Finally my crazy tablet copies the right thing to fix this! Thanks again elbeewoods
Chapter 28
I was chewing on the side of my nails, waiting for some news or an update. I hated sitting and waiting. I wanted to know what was going on. The last thing I had heard from Happy was him telling me they were headed out and he'd call me when he was on his way home. That was almost three hours ago.
"Hello?" I answered my phone as soon as it lit up. It didn't even have a chance to start vibrating and I didn't waste time looking at who was calling.
"Lexie, are you home?" It was Opie. I didn't like that he was calling me instead of Happy or Jax. It was too random. I swallowed hard and stood up.
"Yes." I answered, starting to pace back and forth in the living room. I heard a motorcycle start up and I bit my lip. I didn't want to think about the worst. I didn't want to believe that Opie was calling me because Jax and Happy couldn't.
"I'll see you in a few minutes." I started asking why. I asked what was going on but the call was already over. I shook my head, pushing my hair out of my face and resting my hand on top of my head. I was going to be sick. I took a couple deep breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth. Worrying wasn't going to do anything. It wasn't going to change anything. Still, I couldn't help it. After what felt like an hour, I finally heard a single motorcycle.
"What's going on?" I asked, rushing out to the curb in front of the house. Opie was just turning his bike off and standing up. He looked at me with a frown and I started taking a couple steps away from him, as if I could run from the truth. "What happened?"
"Lexie, he's okay. Nobody got hurt." Opie said, raising his palms and taking a couple steps toward me. "It was a fucking trap. We went in expecting AB thugs and it looked like a damn church service. I went after Zobelle and when I came back, they were cuffed and getting loaded into a police transport."
"How did the cops get there that fast?" I was surprised to hear the question come out of my mouth. It just wasn't making any sense. Walking into a trap where women and kids were there in place of AB members, that was one thing. The police getting there that fast. There was something missing.
"Jax told Clay that Hale had Sheriffs on the way to bust the AB. Clay was worried we'd miss our chance to get Zobelle, so we went in." Opie said. I blinked and looked up at him. They knew the cops were on the way but they went in anyways? Sure, Clay was president but were they all really that stupid. I turned away to go back inside. I was done talking. I felt Opie grab my arm to stop me but I shook it off. "Lexie."
"You're all sheep. Following Clay no matter where that leads you." I felt my upper lip curl at him angrily. "Leave me alone and don't you dare have anyone watching this house."
I walked to the bedroom and stared at his side of the bed, wondering how long it was going to stay empty. I already missed him but I was so angry. He'd chosen to go along with a stupid plan, knowing it would probably end with him sitting in prison. I closed my eyes. Did he even think about the baby and I? The more I thought about it, the angrier I was. I was angry at the whole lot of them. I grabbed my pillow and a blanket and headed to the guest bedroom for the night.
"Automatic weapons charges?" Tara sounded exasperated. Mom was tight lipped but I could see worry written all over her face. Tara looked at me and frowned. I leaned back in Jax's recliner and rested my hand on my stomach.
"Have they set a bail?" Mom asked after a hard swallow. Lohen, the club's lawyer, frowned and looked over at me. I looked away. There was enough going on in my head without wondering what she was thinking about my reaction.
"Three million, bond would be three hundred thousand." Lohen said with a sigh. As much as I hated to admit it, it made sense. There were six of them and they were facing automatic weapons charges among others. Five hundred thousand each wasn't that outrageous, not considering what they got caught doing. I glanced over to see a sickened look on Tara's face and near terror in Mom's eyes. I finally looked at Lohen.
"Do they have protection?" I didn't see any point in beating around the bush. The six of them couldn't survive in Stockton without a larger group supporting them. From what Happy had told me about his previous prison sentences, most of your support came from those of the same race. Unfortunately, going after Zobelle's men meant going after the AB. White wouldn't be on their side and they'd have to pay a price to get in with anyone else.
"Not yet. Gemma, Clay needs you to make a call." Lohen handed over a small piece of folded up paper. She was breaking the law for the club. Did they pay her that well or was there something else that would motivate a lawyer to break the rule. I didn't want to know. I already knew more than I desired. I stood up and walked down the hall to see Abel. For me, the meeting was over. I'd heard all I needed to.
"Hey, baby boy." I cooed, picking him up and cradling him against my chest. His eyes were bright and happy. "I wish I could be like you. With so much going on, you're still smiling. I hope you never have to understand how bad things can be."
