Chapter 13:
"Jealousy is an ugly emotion that makes people do some seriously whacked shit and when a woman is experiencing it, it's worse."
―Kristen Ashley, Motorcycle Man
I woke up a bit early today, but I didn't get out of bed. It wasn't because I wanted to watch the little circles of dust play in the rays of sun shining in through the curtains or because I heard one of the Sons out in the living room or Dad's voice checking on me. There wasn't a single good reason as to why I didn't want to leave my bed or my room or this house. I was grumpy and agitated and unnerved. I hoped that having my first Spa experience would leave me feeling like an unbelievably sexy, newly hatched butterfly, but my major spike in confidence was suppressed and I was back to guarded, introspective Marceline.
At first, I just stared up at the ceiling and replayed what I saw at St. Thomas, trying to find something in my memories that made Kip look like he was pushing Cherry away or trying to make her stop shoving her tongue down his throat. I didn't find that moment... After that, I spent a few minutes flopping around on my mattress and constantly muttering about how I hated people because they were lairs or backstabbers. From his bed, Diesel was looking at me like I was crazy.
I scolded myself for acting so childish. That wasn't like me, but I haven't been myself since I came to Charming. I wasn't going to let myself simmer though. If Kip could get attention from that whore, it shouldn't be wrong for me to get noticed by someone else.
With a devious smirk to myself, I graciously threw the blanket off me and pranced into the bathroom in my underwear. I brushed my teeth, washed my face and braided my hair before heading into the kitchen, whistling for Diesel. I went rummaging around for breakfast, making 2 syrup-drenched waffles and bacon. After watching a little TV and having a texting session with Jasmine, getting an update that she and Damien were still separated, I went back into the kitchen. I remembered wanting to make Dad a nice home-cooked meal and since he spent the night at the clubhouse, I'd be delivering lunch to him.
I cranked the radio up, tied a red and white gingham apron around my neck and went searching the internet for ideas on a manly meal for lunch. I found a recipe for Shrimp with Spicy Chili and Beer sauce and I knew Dad would love it. The meal only took a half hour to make and Diesel cleaned up any of the ingredients that fell on the floor, but I think he ate a piece of cayenne pepper because he kept shaking his head and running to his water bowl every few seconds. I ended up running a cold bath and letting him drink the cool water from the tub.
I decided to make the other Sons lunch too, but nothing as special as what Dad was getting. I made them stacked sandwiches with layers of different meat and crispy bacon. Dad's lunch was keeping warm on the stove, the sandwiches were cooling in the fridge and I was back in my room, deciding what to wear today. I decided on a pair of destroyed, low-rise denim shorts and a black, loose crop-top with 'Cali Babe' written in a white, girly font. I gave my hair some loose curls that romantically spiraled around my shoulders and did my makeup. I spritzed myself down with a perfume that was a mix of strawberries, violets and vanilla. It was sweetly seductive.
I pulled on my old pair of lace-up combat boots and grabbed my fringe handbag. After making sure Diesel would be alright alone, I locked up the house and started my casual saunter down the calm streets of Charming.
When I reached Teller-Morrow Automotive, I scanned the lot for Gemma's car and Clay's bike, finding neither. Gemma must be one tough cookie if she hasn't let her husband bail her out yet and I wondered how long she'd be upset with him. Since the garage shades were up, I could see the oil-stained shirts working on cars, but almost all the Sons were occupying a picnic table that was shaded by the building. They all had their eyes on something and I looked at what they were so interested in.
Behind their table was a boxing ring and Kip was in there with a man in a gray shirt. They were boxing, well, Kip was using the other man as a goddamn sparring dummy and I was bluntly staring. All that bitterness I had because of what I saw he and Cherry doing was gone when I saw those strong arms flexing with every punch he threw and how his sweaty hair was damp and dark and sticking to his face. His tank was tightly clinging to his chest and it was drenched in sweat too, but it showed off his toning torso. Christ, if I got close enough, I bet I could smell the masculinity leaking off him. He looked so focused too, so determined and sedulous about his jabs or punches.
I caught the aqueous tinge of Kip's eyes flash over here and he smiled at me, but ducked a half-assed swing from the other man. They laughed it off and got back to their sparring. I made my way over to the table being occupied by the Sons and the first person to notice me was Juice because he whistled, making the other men look at me. He was sitting with Quinn, Bobby and Tig, Dad was ringside with Happy. The Nomad pat Dad on the shoulder, then came to join the others, his eyes acknowledging me.
"Told you, guys. She went from hot to hotter overnight." Juice commented to the table and he smiled at me, but I flipped him off.
"Just for that, you don't get any food."
"You made us lunch?" Quinn politely asked and I nodded, lifting the yellow bag that was holding their sandwiches.
I set the bag on the table and gave each man the Ziploc bag with his name on it, taking a seat next to Happy. The men thanked me for lunch, but they were already halfway finished their sandwiches. There were 4 left, one for Jax, Opie, Clay and Piney.
"Keep your hands up, Lowell!" Tig advised, yelling behind me with a mouthful of food, and I looked to the ring again. Kip had the other man in a corner and Dad shook his head.
Dad turned and started over here, taking his sunglasses off when he saw me. He slung an arm around my shoulder and gave me a peck on the head, looking at the Sons devouring their meals. I handed him his still warm container and he popped the cap off.
