hand on the keyboard to type without looking. Zane had a criminal record, but I didn't know how bad it was and I know he wouldn't want someone snooping through his past. I accepted whatever he was willing to tell me and I didn't pry about anything else, but that murder topic would always come up because he never gave me anything. If I told Juice, I could find out, but that would be sneaky. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna send an anonymous tip to the FBI, CIA or ATF if he's gotta pricey warrant out. Outlaws gotta stick together."

Juice put his hand up and crossed his heart, making me smile. I'd never think he was a snitch because he wouldn't be in this MC if he was. I don't think he'd be alive if he was. Gage told me that snitches or moles, people undercover who try to get into their club, always get found out and they get the shit beaten out of them. I wasn't sure if it was to death or just to an extreme point, but the damage was pretty bad.

"Nakano." I muttered softly, still unsure if I should've told him. Juice asked me to spell it and I did. He typed Zane's name into some kind of search engine and I saw a lot of pictures come up. "That's him."

Juice stopped scrolling and I scooted my chair closer to point at Zane's picture on the screen. This picture wasn't outdated and it looked like a mugshot. He didn't look too happy in the picture, but just seeing him made me relax. I haven't been in Charming long, but I missed Zane and I wanted to know what he was doing...if he was okay. He probably didn't know where the hell Charming was and he wasn't going to risk getting in contact with me if he knew I wasn't in the clear yet. I didn't know what the hell Gage was doing either, but he knew about Zane and the last thing I wanted was for him to go starting wars on his quest to find me.

"Does, uh..." Juice started and clicked another tab. A window popped up next to Zane's and it was another mugshot of Gage. "Does Gore-"

"Gage."

"Right. Does he know about Zane?"

"I dunno. He knows what Zane looks like, but I don't think he has any personal info on him."

"I gotta figure out how good of a tracker this Scrap guy is, but for right now, I don't think it's a good idea for you to talk to him. Any calls you make should be from a Burner, I'll get you one later. If you've got any social media accounts, don't use them. Keep your phone's GPS off and try to use your personal for emergencies only. You have your phone on you?"

I nodded and took my phone out of my pocket. I handed it to Juice and remembered my lockscreen, but he was already tapping away. Something dinged on my phone and he looked at his computer. A few seconds later, the PC chimed and a black pop-up box appeared. Juice typed some things in on my phone, the desktop, got another ding from both devices and handed my phone back to me. When I turned it on, the lockscreen was still activated and when I unlocked it, there were no new notifications, downloads or apps.

"Look all you want, won't find anything." I looked up from my screen and saw Juice smirking, but he was focused on his computer. "I don't leave any traces behind."

"What'd you do, steal all my pictures?" He scoffed at me and I smiled.

"I installed some software on your phone. Any calls or texts you get will come to my computer and I can trace where they came from."

"Goodbye privacy." I muttered.

"I'm not gonna be watching you 24/7. I do have a life." He scoffed and I smiled. "I put all our personal numbers in there and I'll take a look at any new numbers that contact you. It'd be easier for the both of us if you'd give me a heads up if you're texting some guy or one of your girlfriends, so I can put them on the safe list."

"So, I'm allowed to leave the clubhouse?"

"You gotta gun?" He asked and I leaned forward to take the pistol out, showing it to him. "Badass design. You know how to use it?"

"Yeah."

"You ever shoot someone before?"

"In the leg. Some tweaker grabbed me when I was walking home alone."

"What the hell is a tweaker?" Juice laughed and I smiled. These guys were from a totally different planet.

"Someone who's hooked on drugs, but they usually tweak their dope with acetone or bath salts to try to make it stronger."

"I've never heard that one before. We usually peg 'em as Junkies."

"You guys just have your own dictionary around here, huh?"

"Sure do. Get used to it, darlin'." He chuckled and I pegged that as a major compliment around here. Clay, Jax and Tig have called me that since I got here. "I'd give you the green light on wandering around Charming, but you should probably check with your Dad."

I nodded in understanding and Juice went back to typing on his computer. I looked around his room again and noticed a few videogame or horror movie posters taped on some of the walls. I think he was older than Kip, but not by too many years. Juice seemed like a pretty chill and funny guy. I liked his smile too. It was dopey and silly, but sweet. Maybe he'd let me hang around him.

We both looked to the door when we heard the sudden commotion and Juice blindly tapped a button on the keyboard that made the screen go black. We got up to investigate all the noise and ventured into the bar again. All the Sons were in here and they were kinda crowding around something. Opie's tall frame was blocking my view and when he turned, I got to see what they were so excited about.

