"Go home Juice," Chibs said taking a seat next to him on the sofa where he was watching some girls dance.
"What? Why? I've got all I need here," Juice stretched out his arms like a prince showing off his future kingdom.
"Aye, that you do but you have a new flat mate remember, I'm trusting you to look after the girl. You know keep an eye on her and keep her happy, if there's a problem make sure I'm the first to know." Chibs wasn't looking at Juice, he was surveying the room. All his brothers were in his sight, especially Tig.
"What is it with this chick? She got beer flavoured nipples or something. She's been here a few days and suddenly Tig is all weird and mushy eyed when she's around and you're all pseudo father and what not, which by the way is kind of gross if you're trying to get to her beer nipples."
"Shut it," Chibs sighed. "Look, I'm just looking out for her okay, she seems a tough girl aye, but she's young and I think she's had a rough ride in life. This is no place for a wee thing like her but she fits in and all that well enough so far so let's just keep it that way." He paused, "and I'm not trying to fuck the girl you sick perve."
Juice sighed. He didn't like this. He slipped out of the club room unnoticed by all there.
Amber was just getting out of her car as Juice pulled up. She was surprised to see him considering he had said he wasn't around much which she had taken to mean he sleeps at the clubhouse a lot. She checked her watch as he took off his helmet. 3am.
"Thought you would already be in bed," he said.
"Was a busy night, had a few stragglers who didn't want to go home so it took longer to clean up and what not." She shrugged.
As they stood out on the road side filling each other in on where they had been a car drove past, slowed to an all most stop and then continued on its way.
Juice looked at Amber, she looked confused.
"Juice, who was that? He looks real familiar."
"That is A.J Weston, watch out for him he's bad news. You've probably seen him around Charming."
Juice ushered her inside. He saw Weston's eyes; they were fixed dead on Amber in a creepy stare that made him very glad he had followed Chibs' order to return home. He made a mental note to check all the locks and windows in the house.
Over the next few days Juice spent more time at home, only going to the garage for work or club business. After much internal argument he decided he wouldn't tell anyone about Weston's drive by. It was his belief that it would create issues within the club, practically between Chibs and Tig.
Amber had the next two days off work and was looking forward to some down time. Since moving in with Juice she had not been back to the clubhouse despite Juice and Chibs telling her she was welcome. On multiple occasions she had woken up to find Juice and Chibs sitting around the kitchen waiting for her to cook some breakfast for them before they went to the garage and would return a couple of hours before she headed to work so she could feed them again.
She had grown more attached to the two bikers than she had to anybody else in years. Sometimes she would have sudden rushes of panic at the thought of getting attached, in the past it had only lead to hurt but more often than not she was at peace within her new little... rather fucked up family.
"Come on Amber, you always use work as an excuse but you're not working tonight and you're not working tomorrow night so you can come to the clubhouse for many drinks," Juice had woken up in a good mood.
She was at a loss. She wanted to have some fun, and truth be told she wanted to see Tig but still it felt wrong. She looked at Chibs.
"How 'bout I decide for ya. You're coming to the clubhouse with us. Now in fact, come on go get dressed and you can ride with me," Chibs brushed his hands together to signify end of discussion and Amber went to get ready with a sigh.
Amber walked into the clubrooms slowly, holding onto the back of Chibs' cut like a small child. She looked anything but in her knee high black cowboy boots, cut off short shorts and lynyrd skynyrd singlet that she had altered to be tight and low cut.
Tig saw her the moment she was off the bike.
"Finally, been wondering when we were going to see your pretty face again," said Half Sack putting beers down on the bar for Chibs and Juice.
"Yeah, sorry, been sorting shit out and what not, work, you know" she shrugged.
Half Sack nodded, "well just give me a shout if you need anything."
"Thanks, will do," she swivelled around on the stool and locked eyes with Tig. Seconds felt like hours and his eyes bore into hers until Clay's loud voice broke the stare and everybody followed him into their meeting room.
She played a game of pool with herself while she waited. She thought about going to talk with Clay's wife Gemma or Tara but she didn't feel like it was right. Something was up, she didn't know what but tension was high and it only got worse when the guys began to file out of the chapel.
"Darlin', Juice and I got work to do, you going to be okay hanging out here for a bit?" Chibs looked worn out.
"Um, yeah I'm good here. