Chapter 23:
"Sometimes, bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself or for someone else. Sometimes, it involves giving up everything you have ever known or everyone you have ever loved for the sake of something greater.
But sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes, it is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain and the work of every day, the slow walk toward a better life."
― Veronica Roth, Allegiant
"Have you seen Jax anywhere?" I turned in my stool to Tara and shook my head. She adjusted Abel on her hip and I started making faces at the blue-eyed boy just to hear his sweet laughter.
Tara asked me to hold him for a second and I gratefully did so, happy to be around my favorite baby. She took out her phone and made a call to Jax from the sound of it. Things must've got personal because she excused herself and went into the kitchen, their conversation hushed. I was entertaing Able or rather, he was entertaining me because he was trying out his babbles on me and he seemed encouraged to keep talking whenever I responded. I recognized an actual word or 2. He was growing up so fast.
After a few minutes of giggles and Abel's spit bubbles, Tara rejoined us, but I noticed the troubled expression on her face.
"Your Old Man okay?" I asked as I handed Abel over. Tara held the boy close to her and gently ran her fingers over his head.
"He wants to go Nomad." She told me and my jaw almost fell off. Tara took in my reaction and nodded, a steady look of heartbreak on her face.
"But he's the Vice President, he can't just leave."
"Apparently, he can." She muttered. "If Jax goes, Bobby or Chibs gets his patch and Happy or Kozik will patch-in to even things out. He hasn't told Gemma yet and God only knows how she'll react."
"He can't just up and ride solo. What about you and Abel, he's gonna abandon his family?"
"...it's his choice, Marceline." Tara sighed and the look she gave me said that this discussion was over.
Tara began to feed Abel to put him down for an afternoon nap, but I couldn't get my mind off Jax's decision. How could he just leave this charter, the club his Father started? Jax was supposed to stay in Charming and when Clay's reign was over, he'd be President and the next in line for the crown would be little Abel. That's just how things with the club operated. A member makes a family and keeps his lineage flowing through the veins of the Sons of Anarchy.
And what about Gemma? Her only son was going to be God knows where without anyone, no family to come home to or to look out for him while he was on the road. I knew going Nomad wasn't a lifestyle for everyone. The Drifters were men who have nothing to lose and are at ease with recurrent murdering. They don't like staying in one place for to long and they don't have plans of getting married or having kids. Jax was already there. He had a son and an Old Lady and a family in Charming that loved him; he was already a family man. He wasn't fit to be out on his own, he needed people he could trust. Tig could probably do with being Nomad, but not people like Jax or Opie or Dad. They weren't as cold and dangerous as Happy was. Jax couldn't be a killer and a loner like him.
Once Abel was put down, Tara went through the process of adjusting my splint. She gently unstrapped the bindings, felt a few bones, told me to wiggle my fingers and moved my hand around in different directions. The first few times she did that, it felt like my bones were splintering, but there was no pain now and when I told her that, she tried to hide her smile.
"Don't get excited." She warned, still smiling. "You might be able to get this off soon." While I was grinning my ears off, her attention went back to my bared forearm and she twisted and turned my hand again, watching my reaction for any signs of pain or discomfort. "I'd say another day or 2, then go into St. Thomas for an x-ray, but things look good. Oh, and Chibs' nurse called after you left. With his improvements, he'll be conscious in the next few days too."
I tried to contain my excitement at getting that damn splint off and having a time-frame for when Dad was going to be up, but Tara saw through it and was giggling as she adjusted and re-wrapped the splint around my forearm.
I heard the clubhouse door open, but I didn't look behind me to see who it was. Tara did a quick glance, but fixed her gaze behind me and I was compelled to see who had her full attention. I was expecting to see Jax, but it was Wendy. She looked the same as she did at Abel's homecoming, but she was dressed more professionally and she looked...better. She looked rested and healthy and rejuvenated.
"Don't you look sober." Tara lightly commented as Wendy came to a stop in front of us; the dirty-blonde proudly smiled.
"I am. After Abel's homecoming, I went to rehab and they helped me through everything. I even took some parenting classes, got a job. I'm clean, healthy and clear-headed."
"Good for you." Tara gave Wendy a tight smile the blonde nodded in thanks.