"There's beer sauce in there, I can smell it." Bobby said and Dad sniffed his food.
"It's shrimp and chili with beer sauce." I corrected and Dad took a second to praise Christ for giving him a daughter that loved him enough to make him a good meal.
Dad started eating and like I knew he would, he didn't get put off by the amount of spices in his lunch. Juice asked him if he could have a spoonful and he flipped out, running inside the clubhouse to get something to douse his mouth with. For a Puerto Rican, his tolerance to peppers is pretty low. For a minute, I sat with the Sons and they all expressed their opinions about Dad getting a better lunch than they did. I always looked behind me to watch Kip fight for a minute, then tore my eyes away before he'd catch me. He's been preoccupied with his sparring, but I could always feel his eyes on the back of my head.
Everyone's head turned to the sound of 2 bikes pulling in and I was happy to see Clay walking as a free man. Jax was parking his bike, but Clay was already investigating the fight going on behind us.
"Lowell, get outta there." He said to the man in the ring with Kip. He was hanging on the ropes now, but Kip backed off.
"I don't mind, Clay." Lowell panted. "I'm just helping Half-Sack train."
"Yeah, well, you've killed enough brain cells for one day. Back to work." Lowell raised a hand to Clay and Kip slid out of the ring, thanking him for the training. Clay came to sit at the table and I gave him his sandwich.
"Gemma come home?" I asked and he nodded, pulling the plastic bag open. Jax dragged a metal bucket to the table and I gave him his lunch, getting a smile from the blond. It wasn't innocent and friendly either. His eyes were grazing along the neckline of my top.
"How's Sugar Ray One-Nut looking?" Jax asked and the table chuckled.
"He's real fast, gotta great a right hook." Dad answered, but he was more focused on his food, slapping Tig's hand away when he tried to take the bowl from him.
"How much money gets thrown around at these bare-knuckle things?" Clay asked Tig and the dark-haired man wiped his mouth clean of mustard or crumbs.
"The purse is okay, but it's the betting that's gone crazy. I know a couple guys that made six figures from one fight."
"The Prospect could knock any one of those lightweights out, no questions asked." Dad said and Tig agreed. Clay was nodding and rubbing his chin, watching Kip jab at the punching bag. He took a bite of his sandwich, then set his eyes on me.
"Maybe we should get Marci in there too, start the first annual SAMCRO Ladies Clawin' and Brawlin' competition." He chuckled and I rolled my eyes. "How we feel about this, boys? We gotta make 80 grand in 4 days. Half-Sack goes in strong, wins the first few rounds and everyone bets on him, odds are in our favor. I think it's pretty solid. Hear, hear?" Almost instantly, the rest of the Sons agreed and Clay smacked his hand on the table, giving a small whoop. "Chibs, you're in charge of training. Kid gets no booze, weed or pussy." Dad nodded, tipping his head back with the rim of the bowl on his lips to sip at the remaining sauce.
"Does that include the Nevada sweetbutt?" Bobby asked and my ears perked at the mention of that whore, envy already starting to creep up on me.
" 'Till I'm up 100K, that little cherry tart can cool on the counter." Clay dismissed. "She's been around here?"
"Yeah, stopped by earlier. Said she was lookin' for Gem to apologize."
"Bitch tried to pounce on Half-Sack again, won't take 'no' for an answer." Happy grumbled. "She's gonna bust his other nut at the rate she's goin'. "
"You know where she's staying?" Clay asked and Happy jerked his chin to Bobby. Clay turned his head to his Secretary, but I saw him glance at me. "Bobby, pay a visit to our little cherry pie, push up on that."
"Whatever you say, Prez." Bobby started for his bike, looking like one happy camper as he got closer. He was just assigned to get laid, what man wouldn't be happy about that?
"Hap, Quinn, I need a minute." Clay pat the Nomad on the shoulder and the trio got up, walking out of hearing distance, but Quinn jogged back to get the rest of his sandwich.
"Clay told me ya' called someone dozy cunt yesterday?" Dad asked, finally finished with his chili, and I smiled at him.
"I called that ATF skank a dobber of a glakit cunt."
"Christ Almighty, Marceline." He chuckled, shaking his head.
"I'm in the dark here, guys." Tig said, confusion etched into his furrowed brows as he looked at Dad. "I've heard you say glakit before, but dobber's a new one."
"A dobber is a worthless cockend." Dad explained, laughing again. Jax was shaking his head at me, but Tig looked shocked.
"Marceline, you have a dirty mouth?"
"Tigger, where have you been?" Dad questioned, an eyebrow cocked. "The child called Rosemary a numpty scunner, which translates to an idiotic, disgustin', useless, bumblin', loathsome shite, when she was 5. 'Course, it was true and it's my fault she knows such foul words, but she still shouldn't have said that."
"What the hell is happening here?" Tig asked, clearly bewildered for some reason. "Just yesterday, you were smiling and laughing and being good. I saw a golden goddamn halo over your head, Marci. Now, you're getting into street fights and cursing and causing hell like someone's Old Lady."
"Have you not seen the charges on my rap sheet?" I questioned with a smirk and Tig's eyebrows almost flew into space.
"You've been to prison?" Dad questioned, poking me in the arm and I gave him a guilty smile.
