A Second Chance Ch. 16

Bouncing her leg, Liz could feel the tension rising in her body, she knew why he had to do this, hell, she loved him 1000x more for doing it, but the thought of him potentially putting himself in danger, well, that shit set her teeth on edge. Looking over the lot, it was a weird thing, to see his bike, but know that he was somewhere flying over the Midwest. Honestly the whole thing was just bullshit, why couldn't Mark just leave her the hell alone, or find her a year ago, or come knocking after a couple months?

Downing her shot of tequila, Liz could only come up with one answer, he was an arrogant fuck, that thought her life would fall apart without him. Looking up at the new prospect, his eyes watching her, "What?" she snapped.

Rat boy just blinked, "I'm sorry," feeling kind of stupid, "You alright?" he asked her. Opie was his sponsor, and he'd only been a prospect for 3 days, but he learned very quickly, who the Old Ladies were.

Liz frowned, she really didn't mean to bite the kids head off, she knew that the next year, he was going to be pushed by the club, she didn't want to be another person that tormented him. "Sorry." Letting out a sigh, as much as she wanted to talk about her feelings, there was no way she would with a Prospect, "Just missing Hap."

Nodding, he really couldn't understand, not having anyone really special to miss, but he understood the emotion. "I don't know the guy, but I mean if he's like the rest of the members, I'm sure he'll be fine and back before you know it." Sliding another shot towards her, "On the house." He teased.

Snorting, "Thanks." Downing it again, Liz got up from the bar, she wanted to head home, if anything to occupy herself while Happy made his way to NJ. Slipping on her sunglasses, she turned to look at the kid, "Friendly advice, don't let them see you being too sweet to the Old Ladies, they might misinterpret it, got it."

Rat boy watched her walk out of the clubhouse, smirking at the advice that she bestowed upon him. He was naturally kind to woman as a general rule, but under no circumstances did he want his potential brothers to think that he was trying to push up on them.

Hearing the gavel, his eyes darted to the double doors, hoping that in a year's time, he'd be worthy of the Patches, and have a place at that table. Shaking his head clear of that, for now, he was a bitch boy, and he figured that after a meeting they would want to drink.

INSIDE CHURCH

Jax looked around the table, his eyes on Happy's empty chair, after he heard what Mark asked of him, he was surprised that he didn't just kill him there. Rubbing his beard, if the roles were reversed, Jax wasn't sure that he'd be able to restrain himself, perhaps though, that's what made Hap so dangerous.

Shaking his head, his eyes focused on the current task, he already got Hap's vote, so now it was up to the rest of the table. "So, Filthy Phil, how's everyone feeling on patching him in?" he asked.

Chibs looked around the table, Phil was his prospect, "Aye, I say he's earned it." Which was true, that kid put up with a lot of bullshit, just as much if not more than Half-sac.

Tig smirked, he really did like him, "Yeah, his a little big and dumb, but brutal, he's got my vote."

Opie nodded, "Yea."

Piney smirked, "Yeah, nice to have another big man around."

Jax laughed, it was kind of funny, Piney did like that kid. Hearing the rest of the club vote him in, his eyes turned to Kip, "What say you?" he asked, knowing that this was important for him, he was the most recent prospect.

"Hell yeah, he put up with more bullshit that I did, and still came back for more." Letting his eyes look at his former sponsor, smirking at him.

"Happy gave me his proxy vote, and he said Yeah." Looking at the table, "Someone get that shithead."

Opie opened the door, his eyes finding Phil teaching Rat boy how to stock the bar, smirking, "FITLHY GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!" he barked, enjoying the panicked look on his face.

Making his way inside, Phil did what he could not to look around like a lost kid, he knew that eventually they would get around to voting him in or kicking him out and seemed that the day has finally arrived. Exhaling slowly, he let his eyes fall on the President, wondering if this was his shining moment or if he was about to be banned from the clubhouse.

Jax looked over at Sac, he knew what they were going to do, "Give him your knife." He ordered.