"Is Jax around? I need to talk to him."
"He's out with Clay and Kozik. Why do you need him?"
"It's about our son."
Though Wendy's tone was light and nonthreatening, I could feel the tension suddenly rise and start to strangle the air. Tara got off her stool and stood before Wendy with hard eyes that were reminding me of Donna's when she told that shady ATF Agent to back off. I've always thought Tara was a kind, tenderhearted woman who just wanted to be happy Jax and Abel. She didn't strike me as a woman of SAMCRO until right now because she was keeping herself leveled, but her body language screamed 'Tread Carefully'. She had a lot in common with Donna.
"You don't have a son." Tara corrected with narrowed eyes and Wendy sighed.
"Abel is-"
"My son and like Gemma said, he will never call you Mommy." The brunette hissed.
"Look, I'll be forever grateful for you stepping up and being a positive female figure to Abel, but I wanna be in my kid's life, Tara. Don't you think he deserves to know who his real Mom is?"
"He does, me."
"You're not his Mother."
"Oh, really?" Tara feigned surprise, her eyebrows going up as her voice lifted half an octave. "I taught him how to walk, I'm teaching him how to talk and he just called me 'Ma-ma' this morning. I read him a bedtime story every night, I watch Yo Gabba Gabba with him in the morning and The Berenstain Bears before he goes to bed. Jax personally listed me, not Gemma or Marceline or Donna, me, as Abel's legal guardian and caretaker. You are a stranger and a hazard to him and you always will be."
"I thought you'd be more rational about this, but I guess Gemma's laid her parasitic eggs in your head." Wendy shook her head and Tara scowled. The blonde seemed like she was prepared to get an earful from Tara and I frowned at her preparedness. She must've planed this visit.
"Oh, you know a 4 syllable word. Congrats." Tara praised with the utmost derision in her tone, but her fake smile was the icing on the cake. Wendy simply chuckled and slid her purse off her shoulder to rummaged around in it.
"If you and Jax won't willingly let me see him, then a judge will force you to."
Wendy pulled out a folder and opened it. There was a thin stack of papers stapled together inside and she handed it to Tara. I didn't get a glimpse of the content of the documents, but Tara was reading the pages with furrowed brows as Wendy quietly watched with a smug expression. When Tara got to the last page, she started giggling and I raised an eyebrow when that giggle evolved into short laughs.
"You really think any judge in their right mind will grant you permission to have Abel for an hour, nevertheless, every other week?" She asked the blonde and Wendy nodded, not impressed by Tara's trivial reaction, but Tara just barked out another slightly crazed laugh. "Oh Wendy, I think you've still got some leftover Speed in your system." She sighed and wiped the corner of her eye before setting her green eyes on Wendy, a smirk still on her face. "I can tell you exactly what's going to happen if you take this pathetic case to court. The judge is going to look at you, your GED, your 10+ years of being a Junkie, all the times you've been arrested for petty theft, substance abuse, possession and domestic violence. Then, he'll look at me and see my profession, my M.D. and F.A.C.S and my clean slate. You know what he'll say?" Tara asked, still smiling, but Wendy said nothing. She looked like a child that was being scolded by their parents. "After he's finished laughing in your face, he's going to bang his gavel and say, 'This woman is unfit to be a mother and she should not have a child in her care because what's stopping her from pricking her toes with needles when she's pregnant and causing yet another premature baby to be born into the world with far worse complications that her firstborn? She is federally forbidden to contact or come within 20 feet of Abel Teller and if she does, she will be sentenced to 1 to 5 years in prison and I will personally urge the parents to file a Restraining Order against her.' " Tara let her speech sink in and Wendy uncomfortably shifted from one foot to the next. She looked like she was forcing herself not to twiddle her fingers. "Still wanna go along with this?"
"I want to see my son." Wendy demanded, though her stern voice wavered a bit. "I deserve to see him."
"You don't deserve anything that has to do with him, but okie-doke." Tara chirped, her smile finally falling. She grabbed a napkin from behind the bar and took a pen out of her pocket, scribbling something on the napkin before giving it to Wendy. "Here's the number to my lawyer. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, her office hours are 9am to 6pm Monday thru Friday. You might wanna leave before Gemma comes in. You know how she feels about Junkie whores who love drugs more than their children."
