Jax's couch was actually a lot more comfortable than anything I had slept on in years. After a few drinks with Tara and Jax I tried to excuse myself to find a motel or place for rent. Tara wouldn't hear of it though. Insisting there was more than plenty of room for me at Jax's I didn't bother arguing. Tara insisted I take a room but I countered that the couch was fine and it will only be for a short time. But here I was, two weeks later still living in Jax's house, not on his couch but in the spare room Tara and Gemma had redone to suit my needs. After a long drunk talk the night after I returned Gemma and I were right back to where we had been years ago. She had always wanted a daughter but couldn't have anymore children after Jax. I had become sort of a surrogate, always being dropped off at her house as dad took off with Clay and the guys for whatever it was they were up to. She would keep me occupied with games and shopping trips, teaching me how to cook and fire a gun. The nights I spent over I would cry myself to sleep too scared of daddy never returning and every night Gemma would pull me into her arms and rub my back until I fell asleep. My mom died when I was only four leaving McGee to raise a daughter but not by himself, with the whole club acting as family. And it's what we were wasn't it? A family? It didn't take long for me to start picking up the subtle hints of danger and the smell of blood on Daddy's clothes when he would come home. Eventually when I was tired of Jax being let in on the meetings at the club and taken for rides I demanded someone tell me the truth. Clay left it up to Gemma making sure I knew what I was getting myself into. Daddy figured it was best I knew some but not all. And the death of Jax's father was in the category of not all. I love John like a second dad and was devastated at the news of his death.
Abel was beginning to stir in his room letting out little bits of garbled baby talk. Lifting myself off my bed I made my way down the hall to find him wide awake looking around and cooing.
"Hey baby boy. Good morning." I whispered and picked him up. I heard the front door open and instinctually I ducked behind the door to the nursery. I prayed it was someone from the club and not someone looking for Jax or Clay.
"Madison?" As Gemma's voice drifted to my ears I relaxed and stepped out from behind the door, almost bumping into her. "What the hell were you doing behind the door?" She asked as she reached for her grandson. Handing him over I followed her to the kitchen as she began to prepare Abel's bottle. I felt a little weak after the sudden fright but opted to make coffee instead of sit down.
"I heard someone come in and Jax had said Tara would be at work all day and never mentioned you stopping by like he usually does. I…I don't have my gun anymore and I panicked. He told me about when that jackass Jimmy O'Phelan had the baby kidnapped just about a month or two ago." The sound of the water heating up and the smell of coffee wafting from the old machine calmed me down a little.
"Oh you mean the one your daddy got ya when you were what, ten? Don't worry about it baby, I'll hook you up." Gemma's eyes were on me as she sat down pressing the bottle against Abel's lips. "So you heard what happened to McGee too?" I nodded swallowing hard. I had lived in Belfast with McGee, Maureen and Trinity for two years after I ran. Despite my actions being against Clay and not the MC they shouldn't have taken me in like they had. To clear this up a bit, there had been two McGees that had patched into Samcro. My daddy hadn't betrayed the club like the Irishman had. They had been brothers and I was almost grateful Daddy had been dead before his brother was killed too. I knew damn well Daddy would have been right there with them and I don't think he could sit there and watch as Clay killed him. I never knew Daddy had a brother until I took a visit to Belfast. He sat me down and told me it all, almost treating me as a daughter while I stayed.
"Yea, McGee and Maureen took me in awhile back. I got a call from Trinity when it happened." My eyes dropped to the wide band on my thumb decked with the Celtic Knot that McGee had given me before I had left for the states. He begged me to stay, to just live with them but being around the club was hurting.
"When were you in Ireland?" Gemma's face twitched with something and it hadn't gone unnoticed. She seemed nervous almost.
"Five, six years after Daddy died. I was in Tacoma before that and Boston after Ireland. Been kinda like a nomad." I chose to ignore her odd behavior and instead got up to make myself a cup of coffee. "Want some?" Without listening to her answer I started one anyway. I needed my hands busy for the moment as the memories of Ireland and my Uncle sifted through my mind. I had been so happy, so alive again. I should have stayed. Maybe if I had stayed he wouldn't have betrayed the club. Handing Gemma her cup she handed over Abel who was now fast asleep. I gently rocked him in my arms and tried to picture how this tiny little boy had felt during his kidnapping.
"Get ready. We need to head over to the club. Maria will be here soon to watch Abel while we are gone. Clay is calling Church and he wants you there. Don't ask me why but he does." She held up her hand to stop me from asking questions. Clay never had a guest at church unless is was a member from another charter and even then it was rare. I wasn't a member of the MC and I was a woman. Two things that were NEVER allowed in during their meeting. Maybe today I was going to reap my consequence.
Everyone was already seated and waiting as Gemma and I entered. I got a few hellos and was quickly introduced to a few members. Clay pulled a seat up next to him where Tig should be sitting. Hesitantly I sat down, my fingers automatically beginning to turn my ring in circles. Jax's face was grim and he refused to look at me. Shit. This was it wasn't it? With a bang of a gavel Clay called the meeting and they began discussing trades and Mayans which I tuned out. Daddy had always said the less you knew the better. I must have been too good at tuning it out because I hadn't realized the talking had stopped and everyone was looking at me. I looked across the table to Jax for help but he quickly looked away. The only one at the table who would hold eye contact was the member from the first day back who had been rude. His stare was cold and hard, almost as bad as Clay's. Reluctantly I looked to Clay, his eyes a bit soft.
"We need to explain something to you. Yea, the night you tried to kill me will be brought up but this ain't what it's about. This is about you dad." I froze, my fingers squeezing the ring tightly. I couldn't form words so he continued taking my silence as a go ahead. "Your dad was needed for another charter. He was in deep with some shit here in Charming as well as areas around. He needed to die. He needed to disappear. He never really died here in Charming." My eyes widened and my breathing became labored. What was he saying? "We used some recently dead guy with no next of kin who looked like your pops and made everyone believe I had killed him in self defense, including you. It was the only way it would work." I shook my head and pressed my palms against the table. I felt a glass nudge the side of my hand and found whiskey being slid over to me. Did everyone know? When I looked up I found those same cold eyes staring at me nodding at the glass. Shaking hands lifted the glass and I downed a gulp before looking to Clay to finish.
"Come on Clay just finish it up. The poor girl is about to fall over." Tig spoke up from beside me. His arm found it's way over my shoulders in some form of comfort.
"He left to start a new charter over seas. He moved to Ireland and picked up as Pres of our Belfast brothers." The room was too hot so I tipped back the glass and finished off the liquor. "He didn't want you to come looking for him or put you in danger. When you showed up a couple of years ago he damn near died. It took everything in him not to tell you Mads." I looked to Clay with confused eyes knowing I knew the answer to my question.
"My Daddy is president of the Belfast charter?" Tig's hand tightened on my shoulder.
"Was darlin'. Keith McGee was killed a couple months ago for helping Jimmy kidnap my grandson and betrayed the MC. That man you stayed with when you went to Ireland was your father." I tried to stand. I needed to get out, get away from the club, away from Clay's words. It was too hot and I couldn't breathe right. Everything started getting fuzzy and I could hear chairs scrapping against the floor and words being mumbled before I hit the floor.