Fighting Back

Chapter 11

Nicole stormed into the clubhouse slamming the door against the wall. She marched into Jax's dorm and grabbed her bag. As she went back into the bar, Kozik came through the clubhouse door. They both froze with the sight of one another. Nicole went for the door but he didn't move.

"Kozik move." She demanded. But he didn't. "I'm not joking around move."

"Look I don't like this anymore than you. Babysitting a spoilt brat isn't high on my to do list."

"Screw you Koz."

She pushed her way past him. Kozik easily moved aside letting her go. He stood in the doorway for a minute before he realised that his life wouldn't be worth living if he let something happen to her. Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, he went chasing after her. When he got outside he was just in time to see her car drive out of the parking lot.

####################

Pissed didn't describe the way Nicole felt when she saw Kozik following her. She could handle seeing him for brief moments here and there, but having to spend the entire day with him was too much.

Kozik watched as Nicole stormed into Jax's house. He shook his head as he removed his helmet. Even at the age 25 she still acted like a spoilt child, but he wasn't really shocked by this.

She heard the front door close and she knew Kozik had let himself in, which annoyed her even more. Why of all people did Clay have to pick Kozik to watch over her.

As her eyes fell onto the clock she realised she didn't have time to dwell, she had somewhere she needed to be. So in true Teller style she sucked it up and started to get ready.

30 minutes had passed and Nicole still hadn't left her room, not that Kozik was bothered in fact the less time he had to spend in the same room with her the better.

He was mindlessly flicking through the channels when he caught sight of her out the corner of his eye, and what a sight it was. She was wearing a tight fitted black knee length dress that clung to every part of her tiny body. As she leaned over to grab her bag, Kozik could only appreciate the curved neckline that framed her cleavage perfectly. Even though he didn't like the girl he couldn't deny that the she was gorgeous, but then again she always had been.

Nicole was taking items from her bag and placing them in the black purse she was going to be using. She could feel his eyes lingering on her, she wasn't surprised he may be an ass but he was still a man at the end of the day, but what did surprise her was that it didn't make her angry in fact she could help but smile to herself. In some twisted way she liked that he was checking her out. Not that she was going to let him know that little fact. Wiping the smug smile from her face she snapped her head up and stared at him.

"What?"

"Nothing." He replied shaking his head. "Just never seen you in a dress." He pointed to her outfit, as his eyes lingered on her chest.

"Jerk." She muttered as she grabbed her keys off the side table next to her.

"Where you off to anyway?"

"Hale's funeral." She started to make her way to the door.

"Woah...woah..." Kozik jumped from his seat and hurried in front of her, blocking her path. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Funny, I don't remember asking for your opinion." She tried to push past him, but it was like he was glued to the spot, he was going nowhere. She crossed her arms across her chest. "Move, Koz."

"No."

"I'm not joking around."

"Neither am I. Your not going." He told her forcelly as he stared down at her.

"You can't tell me what to do."

"Unfortunately for your sweet ass yes I can. Clay left you in my care which means you have to do as I say. And I say under the circumstances going to Hale's funeral is the wrong move."

"Fine."

"What?" She could tell he was a little taken aback by the fact that she seemed to be caving.

"Your right it's a mistake. I shouldn't go." She shrugged.

"So your not going?"

"Nope." Kozik smiled at her, happy that he was victorious in this round. He turned and started to walk back down the hallway with a cocky stride.

Nicole rolled her eyes, unable to believe that he actually fell for that, he really was a dumb blonde.

"Glad to see you've finally stopped acting like..." Kozik spun around when he heard the rumble of an engine. "Stubborn Bitch." He yelled realising that the front door was open and she was gone. He ran out the door as she pulled her car out of the driveway.

######################

Before Nicole could even get out the car, Kozik was over by her, yanking the door open.

"You think this shit is funny?" Nicole could tell he was pissed.

"Well if you could see the look on your face, you'd agree that it's a little bit funny." She replied smugly as she started to get out of the car.