"What's left of the insurance money?" It was a valid question but it was one I hoped Mom would never actually ask. Even if the policy had been anywhere close to that amount, it would be a hard decision to use my deceased husband's insurance for bail money. I knew what decision I would make in the end, but it would still weigh heavy on my mind.
"Nothing close to what we need. What I have left wouldn't come close to bailing one of them out." I said, refusing to get specific about my finances with her. I turned my attention back to Abel who was still smiling up at me.
"You don't even seem worried about finding the money." Mom said with a bite to her voice. I shook my head and rocked Abel in my arms.
"The father of my child is in there along with my brother. I want them out just as much as you do." I said, trying to keep my tone even so Abel didn't become upset.
"Your step-father is in there to." She said, taking a step towards me. I rolled my eyes and gave Abel a soft kiss on the forehead before laying him back down in the crib.
"He can rot in there for all I care." I said, stalking past Mom on my way out of the nursery. I didn't hang around for her reaction. I gave Tara a hug and kiss goodbye before leaving Jax's house.
I sat down in the arm chair and took a deep breath. The beeping of the monitors actually had a calming effect. Chibs was sleeping and the attending had already been in to check on him, so it was quiet and calm. In a strange way, sitting in a hospital room with a car bomb victim was exactly what I needed. I ran my hand over my stomach and wondered if I would have to raise our child alone. Would she or he ever get to see their father outside of a prison visitation room?
"If ya looked any more depressed, I'd think you was the one that got blown up." I looked up from the tiled floor to see Chibs giving me a warm smile. I nodded stood up to check his vitals. "Sit down, lass. You aren't working. What's got you sitting in here with the likes of me?"
"Most everyone else is sitting in Stockton." I grumbled. Chibs frowned and shook his head a little before he hissed in pain. I rolled my eyes. "You don't need to move around, Chibs. Especially don't move your hard head."
"Aye. What are they in for?" I told him everything I knew, not holding back in my description of Clay's stupidity. He was angry that he hadn't been there with them. I assured him that being hospital ridden was a lot better than Stockton. "The baby doing okay with all this?"
"I have an appointment tomorrow. After I saved your melon, I got pretty sick." I said with a little smile. It wasn't his fault but I hoped that it would get his mind off the club, if that were even possible. He patted his hand on an empty spot of the bed, inviting me over. I took a deep breath and walked over, sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. "I don't want to talk about it."
"What ya want to do and need to do are two different things. He's going to need you, Lexie, more than ever." Chibs said. I looked away from him and shook my head.
"Our child needs a father in the picture, not one sitting in Stockton." He frowned and nodded his head. I knew he understood where I was coming from.
"Don't give up on him just yet, Alexis. That man loves ya. We've got good lawyers. There's still hope." Chibs said, patting my hand. I didn't feel relieved. I didn't feel any less stressed or worried. I frowned tried to fight back my tears.
"You need to get some rest. I'll let the doctor know you're awake. I'll stop by and see you tomorrow after my doctor's appointment." I said, squeezing his hand as I stood up. I made sure to take a look at his vitals before walking out to the nurse's station. I was glad to see him making a recovery. It was the silver lining of one of the many dark clouds hanging above me.
On my way back home, I noticed Mom walking out of a church, pushing Abel in a stroller. I knew she was up to something, so I pulled over to see what she was doing.
"Mom, what are you doing?" I asked, stepping out of the car. She seemed surprised to see me.
"I needed some guidance." Mom said. I pursed my lips, not buying that excuse for a second. "I ran into Elliot Oswald."
"Mom, tell me you didn't ask him for bail money." I groaned, rubbing my forehead. "He doesn't owe the club anything."
"The club brought his daughter justice, Alexis. It would just be a loan." Mom scoffed. I rolled my eyes and tossed the car door closed. "I'm trying to help our family."
"Extorting an innocent family isn't the right way to do it." I said as she started walking away. I took a deep breath in and let it out quickly as she walked away without another word. I looked up at the church. The last time I'd stepped into one before Hank's funeral was when I was thirteen. I'd given up on God giving me my father back and walked away from religion.
"Dr. Teller!" I looked up at my name, unaccustomed to hearing it outside of the hospital. Tristen ran up and gave me a hug. "I'm so happy to see you."
"Hey, sweetheart. How are you doing?" I realized it could be a complicated question. I wouldn't know how to answer honestly if someone asked me. The same question.
