five.
Sliding her hands over her sleeping biker's chest, Tasha leaned down to kiss Kozik softly. He looked so peaceful – for a change - and she didn't want to disturb him, but she couldn't resist.
"Mmm, s'nice ..." he mumbled against her lips, still not awake but responding to her nonetheless and making her smile as she lay back down in his arms. Her head pillowed on his shoulder and an arm curled around his waist.
No traffic outside, no rumble of motorbike engines. No jukebox blaring or raucous male laughter. No croweaters chattering, glass breaking, boots thumping. No gunfire. The only sounds, apart from their own rhythmic breathing, were the wind in the trees outside and the crackling fire in the grate. Bliss ...
On the verge of drifting off to sleep again, the little blonde became aware of gentle fingers running through her hair and looked up to see Kozik awake and looking down at her with those piercing blue eyes she loved.
"Hi," she said softly, a little smile quirking the corner of her mouth.
"Hi, beautiful," Kozik murmured as he leaned down to kiss her, groaning as he straightened up. "Shit ... We really shoulda moved this to the bed – I got plans for you, babe, and puttin' my damn back out would seriously mess with them!"
"Plans, huh? What kind of plans?"
"Oh you know ... the naked kind," he grinned, sliding his hands over her bare back and holding her close. "You warm enough, baby girl?"
"Mm-hmm," she nodded, snuggling up to him and heaving a contented little sigh as he went back to stroking her hair.
"I, uh ... I talked to Clay a while back," Kozik said suddenly, his voice low in the darkness. He didn't know what had made him tell her in that moment. "About patching over."
"You never said," Tasha frowned, shifting so she could look at him curiously. Feeling him shrug and then shift too so they were laying face-to-face, each propped up on an elbow.
"Didn't want to say anything 'til I knew if it was really an option. And then ... well, we had more important stuff to deal with," he explained, reaching out to rub her hip. "I just ... It ain't a reflection on Deacon, but Tacoma's kinda lost its way, you know? And maybe I should be the one trying to fix it, instead of wanting to take the easy way out. But ... maybe we need easy right now. I know Charming's come in for some heat lately, with all that shit with Chibs and the Irish. Zobelle. What that bastard Weston did to Gemma. And the last thing I wanna do is put you in more danger, but there's gotta be safety in numbers. In a club that pulls together, you know? And Tacoma ain't really much of a club for old ladies – in Charming, you'd have Gemma, Tara and Lyla right on the doorstep."
"You've really given this some thought. What did Clay say?"
"That he'd make it happen. I dunno if it would be as simple as that, not with Tig there. And I'd be giving up my sergeant patch, but ... Clay would have my back if I wanted to move over. I think Jax would too."
"What about Deacon?"
"I know," Kozik sighed. "I'd kinda feel like a shit for running out on him. He'd get it though. Eventually. Listen, babe, get some sleep – I shouldn't have put this on ya right now. We got plenty of time to decide. Don't go worrying about it."
"Okay," she nodded, touching her fingers to his cheek. "But just so you know – I'm okay with whatever you decide, okay? Who knows, Charming could be a new start for us ..."
"You're a doll, you know that?" he smiled, covering her hand with his and turning his head to press a kiss into her palm. "I'm gonna have to put a hell of a rock on that hand – nothin' but the best for my lady. C'mere ..."
Curling up in his arms again as Kozik pulled the duvet tighter around them both, Tasha laid her head on his chest and watched the firelight flicker as she drifted back to sleep.
His eyes flying open in the pale light of dawn, Kozik lay perfectly still for a second. Listening.
"Tash," he whispered, already untangling himself from her sleeping form and reaching for his sweatpants. "Tasha, wake up ..."
Shifting slightly as she wrinkled her nose in protest and mumbled something incoherent, Tasha quickly caught the urgency in his tone and sat up, rubbing sleepily at her eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked, seeing him on his feet. "Koz-"
"Shhh!" he hissed, tossing her t-shirt to her and telling her in a hushed voice to put it on. "Did you hear that?"
"I didn't hear any- Is that a car? Who'd be coming all the way out here? Especially this early ..." Tasha frowned, seeing from Kozik's dark expression that he wasn't exactly thrilled at the thought of an unexpected guest.
Grabbing his fiancée's hand and pulling her to her feet, he swiftly led her across the cabin to the bedroom – his mind racing, full of thoughts he didn't want to share with her.
When they'd taken out that heroin dealer for Deacon, he'd never imagined it would be his Tasha who would bear the brunt of the revenge attack. And though he himself had killed those responsible for that, maybe, just maybe, someone else had come in turn to make him pay.
Reaching into the drawer of the bedside table, Kozik grimly pulled out the Glock that had lain there unused since they had arrived at the cabin. They'd been aiming for a bit of respite from the outside world, so he'd stowed it away – not wanting to remind Tasha of the usual dangers that could all too often cast a shadow over their lives.
"You stay in here and you don't fucking come out until I tell you," he warned, reaching back into the drawer and handing Tasha the .32 he had taught her to use a long time ago back in Tacoma. "That door opens, you shoot whatever fucker comes through it. You hear me?"
Not trusting herself to speak, Tasha nodded. Her face pale and her heart racing.
"Good girl," Kozik said, the harsh mask of his sergeant's face slipping just a little as he kissed her roughly. "Don't worry – it's just in case," he told her. "I got this. Ain't nobody gettin' through me."
"Be careful," she pleaded.
And then he was gone. Leaving her stood there helplessly, her slight frame draped in his t-shirt and the gun feeling heavier than it should in her hand.
to be continued ...