There was a tall man, not as tall as Opie, with tanned skin and the darkest onyx eyes I've ever seen. He had a toothpick in his mouth and he was smirking at all the Sons because they were patting him on the back or giving him a hug. I couldn't shake the feeling that I've seen the guy before, but he probably just had one of those faces.

"Is that Quinn?" I asked Juice and he shook his head. He pointed to the bar and another ginormous man was sitting on a stool, getting a beer from Kip. He was about the same height as Opie and they both had black beanie hats on, but Quinn was a dark honey-blond.

"That's Happy."

"What's his deal? Kip said Tig was afraid of him."

"Everyone's afraid of Happy. The man is the Devils' firstborn."

"Is he an Enforcer?"

"You could say that. He just likes getting his hands dirty and when the Tacoma charter doesn't have any work for him, he usually comes to us."

I looked back at Happy and tried to figure out what made him so fearful. His name was Happy, for God's sake. His eyes were hard and cold, but they weren't fazing me. He wasn't smiling anymore because he was listening to whatever Clay was telling him and his impassive face wasn't anything chilling either. He was muscular and his tattoos made him look tougher, but I wasn't feeling this terrifying vibe Juice was talking about. I still couldn't pinpoint how I felt like I've seen this guy before. Tacoma was ringing a bell though.

"Marci, come meet Hap!" Dad called with a laugh and I nodded. Juice went over to the bar and I went to meet Happy. Dad put me in front of him and his hands were on my shoulders. Happy was staring at me and I was staring right back at him.

"Who's this?" He asked and his voice was raspy, but deep. I could tell he smoked and drank a lot.

"My daughter, Marceline. She just came into Charming and she's gonna be stayin' with us."

"'Sup, little girl?" Happy shot me a nod and I narrowed my eyes at the name he called me. I did not like being patronized.

"Nothing much. How's it hangin', old man?" He huffed at me, but he didn't smirk and if it was possible, his eyes got darker.

"Ballsy kid." The words scraped out of his chest and he walked off, eyeing me the entire time.

"He's a charmer." I said sarcastically and Dad chuckled.

I decided to hang out at the bar because all the Sons were stilling welcoming Happy back and Quinn just went over to one of the tables they were sitting at. Kip took the men a few beers and stayed back at the bar with me. We started talking again and he told me about his Prospecting year coming to an end, hoping he'd get patched-in; Juice joined us after a minute.

Juice, Kip and I were chatting away about just about everything. Our conversation ranged from how we'd survive the Zombie Apocalypse to the hardest videogames we've ever played to the cheesiest rom-coms Hollywood's ever produced and our favorite music. I wasn't surprised when I found out they were mainly into different genres Rock, but Juice liked Rap too.

Juice excused himself when he got a call and from the look he shared with Kip, he was probably about to get laid again. I was turned around in my stool and watched all the guys hang out. Opie and Jax were playing pool, laughing and talking. While Jax was lining up his shot, he looked at me and gave me the most devilish smile imaginable. I took my eyes off him and found Dad talking with Tig on a sofa. The doors to the Chapel were opened, revealing Bobby and Clay shuffling around inside with papers or binders. Happy and Quinn were on either side of a beam, talking. Quinn was drinking a beer and Happy looked like he was patting himself down for a cigarette.

"What's that?" Kip asked from behind me and before I could turn around, I felt his hand around my wrist. I turned around and Kip tugged my hand up to his eyes, turning it to scan the ink going down my left wrist. "I didn't know you had any ink. What's it say?"

"Sukoshi kitsune." I answered softly. I could almost feel his hair and if I was gallant enough, I'd touch it. It was that close to my fingers. Kip still had his eyes on the ink, but he looked at me and I felt myself starting to blush. "I-It's Japanese."

"For?" He asked and my eyebrows came down in confusion.

"...for what? Oh! The tattoo, right." Kip smiled at me and I smiled back, but mine was a nervous one. "Um, 'little fox'. Well, that's what Zane said it means and he's from Japan, so he knows what he's talking about. He taught me a few words and he said that's what I am, a fox. When he first saw me, he said I looked like a fox because of my hair and I thought that was weird, but he said it was cute. He doesn't call me that though, he calls me 'babe' a lot and I don't know if he's joking or if he likes me or if I'm just misreading him completely, but I don't know and I never asked. Guys are confusing and weird."