"Mom and Dad found me someone to talk to. She's nice and I like talking to someone that isn't family." She said, lifting her shoulders shyly. I smiled and gave her a quick hug. "Thank you so much for helping me, Dr. Teller."
"You don't have to thank me, Tristen." I saw her father walking out of the church with a serious expression. I assumed he probably thought I was here for the same reason my mother was. I gave him a smile and motioned towards the church. "It's been over twenty years since I've been in here. Think they'll still let me in?"
"You should be good. You've got some credit." Elliot said with a smile. I smirked and nodded, knowing he was referring to Tristen. "I'm sorry about your brother."
"Don't." I held up my hand and gave him a warm smile. "They made their choices. Mom was wrong to come to you."
He didn't say anything but gave me a kind nod. I told Tristen goodbye and then took a couple steps towards the church doors. I wasn't sure why, but I pulled the door open and walked inside. The ceiling towered above me and a large, stain glass window looked down on me. I slid into on of the pews closest to the door and stared at the window. I didn't know what I was expecting. Guidance like my mother had mentioned or maybe just some solace from everything going on outside the double doors. I sat in the pew, just thinking until my phone started vibrating in my pocket.
"What did you say to Oswald?" Mom asked before I could even say hello. I exited the chapel and realized it was already getting dark.
"What?" I asked, unlocking my car.
"He's going to post bail for them in the morning. What did you do?" I sighed. Elliot was a better man than the club really deserved. I just hoped he didn't end up regretting his decision.
"I didn't do anything. I just ran into them on my way inside the church." I started the car and headed home. I knew I should have been excited that Happy would be home soon. I couldn't help worrying that he would ultimately be leaving again though.
"Well, they should be home by lunch tomorrow. You need to be at the clubhouse to welcome them home." Mom said.
"I can't be. I have an appointment." I said. She fussed about changing the appointment until I ended the call in the middle of her rant. It wasn't that I didn't want to welcome them home, at least not entirely, I just had to make sure I was okay to go back to work and that the baby was okay. When I got home, I drew a warm bath and lit some candles to relax.
I thought about what Chibs had said about Happy needing me more than ever. I was going to be there for him, no matter what. That didn't mean I was going to sit back and just let him do his best to ruin what we had. In a few short months, life wasn't going to revolve around just the two of us anymore. I had hoped that Happy would be there to help me. It seemed like I wasn't going to be able to depend on anyone but myself. I felt more alone than ever.
"You seem stressed." Dr. Lee said as the nurse took my blood pressure. I nodded, not wanting to elaborate any further until we were alone. I trusted Dr. Lee and knew she would keep our conversations private. I didn't know her staff so the same could not be said for them. "You look like you've gained a few pounds, that's good."
"I've increased my calories." I said, lifting my arm a little so the nurse could take the cuff off. Dr. Lee nodded and documented my blood pressure in the chart as the nurse left the room. "Is it high?"
"Well, it's higher than last time but you aren't close to dangerous levels. You said on the phone that you got dizzy and lightheaded after a surgery?" She asked, sitting on her rolling stool. Those stools were part of the reason I wanted to be a doctor when I was little. They looked so fun.
"Yes. It wasn't from hunger or fatigue so I took a few personal days until I could get in to see you and find out everything was okay." I said nervously. I wanted everything to be okay. She walked over to me and started feeling of my stomach.
"Have you had any stomach pains or cramping?" She kept feeling of my stomach and I started to panic. Those were symptoms of a miscarriage. Did she think I'd lost the baby? "Alexis, breathe."
"No. I haven't had either. What's wrong?" My knuckles were starting to go numb from grabbing the side of the examination table so tightly. Dr. Lee stepped back and shook her head.
"I was only asking to see if there were any gastrointestinal problems, Alexis. Your labs have come back normal and you're healthy overall. I believe everything may be stress related. You're making your body react to something that isn't even wrong. I don't want to put you on bed rest this early on but if you aren't able to relax then I'll have no other option." Dr. Lee said, sitting back down on her stool. She made a few notes in the chart and then looked back up at me. "Is everything okay at home? Is Happy still on board with the baby?"
"Yeah, yeah he's thrilled about the baby. The problem is more with the club than at home. Unfortunately it's hard to separate the two." I said, picking at my nail polish. Dr. Lee nodded and closed the chart.
