Walk Away from the Son
Parker Sister Saga continues - Season 2 of SoA
Chapter 20- Own Worst Enemy
By BG and Reaper
~Sorry that it took so long for an update. This chapter pushed us to our limits for some reason. We loved it, hated it, laughed, cried and damn near threw in the towel on the whole damn story! We hope this chapter was worth the wait and we promise the next chapters will roll out a little faster!
XXX
Jaci parked her car in the Teller Morrow lot and headed toward the garage office. Since most of the crew had been arrested the night before, Gemma had called an emergency meeting of the Estrogen Brigade. She made it a few feet before a loud whistle stopped her in her tracks. She looked back over her shoulder to see Opie standing outside the club house, he waved her in his direction. As she walked over, he nodded toward the door behind him. "Everybody's already inside...you're late."
She shrugged, giving off a lackadaisical vibe, wasn't rushed or frantic at all like the other women had been. Crossing her arms, she asked, "You were with them last night?"
Op nodded. "Gemma tell you what happened when she called?"
"I didn't ask." Jaci replied and again the slightest bit of a flippant attitude showed through. "Didn't really matter...getting the scoop wasn't going to change the outcome you know?"
He looked her over and finally nailed the emotion, she seemed more annoyed than concerned. She sighed as curiosity finally got the better of her. "So what happened? Tig said it was going to be a cake walk."
Op gave the short version of the disaster. "Once Weston popped those shots, we knew we were fucked. Jax yelled get out and it was a free for all. I had a bead on the fuckers, ran out the back, closest door. They all went out the front I guess." He got quiet for a moment, face etched with worry. "I took off cause I didn't want Zobelle getting away. I thought the guys would be right behind me, that they'd catch up. I would have never left if they..." His voice trailed off.
Jaci hated the guilt that poured off of him. "It's ok."
"No its not, J. I left them...that's not fuckin' ok. That's how I ended up in the pen for five years, I got LEFT. A brother bailed and I got left holding the goddamn bag."
"You didn't BAIL, Op. You were going after the…target or whatever; the guys know that. They wouldn't think for a second that you bailed on them." She waved her hand, dismissing him. "It doesn't matter, Op. Last night was a HUGE fucking bad idea. The whole thing never should have happened; no way it was going to end good." Jaci countered. Op shook his head and held his hands up to hold his head in frustration. He quickly winced and dropped his arms back to his sides. She caught the wince. "You ok?"
"I smacked a car getting away." He answered as he rubbed his chest gently, remembering Weston's goddamn Bronco cutting him off, causing him to temporarily lose sight of the road and end up ramming into the back of a parked car.
"Break anything?" She asked. When he only shrugged she motioned for him to pull up his shirt. "Let's see."
Op complied and his tattooed chest showed a solid strip of bruise. "Jesus, looks like you ate a bumper. You need Tara to check you out?"
"Broke or not, I ain't going anywhere so it doesn't matter." He replied.
Jaci snorted a sad laugh. "Yeah, I know the feeling." She patted his shoulder gently and then walked on into the clubhouse.
XXX
As the guys worked on gaining protection inside the county jail walls, the SAMCRO women were working just as hard on getting them freed from said walls. The clubhouse was eerily quiet from missing the bulk of its members. The women gathered around, grabbing seats on the battered sofa and chairs as they waited on Rosen to show up with the first bit of news concerning the guys.
Gemma and Vix chain smoked as Jaci and Tara remained quiet and mostly stared at each other or the coffee table. "I can't believe this is happening." Gemma said distractedly she tapped ashes into an ashtray.
"I can." Jaci deadpanned. "They crashed into a church full of people wielding weapons, were you expecting them to get a pat on the back? This was a textbook setup and they fell for it."
Before Gemma could pair words to the disbelief on her face from Jaci's harsh words, Vix cleared her throat. "J, you might wanna just tell them. It'd help explain your attitude."
The women all looked at Jaci who rolled her eyes. "Got into a screaming match about this retaliation shit with Tig last night. I told him to wait, told him I thought it was a setup. He completely lost it, said some horrible shit, dumped my ass again. So forgive me if I'm a little bitchy this morning."
"He didn't mean a word of it." Gemma said without a moment's hesitation. "The guys almost lost a brother; they're stressed, not thinking straight. They're doing the best they can to hold everything together. Now they've landed in hot water and we've gotta get them out of it. Get them back home so they can settle down." She gave Jaci a soft look. "That shit with Tig is temporary…all of this shit is."
Jaci shrugged but even if she pulled Tig out of the equation, she still had reason to be helping plot the jail release. She loved all the guys that were locked up, didn't want to see any of them hurt…even if they were impulsive idiots. The guys had helped them more than once; the Parkers owed them a debt even if you stripped all the personal connections away. Gemma and Tara might be here purely out of love but Jaci knew herself and Vix had a good slice of guilt fueling their commitment to help, Vix for the fight with Polly and Jaci for the theory that Tig had killed Jenks in some weird form of payback for her.
XXX
Rosen arrived a few minutes later. He laid out the harsh realities of the guys' situation. He watched with unease as all the women processed the information.
"They're jammin' us." Gemma said with frustration. "Seven figure bail, no court date. They got no protection in there, Rosen. We don't get them out, they may not make it out period."
"What about a bails bondman?" Tara asked.
Rosen did some quick math in his head. "The total bail, at 10%...you'd need $300,000."
"This fuckin' sucks. I ain't got shit to pony up…no equity in Twisted, Juice and I live on Ruby's good graces " Vix rubbed her temples. "Christ I'm glad she and The Olds are outta town. She'd be having a heart attack over this shit."
"I wish she was here, she could put up the apartments." Gemma quipped but then cocked an eyebrow in complete seriousness. "Could she post her building by proxy?"
"I'd have to do some research on that. " Rosen advised.
"You know how hard it is to get in touch with her?" Vix replied with concern. "I can try but only if find out she can post it. I'm not giving the poor woman a stroke in the middle of the Mediterranean unless it's a sure thing she can help. Besides, that ship-to- shore mumbo-jumbo is a goddamn spotty at best." Vix sighed, "Now if I could email… but bless their hearts, The Olds are not tech-savvy. Ruby's computer is pretty much a thousand dollar deck of cards."
"I can put up the house." Gemma commented, cutting off Vix's nervous ramble.
Tara echoed her plan. "Mine too."
Jaci surprised everyone by nodding along. "Yeah, mine too." She locked eyes with Gemma and the SAMCRO matriarch gave her a slight but approving nod.
"Well, that's all great…but you'd only have enough to get out Clay, maybe Jax." Rosen stated with a wince. "That's it though. This economy, house values are taking a beating. Sorry."
"Shit." Gemma shook her head. "Clay won't leave them behind."
"I'll keep you posted on anything that changes. You let me know if you find any more collateral." Rosen replied and then pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Gemma. "This is from Clay. Said you needed to get this LaRoy. I didn't see it." He warned as she took the note.
He gave Gemma a hug and Jaci stood to walk him outside. Once they were alone and walking to his car he half smiled at her. "So what are you doing here?"
"Moral support." Jaci deadpanned.
"How do you ever pass an audit?" Rosen mused with a smile. "Lying is not your thing. One does not offer to mortgage one's house purely for moral support. You could just be here for your sister, for Juice, and I know Jax is your brother in law and all but there's has to be something more to this."