Wendy glared at Tara, who smirked in return, but snatched the napkin from her hand and stormed out of the clubhouse. Tara huffed, shaking her head with a smile.
"Tara, where did that filthy mouth come from?" I asked, grinning at the brunette.
"Gemma." She smirked.
I hung around the clubhouse with Tara for an hour or so and she went into Jax's room around the time when Abel's nap was over. After she left, Kip came in with Ratboy trailing behind him. He noticed me and ordered the Prospect to go do something before coming over and greeting me with a kiss on the cheek. He asked me how things went at the hospital with Dad and I gave him the rundown. I could feel the picture in my pocket start to burn with want and I was torn on asking Kip if he knew about Fiona, but I pushed the thought aside. He's only been around the Sons for a year, he couldn't possibly know about her. I wish I could've gotten some more info out of Piney earlier.
"Is Jax really going Nomad?" I quietly asked Kip as I toyed with his discarded beer cap. He sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck, glancing at me with uncertainty in his eyes.
"He cut his patch off yesterday night, Gem probably knows by now." Kip told me and I didn't want to believe Jax was going to leave, but it seemed like his mind was set. "Things between he and Clay have been rocky. That might be half the reason why he wants to go. It's gonna be different around here without him...then there's Abel and Tara..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "I'd hate for the kid not to have his Dad. As much as Jax loves his son and what Abel's been through, I'd hope that'd make him stay."
"Maybe he'll-" I was cut off by boots on the hardwood floor and Jax came stomping into the bar. Without a glance or greeting, he went right past us and back towards the dorms.
Behind him, Clay, Kozik and Tig came in. The President went into the Chapel while Kozik came to the bar for a drink, smiling at me as he did. Tig was on the phone and after a few hushed words, he snapped his Burner shut.
"Half-Sack, Church in 10. Don't go anywhere." Tig announced and Kip nodded. "Where's Opie and the old man?"
"Ope's in the back taking inventory."
"And Piney's passed out in his room." I chimed in and Tig groaned, headed to the dorms. "I'll be back." I told Kip and squeezed his hand before sliding off mt stool.
I went to the dorms and heard Tig yelling at Piney to get the fuck up, but I went to Jax's dorm. Tara was still in there with Abel, not noticing me as she cooed and laughed with the boy. I knocked on the door to get her attention and asked if Jax came by. She said he did, but left and if he wasn't out in the bar, he was up on the roof. Like Tara said, I went down the hall to the right of John's bike and there was a short metal ladder mounted on the wall. The latch at the top was propped open a crack and I climbed up.
From up here, I could see the entire Teller-Morrow Automotive lot and everything on it. From the looks of it, Bobby just pulled in with Juice. Jax was sitting on one of the vents and looking out at the lot, a gust of smoke blowing away from him with the calm breeze. I sat next to him and he didn't take his eyes off the setting afternoon sun. I looked at his kutte and like Kip said, his Vice President patch was missing.
"You really gonna leave?" I asked and he tossed his cigarette down, stubbing it out with his sneaker.
"I can't stay here, Marceline." He sighed, his voice as hard as steel. "I can't keep being manipulated, lied to and controlled. I've had enough of this corrupt club. It's about time I got away from this town, been here all my life."
"Running away from your problems doesn't solve them, Jax."
"You ran away from your problems." He countered and I looked up at him. Jax stared ahead for another few seconds, then looked down at me with steely eyes. "Shit got too hard to handle and you came running to Daddy. There's nothing wrong with that. You left home because your situation there was out of your control and I wanna do the same thing, but you're telling me that's wrong?"
"I didn't have a choice, Jax. How the hell was I supposed to disband a motorcycle club, by going on a murdering spree? I've never killed anyone before and I don't plan on doing it. I'm a fucking teenager for God's sake." I spat back. "You have a choice I didn't, Jax. You have the option to stay here in Charming and change the ways of the club and be with your family and your son, who Wendy's trying to get in her custody by the way." Jax furrowed his brows at that, so I guess Tara didn't tell him. "Or you can run and go Nomad. You can be out on the road alone without a stable place to call home or a single person to call your friend or brother and you can make killing your life 'cause that's what's gonna be expected of you. Stained hands to count your blood money."