"Maybe find some ways to relax that are independent of the club, Alexis. Get out of town for a couple days, even if it's just to San Francisco or the lake." It wasn't as easy as she made it sound, especially now that Happy would be out on bail. Instead of seeming difficult, I gave her a nod and a little smile. "Would an ultrasound today make you relax?"
"Probably." I said, unable to lie about needing to see the baby. She chuckled and excused herself to go get the tech and the machine. Half an hour later, I had a couple new ultrasound prints and reassurance that the baby was okay. Dr. Lee had offered to try and check the gender but I refused. I knew it was a long shot and more importantly I knew that Happy would want to be there for it. I stopped by to check in on Chibs after my appointment but he was sound asleep. I looked over his chart and everything seemed to be improving. I let him sleep and headed to T-M.
When I got to the clubhouse, Jax was walking out of the garage. There was no one else in sight. He flicked a cigarette away and walked over, throwing his arm around my shoulder and kissing my cheek. It was odd that he was out there alone when everyone else was probably inside. I noticed some bruising and a cut on his lip.
"I'm okay." He said before I got a chance to ask him about it. "I need to go in there before Clay fucks more shit up."
"Okay. I'll be here." I wasn't saying it for his benefit. I was saying it so I made a commitment to someone other than myself, otherwise I may have left.
"How's my grandchild?" Mom asked as I walked past her to get a water out of the refrigerator behind the bar. I nodded and took a drink.
"Okay. The doctor said stress is what's making me feel sick." I said, looking her dead in the eyes. She pursed her lips and waved her hand dismissively.
"You always worried to much. You need to relax." She said. I nodded sarcastically and took another drink. "When are you due?"
"March 15th." I said, glancing up as the double doors opened. As everyone filed out, you could see a mix of emotions on their face. Sure, they were happy to get out of Stockton but this wasn't their first rodeo. They knew that there was a good chance they would be going back. Happy walked over to me and I felt a chill go up my spine.
"Hey, what did the doctor say?" Happy asked as he pulled me into his arms. I slowly thawed and wrapped my arm around his waist. I couldn't help the tears that started to fall. I was angry and scared and relieved all at once. It was all too much. "Lexie."
"The baby is good. She just said that I was too stressed." I pressed my forehead onto his chest and let myself cry for a couple minutes. He didn't let me go. He just smoothed my hair and kissed the top of my head.
"I'm sorry, baby." I closed my eyes and the tears stopped. His arms dropped slowly as I took a step back. All of the anger I had built up came to the surface. Happy must have seen the anger in my eyes. "Lexie, not here."
"You're sorry? You're an idiot, that's what you are. I can't believe you were that stupid." I said shoving him back. His tightened his jaws but he didn't make another move. He just stood there and took all of the rage I had been holding in. "Did you even think about me or the baby? What about your Mom, Happy? There's people out here that need you and care about you. People outside of the club that you just seem to follow blindly."
"Are you done?" He asked. My shoulders dropped and I let out a huff. We stood there in silence for a moment, neither of us aware of anything or anyone else around. He took a step forward and I took a step back. "I always think about you, Alexis. You and our kid."
"Then why did you go in? With everything you knew, why did you go in?" I asked, wishing I could just understand what they'd done.
"Do you think our daughter or son would be proud if I let everyone else walk in there while I just sat back and watched? You think I want everyone else to get revenge for what they did to my old lady without me?" I opened my mouth to argue but then I snapped it shut. It was my fault they went in there. If I'd kept my mouth shut they would have taken their time, planned ahead. Happy shook his head and closed our distance quickly. "It's not your fault, Alexis. Stop thinking it is."
"Without me." Happy cut me off with a harsh kiss. I was too shocked to continue what I was saying after he pulled back.
"Yeah, Alexis. Without you. Without you I'd have no damn reason to care if we'd made bail or sat in there until court." He kissed me again and then took a step back.
"What are you doing?" I choked as he kneeled down. All of the background noise that had been swirling and buzzing around us came to abrupt halt. He had everyone's attention.
"Marry me, Alexis. You make me a better person. You give me a reason to live. I love you, Alexis." Happy reached into the inner pocket of his kutte and pulled out a white gold ring with a black solitaire. I swallowed hard, wondering if this was really happening. I had just finished yelling at him and shoving him. Everything was happening so fast. First getting back together, then the baby and now he was proposing. "Will you marry me, Alexis Teller?"