"Is this line of musings going anywhere, Counselor?" Jaci asked.
"Well, that time I asked you out…you said you were seeing someone. I never asked who but… I've never seen you out with anyone. So either he isn't the going out type or you're ashamed of him, hiding him maybe."
"Or maybe we just don't go to the same places you go." She offered.
"Meaning you don't leave Charming." Rosen countered. He watched her face intently and knew he had hit a mark. He smiled slightly, enjoying the game with her. "I think you're with a Son."
"I think it doesn't matter what you think because I'm not seeing anyone anymore."
"Oh, well…since it doesn't matter anymore, you won't mind me trying to guess who it was. Let's put my powers of deduction to the test, shall we?" He smirked deeply at her. "We've got Clay, Jax, Bobby, Juice, Happy and Tig in the slammer." He held up six fingers as he rattled off the names. "You're not messing with Clay or Juice and Jax is with Tara, pretty solid from what I hear." He was now holding up three fingers. "So that leaves Bobby…and that's a no or at least I hope so." He was down to two fingers, a taunting peace sign. "Now we have Happy or Tig. Mmm, which psycho is it?" He cocked his head at her.
She just stared at him with her jaw clenched. "What's the point of this, Jason?"
He ignored her. "Frankly, I'm appalled at either choice given their rap sheets and unstable personality tendencies. Speaking of which, over the years, I've gotten to know these guys pretty well…at least on the surface. I know what a normal interaction is with them. Most of the guys are nice…perhaps lacking sincerity but cordial, for example, Clay. Others keep their distance…I don't think Happy has ever said a word to me. And Trager…well, he's always an asshole." Rosen explained then held up a finger. "BUT…I can remember a specific instance, right after you were hired. I made an ever so slight suggestive comment about you and Trager jumped my ass. Struck me as odd and now I know why…any other woman and he would have smirked, jumped in the mix…but since it was YOU, he bristled. Why is that?" He stared at Jaci and cocked an eyebrow. "Care to confirm or deny now, Miss Parker?"
She sighed and gave up, knowing Jason wouldn't stop until she gave him a straight answer. He had just listened to her offer to put a 2nd mortgage on her house to free a group of what some would call thugs. He knew he had something with his theory. "Confirm. You're half right; I WAS with him...but not anymore. I'm just here to be supportive of the family. Happy now? Are you done?"
He pretended to think about it but then smiled. "Yeah, I'm done, just had my pride stepped on there for a moment. You wouldn't go out with ME but Tig Trager's your cup of tea…that's a little hard to take. You say you're not with him anymore…but you certainly aren't without him either or you wouldn't be here."
Jaci shrugged. "It's complicated."
"I'm sure it is." He nodded. "Speaking of complicated, even if you all do come up with the bail, YOUR favorite Son might not be leaving lock up unless I can deal with some issues up North."
"What do you mean?"
"Trager's got a warrant out of Oregon."
Jaci closed her eyes, thinking back to the night of his wreck and how a run in with bounty hunters had been mentioned. "Jesus Christ."
"I'm already looking into to. Looks like someone idiot lawyer, not yours truly, dropped the ball. I think I can fix it." Rosen commented and then gave her a long caring look. He didn't like her being involved in all of this mess. She deserved a lot better. "Well, I have to go. Just…be careful, alright? I'll let you ladies know if anything changes." She nodded and he took a chance by reaching out and pulling her into a hug. Thankfully she didn't bristle. He leaned near her ear, "You're better than all this…you know that right?" She didn't answer, just gave him a slightly embarrassed glance with those big green eyes of hers as the hug ended.
Gemma watched quietly from the ajar clubhouse door. She frowned as Rosen hugged Jaci and then took off in his car. She crossed her arms and stepped fully outside, standing in front of the door as Jaci walked back toward her. "Something I need to know about?"
"What do you mean?"
"If you're fucking our lawyer… that might be a problem."
Jaci shook her head but then was suddenly a little miffed by the accusation and the prying after what she had just offered to do for the club not five minutes earlier. "So what if I am? Then what? It obviously doesn't matter because here I am trying to bail out our guys, including my EX, from prison. Hell, if anything, you should THANK ME…I could probably get you a break on retainer fees."
Gemma fought the urge to slap her and instead just gave her an exasperated look and nodded toward the house. Everyone's nerves were fried. "Get back inside. If you were fuckin him, you wouldn't have gotten so indignant." She rolled her tongue around the inside of her jaw and stared at Jaci.
"He's just a friend, nothing to it."
"Sorry for the accusation. I just don't need any more drama…such as Tig trying to kill our lawyer in a jealous rage."
"Geez, that'd be about like him." Jaci muttered then softened. "Apology accepted, sorry to get indignant on you." She gave Gemma a long look, realizing that even though her situation might be complicated the SAMCRO matriarch's view was crystal clear…her husband and son and friends she had loved for years were locked up and in danger. Maybe it was time to can the attitude. Her and Tig's personal shit shouldn't be taking center spotlight right now. She squeezed Gemma's shoulder and her tone became serious. "Tara, Vix, and me…we're not going anywhere... no matter how complicated our situations are. We've got your back. Just hang in there…we'll get the guys out. Finance is my thing... I can find a logical solution. I did not spend four years in Accounting classes to sit here on my shapely ass and do nothing, pray for a miracle. If we don't have the money to pull this off...time to think of who does."
Gemma nodded and mulled over a few options in her head. The same candidate kept swimming to the top…Elliot Oswald. "I think I have a card to play." She said quietly and the two started to walk back inside the clubhouse.
Before they could enter, Vix walked outside and up-nodded at Gemma. "Where did he say he wanted to meet?" Gemma rattled off the name of a bar.
"Wait, where are you going?" Jaci asked her sister.
"Have a little errand to run in Oakland."
Jaci frowned and then it dawned on her…the note that needed to get to LaRoy, that was Vix's errand. Her head snapped to stare at Gemma. "Alone... you're sending my sister, alone? Walking into the 'hood to deliver a message and broker help from LaRoy and the Niners?."
"I got no problem with that." Vix noted as she fired up a cigarette.
"Why not call in Joliet or Rogue River? Hell, Tacoma, Indian Hills, Vegas, Fresno...some Nomad that is circlin' close to Charming." Jaci rattled off a long list of options that kept her little sister out of obvious danger.
Gemma shook her head. "Because that's not what Clay said. He said make contact with LaRoy. Those boys need protection inside."
Vix nodded her agreement. "It takes time we ain't got. The guys ain't got time for another charter to get here." She stared at her sister. "O-town is like forty five minutes away. I plan to be standing inside LaRoy's haunt in thirty with or without you. I'd prefer with."
XXX
Ten minutes later, the girls hit the road. Jaci shook her head as she stared out the passenger side window. "How does THIS make any damn sense? And why are we taking Ruby's Gran Torino?"
Vix glanced over at her sister, "Because I promised Juice's Gramma I'd take care of things while she was on her trip. So far I've killed all her house plants and accidently weed whacked her favorite rose bush - I thought it was a weed. Juice is arrested and I can't do a damn thing to get him out. Seeing that this car gets driven is about the only thing left I haven't fucked up yet."
"So you're driving a classic car into the bowels of Oakland, where hopefully they'll at least wait until we've exited the vehicle before they dismantle it and tote it off to the corner chop shop?"