Tig got up and was calling for Juice as he headed into the clubhouse. Dad got up too, but he told Kip to switch to the rope before he went after the SSA. Jax and I were left at the table. The blond smiled at me and came over to my side of the table. Our backs were to Kip and I was glad I couldn't feel him staring anymore.
"So, you're pretty as hell, you can cook, you can kick ass, you ain't afraid of a needle or getting arrested and you've gotta dirty mouth." Jax smirked at me and I smiled. "Why aren't we married again?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you've already gotta girlfriend named Tara."
"I don't think she's gonna come back to me. The flame's there, but I don't think she wants me back, so I'm still single." Jax gave me another one of those flirty smiles and he scooted closer to me. He turned on the bench and his legs were on either side of it as he leaned in close. His fingers found a lock of my hair and he traced it, slightly curling my hair around the tip of his thumb. "Blonde looks good on you, but those shorts look better."
"Are you trying to tell me something, Jackson?" I asked, hoping my voice came out as a somewhat seductive purr. It must've worked because I saw Jax's pupils expand, then contract and another one of those lustful smiles pulled at his lips.
Jax leaned in closer to me and his lips went to my ear, his fingers gliding on my exposed leg. I knew I was blushing, but I was biting my cheek to prevent squirming. Jax was telling me exactly what he wanted to do to me and due to his precise attention to details, I could picture each and every position he described wanting to put me in. I knew I thought he was a libidinous man before, but I just got a dose of how carnal his desires could be.
Jax pressed his lips to my ear and finally finished telling me his promiscuous cravings. To say that he didn't just get me a little riled up would be complete bullshit. Jax leaned away from me and was probably waiting to hear my response to what he just said, but Tig called him from the door of the clubhouse. He squeezed my leg and got up to walk off, glancing over his shoulder at me before he disappeared into the clubhouse.
I tugged the neckline of my shirt to let some of the cooler air in and I could literally feel puffs of steam escaping. Jax had a way with words and apparently, his hands were just as good. He was a handsome guy, but like I said before, he was a playboy. I was not about to be another score for him, but if he called me darlin' one more time, I might break. With nothing else to do, I started cleaning up the plastic bags or napkins the Sons left behind and I felt a hand go over my hip. I thought Jax came back to fill my head with more of the kinky things he was into, but I smelled sweat and noticed the heat radiating from the body behind me.
"Did I miss lunch?" Kip asked and I moved around the table to get the rest of the light trash. The bag with the remaining sandwiches was sitting on the bench and I gave him Piney's. Kip sat down and I was trying my damnedest not to drool over how manly he looked as I dumped the trash in a nearby bin. I was about to go put the rest of the food in the fridge and when I passed him, he grabbed my hand. Without a care, he guided me to sit on his lap and raised an eyebrow at me, smirking. Christ, he smelled good. He didn't smell like slimy fish that's been sitting in the sun all day. All I smelled was whatever deodorant he put on and soap, having to be Irish Spring. "You haven't talked to me in 2 days. I know a trip to the station wouldn't freak you out. Did I do something wrong?"
"Do you know why I got arrested?" I asked and he lowered the sandwich from his mouth, nodding.
"Clay sent me to St. Thomas as soon as he could make a phone call, told me you and Gemma got into a spat with Cherry that involved a skateboard."
"Gem told me about her, the sweetbutt from Indian Hills. I was fighting Cherry because Gemma also told me that she was trying to blow you in front of the whole goddamn club." I stopped to let Kip get a word in, but he kept silent and he wasn't looking at me anymore. "After Clay posted my bail, I went to St. Thomas to finish what I started, but Cherry was a little preoccupied." I finished and I felt him tense, his eyes shutting.
"It wasn't what it looked like." Kip tried and I scoffed.
I went to get off him and he let me, but he just sat me down next to him, turning to face me. His hands were holding mine and he had that same determined look in his eyes as he did earlier when he was boxing. I kept my impassiveness, wanting to hear a damn good explanation for this.
"If you weren't ready to step away from the Crow Eaters, you shouldn't have asked me to be your girlfriend." I scolded, snatching my hands from his warm ones and tucking them under my chest. "You didn't even ask me. You just kissed me and told me you liked me. I told you about that."
"Marceline, you know I want to be with you. I told you I wanted to."
"And you really showed it when you were sucking face with the whore who fucked Clay and sucked Quinn's balls dry."
"Cherry kissed me yesterday. I didn't kiss her back and I sure as Hell didn't want her to kiss me in the first place. When we went to Nevada, I thought we were gonna turn into something, but Clay snapped his fingers and she fucked him with no questions asked. I tried to look past it, but she's a sweetbutt and she always will be, I can't change that. You aren't anything like her, Marci."
Kip gently grabbed for my hands again and his fingers pried them from my chest. He pulled me closer to him and set his forehead on mine. Still iron-willed, I turned my head away from him and he sighed, but he didn't let me untangle my fingers from his hands.
"If you wanna keep chasing easy pussy, so be it. I'm not gonna hold you back." I spat, irritated. "But don't expect me to be waiting for you after you've had your fill."
"I'm done with club whores." Kip professed and I huffed, unmoved. "Okay, I admit that I messed up yesterday. Seeing Cherry again was just overwhelming and I should've taken control over the situation before it got out of hand, but I can't see myself with her. I want a genuine girl who won't turn on me for something as simple as a patch. I want to have a real conversation about what she likes or her favorite books for 10 seconds and not get groped. I can't have that with Cherry, I can't have a relationship with her, but I can with you and I want to...I want you, Marceline."