Kip smirked, taking out his k-bar, sliding across the table, "Take off those patches, now." His voice cold and detached.

Resisting the urge to frown, Phil leaned over picked up the knife, slipping off his Kutte, he carefully removed his Prospect patch. A part of him was sad, he thought he proved himself enough to earn his spot, but it wasn't meant to be. Once the patches were off, he gently handed them to Opie, turning towards Jax, waiting for the words to come out of his mouth.

Jax turned to Chibs, "He was yours, you tell him."

Chibs stood up, slowly making his way to Phil, smirking at him, he placed a hand on his shoulder, "Now, my boy," reaching into his pocket, "put these on." Handing him his patches for his top rocker.

Looking down at the patches in his hand, Phil couldn't help but smile, taking them from Chibs, he gave him a quick man hug. "Thanks." Turning to the rest of the table, "That's a cruel joke." Laughing as he said it.

Banging the gavel, it was good for them to have something to celebrate when Hap finally got back. Jax stood, and like the rest of the club, patted the kid on the back, he earned his spot.

END CHURCH

Hearing his phone buzz, Happy couldn't help but smirk, he wasn't a huge fan of the guy, but he was loyal and when it called for it, brutal. Slipping the prepaid into his pocket, he leaned against the wall, while flying across the country in a cargo plane wasn't the best, it limited any paper or video trails of him making this fucking trip.

Hell, he even left his Kutte at the clubhouse, not that he didn't trust it with his wife, something primal in his brain wanted to leave it where his brother's could see. Hearing the pilot say to buckle in as they made their approach, Hap clicked himself in the harness, and closed his eyes as the plane started to descend. He wasn't afraid of much, but flying was completely out of his control, and since he wasn't flying the fucking thing, he had to trust a stranger.

Feeling the tires hit the tarmac, Happy exhaled slowly, at least the fucker didn't kill him, and now all he had to do, was get to the bar that dipshit hung out at on Thursday nights, post up and wait. While the thought of waiting in the alley until he showed up, annoyed the ever-loving shit out of him, but the only way this kept everyone out of the clear, was keeping to his schedule.

Feeling his other prepaid buzz, chuckling as he read the message.

M: I am where you told me to be, I will expect to see results in a couple days.

Rolling his eyes, in person the man was like a fucking chihuahua, but over the phone and some distance between them he turns into an arrogant fuck.

F: Don't worry pretty boy. Keep the phone on you.

Looking up, Happy could see the cargo doors opening, slipping on his hat, he knew it was on the tail end of winter, so it was going to get cold tonight, slipping on his jacket, gloves, and his vest, he made his way out, only turning when the pilot spoke to him.

"I leave tomorrow morning at 5am, if you're not here, then you find your own way home." Will knew all about the SONs, but he wasn't going to put his lively hood in jeopardy for them or his boss.

Giving him a nod, Happy made his way out towards the car that was waiting for him. Seeing the flashing headlights, he made his way over, jumped into the passenger seat and leaned back. Ready to get this shit done.

Patrick looked over at his guest, from what he was told he wasn't much of a talker, which was fine to him, neither was he. But he felt it was necessary to give him the run down of how they were going to plan this.

Clearing his throat, "I am heading there staying off the main highways and tolls, don't want to appear on any cameras, I will drop you off about 2 blocks from the bar." Making the turn to head towards O'Shea's, "He usually hangs out from about 10-12, takes the back alley towards his car, all the junkies that usually are in there have been given incentives to avoid it, you'll be in the clear. As you finish up your meeting, you will walk towards the abandoned lot down the block, and I will be there to bring you back to the airfield."

Looking over at the man, seeing the shamrock tat on his wrist, Irish Mob, similar to the SONs give or take a few things, he could respect that. "Thanks." What else was he supposed to say, to a stranger, but Jax and Chibs said he could be trusted and that was enough for him.