"Oh will you just shut up? Your logic is making my head hurt." Vix replied with a grumble. In the back seat Spawn heaved a sigh. "His too. Shit I think i missed my turn."
XXX
Vix nodded at the sign above the door, "Ebony & Ivory." She chuckled as they entered one of the more upscale haunts of Niner's top dog or should that be dawg? She mused to her sister, "I think we're about the only ivory in this place, 'cept maybe unless you count the coffee cups."
"Shhh!" Jaci hissed, straight backed and tense. "This is not the time nor place for your ..."
"My what?"
"You know what. Just for the love of Pete, watch your mouth."
Vix rolled her eyes "How? Take my eyeballs out and turn 'em 'round? I'm not an idiot."
A black man roughly the size of a refrigerator sat sentry just inside the door. "Hey Bo Peep... your lost sheep ain't up in here. You best be lookin' elsewhere."
"We ain't here 'bout sheep." Vix answered while beside her Jaci groaned.
He gave a little chuckle and his whole body shook. "What is it you're after then Miss Scarlet?" The sarcasm and distain registered loudly in his tone.
She knew he was knocking her obvious Southern accent. With his Gone With the Wind reference to the best known Southern Belle, Vix regarded him, clad in the known gang color- purple. "Well, Professor Plum…" She smirked. "We have an appointment with LaRoy."
She watched the big man eye both her and Jaci with narrowed eyes. Vix felt a sudden flutter of fear. The danger in the place hung like humidity in the air before a storm, when it's not a matter of IF the sky will erupt but when and how and who will be left standing.
"Welcome to The Ghetto." Came a voice out of the darkness off to their left. Suddenly LaRoy and a gaggle of others came into view. Vix swore she heard thunder claps. "You will no doubt find yourself a minority 'round here, both in skin tone and affiliation. As such you'll understand why we feel the need for precaution."
Vix watched as LaRoy gave a small nod and suddenly two others stepped up, one behind herself and another behind her sister. He smiled. "Just a pat down. I haven't had the best luck with white folk in my establishments…ya'll tend to act the damn fool."
Jaci glanced over at her younger sister as a pair of hands roamed over each of them. More like a feel up. Her searcher's hands seemed to be more than pre-occupied with her breasts. Jaci clearned her throat and turned her head slightly toward the man behind her. Through clenched teeth she said, "Those are boobs, not guns…move on."
"I'm packin'." Vix announced suddenly.
"Where?" Asked a gruff voice behind her.
"Pee shooter on my ankle, .357, close to my heart."
She watched a smirky smile flash on LaRoy's face. "Princess Vanilla likes it wild, wild west style, huh? Revolver... damn girl."
Vix shrugged. "Reliable, don't jam up like automatics."
"Not as many shots though". LaRoy countered.
"Meh, figured if you can't get outta a place in six, your ass is dead anyway, right?" Vix asked with a slight smile. Jaci just shook her head. Her sister never failed to keep things interesting.
LaRoy laughed aloud. "Ain't that some damn truth." He waved off the guys doing the pat downs and nodded toward the back of the place. "Why don't you ladies follow us?"
XXX
LaRoy sat down at an empty table and leaned back in his chair, eyeing the women in front of him. "Mad props for managing to make it through the 'hood in one piece." He waved his hand to the other chairs around the table. "Sit, relax, state your business... you're in no danger whiles you in here."
"Once we step back outside though?" Jaci questioned with a half-smile.
"Once is a miracle, twice well, you're gonna get killed almost for sure." LaRoy explained. "So once we're through, I'll see you get an armed escort back to the war-zone line and you two Southern Belles can mosey on back to Mayberry."
Vix grinned at her sister but the pair remained standing. "Look, J... we done found us the one black man in this entire dumpy-ass part of town who don't hate white people."
LaRoy chuckled immediately and then ran his fingers over his lips in amusement. "Oh I didn't say I don't hate white people, I DO hate white people. Unfortunately it's still against the law to pick 'em off with a rifle like crows on a high-tension wire so's as long as poaching white folks carries a prison term, I'll restrain myself." He snapped his fingers and then added, "Unless you fuck me on a business deal. Speakin' of business, I ask again for you to state yours."
Vix took a deep breath and glanced at Jaci, who for once shrugged and gave her little sister the silent go ahead to lead the conversation. "Well, I don't know if you heard but SAMCRO is in a bit of..."
"Wait, wait." LaRoy held up a finger. "We cleared up the packin' of heat issue, but I how I know you two ain't cops or Feds or something?"
"We've got no tangible proof, only our word." Jaci interjected. "This isn't the type of relationship that advertises with business cards."
"Wait, J... I can prove association." Vix said with a grin. LaRoy and his crew eyed the crazy white chick who began unbuttoning her flannel shirt then turned and bared her shoulder tattoo. After a moment she covered back up and heard LaRoy laugh.
"Ain't that some shit! Bolts? Juice Ortiz, hmm?" LaRoy asked and up-nodded to one of his associates. "One of the daughters of the Confederacy got a thing for Puerto Rican wood." He shot a glance at his 2nd in command but the girls were non-the-wiser to it. "I'd love to know what the Klansmen in the down South think about that." He waved his hand, motioning for Vix to start her speech over, this time he wouldn't interrupt.
XXX
Later than afternoon in county lock up, Clay inched closer to his brother who were gathered around a picnic in the rec yard of the jail. "I put Opie on the tranny snitch... he's gonna get Trammel to help."
"Opie's doin' it alone?" Jax asked with concern.
"We're all a little busy here." Clay answered with a sneer. "Who the fuck do you think got the ball rollin' with our friends of color?"
Jax stood up straight and blinked incredulously. "Opie's wife got taken out in a gang-banger drive-by." He glared at his President. "You sent him on a face to face with LaRoy?"
"Nah…the Parkers took a field trip to the 'hood." Clay answered smugly, but happy to have pissed Jax off for a second.
Around the table, heads snapped to attention, even Bobby scoffed. "Are you fuckin' kidding me? Between their accents and Vix's mouth? Jesus! I can't believe LaRoy talked to them for more than a minute flat."
"This is bullshit." Jax said with an irritated shake of his head. The last thing Old Ladies needed to be doing was brokering deals with Niners. "Tap another charter."
Clay raised his eyebrows in mock thought and said sarcastically, "Maybe you could get your friend Hale to help."
"What about the other one?" Bobby interjected to get the conversation back on track instead of diverting to a pissing contest.
"He's over there in P.C….has a thing for Puerto Rican wood."
"Ooooh, Juicy bait?" Bobby smirked.
"Yeah." Tig muttered then frowned. He was having a hard time dealing with the fact that the Parkers were out on errands to free his ass. Maybe Clay didn't really mean Parkers plural. He couldn't imagine Jaci lifting a finger to help him at the moment. If Vix had went to LaRoy alone, his musings were all the more valid. "Does anyone else find it a little ironic that Vix had a round about hand in brokering the deal that may have her Old Man takin' one up the ass?" He paused and looked around for an answer. "Just askin' cause I find it ironic.. with a capital I."
Clay shot Tig a smirk, he very much shared the ironic view of the situation. "Set it up... I'll tell the black daddies."
Bobby rubbed his hands over his face and stared at Juice several feet away from them and oblivious to their conversation. He muttered, "How we supposed to pimp the Rican?"