She was about to walk away from him but he placed his hand across her stomach pushing her back against the car. The smug smile she had on her face faded with this action. He didn't hurt her but the fact that he had done what he had shocked her. She looked down at her stomach where his hand still lay, before she looked back at him, meeting his stare.

As she looked at him, Kozik didn't need her to say anything, he knew he was crossing the line. He quickly removed his hand. He watched as her eyes left his briefly as she looked over his shoulder, before finally returning to his.

"Don't follow me." She instructed as she walked away from him and over to Unser who didn't look to pleased with her and Kozik's little confrontation.

"Everything okay over there?" Unser nodded his head towards Kozik who was leaning against her car, watching the two of them.

"Yeah." She replied not even bothering to look behind her. Unser shook his head.

"Nicole I don't think it's a good idea you being here."

"Not you aswell. Hale was good to me, I just want to pay my respects, what's so bad about that?" She huffed. She was fed up all she wanted to do was say goodbye and for some reason everyone was trying to stop her. She went to walk past him but he stopped her.

"Nicole wait." She spun back around to face him.

"What?" Unser looked behind him to make sure that Kozik was out of ear shot which he was. He looked back at Nicole.

"It's about that little favour you asked me to do."

"Oh, right" Nicole was a little taken aback, she hadn't expected things to move so quickly. "So has it gone through. Have the charges been dropped?" She spoke in a hushed tone.

Unser shook his head. "I'm sorry sweetheart. I was too late."

"Why?"

"Proceedings have gone to far. It's out of all of our hands now.

Nicole just stood their in complete shock, maybe she was being thick but she thought getting the charges dropped would be easy and Happy would be in the clear, but he wasn't. Nicole couldn't help but feel sick, she couldn't risk Happy going to prison, not because of her.

Unser watched as Nicole seemed to be fighting with herself. He could tell this wasn't the news she was hoping for although in his eyes he couldn't help but think this was for the best.

"Nicole...Nicole." Finally she looked up at him. "It's probably for the best..."

"Believe me it's not."

"I know you went to visit him."

"What..How?"

"I am the Chief of this town." He chuckled. But Nicole paled at the knowledge of him knowing her secret. "I won't tell Clay or Jax about this but if Ryan's hurt you, forced you somehow into doing this, I can protect but I need you to tell me what's going on."

Nicole thought about it. Unser was right he was the Chief of this town which meant maybe he could help Happy. "He said..." Nicole was abruptly cut off.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jacob snapped, causing Nicole to turn around and face him. "How dare you show up here after what you've done."

"Jacob I haven't done anything." Nicole pleaded.

"You KILLED MY BROTHER."

"No." She shook her head frantically. Flashbacks of Darby came rushing back to her. He had done the same thing to her at Michael's funeral.

"MURDER." He shouted grabbing her arm roughly as he tried leading her back to her car.

"Jake let her go." Unser ordered. Trying to pry Jacob away from Nicole. But Jacob shrugged him off, before turning back to look at him.

"I don't want her here." Jacob's attention was taken away from Unser when he felt somebody grab his arm firmly. He turned back around.

"Let her go now." Nicole even felt herself flinch with the menacing tone Kozik used. But Jacob obviously didn't or he did and chose to ignore it because he continued to keep hold of Nicole.

"Or what?" Nicole watched Koxik pull Jacob closer to him, as he whispered his reply into his ear.

"Or you'll be in the hole next to your brother. Now I'm gonna tell you this one more time. Let go of her." He ordered coldly.

Although she couldn't here what Kozik had said, she knew it was enough to scare Jacob because she felt him let go of her arm. She watched as Kozik let his eyes linger on Jacob before placing his full attention back onto Nicole. He noticed that she looked a little shaken, not that he was surprised being called a murder in front of an audience wasn't nice. He took her by her elbow and guided her over to her car.

"You okay to drive?" He asked as he opened the drivers side door. She didn't answer be she acknowledged him with a nod of her head.