My stubborn attempt at being expressionless started to falter, the blush on my cheeks betraying my initial plan. I moved closer to Kip too. Before his explanation, our knees were separating us, but I was almost back in his lap again. I shouldn't have let something as small as a little kiss get me so wound up, it's not like they were having sex in that hospital bed, but Cherry knew how to get the Sons' attention and I was afraid of losing Kip when I just got him to myself. I was expecting him to just drop me too, push me away just as easily as he pulled me in, but he didn't. He didn't say that I was annoying or insecure or that I blew that situation out of proportion, even though I kinda did. He took the time to sit me down and explain what the hell happened and I was relieved that he wasn't pissed off at me. He didn't lie either. I felt like such a jerk now. He was being considerate and forgiving all because I let something as trivial as jealousy take control.
"...I'm sorry..." I mumbled, glancing up at Kip's crystal eyes, shamefaced. "I overreacted and that was stupid."
"No, you were right to be upset. I should've told you about Cherry when she came here and I should've made it clear to her that I was taken." Kip tightened his hold around me and slid me fully on his lap. I was blushing harder than I was before because of the intimacy of the position we were in, but I wasn't as freaked out as I thought I'd be. This was nice and I loved being so close to him.
Kip was smiling up at me and he kissed both my scarlet cheeks, then my lips. It was supposed to be a quick peck, but I stopped him from pulling away and kept our lips connected. There wasn't anything different about them either. His lips were still smooth and soft and expertly gliding against mine. He didn't taste different, there wasn't a single trace of Cherry on him and that's what I was hoping for. I was the only one on his lips, not her.
I was the one to pull back this time, but it wasn't because I was finished kissing Kip. Christ, I'd give anything to set aside a day to just make out with him. What drew me back was the growing bulge I was feeling under my thigh and partially though my shorts. Kip took my bottom lip between his teeth and sucked on it, giving it a tiny nip and sending a heated shock through me before letting go. His blue eyes were a shade darker and I saw something else in them, a longing or craving.
"If you ever wear these shorts around here again, and I don't care who's watching, I will throw you over my shoulder, take you in the clubhouse and tear them off with my teeth." The dominance in his words and how his voice went down an octave, almost making him growl, sent a shiver through me. That was the Son in him, I noted, and I'll be damned if he didn't know it too. I heard the small shudder that slipped out and Kip smirked. "I'm gonna come see you after my fight."
With another kiss to seal his promise, Kip stood up, tugging my legs around his waist, and held me like that for a minute. He seemed to like seeing my face turn scarlet because, after another kiss, he didn't set me down until I could see the redness in his eyes. He grabbed his sandwich and started eating while I took the bag, quickly headed for the clubhouse. I put the remaining sandwiches in the fridge and kept the door open to let the coldness chill me. That man was going to be the death of me.
I didn't stop to look for any of the Sons when I came in and the bar was vacant now, but I guessed the members were in the Chapel. I took the opportunity to take the single sketch book from my bag and perched myself on one of the tables in the middle of the room, focused on sketching all the edgy wall ornaments. After doing a 360 on the table, I used 3 pages to get every corner of the bar and I relied on my memory to attempt to draw the Reaper. I knew I wasn't going to be allowed in the Chapel anytime soon, but I wished I could get another peek at the icon on the large table.
I just ripped out and crumbled another drawing of the Reaper, dissatisfied at how it came out. I've done that 4 times already and I was getting a bit irritated. After a silent hour, my pencil scribbling on paper or ripping out sheets being the only sounds, Chapel doors opened and most of the Sons piled out. After Jax stepped out, Tig shut the door behind him and flicked the blinds shut.
"Hack-Sack still trainin'?" Dad asked and I nodded. He headed outside with Quinn, leaving me in the company of Happy and Juice.
I heard the clinking of bottles at the bar and the men took a pair of stools beside each other. Happy was facing me while Juice was pouring them drinks. My eyes were glued to the insignia I've been trying to replicate and I dragged a chair behind Juice. Happy's eyes followed me and the younger man looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Whatcha' doing?" He asked, turning more to me and concealing the Reaper from my eyes.
"Turn around!" I scolded and he did just that, throwing his hands up in surrender. I stared at the image for a solid minute, letting it soak into my memory, then I started drawing it. After 20 minutes of vigorous sketching, I had a perfect replica of the Sons' logo, but I ended up drawing Juice's back and the parts of the bar around him. I showed it to Happy first, noting how he secretly looked impressed, then he passed it to Juice. "You up for inking me again?"
"You want the Reaper on you?" Juice asked, whipping around in his stool to stare at me like I just sprouted another head.
"I'm not getting branded." I dismissed. I pulled my phone out and swiped through the pictures until I found the mandala crescent moon with a lotus, giving it to Happy. I knew how punctilious he got when it came to tattoos and the details on this one were right up his alley. "Don't try that consent form BS, old man. I gotta free pass."
"Print that out for me." He said to Juice, surprising me when he didn't have a comeback. I think I was growing on him. The younger man sent the picture to his phone or laptop, then went back to his dorm. Happy beckoned me to come to him and I did. He turned me to the side and his calloused hand went around my arm to examine the first tattoo he gave me. "Probably gonna be here for an hour. Go to the bathroom, get something eat and do whatever else you need to 'cause I'm only stopping for a beer or piss break."