"Jax, c'mon down." Bobby's voice broke the stare between Jax and I. We both looked down to the latch where his voice came from and I could partially see him at the bottom of the ladder. "We got Church, brother."
"Abel's gonna be pretty fucked without his Dad teaching him how to be a man." I kept my eyes downcast on the latch as I spoke, but I knew Jax was staring at me. "I wonder who's gonna take up that role. Maybe Tig will. He's a tough guy, fearless. He could protect Tara from anything and maybe they'll shack up. I could see Abel taking after him, you know, filling his shoes. Who knows, maybe Tig will pass down his patch to the kid."
Glancing up, the blond had his blue eyes fixed on me and I had to wonder if he was reconsidering or if he didn't give a shit and was still leaving the charter. I didn't let him have the chance to say anything because I got up and made my way down the ladder. Bobby smiled at me and told me there was a bag of his homemade muffins, hash free, sitting on the bar. I skipped into the main room and all the Sons, save for Clay because he was still in the Chapel, were nibbling on a muffin. The brown bag it came in was full of crumbs and I huffed.
Someone poked me and I turned around to find Kip with half of a chocolate muffin and brown crumbs caught in his light beard. Smiling, I brushed them out before I took the muffin and he gave me a kiss before retreating into the Chapel behind Bobby and Jax.
"Everything looks good. Enjoy your freedom." The doctor smiled at me and began unstrapped the sling from my arm once and for all.
I was sitting on an exam table at St. Thomas and after getting an x-ray, the doctor told me the sling was coming off. I looked over my shoulder at Tara waiting near the door and she smiled back at me. She drove me here with news that Dad's been up since the crack of dawn and we were keeping it a secret from the other Sons until I got to see him. Then, Jasmine called and said she'd be hanging out at the clubhouse with Juice, so we could chill out or go on another double date. The good news was just stacking on by the pounds today.
It's been 2 days since I talked to Jax on the roof and he was still hanging around, but he hasn't stitched his patch back onto his kutte. Tara told me he's been spending more time with Abel and I knew my words got to him. She said Gemma had a talk with him too, so I hoped he'd realize how much he was loved and wanted around here.
The doctor warned me to come back if I felt any pain, discomfort or if anything felt out of place, then I gave him a hug and practically flew up to Dad's floor with Tara behind me. In the elevator, she was telling me that Dad was as healthy as a horse, but she wanted me to keep an eye on his head and to make sure he takes it easy for a few days. I knew that meant no hostile club shit, so I was prepared to keep him locked in our house until further notice. We could talk while he was resting.
"Nursie, I'm ready for my sponge bath." Dad half-sang when we came in and I knew he was feeling just fine. He was laying in bed with his arms behind his head and it looked like he had a few meals from the empty trays stacked on his bedside table. Tara quietly giggled and excused herself.
"I am not washing your wrinkles." Dad opened his eyes and looked at me, a huge grin spanning across his face.
Dad sat up and held his arms out and I went to give him a hug, hearing his chuckles. I asked how he felt and if his head hurt. He told me he had a patch of hair missing and grabbed my hand to run my fingers along the scar on the back of his head. I felt the 3 or 4 staples planted in his head and cringed. He told me that he was getting out of here today because he felt like he was going stir-crazy already.
Dad asked about what's been going on since he got in here and I told him what I could. The only thing he asked about the club was if the Sons were still in once piece and I assured him that they were. After calling the clubhouse and telling Juice to send over a Welcome Wagon, Dad was telling me how he had the loveliest nurse in the entire hospital and that I was about to get a very young stepmother.
"So, your Dad remarried and you've got a stepmother?"
Zane's words suddenly echoed in my head and I remembered the Irishwoman. Fiona. I've kept the picture close since that day, its always been in my pocket or folded in my sock or something. I had to keep it close and I'd sometimes look at it at night, comparing it to the single photo of Dad and Rose sitting on the sofa. I was in the middle of them, but they were pretty close.
I suddenly started grinning and Dad cocked an eyebrow at it. He was scraping at the container of a vanilla pudding cup and he set it on his table.