Leaning back in his seat, he let his brain shut down for a little while, he was going to be outside in the alley like a hobo for a few hours in the cold weather, he was going to enjoy the heat while he still had it. As much as he wanted to call or text Red, he knew that any calls that originated from this part of the country on the day that he was killed would raise too many suspicions, so he trusted that the club was watching over her and that Luna was by her side, not that he expected her to be anywhere else.

Mark found himself sitting inside his favorite dive bar, after Liz walked out on him, in his search for her, he stumbled across this little gem. But even after coming here for almost 2 years, no one really bothered to talk to him, at first it annoyed him, some of these bar whores didn't even bother to look over at him, but the more he came here, the more he began to appreciate it.

After a bullshit day at work, he could just come get a few beers, not have to be anything more than just a patron, no one really to impress, he was just a guy in a bar.

Tilting back his beer, his mind wandered to what was probably happening now, looking at his watch, it was 11:30, so it would be 8:30 in California. He couldn't help but wonder exactly what that tattooed man would do to her, would he just stab her, shoot her, torture her? The possibilities were endless, he did hope however, that he did rape her, just the thought of her husband finding out that she was not only murdered but violated it would be torture for him as well.

From what he read about bikers, they treated their bitches like property, and unless they gave permission for someone to fuck their Old Ladies, it was their pussy. So, in his mind any violation on that would be a huge insult to the man, while he didn't think a biker would care too much for too long, it was something that would make him look weak in front of his 'brothers'.

And who knew, perhaps the club would think that he couldn't keep his own wife safe, what could he do for their club. Suppressing a giggle, Mark couldn't help but enjoy the thought, he would be kicked out of his brotherhood if they thought him weak, or perhaps even better, they killed him.

Finishing up his last bit of beer, Mark placed a $50 down on the counter, normally he would just leave a $20, but he was feeling good about the things that were put in motion. Zipping up his jacket, he made his way out the back, for it was the quickest way to his car, everything was finally coming up roses, and he was only 24 hours away from solving one of his problems.

Happy kept himself hidden behind the dumpster, grateful that it was emptied, so at least he didn't have a strong smell of garbage wafting up his nose while he waited. Looking at his watch, he was almost midnight, so fuck face should be coming out the back any minute. Sighing, he wished that he could have him taken to an abandoned warehouse, having hours to play with him, and get him to shit himself.

While that was what he wanted, this was being made to look like a robbery gone wrong, and as much as he wanted to inflict as much pain as he could, that was his ego talking not what Red needed from him. Making a move to stand, as he heard a door slam shut, Happy spotted someone standing in the doorway, smirking a bit when he saw it was dipshit.

Sparing a glance up and down the alleyway, pleased to see that outside of shithead, he was the only one in the alley. Stepping back into the shadows, not wanting to alert him to the danger, at least not yet. Keeping his hands on the gun, knowing that it was a drop gun from a previous murder from a banger group in the area.

Mark checked his phone, frowning that he didn't see an update from the 'fixer' yet, but perhaps he was busy, taking his time. That was what he could have hoped for, a couple of hours of pain, that truly would satisfy his need for payback, knowing that she was suffering. Putting the phone back into his pocket, Mark looked down the alleyway, smiling when he didn't see the junkies that normally littered the backway.

Perhaps the bartender took his advice and had the police run patrols this way, because who wants to deal with those people anyway? Feeling a bit safer, he started off towards his car, knowing that by morning he'd be waking up to some fantastic news.

Happy watched as he walked right by him, almost snorting that he was so unaware of his fucking surroundings. Shaking his head, he waited until he about a foot away before he stepped out of the shadows, without making a sound Happy reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder pushing him into the wall.

"WHA…" Mark attempted to scream, but a big hand covered his mouth. Trying to focus his eyes, he found himself looking into the eyes of the fixer, fear coursed through him.

Happy could see the shock and fear, pulling out the gun, he placed it against the man's temple, chuckling as he heard piss hitting the ground. "You're probably wondering, why?"