When they arrived back at Jax's house Nicole went straight to her bedroom. She was glad that Kozik didn't try and bother because right now all she wanted was to be alone. The whole seen with Jacob had brought back horrible memories of Michael's funeral, and the last person she needed to be around was Kozik.

####################

Piney, Bobby and Happy arrived at Annie's house to take a look at the drugs she had. As Piney got out of his van he saw a man jump out of a truck carrying a shotgun.

"Bobby..."

"Yeah I got him." Bobby replied already noticing the stranger. "This don't look good."

"Lets go find Annie." Piney said already making his way toward the house.

As the entered the house with their guns raised, they saw some men ransacking the house. But Piney's attention was on Annie who was lying on the floor her knees tucked against her chest as she cowered in fear. As Piney went to pick her up one of the thieves noticed them and fired his shotgun in their direction. Happy and Bobby fired back, covering Piney as he takes Annie to safety. Once Piney and Annie were safely in the room, Happy and Bobby followed them inside slamming the door closed behind them.

"Who are they?" Piney asked as Annie tried to compose herself.

"Their local Peckerwood's. They run the crank up here. They've decided they want to be in the script dope business." She informed them rubbing her hands up her arms trying to calm herself.

"No cell service." Happy told them as he tried one final time to call for back up.

"Tell us where the drug's are we'll tear this god damn place apart." One of the thieves shouted through the door.

"Kiss my ass you inbred prick." She shouted back.

"So we stay in this room they find the drugs and maybe they'll leave." Just as Bobby finished his sentence bullets flew through the door. Piney fireed a few shots back at the door.

"They won't find them." Annie stated as she ran to the nearby wall. She pulled on a piece of string revealing a hidden room. "Get inside." She ordered. Once they were inside she locked the door.

"Holy shit." Bobby let out a low whistle as he looked around the room the were now in. The room was crammed with various drugs.

"There's a landline." Happy said as he started dialling.

##########################

Nicole finally emerged from her room. She was dressed in the clothes she was wearing earlier. As she walked past the front room she purposely avoided looking at Kozik who was stretched out on the sofa.

Entering the kitchen she went straight for the fridge and pulled out the bottle of vodka that was wedged in the small freezer compartment. She grabbed herself a glass from the cupboard and poured herself a drink.

She heard him behind her, but he said nothing and she knew he was waiting for her to make the first move. Something she wasn't willing to do. They remained silent for a while, two drinks to be exact, before Nicole broke.

"It doesn't change anything." She said dryly taking another sip of her drink.

"What doesn't?" Nicole finally turned to face him.

"I appreciate what you did for me today with Jacob, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't like you."

"Understood." He replied as he stepped further into the kitchen. Nicole took another sip of her drink.

"Why did you do it anyway. I mean I thought me getting ripped to shreds would be fun for you."

"Well for one, giving you shit is my job." He said pointing his finger at her. "And he was outta line. Hale's death ain't on you. I wasn't about to let him get away with calling you a murder."

"Why not, I mean that's what I am. I killed Michael, I ki..."

"Nicky, don't ….." He was interrupted when his cell started ringing. He stepped away from Nicole, but kept looking back at her while he had his conversation.

Nicole couldn't stand him looking at her like that, it wasn't pity like she expected to see it was guilt. She turned her back on him as she downed the rest of her drink, quickly pouring herself another one.

"I've gotta go." Nicole just nodded her head, keeping her back to him. "Happy called..."

"What's happened?" Nicole enquired finally facing him again.

"Just run into a little trouble..."

"They okay?"

"Yeah. You gonna be okay?" Nicole saw his eyes fall onto the Vodka bottle behind her.

"I'll be fine." She huffed out.

"Okay. Don't leave this house, I'll be back as soon as I can." She nodded in agreement.

Kozik was torn he knew he had to go and help his brothers but at the same time he was worried about leaving her alone. As much as he may hate to admit it he knew her, knew what happened when she wasn't happy and it was never anything good especially if she was starting to replay Michael's death in her head.