"You are not tattooing me while you're drunk." I objected, whipping around to cast a steel-eyed glare on the Nomad. Happy was giving me one right back and he stood tall, towering before me with his cold onyx eyes, but he didn't scare me. "What if you mess up and draw a frog?"
"I can hold my liquor, little girl. Stop complaining and go sit down or go to Freddy's place and pay for a tat."
"I hate you sometimes." Happy smirked at me, but I went to the other side of the bar to the lounge chair and sat down.
After a minute, Happy came over and setup his equipment. He asked me where I wanted my next tattoo and I told him my leg. I was already wearing shorts, so I didn't have to take them off, but I wanted this one on the side of my calf. Happy grabbed his gun, hand his free hand clamped around my ankle and got to work.
Juice came to see how things were going and he gave me my sketch book back. With the opportunity and the view, I decided to draw Happy working on my tattoo from a first-person perspective. Like he said, he only stopped to go to the bathroom and, against my protests, to get a beer. Juice even grabbed one for us and we'd talk while Happy was taking a break. As time passed, the clubhouse started to fill with hang-arounds and Crow Eaters. Some of them came to watch Happy work, not daring to so much as whisper a word, but a beige-blonde sweetbutt wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he almost stabbed her in the eye with his tattoo gun.
Happy was finishing up my leg and after bringing her up for the 40th time, Juice convinced me to invite Jasmine to the clubhouse. When I told her that he wanted to see her, she flipped out and said she'd be here in a few minutes. Even with the loud conversations and the thrash metal of Slayer playing, I heard the buzzing of the tattoo gun silence and Happy was already covering my new tattoo with another plastic shield.
Juice gave me a hand to gently help me on my feet and my right leg was a bit tender, but walking wasn't impossible. I slightly hobbled over to Happy to give him a thank you hug. He just told me not to scratch his ink and went to be entertained by one of the Crow Eaters. My phone buzzed from my bag and I got a text from Jasmine saying she was outside. Juice came out with me, finding the whole lot crawling with hang-arounds, but we quickly spotted Jaz waving her arms on top of a picnic table to get our attention.
Jasmine jumped down and I noticed that our clothes were almost perfectly matching. Her shorts were stone-washed while mine were acid-washed, but her top was black with 'Trap Queen' in metalic gold font on the middle. We hugged and Juice obnoxiously cleared his throat, obviously wanting some attention from my friend. Jaz couldn't stop giggling when she got a hug from the Son and she wrapped her arms around one of his as we went to investigate the brawl in the ring. Dad and Tig were standing on the edge of the ring at one of the corners, talking to each other. Jasmine and Juice snagged a pair of seats to get a view while I used the ropes to hoist me up just as the ding of a bell rang out over all the commotion.
Kip threw his gauze-wrapped, bloodied fists in the air and the crowd exploded in an uproar of rambunctious cheers. The other man in the ring barely managed to stumble to the ropes before he fell and was hanging on the middle rope. The people on his team had to pull him through. After basking in his minute of fame, Kip turned to our side of the ring and his smile was the icing on the cake. He looked like he's never been more proud of himself than at this very moment, then his ocean-like orbs fell to me and softened.
With a smirk, Kip came to our corner and I noticed Dad and Tig weren't expressing their excitement as the audience was. They looked unimpressed.
"Having fun?" I asked, after taking in all the exposed and sweaty skin of the Prospective member. Now that he was closer, I could see the minor cuts on his face from the fight, but he didn't look like he was in pain.
"I'm winning, so yeah." He smiled back.
"Don't get cocky, lad." Dad warned. "Got 3 more rounds to get through. Enjoy your break while it lasts."
"You look like shit. Go clean yourself up." Tig added, tossing a towel at Kip and the cloth fell on his head, covering his face.
The SSA whispered something in Dad's ear and they both jumped down from the ring, starting for the other side. Kip easily slipped through the ropes and took my hand, leading me into a door I've never noticed before. The space turned out to be a locker-room and Kip sat on the bench, wiping the sweat off him with the towel. He opened one of the lockers and took out a new roll of gauze.
"Almost thought you bailed one me." He said, leaning back to peek at me from behind the metal door. I couldn't see all of his face, but I knew he was smiling and I was too. The last things he took out were a pack of cotton swabs, a jar of Vaseline and a little bottle of alcohol before finally sitting down. I sat next to him and watched him peel the bloodstained dressing from his hands.
"Can't get rid of me that easily." Kip chuckled, but I saw him slightly cringe and I looked at his hands.
All his knuckles were raw and red, but one of them broke the skin pretty badly. I took the alcohol and started cleaning one hand while Kip used his teeth to remove the gauze covering the other one. Like he instructed, I dabbed the jelly on all his knuckles and did the same to his other hand. He taught me how to re-wrap them in gauze and told me I did a perfect job.
"I really think I'm gonna win this." He admitted, glancing at me. His eyes were focused on our intertwined fingers sitting in my lap, his thumb stoking over the back of my palm. "I haven't really been able to help the guys out, not with anything important. I know they trust me, but without that patch, I can't get involved in everything. I hope this'll push them to vote me in."
"Not to jinx you or anything, but Gemma might've hinted that you're getting in." I brushed off the comment as nothing, but I could see how interested he was in what I just said.