Kip's smile got bigger as I kept rambling on and when I heard him laugh, I stopped to smile.

"A friend of the club, Irish Freddie, usually stops by for some parties and he's responsible for most of the guys' tattoos." He said and he set my arm down on the bar, but was tracing my tattoo with his finger. My wrist was tingling and the feeling was shooting up my arm. "Happy's a tattoo artist too. He could ink you up some more."

Forgetting my moment of bashfulness, I thought about my sketch books and all the things I've drawn. I had green books reserved especially for tattoo concepts that I thought would look amazing on me or someone else. I drew a few for Zane and he liked them. He took a page and said he was going to get it inked on him. It was a bird made out of musical notes and I wasn't sure if or where he got it inked, but knew he loved it. I got a little sad then.

Juice said I shouldn't talk to him because Scrap could track one or both of us down and someone was going to get hurt. That was the last thing I wanted. I really didn't want to forget Zane either. After all the things we've done and all the history between us, it was hard to let go...but I guess I had to...

"I've got a bunch of ideas line up." I finally said something and kept my head down for a second, but picked it up to look at Kip. "I drew some Alice In Wonderland sketches and I'd love to get them inked."

"That's your favorite movie?" I nodded and he smiled at me.

"And my favorite book. I'm pretty sure the pages are stamped into my brain."

"Prove it." He challenged and I wasn't expecting that, so my eyebrow quirked, which made him smirk. "I've read the book a few times, tell me your favorite line."

" 'Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.' " Kip crossed his arms over his chest, so I guess he wasn't impressed by the quote and I smiled at him. I liked a challenge. "Fine. 'Little Alice fell down the hole, bumped her head and bruised her soul.' Your turn."

"It's not from Alice In Wonderland, but it's by the same author and I think he's referencing her."

"What's the book?"

"Through The Looking-Glass. You read it?"

"Never got the chance to."

"I've gotta copy of it, I'll you borrow it. The last chapter is an acrostic called A Boat, Beneath a Sunny Sky. The quote though, it's 'Still she haunts me, phantomwise, Alice moving under skies. Never seen by waking eyes.' "

For a moment, we simply stared at each other. We weren't smiling or frowning and the light commotion from around the bar was muted. The quote he picked was better and I felt like there was something hidden in his words, some emotions that were directed to whomever he decided Alice was. When I saw that sparkle in his eyes, I gave in and giggled. He laughed with me for a second and the happiness I felt, just by talking about something as simple as books, was a divine feeling. I felt like I was fitting in around here, a sense of normality.

"You're an artist?" Kip asked. I lightly scoffed and smiled at him.

"Not to brag, but I did graduate from the Academy of Street Graffiti to Pen and Paper with high honors." Kip laughed at me and I smiled because it warmed my heart. It was a genuine laugh and most people couldn't tell the difference from a forced or fake one, but I could. After I got sick of doing Community Service for my street art, I decided to stick to drawing the lawfully moral way. "I think 'Artist' is a bit of a hyperbolic title for me."

"You draw, doesn't that make you an artist?"

"It makes me someone that likes to illustrate." I quipped and he smirked.

"Maybe you could sketch something for me?" He asked and I felt the blush on my cheeks again. Kip suddenly looked nervous and he ran his hand through his hair before settling it on the back of his head, lightly scratching. "I mean, you know, for the Sons too. Jax, Ope and Juice have been talking about getting more tattoos."

"I guess if they like any of my sketches, they could get them and I could...draw something for you too..."

"That'd be awesome." Kip smiled and I did too, but we both cringed at the simultaneously loud pair of noises.

The first one was the classic rock that suddenly blared from what sounded like 20 speakers and the other one was the rowdy crowd of people that just came in. I could categorize the Randoms from the Doxies and and one of the women looked to be a natural vanilla-blonde with bright sapphire eyes. There was a cropped, black vest that barely grazed her waist and her fuchsia bra was showing from the opened button. Tight, white shorts barely covered anything and she was wearing black platform pumps. Her hair and makeup looked like they were styled by professionals and she was...attention grabbing for sure, but she had the same lecherous vibe that Jax had.

Once people stared coming over to the bar, I went behind it with Kip and watched as the clubhouse came to life. I've been to a Spartan party and I knew that in the next 10 minutes, there would be naked bodies passed out everywhere and most of the members would be in an obscene position with one of the...Sweet Crows?

So long as I didn't see Dad naked or getting friendly with any of these women, I'm pretty sure I could handle a Sons of Anarchy clubhouse party.