"Put him in a Quinceanera gown." Tig suggested with a snort and earned a scoff of laughter from Bobby. He turned his stare to Jax. "Any ideas VP? Or you flyin' solo in here too?" He said the words he knew Clay was thinking.
Jax shook his head, hating the situation but knowing there was no way around it right now. They had to do what they had to do. "I'll try to go sell it. Make him look pretty." He nodded towards Juice who was over workin' out on the bench next to Happy.
XXX
Later that night in the county lock up, the cell verged on calm and quiet after the brutal fight between Clay and Jax; well as close to calm as it ever got in jail. Clay laid on a bunk after returning from his chat with Stahl. The bitch had them in a confined area and it looked like she was going to harass them until her black heart was content. Tig stood at the cell door, his face pressed up against the bars, his arms dangling through them. He thought briefly of how Juice was fairing after being shanked. They said he'd be ok but being stabbed hurt like a motherfucker. A better person would say he'd trade places with the kid but Tig had never been accused of being a good person.
"Do you know how many germs are crawlin' on those bars?" Bobby asked as he walked up next to his brother.
Tig snorted. "There's fifteen guys crammed in this cell, Bobby…the goddamn AIR is crawlin' with germs."
Bobby shrugged, not able to argue. He put his back to the bars and mused. "This little situation is fucked. I mean total FUBAR." A smile played on Tig's lips causing Bobby to frown. "What could you possibly be smiling about?"
"The 'I told you so' I'm gonna get from Jaci on this is gonna be huge, man. Fuckin' epic." Tig replied with a slight chuckle. "She told me not to go after them...that we'd end up in trouble."
"We did kinda screw the pooch on this we all should have THOUGHT more."
Tig nodded and then snorted, "Considering that I dumped her ass five minutes before we rolled out on this thing...yeah probably should have thought some things over."
"You dumped her?"
"Yeah...she told me to wait, to THINK...begged me actually." Tig mused, "Told her she was with me or against me. Called her an ungrateful stupid bitch or something like that and dropped her."
Bobby puts his hands on his face and mumbled, "You really are a fuckin' idiot, you know that?"
"Pretty much." Tig nodded and raised his eyebrows like he was pondering the comment as he stared across the dark jail hall. He really didn't have an argument against it. "I think we're done this time, like for reals."
"For REALS? You practicin' your Ebonics now?"
"Might need em." Tig shrugged and glanced at the other inmates sharing the same cell.
Before Bobby could comment, a guard came walking up the hall with Jax in tow. He opened the cell and pushed Jax inside then crooked a finger at Tig. "Trager right? Your turn."
Tig glanced at Jax who only gave a cold noncommittal shrug. He looked back at Clay and gave his friend an up nod then headed down the hall with the guard.
XXX
Tig stepped into the interrogation room and rolled his eyes when he saw Stahl seated at the table. She gave him a big fake smile and patted the table. "Good evening, Mr. Trager. Let's have a little chat." Clay had given up nothing and the conversation with Jax had been a bust as well. Before heading for the night, she decided to fuck with Tig Trager just for the hell of it.
He gave an annoyed sigh and plopped down in the chair. He kept his hands in laps and cocked his head as if to say Now what?
"I'm a little excited tonight." Stahl said with a smirk. "I've been going round and round with a puzzle in my head and I finally figured it out."
"Good for you…wanna a cookie or something?"
"Something like that. You see, I've been trying to figure out just how Jaci Parker fits into this whole SAMCRO family…besides all of the obvious links. I just knew there had to be something more." Stahl pulled a photo out of a manila envelope and slid it across the table. "Turns out, the something more…is YOU."
Tig glanced down at the photo and did an Oscar worthy performance of keeping his emotions in check. Internally he was yelling SHIT, externally he only smirked as he saw the black and white proof of his relationship with Jaci. The photo had been taken over a month ago, the day he had driven her to the BBQ place in Lodi after the salon had been torched. They were standing in the parking lot by her car, he was kissing her forehead.
"I don't know how long this has been going on but I really should thank you for slipping up and showing a little PDA." Stahl watched him as he studied the photo. "EVERYONE has a weakness…if you look long enough, you'll find it. Everyone has a spot that you can pick at. Now, after seeing your psych evaluation from your little stay in Attica, some would say you're not capable of being weak or feeling love. Some people, like the psychologist that gave you that test, would say you're a sociopath. But this little picture here...well, it almost makes you look human." She put her elbows on the table and leaned in her direction. "Is Jaci your spot, Mr. Trager?"
He stared at the Federal agent blankly so she continued with her case. "Now Ms. Parker...she's a smart one...fiercely loyal but I think there might be an end to that. Unlike the rest of her family and your little clubmates, I think she's got some morals AND a brain left. Not quite sure what her fasciation is with you...maybe she likes a charity case- save the bad boy sort of thing, maybe she has some daddy issues, either way I bet there is a limit to the shit she'll put up with. And lots of bad shit has been happening in her life lately. Now you're in jail, looking at some serious time…I bet she is seriously re-thinking her decisions as of late. I wonder what would make her walk away..."
"You're wasting your time." Tig said flatly as he leaned back in his chair again and tried to keep his eyes off the photo. He noticed Stahl was damn near foaming at the mouth with her little discovery and he couldn't help but smirk, keeping quiet about the fact that he and Jaci had recently split again.
Stahl pretended to ignore his ambivalence and dropped the real bomb she had been holding. "I wonder...how do you think she'd feel about the fact that you killed Donna Winston?"
Tig narrowed his eyes and Stahl laughed slightly. "Oh yeah, I said it...don't think ANYONE believes that Niner drive-by bullshit story. I KNOW what Opie looked like to you and Clay Morrow. He looked like a rat and that was no accident. I bet Jaci has some doubts too about the situation...but she's too afraid to face them. Maybe while you're sitting in here, I could go have a chat with her, see what she thinks of my theory. See if she's willing to protect you or if she's more likely to hang you out to dry."
He glanced back down at the picture and tried to relive the moment, wanting to make Stahl disappear for a second. He could almost feel Jaci's face in his hands and a huge part of him wished he'd left things with her in better condition. There wasn't any real doubt about Jaci's loyalty…even with their fractured on again, off again relationship, she'd hold the line, wouldn't cave into any Fed bullshit. Then again, there really was no accounting for a woman scorned. But he wasn't worried about her rolling on the club…he was more concerned about her knowing the god awful truth about him and what he had done to Donna. There'd be no coming back from that; Jaci was a good woman and gave him a helluva lot of leeway when it came to his shitty personality and sometimes even shittier behavior but there was no overlooking the murder of an innocent Old Lady. He never wanted to see the look of utter hate and distain on her face that would come with the knowledge of what had really happened to Donna. He might be able to fix shit as it stood with Jaci right now but if Stahl pulled the stunt she was threatening, Jaci would be out of his life forever, end of story.
Stahl pulled the picture back toward her, breaking his revelry. "Now of course...I could be persuaded to leave her alone, to leave her oblivious. But if I can't talk to her, that means I'm going to need to talk to YOU. And maybe, if I find our conversation interesting enough, I leave her alone AND leave your little club alone. Believe it or not, there ARE bigger fish than SAMCRO that I'm looking to fry."
"Fuck off." Tig replied quietly.
"Excuse me?"