Kip didn't prod, but his smile showed me just how excited he was upon hearing that bit of gossip. He leaned forward and set his head on mine and I smiled. This was becoming a thing of ours. I felt his hand trail down my thigh, over my knee and he closed his hand around my leg, right over my fresh tattoo. I hissed and he let go, almost jerking back to the other side of the room.
"What's wrong with your leg?" He asked, his voice steady with worry.
"New ink. I was in the clubhouse with Happy before I came out to see you." Gingerly, I put my leg on the bench, between his separated knees, and Kip gazed over the new ink.
"It's beautiful...just like you." He admired and I smiled, blushing.
I set my leg down over Kip's thigh and the innocence instantly left his eyes. I did the same with my other leg until I was straddling him, just like earlier, and Kip's arms were around my waist. He was kissing my collar and anywhere else the neckline of my top exposed, then he came up to my lips. Nothing seemed to matter when we kissed. Everything just seemed perfect, the stars and planets had to align when our lips connected. Kip's arms were tighter around me and my chest was pressed into his. I barely heard the little moan from myself when I felt his hands under my shirt, his fingertips trailing along my spine and making me tremble, while mine were gently tugging at his still damp hair.
"Well, what do we have here?" Kip tore away from me and in a panic, he got up and put me on my feet. He was standing in front of me, but I dared to look over his arm to see who just caught us. I sighed when I saw Jasmine at the door and she was smiling at us like a proud mother. "Tig and Mr. Telford are looking for you, Dreamboat. Break-time's over."
With another lovesick smile, Jasmine left us and Kip looked back at me with a smile. We left the locker-room and he was getting a pat on the back or words of encouragement from the drunken hang-arounds. When we got back to the ring, he turned into that steadfast, diligent fighter that wanted to prove his worth to the Sons and Dad was in his ear, probably giving him tips on his opponent.
I went to take a seat in the audience. Juice was missing, but Jasmine was going a mile a millisecond about how unbelievably perfect he was and when I asked her how Damien was doing, she didn't know who the hell I was talking about. Juice came back with a beer for all of us. He had no shame in tugging Jasmine to sit sideways in his lap and the poor girl looked happier than a stray puppy getting adopted. When the bell rang again, our attention went to the ring and Kip's next fight was starting. There wasn't much of a buildup like the few boxing matches I've seen on TV. Kip and the other man got a few easy punches in, then they were going in full force and trying to draw blood or knock the other one unconscious. They were definitely fighting by street rules.
Jaz and I had to be the loudest, most supportive fans in the entire sea of people watching the fight. Whenever Kip got the upper hand, we'd jump to our feet to cheer him on and that seemed to have a positive outcome because he'd usually knock his opponent out in the next few minutes. He's had 2 more matches matches and he's won both, but Dad and Tig haven't been as fanatical as I thought they'd be. They've been watching Kip with censorious eyes and they'd shout pointers when he needed them. Dad would give him a ringside pep-talk when there was a break in the fight, but he still seemed unmoved by the man fighting for them. I wondered why they were so unenthusiastic.
I've been sneaking off with Kip to escape into the locker-room to clean and wrap his hands, then we'd get a few minutes of heated romance before Jasmine came knocking at the door saying Dad or Tig was looking for Kip. She's the only reason we haven't gotten caught tonight and I was so thankful for having her as a best friend. I'm not sure what she's been doing with Juice on these breaks, but from how she'd be smiling and the cocky grin he'd have on his face, they were enjoying each others company too.
Jasmine said more of the Sons were coming to watch, so Kip left the locker-room first and we came out a few minutes after. The last fight already started, but we were making our way through the thickened crowds. Jaz suddenly stopped and whispered in my ear that she was getting a call from her Dad, venturing off in search of a quiet place to talk to him. When I got to Kip's corner, Dad, Bobby and Tig were blocking my view of the ring. I spotted Clay sitting in a chair and Happy was posted next to him, seeming to be very intrigued by the brawl.
Suddenly, I was being lifted off the ground and I screamed in surprise. I haven't gotten hit on by anyone tonight and I'm pretty sure it was due to Juice being close to me or the look Tig would give to almost any man that got too close. None of the hang-arounds would be courageous enough to touch me after getting the eyes of death from the Sons of Anarchy's fearsome Sergeant At Arms.
Looking up, I saw the sandy-blond locks and electric-blue eyes, a perfect smile grinning down at me. Jax adjusted me in his arms in a cradling position and carried me a few feet behind Dad, Bobby and Tig.
"Jax, put me down!" I demanded, giggling.
"Nope, you're mine tonight." He suggestively wiggled his eyebrows at me and that just made me laugh more. "Yo, Chibs!"
"What?!" Dad yelled back, reluctantly tearing his attention away from the fight.
When he did, Tig and Bobby turned and I got to see Kip fighting another man, but something was different about him. He wasn't striking as hard or quickly as he did before and he seemed to be on the defensive side. His competitor was trying to break his fortification to get a jab at his face, but Kip was quick to dodge or duck the too-close punches thrown at him.
"It's cool if I bang your daughter, right?" Jax asked and he raised me up a bit like he was showing off a goddamn trophy. I punched him in the chest, making him laugh.
"Yeas, sure, whatever." He waved his VP off and turned back to the fight while my jaw detached from my face.
