Chapter 24- Best Friend

I hope everyone is well. Keep me posted on what you think.

Disoa was very busy about the time they got to the place and it was making Jax a little nervous.

"Chibs, can you stand up front? I want to know who is coming and going."

"You got it boss." Chibs patted Jax's back as he went to stand at the front entrance. Jax looked over at Jade and saw her making herself a cup of coffee. She looked up at him and then looked back down at her coffee. It was eating Jax up inside what she had revealed earlier. He needed the deets but he it will have to wait until later. Jade walked over and stood next to Gemma just as her uncle asked Gemma how long she knew Nero. Gemma told him not to long. Jade suppressed her smirk. Nero finally appeared and smiled at Gemma and Jade.

"It's nice to see you ladies again." He told them. Jax looked over at Jade and Jade did not return his look. She was just full of surprises today Jax thought. Nero led them to the back rooms and told them where they could sleep. Jax asked Nero why he was helping them and Gemma told Jax she trusted him. Jax snapped at his mom and told her he was not talking to her.

Jade gave him a look.

"What did you just say?" she scold at him.

She could not believe he would disrespect his mother like that. Jax ignored her and looked at Nero for his answer. Nero told Jax to consider it networking. Maybe one day he would need the Sons help.

Chibs interrupted the conversation and told them they found Tig at the old Oakland rail yards and they needed to get to him fast.

"Alright let's go." Jax, Bobby and Chibs were heading out the door.

"Jax your bikes….remember APB?" Jade called after him with a hint of sarcasm. Jax gritted his teeth he could not wait to get her alone. Nero told them to take his truck. After they left Jade decided to go home. She did not want to talk to Jax tonight. She knew he was going to ask about Damon Pope and her ex-boyfriend who was Damon's right hand man August Marks. The relationship seemed like a lifetime ago and she was not in the mood to relive it. Neeta and the babies were asleep when she got home and right before Jade went to bed, she put a call into her father. She knew he needed to get to Charming as soon as possible.

Michael pulled into Charming in the early morning hours. After checking into a hotel and resting a little he drove to Jax's house to spend a little time with his grandsons. He did consider Abel his grandchild as he has watched the child grow up before his eyes.

After Neeta woke up Michael followed behind Jade to Diosa's.

Gemma jumped up and hugged Michael when he walked in the door.

"Thank God you are here!" Gemma motioned for Michael to sit down at a table.

"Where's Jax?" Michael asked as he began to pull paperwork out of his brief case stacking them on the table.

"I will go wake him up. Jade can you walk with me." Gemma asked taking her hand. As they walked to the back bedroom Gemma told Jade what happen to Tig last night. Jade stopped walking and leaned against the wall. Pope burned Tig's daughter alive….my God.

"Where is Tig now?"

"He is in one of the backrooms heavily medicated."

Jade was headed to the back room to see Tig when Jax excited one of the rooms. The way he looked at her, she felt as if her heart dropped down to her feet. Did he sleep with one of the escorts? Jade looked back at Gemma and she saw the question in Jade's eyes.

"No baby….he didn't." she told her. Just to make sure Jade pushed past Jax and open the room door he just exited to find it empty. Jade sighed in relief. Jade looked back at Jax who had a look of amusement on his face. Jade chose to ignore it.

"My dad is here. He has the info on the witnesses." She told him just before she took off to search for Tig.

Jade found Tig in one of the rooms stretched out on the bed staring up at the ceiling.

"Tig…can I come in?" she asked through the cracked door.

Tig looked up and motioned for her to come in. He sat up in the bed and Jade sat next to him and gave him a hug. Tig started sobbing in her arms.

"Tig I am so sorry." She held Tig while he sobbed in her arms. After a few moments, he lifted out of her arms, grabbed a tissue off the nightstand by the bed, wiped his eyes, and blew his nose. Tig looked at Jade and asked her was it true she knew Pope. Damn! Jax and his big ass mouth.

"Yes. I do, my dad has worked for him in the past. I have never seen the side of him you saw. I am so sorry…..but Tig did you mean to kill his daughter?" Tig shook his head no.

"I was aiming for Laroy. He needed to die after shooting Clay." Jade suppressed the desire to tell Tig the truth. That was up to Jax.

"I'm going to have to kill him Jade." Jade looked into Tig's eyes and he was dead serious and she had no doubt he was going to try but Jade knew he would not get anywhere near Pope.

"I know Tig…I know."

Jade went to sit with her father, Jax, Gemma and Bobby to see what they can do about the arrest warrant.

"These witnesses are pretty legit Jax; they are black in their mid twenties with no priors." Michael said looking at the paper work.

"Dad we know Pope probably brought those witnesses."

"Then we will prove that in court sweetheart."

"Pope does not want a trial and besides you don't mind going up against your friend?" Jax asked Michael. Michael shook his head no.