"What?"
"You mixed the batter."
"Eh?" He asked, smirking.
"Don't 'eh' me, old man. You're off the meds and you need to explain the story behind you dipping your pixie stick into some chocolate icing."
"Pixie stick?" His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he still had half of a grin on his face. "Jesus dovey, I'm not up to date with this new-age slang. I dunno if you're talkin' about snacks or drugs or genitals."
"Okay, well, maybe you'll understand this." I pulled the folded picture from my hoodie's pocket, unfolded it and gave it to him. It took him a second to recognize the image without his glasses, but his curiously happy expression died when he did. "You. Mixed. The. Batter."
"Where'd you get this?" He asked in a serious tone, his eyes fixed on the photo.
"From-" I was cut off by my singing phone and Jasmine's twerking anthem filled the room.
I let Dad take in the photo and get an explanation together while I slipped outside of his room to answer the call. Jaz said the cavalry has arrived and I went downstairs to meet them. I didn't see any Sons badgering the receptionist, Megan wasn't here today, so I went down the hall to where the waiting area was and there was still no sign of them.
"Man down, man down!
"This is not a drill, people!"
"Get outta the way!"
"We need a redhead, stat!" Before I could turn around and figure out what the hell all the fuss was about, a arm went around my waist and I yelped when I was lifted off the ground.
A sickly Bobby was occupying most of the gurney, but Juice managed to fit on one side and Jaz was laughing on his lap while I was on the other side in Kip's. Ratboy was at the back and he managed to push all of us with Tig at the front acting as the captain of our whale boat, as he called it, by threatening to roll over anyone in the hallway that didn't get out of out way, crippled or not. After a few minutes of racing around the hospital and terrorizing its occupants, we slid to a stop before Dad's room and Kip had his kutte. He gave me a quick peck on the cheek before he went inside.
Juice told me that Gemma was out grocery shopping with Donna for Dad's celebratory dinner and he gladly announced that Jaz was his plus one. Tig told Rat to get the boat in gear and the Prospect started pushing us down the halls until we found Tara. She was probably doing her rounds, but she cocked an eyebrow and passed her clipboard to a nurse when she saw us.
"I'm beginning to realize that you always travel in packs." She said and Jax emerged from around the corner. Bobby groaned at all the sudden movement and Jaz rubbed his round stomach, telling me that it made him feel better when she caught my skeptical eyes. Good Lord, she was turning into one of us.
"Jackie Boy!" I recognized Dad's voice and a few people yelped as they jumped out of the way. He was in a wheelchair and Kip was pushing him, but he let go and Dad screeched to a stop, almost tipping the chair over, behind Tara and Jax.
"Clearly, there's been some brain damage." Jax joked while Dad hopped up and gave Tara a peck on the cheek, then pulled Jax in for a tight hug.
"Juicy Fruit, Jasmine, Tigger!" He animatedly greeted everyone and Jaz got a more subtle sign of affection, but the men were rough and playful with their hugs and punches. He noticed Bobby laid out and went to the man's head. "Elvis, the hell happened to ya'?"
"I told him not to mess with those Chinese bitches." Tig tutted, shaking his head. "Mulan probably sprinkled some crouching tiger dick in his drink. He's been puking or shitting all morning and Phil's been oh-so eager to clean it up."
"The clubhouse is still airing out." Jax scrunched his nose.
"We think he got roofied pretty bad last night." Juice told Tara and she nodded. She rounded up a few stray nurses and they rolled Bobby away with Rat trailing behind them.
"Other than Bobby's, what kinda shit have..." Dad was chuckling as he turned to Jax, but his smile vanished when he noticed the lighter spot of leather on the blond's kutte. "The hell is your patch?"
"Oh, that's right. You don't know." Tig's mockingly sympathetic voice made Jax glare at him as the SSA came to stand next to Dad. "Kid wants to go Nomad. He's got his selfish little heart set on it too. Hap's been upstate almost a week, but called to say that Hex is the new Nomad Prez and he accepted Jax's transfer. We were gonna vote on his departure tonight, thought you'd still be under though."
"You were gonna shove off while I was unconscious, so I couldn't cast my vote?" Dad asked with narrowed eyes. Jax kept his glare on Tig for a second and the dark-haired man muttered an unapologetic 'Oops.' "That's a sly move, Jackson."