"Dad!" I objected and he looked torn, chancing a glance over his shoulder for a second to watch the fight.
"Entertain him for 10 minutes, dovey, I gotta fight to watch!"
"You heard the man." Jax promiscuously grinned down at me and before I could tell him to put me down again, he effortlessly tossed me over his shoulder. His arm was locked around the backs of my knees and my hair fell in front of my face, blinding me as I laughed.
I felt myself start to bob a bit as Jax started walking away and when I slapped him on the back, he gave me a pat on the ass with a half-audible comment about liking it rough. I distinctly heard Dad and Tig yelling something to Kip and it was the first time I've heard some emotion from the men all night. I couldn't hear exactly what they said and I still couldn't see a goddamn thing, but Jax stopped and slid me off his shoulder. I ran my hand through my hair and pinned my eyes on the ring.
Kip was fighting back now, but it wasn't in a sportsmanlike way or anywhere near as controlled as he was in his previous fights. He was using every ounce of power he could muster on his opponent and after another hook to the man's blood-dripping face, he was pinned in a corner. Kip didn't back off though. He was sending jab after rapid jab to the man's stomach and he just wouldn't stop.
Clay was on his feet now and he told Happy and Tig to get Kip out of the ring. Tig slid in just as the men from the opposing side of the ring stepped through the ropes and everything went to hell all over again. Happy, Dad and Juice got in the ring and the Sons were spitting fire at the other men crowded inside the square that seemed to be getting smaller by the second. Still arguing and on the verge of a free for all, Dad was the first out of the ring and he had Kip by his neck, walking him like a dog to the locker-room. He looked royally pissed.
Jax went to help pacify the fracas brewing in the ring and Jasmine found me again. She looked confused at the sudden commotion taking place.
"What the hell happened?" She asked and we both watched as Bobby and Jax, the peacemakers, tore the Sons from the other men, pulling everyone out of the ring.
"Shit went sideways, not really sure why."
"Funny thing, Dad just said something about the Sons having short-fuses." She shook her head with a smile.
With a second to check the time, I saw that it was half-past midnight and I didn't realize how quickly time flew by. Jasmine was very excited to be getting a ride home from Juice and after the Sons made sure everything was calm, Jaz gave me a hug before he came to escort her to his bike. I was headed inside the clubhouse to see if the Sons were alright, but Quinn found me and said Dad wanted me to head home.
Riding with Quinn was hilarious. The man refused to drive over 12 miles-per-hour and he stopped at every red light or stop sign he came across. I knew he was being protective over me, but I'm sure Ms. Daisy and Hoke could out-drive us. Quinn securely arrived at my house and I thanked him for the cautious ride home. I didn't hear the tall man pull off until I was inside and Diesel came sleepily trotting over to me.
After a quick shower and throwing on a too-big SAMCRO t-shirt, I crawled into bed and drifted to sleep.
~.~.~.~.
The low growling in my quiet bedroom effectively woke me from and I sat up. Diesel was standing in the middle of the room with his head bowed and he was growling at my cracked door before he he slipped out. I tucked my hand under my pillow and grabbed my gun, silently getting out of bed. I poked my head out of my bedroom door and kept my back to the wall as I tiptoed along it. Diesel wasn't growing anymore and when I looked out into the living room, I knew why. Dad just sat on the couch with a a bowl of food and turned the TV on.
I crept back to my room and left the bottom-half of my door cracked for Diesel to come back in. Getting back into bed, I palmed my phone and checked the time. It was 2:17 AM and I was surprised Dad decided to come home instead of crashing at the clubhouse. I slept through a text from Juice and Jasmine, both of them telling me she got home okay. I couldn't shake the feeling that one, or both, of them was lying and that Jaz was at Juice's place or in his dorm and they were getting frisky.
I laid back down and once my ears were accustomed to the low murmurs of the television from the other room, my eyes started to flutter shut...only to snap open again. There was a tapping noise coming from somewhere and I frowned at it. I hoped we didn't have squirrels living in the goddamn walls. The noise didn't sound like claws scraping wood though, it was a knocking, and I looked to the windows.
Cautiously, I got out of bed again and went to the side of the window, the black curtain shielding me. I peeked out and smiled when I saw what woke me up. I went to shut the opened half of my door and locked it before separating the lace curtains to reveal Kip on the other side. There was only one bandage on his face and it was under his cheekbone, but he looked all-together. I pushed the windows open and he ducked his head in the frame, smiling.
"I didn't get a chance to tell you how much I liked your hair earlier."
"You came here at 2 AM just tell me you like my hair?" I whispered back, fighting my smile from getting any bigger as he climbed in.
"Kinda. I missed you too." He purred and I wanted to scoff at his attempt at a seriously sexy voice, but giggled when he kissed me.
I wound my arms around his neck and I felt his hands trail down my sides before they locked under my ass and he lifted me, making me break our kiss to laugh into his shirt. Kip walked us to my bed and gently laid me down first. He sat on the edge of the bed to take his boots off and tucked them under my bed. I got a surge of bashful arousal when I heard him unbuckling his belt and he stood to take his pants off. Finally, he peeled his kutte off to hang it on the bedpost at the foot of the bed and he was wearing a black tank now.
Kip crawled over me and laid the top half of himself on me. The pressure warmed me from the inside out, my skin tingling from touching his. He looked like he was coming in for another kiss, but yet another noise interrupted the silence of my room. It was the same one that woke me up and I cursed under my breath.