"FUCK OFF." Tig repeated and put up a hard front. His feelings for Jaci were damning, overwhelming even but as much as he felt for her, he felt more for his club. They were sitting side by side in that jail cell just like they did everything together…lived together, rode together, died together. And even though he would have cut off his right arm on the spot to keep Jaci in the dark about his awful indiscretions, he wasn't going to sacrifice his club to do it. "You want me to rat? No fuckin way. I don't have shit to say to you. And I don't have a weak spot so go fuck yourself."
Stahl shook her head and made a tsking noise. "Are you sure about that?" Tig flipped her off. She sighed as she stood up, "Ok then...but don't come crying to me later, Alex. Some things can't be unsaid...ideas can't be unplanted. I could ruin everything with her."
Tig let out a full laugh. Too late, bitch…I already did.
She didn't understand his laughter and wrote it off as a stonewalling technique. She shook off her frustration and cocked her head, deciding to get in one last dig. "I'd love to talk to Mr. Ortiz…I think he's the weak one of your locked up little bunch but I hear he's feeling a bit under the weather right now."
Tig shrugged and locked down any residual emotion the photo and conversation surrounding Jaci had brought to his surface. "Jail's a dangerous place...but you know that already right?" He locked eyes with her and put his thumb to his nose, pushing it sideways in a crude demonstration of what Otto had done to her face. His voice was cold. "I'd hate for a riot to break out while you were here. You get trapped in the wrong place...no telling what would happen to you."
Stahl smiled, playing along. "You going to unleash those sociopathic tendencies on me? That would be unfortunate." She stacked her folders neatly and gathered them in her arms. "Well, if you're not in the mood to chat, I guess we're done here." She nodded to the guard. "We're through. Have a good night, Mr. Trager…sleep tight. Hope you don't get shived."
"Fuck you." Tig replied with a grin as he was led out of the room. However, the grin fell from his face as soon as he cleared the door.
XXX
Early the next morning, Juice laid on his stomach, shacked by the ankle to the metal frame of the infirmary bed. The one window, behind a set of iron bars, was pushed ajar and he could hear birds singing outside. He laid there thinking just how incongruent that was, such a pretty sound dancing around in such a dismal place.
His hospital stay had been super brief. As soon as the doctors determined no major damage had been done to any organs and he was considered stable, at least physically, he was shipped back to County and dumped in the medical ward. The only soul to see him, with the exception of the staff, had been the club's attorney, Rosen. He'd come to see the Esteemed, but had likely felt obligated to check in on the semi-casualty. Juice didn't care one bit for the Armani Asshole- but he had still begged a favor. "I need news of what happened in here steered clear of my Ol' Lady. Not a word to her sister either, Jaci will feel obligated inform Vix. There's nothing she can do for me outside, no need to freak her out with worry." Rosen had agreed to keep the medical situation under wraps.
There was no television, no one to talk to, no noise save the birds so when the door clicked open and he heard approaching footsteps, Juice felt a weird sort of thrill. Even if it was the execution squad, at least it would be a break from the boredom. Looking back over his shoulder, he watched Agent Stahl walk into the room and his stomach wrenched at the same time his nostrils flared. His eyes took on a stoney look, "Hmm, now I see why we can't get bail or a court date."
"Missed the vital organs, you're very lucky. Dangerous times for SAMCRO, huh?"
"Ive already been shanked, bitch. Go find somebody else's life to make miserable."
"I'm more interested in this beef between Clay and Jax, I think maybe that's the reason you guys are getting hurt. Word is folks think the Reaper is coming apart at the seams."
"Only beef we got is with asshole Feds."
"Mmm hmm, okay I see. I'm wondering though, which side of this Great Divide, do your Old Lady and her 'Bama brethren fall on. At whose direction this little meeting of the minds took place?"
He watched her slip an 8x10 colored glossy out of the manilla folder on her lap and hold it up for his viewing pleasure. Juice's eyes scanned the blown up surveillance-style photo, which appeared to be taken on zoom through a chain link fence. In the photo, Vix, Nolan and Bodie stood a few feet away from Polly Zobelle and from the angle of the shot there was a barely discernable Edmund Hayes. Juice breathed ever so gently. He knew the Fed Bitch was a master manipulator and illusionist. Words could lie, be concocted into stories and spun the way you needed them to go, but it was hard to deny what was there in goddamn black and white. He without a doubt didn't truly believe that Vix was in cahoots with Polly Zobelle of all people, in any fashion. BUT, he knew she was in a scary, vulnerable place, hence his request to Rosen.
He couldn't picture Jax tasking Vix with something like this and that left Clay to be the shot caller. Could his Prez have gone behind his back and used HIS Ol' Lady as an inroad to LOAN? The King let 'Bama make back door deals with the Zobelles? Using Vix as bait? Juice's head felt ready to explode as he added to this wonder the facts that lead to his current medical condition. Clay wasn't above using Club members for bait... what was to stop him from using their Ol' Ladies. He checked his inner thoughts and instead sneered at Stahl and spat, "Bitch!"
The Fed's face took on a condescending look, "Little late for character assessments, Juicy. Best to do that before you trade your kingdom for a piece of ass. Not saying Vix Parker is just any P.O.A. I bet the sex was really good."
"Yeah it IS, fuckin' fantastic… hot, unbridled, nasty." He had to stop himself from envisioning their last go round- impromptu as it was in the office at Twisted. Laying belly down, shackled to a prison's infirmary bed was no place to be poppin' a stiffy. Glancing again at Stahl, any sign of wood turned to saw dust. He sneered once more, "That character assessment was of YOU." He turned away pissed and indignant.
"I see, well... you take care." She sighed and stood up exited the room.
XXX
Vix sat staring at the writing on the wall, well it wasn't technically on the wall, it was printed on a card, that was pinned a cork-board, that was hanging on the wall. Technicality, meh. She shrugged and reached out pulled the thumb tack from the corner of the white cardstock and sat back down again, leaning heavily against the back of her desk chair, in the office of her salon.
In call caps, block letter style, starting off hot pink and bleeding down through the words ending in deep purple. "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." ~ Unknown The words made her simultaneously happy and sad. Hugging her knees to her chest, bare feet planted in front of her on the seat of the desk chair, she opened the card and was greeted by Juice's handwriting. His penmanship was neat, as opposed to her serial-killer-like scribble. His was way too neat almost to belong to a guy but he'd went to parochial school and the nuns stressed the importance of neat writing, stressed it with a big ol' ruler to the knuckles, apparently according to his childhood tales. Christ, she shuddered to think of how her pretty fingers would now look if anyone were to have stressed on hers. On the blank-inside inspirational card, he'd written words that to anyone not understanding of the way Juice's mind worked, and that club is small, would have thought inappropriate on any given day, let alone a few weeks prior, during a self-admitted dark period.
V- I'm that 'one person'! ~JC
PS. Spawn and I were surfin' last night and found some pretty cool stuff by this chick named, Dorothy Parker . I don't think she's a relative of yours, but then again judging by the bad-ass attitude of her work, you never know. I found something of hers I want you to remember.. "Razors pain you; rivers are damp; acids stain you; and drugs cause cramp. Guns aren't lawful; nooses give; gas smells awful; you might as well live."
Don't try that shit again!
Who loves ya, baby?