"This is my choice, Chibs." Jax simply retorted and he turned, heading down the hall Bobby was rolled down.
"And who the hell told her about Fiona?" Dad hissed, jabbing a finger in my direction, and looked to Juice, who immediately looked the other way. Tig threw his hands up and took a step back.
"She asked me, but I didn't tell her anything. You wanna bite someone's head off, you go find the old man. You know he can't keep his goddamn mouth shut when he's drunk."
"Anythin' else I should know?" Dad aggravatedly asked. "Has JT risen from his grave and reclaimed his spot at the head of the table? Is Ope back in Stockton for another 5 years? Has Otto been pardoned and walkin' free? Did Kozik relapse and overdose on Crank? Have ya' knocked up my daughter?" He asked Kip and the younger man blushed a bit, stuttering.
"Jesus, Dad. I'm not pregnant." I groaned and he looked to Juice and Jasmine. Juice quickly shook his head, but glanced down at Jasmine with irresolution in his eyes.
"Hey, Aunt Flo knocked on my door this month." Jaz diffused the silent question.
"A simple 'No' would've sufficed, Jaz." I huffed at her and I couldn't keep my smile at bay when I glanced at all the men and their uncomfortable expressions.
Dad scoffed at the setting silence and began to stalk down the hall, heading to the exit. Everyone shared a wary glance with one another, then followed behind him. When we got outside, Dad was already in the van and smoking. He didn't look like he calmed down at all. Kip got in with him and I caught a ride on Tig's bike. On route to the clubhouse, he spotted Gemma and Donna coming out of the market, so Jaz and I went shopping with them.
We got a little sidetracked with shopping, but Jasmine and I got outfits for tonight. I even found a newsboy cap for Dad to wear until his hair grew back. Gemma's Cadillac was filled to the top with all the bags and there wasn't even enough room for Jaz and I in Donna's truck, so we rode on the bed. Jaz was waving at everyone on the street like she was a Princess making a public appearance.
Arriving at Gemma's place, we unloaded everything and Gem phoned a few Crow Eaters to help with preparing dinner. She let Jaz and I have a few sips of wine, but it was too strong for us and we let the older women indulge in it. She said it was an acquired taste that we'd get used to in time.
"Isn't Luann coming?" Donna asked. She was tossing the salad and Gemma was adding some sauce to the steaks; Jasmine and I were at the sink cleaning the dishes.
"She didn't answer when I called, guess she's busy with her dirty movies." Gem shrugged and Donna smiled. "You girls should go change. The guys will be here soon."
With nods, Jaz and I grabbed our bags from the living room and locked ourselves in the bathroom. We spent more time goofing off and dancing half-naked in the mirror than getting dressed, but we manged to get hair and makeup done. We were both wearing a-line dresses. Mine was jade with white stripes while hers was teal with white polka-dots.
"What are you doing, Jaz?" I asked with a smile, noticing that her dress was bunched around her waist. She was standing on the toilet and looking at her ass or the backs of her legs in the mirror. I was sitting crossed-legged on the sink's long counter and perfecting my eyeliner.
"Just trying to picture a certain tattoo on me." She mumbled, hiking one leg up on the tank to stick her butt out. "I've had ideas for a few and Dad's cool with the ones I told him about, but there's another one I'm thinking of."
"Once I get my license, I'll ink you." I offered. "But you have to put the dress on first."
With high eyebrows, Jasmine pulled her dress up and slipped her arms through the sleeves without even wobbling on the toilet. I laughed at her, but slipped off the sink to grab my dress from the back of the door. It opened before I got to it and Kip poked his head inside.
"I was told there were half-naked girls in here." He smirked, eyeing me because I was only in my bra and panties.
"I wanna see some boobies!" I heard Juice loudly whisper from behind a snickering Kip.
"You, keep that dress on!" I told Jasmine, pointing a finger at her because she was about to rip her damn clothes off. "And you, get out!"
With a kiss and a slap to Kip's hand when he made my underwear snap against my ass, I shooed the boys away. Another 5 minutes and we were ready and we joined the Sons mingling in the living room.