"Diesel, hush!" I whispered to the door where the source of the growing was coming from, but he didn't stop.
Swiftly, Kip got out got out of bed and went to the door, quietly opening it. Diesel shoved his head inside, but his growling stopped when he got a whiff of Kip and I heard him tell my furry protector to stop being a ball buster before he shooed the dog away. After keeping his ear to the door for a minute, Kip locked it again and came back to bed, but he laid on his back next to me. His arm went around my waist to tugged me to him and I nuzzled into him. I tucked my head under his chin and basked in being in his arms.
"I didn't scare you off, did I?" Kip softly asked and I tilted my head to look up at him, confused. "My fight...the last round."
"No, Dad had Quinn take me home. I guess things got too rough and he didn't want me to accidentally get hurt. Why'd you snap like that anyway?"
"I can only get punched so much before I can't take it anymore, Marci." He joked and I softly huffed at him, but got serious again.
"I saw you in the other rounds. You had your head together and you were having fun. That last match, you just...lost it."
"...I saw Jax...what he was doing to you..." He faintly mumbled and I sighed. "I'm sorry, Marci, but I just can't stand when he's pawing at you like that."
"It's my fault." I admitted and Kip looked like he was about to say otherwise, but I shook my head. "I kinda led him on. Earlier when I was pissed, I baited him and he took it. I didn't expect him to do something like that, but it's still my fault."
"Guess we've both gotta problem with jealousy." He chuckled and I smiled, nodding.
The silence sunk in then. I was becoming more lovesick by the second because I could hear his strong heartbeat placidly thumping in my ear and I don't think I've ever heard such a soothing sound before. The way Kip was holding me to him and how his fingers would trace designs on my lower back gave me the best feeling that was impossible to describe, but I knew that I never wanted to forget it. If I could stay in his arms forever, I would.
"Marci?" Kip's low voice was slightly muffled in my hair, but he faintly rubbed my back and I hummed. "...you ever think about...you know, telling your Dad, the Sons?"
"Tell them what?" I asked, a sweet kiss going to his collarbone that made his arm gently coil around me, but I continued to plant my little pecks on any bare skin my lips could find.
"...about...us..." I stopped my trail of kisses and pulled back, looking at Kip with uncertain eyes.
Kip sat up and I untangled myself from his arms. I didn't know how to answer that question, well, I did, but I didn't. If I told Dad that I was dating the Prospect of his club, I had no idea how he'd react, but I don't think he'd welcome the relationship with open arms. He'd be like every other father when it came to his daughter dating a guy. He'd disapprove because nobody was good enough for his little girl, it was expected. I knew when Dad looked at me, he saw that tiny toddler hanging on his hip instead of the teenage girl I grew into. There was an ever-brightening light in those olive-green orbs and he'd be thrown back into aged recollections of spending every day with his daughter. I've caught him staring at me and it took a second to bring him back to reality, but he'd always have glossy eyes and he'd give me a heartfelt smile I haven't seen since I was a kid.
I didn't want Kip to get any shit from the other Sons either. I had a feeling Jax's flirting wouldn't stop and that would just led to an inevitable fight. I really didn't want to cause drama between him and any of the men he considered family because he'd lose his shot at a patch for sure. I knew how much getting into this club meant to him and I wasn't going to allow him to jeopardize it over me. I wasn't worth it.
I felt Kip moving and he was behind me now, his head pressed into the crook of my neck. His arms came around my stomach and I layered mine over his, softly sighing. This was fine, perfect even, but I couldn't lie...I wanted Dad and the Sons to know about us too. Sneaking around is fun, but it'll eventually get tiresome.
"You're my girlfriend and I'm not ashamed of that...I wanna be able to kiss you and hug you and hold your hand whenever I want without caring who sees..." Kip said into my skin, his soft lips peppering the spot with delicate kisses.
"You could lose your patch because of me..." I muttered, frowning, my voice just barely a whisper. "...you've worked so hard for it and I don't want that to go to waste."
"We'll figure it out later then?" He asked and I could hear the disenchantment in his voice. He was dismissing this talk that was bound to happen because we both wanted the same thing, but it was a risky thing to do. There was too much for him to lose.
With a quiet sigh, I reluctantly nodded. I hated not being able to come up with a solution to our problem because it wasn't going to vanish into thin air.
Laying on my side and facing him, Kip wrapped me in his arms again. I breathed him in and sighed in content, nuzzling into his chest. Neither of us immediately went to sleep and once I got sick of silence, I asked him the little things I wanted to know about him. His favorite colors, if he preferred coffee or tea, what he liked to do on weekends, a place he's always wanted to visit and when his birthday was. Like I guessed, he was 27. He asked me the same questions and that's what we did for what felt like decades, discovered little details about each other. We fought through enchanting yawns that goaded needed dozes when we were telling a story and we tried to keep our laughter as quiet as possible. The lazy kisses we'd give each other were something I never experienced before. They were so lax and natural and I found myself wanting to feel his tender kisses on every inch of me, pondering how they'd feel on my legs or my stomach...
Once again, my eyes started to droop and I was n the road to slumber, but I felt Kip press his lips to my head. It was his turn to ask me something, but he didn't and I figured he was drifting off too. Before I went under, I heard him say something, but I couldn't make out the words.