Unable to speak, Mark was barely able to nod his head. Looking into his almost black eyes, almost pleading for him to let him go.

Clearing his throat, while Happy wasn't a big talker by nature, Mark deserved to know why, if anything so that he could die knowing he fucking failed. "My name is Happy Lowman, my wife is Elizabeth Lowman, formally Miller."

Inhaling sharply, Mark tried to struggle, but the butt of the gun hit his temple. Feeling dizzy, Mark tried to focus on the man in front of him. With his hand over his mouth, he attempted to speak, but it came out muffled. "Pze."

Growling out, "Are you begging?" he asked, squeezing his cheeks a little harder with his gloved hand.

Attempting to nod again, Mark could feel some tears running down his face.

Pussy, crying already, too bad Happy didn't have the time, he'd love to break this man down to his basic molecules. Removing the gun from his head, he placed it just at gut level, "That's really cute, crying." Sparing a look down the alley, as much as he wanted to toy with the man, he was too exposed, even with all his black gear on, he was a big man, someone could see him.

"You were going to pay me to kill and rape her," Pulling the trigger once he let the bastard drop, his body in shock so he wasn't screaming yet, "You should have left well enough alone, and maybe you wouldn't be dying in alley like the bitch you are."

Stepping on his throat with his sneakers, Happy pressed hard not wanting the bitch to scream, "Die fucker." Raising his gun, he shot him two more times in the chest, chuckling as he choked on his own blood.

Checking his watch, Happy knew he needed to get to the lot, wiping down the gun, not that he touched it with his bare hands, but it was second nature when leaving the murder weapon behind, booking it down the alley, he chucked it into the dumpster, and once he hit the main street, he put his hands in his pockets and slowly walked towards the lot.

Liz found herself running, with Hap gone, she had a lot of pent up energy, some of it was sexual, but mostly she was wondering how things were going for him. Rounding the corner, she could see that Luna had a serene smile on her face, in that moment, she could almost hate her for it, but she knew that it was her problem not anyone else.

Seeing the lot, Liz could feel herself relaxing a bit, while she knew that he wasn't there, she wanted to be close to the action if anything came down the pipe on what happened.

Looking over at her friend, Luna could understand why she was so edgy, she loved him, worried for him, and missed him. Coming to a stop at the picnic tables, Luna reached behind herself and carefully stretched out her legs, "Did it help?" she asked her friend, smiling when she saw her stretching too.

Snorting, "A little." Arching herself back, Liz really wanted to keep her spine loose. "I think I'll feel better when I know he's on his way back." Rolling her neck, she took the bottle of water that Luna was handing her. "Thanks."

Taking a seat next to her, Luna could understand, this was a complicated life on a good day, but when shit needed to be dealt with, and it intersected with their normal lives, it was a lot more stressful. "It's funny, we aren't normally these types of women that sit by the phone waiting for their man, but with how dangerous this life can be, it's normal, whatever that even means."

"Yeah. I would never regret this life, or anything that the shitty parts entail, because I have Hap, you have Jax, we have our very complicated but amazing family, but this sitting at home like a good woman shit, annoys the ever-loving fuck out of me." Finishing off her bottle, Liz stood to toss it away, her eyes finding Phil with his top rocker.

Luna could see that her eyes zeroed in on the something, following her line of sight, Luna couldn't help but smile, "He did it." Jumping off the table, she could see that Liz had that same look, they were proud of the guy. While Luna would never speak for anyone but herself, she was sure that it had a lot to do with how he helped them deal with Ima, he did what he was told, and didn't complain or even talk about until Jax asked him directly in Church.

Shaking off her sadness, Liz linked her arms with Luna, "We should probably go and congratulate him." Leading her friend over, she watched as his face lit up as they approached, "Well well, look who's an official badass now." Giving a small hug.