Juice
From where he lay curled up in a tight ball on his doggie bed in the corner of the office, Spawn's head shot up and he emitted a low growl. Vix wiped the rouge tears off her cheeks with the palm of her hand, glancing from Spawn to the doorway where his attention was trained. She felt a flicker of dread wash down her spine and end with an outcropping of goose bumps on her bare arms. Sliding open the top desk drawer on her left side, she pulled out her 9mm. The safety was clicked off in a split second. As she stood she popped the magazine, saw it was full and popped it back in tight. She walked barefooted out the office door and slowly down the stairs to the main floor of the salon. Across the darkness of the salon, she could see a silhouette of a person standing at the door, shadowed by the street lamps and the drawn shade on the front door. There was a heavy knock at the door and Spawn barked loudly.
From the other side of the door came a very unwelcomed voice, "Vix Parker... Agent Stahl, A.T.F. I know you're in there, I saw the Jeep, I heard the dog... open the door."
Tucking her gun in the back waist band of her jeans, Vix sighed and hit the lights before walking across the salon and opening the door. Spawn stayed at her side as Vix eyed the agent. "Guess you're the one fuckin' with bail amounts and court dates. Whatdaya want?"
"Was in the area…just came by to see the new place." Stahl explained. "Thought maybe I'd stop by some time and get a trim."
Vix crossed her under her chest and smirked. "We hairstylists own $400 scissors, could cut your lips off. Trust me- you don't want me anywhere near you with a pair."
"Are you threatening me, Miss Parker?" Stahl inquired as she stepped inside the salon.
"Just giving sound beauty advice is all." Vix spat and stood watching the federal agent bitch glance around casually.
Stahl smirked and gave a small laugh, "You know it's amazing how like a phoenix from out of the ashes, Vix Parker and her salon rise again."
'We Southerners are true to our promises. We're famous for our rising" Vix retorted with a smirk of her own. Standing with her hands on her hips, she stared at the agent. "You got a warrant? Otherwise The Go-Go's won't have a damn thing on these sealed lips"
"You know… I don't like your attitude Miss Parker."
"Nobody does. Lucky for me, I don't give a rat's ass."
Settling into the styling chair in front of Vix's station, Stahl sighed. "Oh I think at I can name at least one person who thinks you hung the moon. How's that for some Southern speak? Hmmm? Did I get the nuisance right?" She cocked an eyebrow. "I saw your newest ink acquisition when you turned around just now. The heart made outta Juicy- bolts, nice touch. And Vix~Sin with the little halo and devils tail? Yeah I saw Juice's new tattoo, also. I just left the county lock up."
"And?"
"And you seem real calm here. What's the 'Bama-ease, widdlin' away the time? While your old man, lies shackled to a bed in an infirmary." She watched as Vix frowned ever so slightly.
"Juice is sick?"
"What? News didn't trickle down the OMC pipeline just yet? Jean Carlos was shanked, about 36 hours ago; must have borrowed one of your notorious 9 lives though since the shiv missed all his vital organs. But he's still bleeding internally so we'll have to just wait and see how this latest blow to the club plays out."
Vix reached out to steady herself, putting a hand on the nearest solid object. The whole situation had suddenly taken on another layer of non-reality. Juice was shiv'd in lock up. She felt laughter rising up into her throat…that punchy, hysterical kind of laughter that she knew if released would immediately turn into sobbing. Squashing it down, she glared at the Fed bitch and tried hard to find a hard center and cool response, "What does it mean when they fly the flag at half-staff out in front of the A.T.F. Field office in San Fran?" She watched Stahl's mouth flicker into a non-smile. Vix leveled a smirk at her, "It means, they're hiring." She nodded towards the front door of the salon, "Get Out!"
XXX
Vix sat in the office at Cara Cara and stared at Luann nervously. "I didn't know who else to come to. I'm sorry... you've been thru this kinda stuff with Otto, right?" Vix winced. "I'm sorry, I lack tact on a good day and this is so far from that... maybe Juice and I are perfect for each other."
"Yeah, you are." Luann retorted and then reached out to take a hold of Vix's shaking hands. "It's ok... she said it missed his vital organs, right?"
"If the bitch can be believed." Vix sniffled. "Said he was in the infirmary. Why ain't he at a hospital? Internal bleeding, oh god!" In her lap her cell phone buzzed and scared the crap outta her. She saw the display said Jaci and answered.
"I just popped by the salon, where are you?" Jaci asked quickly. "The guys made bail. They're actually en route back home so you need to get your ass to TM."
"Juice isn't with them." Vix replied with a sniffle.
"What? What are you talking about? He didn't have any warrants…did he?"
Vix gave her the quick version of Stahl's visit. "She said he borrowed one of my nine lives, shank missed vital organs but there's still internal bleeding."
Jaci took a minute to process her sister's horrible news. Something seemed off. "That bitch loves smoke screens, Vix. Come to TM. We'll find out what really happened from the guys. Juice could be fine. Stahl would make a paper cut into a slashed artery if it got a rise outta ya. You know how she is, sis."
"No, it's serious. I remote dialed in and checked Ruby's messages. The department of corrections' been trying to get ahold of her for a day and a half, next of kin and all." Vix took a shaky, angry breath. "Why didn't Rosen tell us? Luann says the lawyer is informed and someone got word to the club. So how come I am the last to fuckin know, J?"
"Calm down, Vix. We'll figure all this out." Jaci soothed. She heard her sister talking to someone in the background. Something about making bond and county? "Who are you talking to?"
"Luann. She says once released on bond they'd likely ship Juice to county hospital. She said she'd take me."
"Likely?" Jaci squeezed the bridge of her nose in frustration, a very Tig like move that she had been doing for a year rather unconsciously. "You and Luann are gonna drive the whole way to Stockton on a maybe?"
"Yes!" Vix hissed back, eager to hit the road. "I'll call you later." She hung up before her sister could say anymore. She didn't need to hear logic…at the moment all she needed was to find Juice.
XXX
Gemma, Tara and Jaci were crammed inside the office at Teller Morrow, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the guys. It was now an hour past the time they were should have been home and two of the three women were beginning to worry. Finally a sweep of headlights flooded through the office window and the women stood up, pouring out of the front door. Gemma led the way with Jaci bringing up the rear, a bit more ambivalent about the arrival. The van stopped in the middle of the parking lot and the women gave it a very wide birth.
The men piled out of the van one by one. They had all come home in one piece...except for Juice who was still laid up in the hospital but now as a free man, he had Vix by his side. Anxiety bloomed in Jaci's chest...she hadn't expected the feeling, it was purely involuntary. She wondered what would happen now. Would Tig ignore her or try to talk to her? Surely he would be surprised to see her standing in the lot. Hell, she had surprised herself by joining the waiting party. She tried to convince herself she was just there for moral support, to keep Gemma and Tara calm, to make sure her brother in law was safe, that Bobby was ok, etc etc. But she couldn't lie to herself...she wanted to see HIM and wanted him to see HER if for no other reason than to drive home the point that while he might question her loyalty to him, her loyalty to the club was solid.
Rather quickly, Jaci could tell something was wrong. While the rest of the guys stayed close together, Jax broke off from the group and stalked toward the garage by himself. None of the men paid the women any attention. For Gemma, this snub was brushed off quickly. She'd been down this same road more than once. The guys were always cranky after getting out of jail...they just needed time to cool off. Tara and Jaci weren't so understanding.
As Jax neared the women, they could see his battered face. Gemma sucked in a breath. "What happened to your face? Did the AB…."
"Oh it was a white man…but not the one you're thinking." Jax spat and kept walking. Jaci and Tara exchanged a look as Jax ignored them and kept walking.