"Hello, tall, blond and sexy." Jasmine stopped to purr and I raised an eyebrow. I thought she was talking about Jax, but the only blond man in the room was Kozik and he was currently arguing with Tig. They were sporting light bruises, but the damage didn't look too serious. "Who is that hot hunk of man?"
"Kozik and he was in his 30s when you were still shitting in diapers."
"I wouldn't have a problem calling him 'Daddy'."
"Calm your ovaries, you nympho." I scoffed, smiling. "I'm pretty sure Juice wouldn't be open to sharing."
"I could convince him." Jaz smirked back at me and we joined the Sons. As soon as we sat down, Juice and Kip were at our sides with their arms around our shoulders.
I was surprised to see Bobby shuffle in from the kitchen and I heard Gemma thank him for something he brought, probably a cake or another dessert. The only people missing were Dad and Jax. Tara was playing with Abel and Kenny on the couch, Donna and Gemma were still in the kitchen and Quinn just joined everyone with a beer in hand, but everyone else was watching Tig and Kozik argue, their heads going left and right like a ping pong ball bouncing across a table.
When a comment about, and I quote, 'a big, black dildo slamming into your Mama's ass' got voiced, Opie told the feuding men to stop talking so vulgarly around the women. Jaz and I got pulled into the weird conversations, kept the beers flowing and laughed at the raunchy jokes with the Sons. Jasmine seemed to have taken an interest in Quinn instead of Kozik because she's been keeping her attention on him. Surprisingly, she was getting the tall man to talk more than I've ever heard since I met him. I think Juice was a little jealous at the lack of attention he was getting from her, even though she was snugly tucked under his arm.
"Do you read Jet or Ebony?" She asked the long-haired man and he shook his head; she cocked an eyebrow. "Why not? I read This Is Rock and Rolling Stone."
"It's just not my cup of tea." Quinn chuckled with the rest of the men.
"I love Jet." Bobby sweetly purred from the armchair and I tugged Jasmine a few inches away from him, noticing the lust in his blue eyes. She just leaned over the arm of the chair and smiled at him.
"You wanna taste my Coco Puffs, big boy?"
"Jasmine!" Juice and I both grabbed an arm and tugged her back, squishing her laughing body between us.
"What? I'm just joshing." She giggled.
"Careful, darlin'." Tig warned from across the coffee table. "Bobby gets major stiffies from chocolate milk."
From the shivers or shaking heads, I had a feeling Bobby had a serious fetish with little chocolate drops and I think Jaz realized how bad it was too because of her wide eyes. Thankfully, Gemma called everyone into the dining room for dinner and everyone took a seat around her extra long table. It was perfectly sized to fit all the Sons and we had enough room if they brought a date.
Jaz and I helped bring out and set the dishes, then took our seats. Gemma scanned the table from behind Clay and her eyes flicked between 2 empty chairs; the one next to me and the one to the right of Clay. She looked like she was about to ask her husband where the missing men were, but everyone's head turned to the kitchen when the backdoor slammed against the frame. I could hear Jax yelling and it got louder as he got closer.
"Excuse my tardiness, Ma." Dad walked in with a beer in his hand, casually sipping it, and gave Gemma a kiss on the cheek. Jax came in a second later, fuming.
"The hell was that, man?! You go out in broad fucking daylight pulling a gun on someone?!" He snapped at Dad, but he didn't look back or stop his stride. He simply continued his route around the table and to the seat next to me. He stood on my side of the table and Jax was on the opposite. "There were cameras in that store, Chibs! Don't you know Stahl's got eyes on us? Everything we do, that sneaky bitch is watching and trying to get enough proof to get this entire charter booked!" Dad took a swig of his bottle, not even looking at Jax. I flinched when Jax slammed his fist on the table, making a few plate clatter. "Dammit, answer me!"
"I no longer take orders from you, Jackson." Dad finally replied in a calmness that was contradicted by his blazing eyes. He leaned over the table, almost nose to nose with a fuming Jax. "You're not my VP anymore, Nomad. Now shut up and let me enjoy my party."
I've been preoccupied with Halloween planning, horror movie watching and this story got away from me for a second. Apologies.
❤️Thanks for reading❤️