Phil lightly squeezed her, "Thank Liz." Turning towards Luna, blushing as she kissed his cheek. "Thanks Luna." Puffing out his chest, he remembered the conversation that he had with them a few months back, "So, I want a great Old Lady, but I'm going to take your advice, I'm going to enjoy this part for a while, and when I'm ready, I'd love for you two to help me, if you still want to."

Luna couldn't help but smile, "I am all for that." Looking over at Liz, "What about you?"

Feeling like the first real smile since Happy left, Liz nodded, "You got it, enjoy yourself, and I'm sure as soon as Happy's back, they are going to plan one hell of a party."

Jax, Opie, and Chibs walked up on the tail end of their conversation, Chibs gently hugged Luna, then Liz, "You're right on tha lass." Looking up at Phil, "Dun worry boyo, we have SAMTAC, SAMTAZ, coming in just for you."

Liz perked up, her eyes falling to her sister, knowing how much she really disliked Kozik, hell, after what happened with him, Happy while he still treated him like a brother when he was in town, it wasn't the same. For damn sure, Happy never left him alone with her, nor did she think he would.

Luna tensed a bit, but it's been a long ass time since that incident, and for the most part, any time Kozik saw her, he avoided her, barely acknowledging her presence, which on the surface, could appear rude, but to everyone that matters, it was a perfectly acceptable solution.

Reaching for her husband, grinning like an idiot when he pulled her close to him, "So, when should we be expecting our guests?" Figuring it was away to ask about when Happy was getting her without directly asking.

Opie chuckled, "Should be here tomorrow night," this was going to be the first huge party on the lot, he was a little excited by it. Turning to Jax, "If you need me, call, but I'm gonna head home to Donna, kids are with her parents for the rest of the week, and I'm enjoying my time."

Liz whistled at him as he jogged towards his bike, "No wonder Donna's had a smile on her face." Looking over at her family, "Well, I'm going to jump into the shower, and relax." Her eyes finding Jax, "I'll be in the dorm, bug me if its important."

Jax watched as she walked into the clubhouse, he knew that this was a little harder on her than she was letting on, but he was grateful that she wasn't causing any issues. Kissing his wife's head, "How's she doing?"

Leaning into arms, "She's fine, just anxious." Sighing, "It's not like she's upset, in the sense of how could this be my life, but it seems more like, she wished that she wasn't putting him or the club in harms way."

Tossing her over his shoulder, Jax swatted her ass, enjoying how it felt under his hands, "Well, after I'm done with your baby, you can explain to her, she's family, and we'll always protect our family."

Luna couldn't help but giggle a bit, pinching his side, Luna was getting excited, before she went for a run with Liz, she peed on an ovulation stick, and she was at her peak, so hopefully in a few weeks, she'd have a little Teller in her.

Happy was never more grateful to see the lot in his life, looking over at Rat boy, "You tell her that I was coming back yet?" he asked him.

Shaking his head, "No, Luna said to keep it a surprise for her." Clearing his throat, "She's in your dorm." Putting the car in park, "I'm off to bed, do you need anything before you go in?"

Normally Hap enjoyed tormenting the Prospects, especially the new ones, but right now, he was just ready to crawl into bed with his wife. "No." Without another word, he moved quickly through the clubhouse, it was 2am, so mostly everyone was asleep, while he wanted to check in on his brothers, Liz was his priority.

Quietly opening his door, Happy smiled seeing her in nothing but his t-shirt and panties. Placing everything down, he made his way to the bathroom, showering quickly, after brushing his teeth, he didn't even bother getting on his boxers, while he wanted to dive into her body, he was beat, and he knew that she was more than ready for him to come home.

Crawling in behind her, Happy carefully pulled her towards his chest, the moment he had her safely wrapped around his arms, he felt like he was finally able to breath. Tossing his leg over hers, practically caging her with his body, he knew in that moment what being home really felt like.

While he was still the Tacoma Killa, the enforcer, the one that the club called on for all the dark, nasty, and brutal shit, he was a husband first now. Closing his eyes, he quickly felt himself falling to sleep, there was truly nothing more calming than being with his Elizabeth.