Jaci stared toward the van again and saw Tig turn and head toward the clubhouse...he hadn't acknowledged her existence and there was no way he had MISSED seeing her. The women were in plain sight, under the glow of a security light.
So that's how it's going to be. Jaci thought and snorted. Deep down, if she was 100% honest, she had expected some tiny sort of acknowledgement from Tig but his snub sang out as loudly as a high volume rant followed by a proudly flown middle finger. After all she had done this week…worrying, scheming for money, working her own job and then helping out at TM, even braving the goddamn ghettos of Oakland…her payback was a cold shoulder. She knew the guys would be pissy about being locked up but given her volatile situation with Tig, he should have thrown her a bone no matter what his goddamn mood.
"Fuck this." She mumbled and took a few steps toward her car, only to have her phone ring. She pulled it from her back pocket, read the caller id and told the other women, "It's Rosen." She put the phone to her ear, "Hey Jason...yeah, they just rolled up."
Gemma mouthed something to Jaci and she relayed it to Rosen. "The girls say thank you."
"No problem." Rosen replied. He rattled off some legal info about their release and conditions then asked playfully, "So was Tig full of love and appreciation for your help?"
Jaci snorted a cold laugh and didn't censor herself as she would have under normal circumstances. "As if...he could care less. You on your way back to Oakland?"
"No...it's been a really long couple of days. I've been staying at the hotel...the one down on the Avenue, splitting time between Oakland and the jail. I think I'm staying tonight, head back in the morning."
"That's a nice place."
"It's ok." Rosen answered then cleared his throat. He had been thinking about Jaci non stop and mulling over her now non relationship with Tig. And while the situation sort of scared him, it excited him more. What an ego rush to get the girl you'd been wanting anyway but with the added bonus of taking something away from TIG TRAGER. Rosen decided to go big or go home. "You know...I've got a fully stocked mini bar. You could stop by for a nightcap...if you wanna get away from all that shitfor awhile."
Jaci let Rosen's invitation hang in the air for a long moment. She stared at the closed door of the clubhouse. She hated to admit but she was deeply hurt by Tig's latest dumping of her and tonight's snub had just added insult to injury. She knew if she just waited until morning, Tig would probably come around...they might be able to talk about all the shit that had went down between them...but suddenly she didn't CARE to wait on him, What if she waited on him and he kicked her in the teeth again? Fuck that, she was done. Tig didn't give a shit about her...and maybe neither did Rosen but at the moment, at least he wanted her. He was being straight forward about it and not playing some passive aggressive bullshit game about it.
"Jaci? You still there?" Rosen asked, a hint of nervousness to his voice. He thought he might have overstepped his bounds.
"Yeah, I'm here." Jaci answered and broke her stare down with the clubhouse door. "That...um...sounds pretty good. I'll see you in a bit."
"Room 234."
"Ok.'" Jaci ended the call and found Gemma and Tara staring at her. They hadn't heard the specifics but knew she was talking to ROSEN and that Jaci said see you in a bit. She pulled her keys from her pocket and set to disconnecting a key from the ring. She pulled it free and handed it to Gemma. "I don't need this anymore. If he acts confused, remind him the last thing he said to me was 'Get the fuck out of my house'."
"Jaci..." Gemma started to interject but the Parker sister was already walking to her car. She knew without a doubt what Jaci was about to do, she had seen the look of hurt on her face when Tig had snubbed her and headed to the clubhouse. "Jaci... THINK about what you're doing! The guys are just upset...things'll be different in the morning."
"Yeah they will." Jaci answered cryptically and kept walking, throwing a wave over her shoulder. She pulled open the driver side door and plopped inside. She fired up the engine and flipped through her iPod...looking for one song in particular that had become like an anthem for her during the last week. UN-DO IT by Carrie Underwood flooded the speakers.
I should have known by the way you passed me by
There was something in your eyes and it wasn't right
I should have walked but I never had the chance
Everything got out of hand and I let it slide
Tara watched her friend tear out of the lot and turned to Gemma. "Shouldn't we call her? Try to stop her?"
Gemma sighed and shook her head. "She's a big girl...gotta make her own mistakes." She waited a half beat then corrected herself, "You know Jaci...she won't go through with that shit." Or at least she hoped Jaci would stop. The SAMCRO matriarch walked off to a fall back point of the garage office and waited for one of her guys to come to their senses and come talk to her.
Tara was left alone in the dark parking lot. She let out a frustrated huff and headed for her own car. She drove for home and hoped to hold Abel...maybe he was one Teller/Parker that hadn't lost his mind.
XXX
Now I only have myself to blame for falling for your stupid games
I wish my life could be the way it was before I saw your face
Jaci sat in the hotel parking lot with her anthem on repeat. She grabbed her phone and turned it off, she couldn't think of a single person she cared to talk to at this moment. She was always 100% available for anyone that wanted to call her, ready to help anyone but tonight she'd had enough. She closed her eyes and recalled the image of Tig's cold look as he stepped out of the van and headed straight to the clubhouse. She gritted her teeth and punched her steering wheel, blinking back tears of frustration. Next she took a deep breath, grabbed her compact from her purse and freshened up her appearance before heading across the parking lot, the song still playing in her head.
You stole my happy, you made me cry
Took the lonely and took me for a ride
And I wanna undo it
You had my heart, now I want it back
I'm starting to see everything you lack
Boy, you blew it, you put me through it
I wanna undo it
She knocked twice on the door to room 234. Rosen pulled it open and stood smiling at her. "Hey there." She gave a sad smile and walked inside the room.
XXX
Inside the clubhouse, the only sounds were the clinking of shot glasses being grabbed, caps being popped off of beer bottles, the spin of the lid being removed from a bottle of whiskey. No one was talking but at the moment, they had a common goal…getting a goddamn drink. After all of the drama that had taken place in jail over the last couple of days, they could all use a little something to take the edge off.
Tig stood behind the bar and stared at his President and best friend on the other side. The air was thick with tension and every one stayed quiet, the same way they had during the ride from jail to Charming. A long knowing look passed between the pair. Tig downed his second shot and dropped his eyes, leaning onto the bar on his elbows. Clay's face showed the bruises of the vicious fight with Jax. Bobby had said they had needed the fight but he didn't know the depth of the anger that had been brewing for months now. Only Tig understood that a fist fight wasn't going to be enough to settle things between them.
Clay walked off to a table by himself. He wanted a few minutes of peace and quiet as he worked up to a nice buzz, then he wanted to home but he was NOT stepping foot outside of the clubhouse as long as Jax was around. He didn't want another fight right now and not because he was scared; it more so because he might kill the little fucker if he started shit up again right now.
A solo game of pool seemed like a good idea to Happy. He knew something big was brewing but figured he'd keep his Nomad ass out of it until someone asked for different. He was beginning to think of the Charming charter as his new home but that wasn't by any means official yet so he wasn't about to make waves by sticking his nose in where it might be unwanted. If anybody wanted his opinion, they'd ask for it and he'd gladly give it.