"I'm not afraid of Damon. Yes, he and I have worked together in the past but I represent the Sons and have for many years. I stand by my clients, friends and family." Michael explained to Jax.

Jax cell rung he looked at it and declined the call. He told Chibs to call Clay to see what he wanted. He looked at Gemma and asked her to go find Tig and keep an eye on him. Gemma looked at Jade and Jade shrugged her shoulders, she did not know why he would not want his mom in the conversation anymore. After Gemma left the table, Jax asked Jade did she fill her father in about RICO.

"Yes." She replied.

Michael asked how Jax knew about a RICO case and Jax explained that Otto Delaney turned. Michael remembered Otto. He tried very hard to keep Otto out of prison but there was only so much he could do with a case like Otto's.

"Why would Otto turn?" Michael asked.

It's personal. I was sleeping with his wife Luann." Bobby told them.

"Uncle Bobby!"

"I know Jade…I know."

"Since you are released are the charges dropped?" Michael asked Bobby.

"No. Not exactly." Jax chimed in.

"What do you mean 'not exactly'? What am I suppose to do with that Jax?" Michael questioned.

"The case is being held over our heads. I can't say who Michael but there is a chance that it could fall on us."

Michael looked over at his daughter. Jade hated keeping things from her father but she knew it was important to Jax that she did not say anything.

"Is it the Fed's Jax?" Michael pried but Jax did not answer he just asked that he figure out a way to kill the case.

"Damn Jax…I am not a miracle worker but I will try my best. We need to prove Otto's testimony is false and it will clear past crimes. What about present? Do they know about the gun running?"

"Yeah..someone gave them intel and we don't know who." Jax replied.

"Jesus Christ!" Michael hissed. "I swear you guys are the cause of my premature grey hair. I will see what I can do with the little information I got."

"Dad we need to keep this between us…ok?"

"Yeah, sweetheart."

Chibs got off the phone with Clay and told Jax that Gemma's house was broken into last night and Wayne was hurt.

"Wayne?...Oh my God!" Jade could not believe this. What was next?

"My mom's house?"

"Yeah" Chibs replied.

"This is Pope he's coming after our families." Jax was furious.

This home invasion does not sound like Pope." Michael told Jax.

"Dad's right. Pope would not waste his time with breaking and entering."

Jax looked at Michael and then his woman.

"Are you sure?" he asked Michael.

"Jax I know this man…trust me it's not him."

"Who is his best friend?" he asked Michael. Jade sighed and put her forehead in her hands. He just had to go there now. Jade's father looked over at her. Her head was down, shoulders slumped, and she looked mentally exhausted. He felt bad for her as it looked like it would only get worse because of her history with Pope and his friend.

"Pope's best friend and right hand man is August Marks. I am sure in due time you will meet the both of them. From my understanding he has already reached out by way of Tig…I need to see Tig before I leave to offer my condolences I have known Dawn since she was born and I also have known Pope's daughter Veronica since she was a child. Both of these deaths were tragic and unnecessary."

Jade nodded in agreement with her forehead still down in her hands. Jade could feel Jax eyes on her but she did not look up. Jax knew Jade was right about him and Clay blaming Black. It was a stupid decision and it was a decision that had killed two innocent girls and put the entire club and his family at risk.

"We will turn ourselves in as soon as we get protection inside." Jax told Michael. Jade looked up stunned.

"Today?" she asked becoming visibly upset. Her father put his hand over hers to reassure her and Bobby leaned over to rub her back.

"You will have eight hours Jax once I call the D.A. and tell them you guys are turning yourselves in." Jax nod his head.

"That will give us time. I need you to look into Otto Delaney and see what you can find out."

"Alright….. I will be in town for the next few days to get you guys through this." Jax nod his head to Michael in appreciation.

"Thank you Mr. Monroe." Jax stood up and shook Michael's hand. Jax told Bobby to take Gemma to her house and to put everyone on alert.

Jax walked in the kitchen/ bar area to fix himself a glass of water.

Jade needed to talk to him. She did not want any tension between them before he, Tig and Chibs turn themselves in. When would be a right time? There was so much going on right now.

Jade's cell phone rung, grabbing it out her purse she looked at the caller ID and her breath caught in her throat. It was August. She quickly hit the decline button and threw her phone back in her purse. She looked up to see if Jax noticed and she found his ice blue eyes staring straight at her. By his look she knew he had an idea who was on the other line calling her. She knew it would only be a matter of time before she heard from August. She had not spoken to him in little over a year and she wondered how he found out she was connected to the Sons. Jade shook her head at her silly thought; of course he would know every detail about the Sons including family members and old ladies. Jade sucked it up, went up to the bar, and sat on one of the stools.

Jax sat his glass down.

"You going to tell me about Pope and Marks?"