Bobby sat on a stool at one end of the bar, took a long pull from his beer and watched the other guys in the clubhouse. He had a million questions as to just what in the fuck was going on but now wasn't the time to ask them, now was a time for everyone to chill the fuck out and decompress. The shit that had gone down between Clay and Jax in jail and just before had been brutal and there was more to it than just father-son growing pains. Clay was a rash doer, Jax was a thinker and those personalities were bound to grind against each other every now and then but this situation was much bigger than that. He wanted to talk to Tig, see if he could get any insight into Clay's head cause he hadn't had any luck digging into Jax's dome. He caught the SAA's eye and raised his eyebrows but Tig just gave him a forlorn look, palmed something from behind the bar and headed out the front door.
Tig stepped outside the clubhouse and sucked in a deep breath. Inside he had suddenly got the feeling that his lungs were collapsing, he couldn't get enough air. He took another breath then a long drink from his beer and felt a little better. Outside he didn't have to deal with the looks from the other guys…the prying glances from Bobby, the cold looks from Clay, the respectfully neutral but slightly supportive nod from Hap. He climbed on top of the picnic table and sat down, firing up the joint he had grabbed from the stash behind the bar. Smoking pot probably wasn't the doctor prescribed remedy for a near panic attack but it was his way of calming down. He rubbed his face with his free hand and sighed.
Everything was falling apart. The club was getting ripped right down the middle thanks to the brilliant rash thinking of himself and Clay and it was getting worse by the day. They really had no one else to blame but themselves and Tig was honestly surprised it had taken Jax this long to blow his top. But what happened now? He had no goddamn idea how to fix shit. Clay was getting harder and harder to talk to and Jax wasn't going to be placated anymore. There had to be a way to calm shit down without the bleak truth about Donna coming to light but damn if he could see it right now.
Donna…his brain jerked back to that awful night and he saw the back of the truck's glass shattering. Then his memory jumped forward to sitting across from Stahl as she threatened to tell Jaci about the whole ordeal. Jaci…he glanced up and scanned the parking lot. The only car in the lot belonged to Gemma, the Mustang was gone and so was Tara's car. He let out a snort, chiding himself for thinking she still might be hanging around waiting for him. He should have been surprised to see her standing in the lot earlier when they rolled up from jail but he hadn't been…if he was honest, he would have laid money on her being there. Taking people for granted was bad but he did it all the time with her.
He had left things a mess with her once again and he mused on what to do about it. He could get on his bike and drive to her place right now and say he'd been a fucking idiot and hope that she'd give him a pass again but he didn't move from the table. As bad as things might be with Jaci, things were worse with his club. He couldn't leave the lot until he was sure Clay and Jax weren't going to try for a Smackdown rematch. He took another hit from the joint and settled in for sentry duty.
Twenty minutes later he heard a door open at the garage end of the lot and saw a figure with Jax's signature strut emerge. His VP crossed the lot to his bike without saying a word, fired it up and roared out of the parking lot. He saw Gemma step outside the office and he finally stood up. Leaving his empty bottle where it sat on the table, he walked back inside the clubhouse.
Clay looked up, having heard a bike exit the lot. With his SAA giving him the slightest of all clear nods, he stood up and headed for the door without a word. The guys remaining in the clubhouse remained silent as they heard a bike then a car leave the lot. Bobby blew out of a breath and looked at Tig. "What the hell, man?"
"Not tonight." Tig replied in an exhausted voice. "See ya tomorrow." He made the lone walk to his bike and cranked it to life. At the exit of the lot, he paused. Jaci's house was to the right, his place to the left. Too many nights of not sleeping and being on edge threatened to bring him down and the joint he had smoked had him feeling mellow. He needed to sleep and get his head straight again. Fuck it…I'll deal with shit in the morning. He headed left. At that point in the night, it wouldn't have really mattered…Jaci wasn't home, she was at a hotel making what some might deem a mistake. So as it usually did, taking another for granted had dire consequences.
XXX
He knew it was probably the closest he'd ever get to hearing angel sounds and Juice couldn't have fought back the smile that formed on his lips, even if at gun point. But he was pretty sure it sounded like Hell-in-the-hallway to whomever Vix's tirade was focused.
'Look, I don't give a good goddamn about Hippos or whateverthefuck, just tell me which room. What? Excuse me, HIPAA, what the hell is that anyway? Oh, yeah well I don't have a whole lotta damn love for anything Federal so they can take their privacy acts and shove 'em. Oh, yeah, great. Whatever get security!"
"VIX!" He hollered and then cleared his throat, which was dry. He took in a deep breath, which hurt like Hell and winced in pain as he yelled.
"JUICE? JUICE, WHERE ARE YOU?"
"I DON'T KNOW BABY... SOMEWHERE CLOSE, I CAN HEAR YOU!"
He heard laughing that was definitely not Vix and then Luann's voice, "The whole friggin' hospital can hear ya both. JUICE! PRESS YOUR NURSE CALL BUTTON, IT'LL FLASH A LIGHT OUT HERE IN THE HALL, SWEETIE!"
Juice reached over and grabbed the universal remote type thing that housed the bed controls, the TV remote and speaker, and the Nurse Call button. He depressed the red rectangle and heard a walkie-talkie-esque sound followed by a disembodied voice asking 'How can I help you?'
"You can't." He muttered in response. Out in the hall, he heard the tell-tale slap of Vix's strappy sandals and the clickety-clack of Luann's token fuck me pumps, growing louder as they approached the room. A second later Vix's figure graced the doorway.
Her shocked and panicked intake of breath caused his own lungs to hurt. Her eyes, threatening to bug out of her head and welling up with tears, did a quick sweep of his body. He was arranged at a slightly awkward angle to allow for zero pressure on his wound, but at least he was not forced to lay face down.
"Oh! Jesus! Baby?" She gasped as her hands flew to cover her mouth.
Beside her Luann popped her head in the room, "Hey Sweetie." She smiled at him, "Brought your girl."
"Appreciate that… how'd you find me so fast, only been here two hours."
"Deductive reasoning." Lu advised as she nudged a transfixed Vix thru the doorway, stepped inside and closed the door behind them. He realized Luann was a veteran at this sort of thing - being the recipient of bad jailhouse news. "Stahl paid Vix a little visit at Twisted... conducting her civic duty apparently, informing the next-of-kin."
Juice nodded and ventured a smile at Vix, who'd slowly progressed to his bedside. "How you doin'?"
"ME?" She choked out along with a sob, "Why you worried about me, look at you... pale as a sheet and all stabbed and bleeding internally. Jesus, Jean!"
"Relax. sit down... before you fall down, bust your head open and wind up laid up in here too." He snickered, "That be about our luck."
Vix nodded, sniffling and pulling a chair as close to the bedside as she could, sat down and reached for his hand.
Across the room Luann smiled and nodded, "You two DO have to put the brakes on meetin' like this. First, she's held on a warrant and her appendix exploded, now you? Christ."
Behind her the room to the door opened and a nurse walked in. "Oh, excuse me. I didn't know you had visitors. Were you in need of something? You pushed the call bell." The nurse eyed Vix and Luann and then set her gaze on him.
Juice shook his head. "Nah, I'm good."
"Okay, well um, visiting hours are over for today... unless you're…" She eyed the girls again, "IMMEDIATE family?" The look on her face was priceless when he, Vix and Lu all nodded in agreement. "Okay then, you've got another hour then the patient really needs his rest." She backed out the door letting it close softly in her wake.
"If that skinny-assed bitch thinks she's gonna get me outta this room, she's got another damn thing comin'." Vix seethed.
Juice grinned. His girl had apparently moved past her shock.
~TBC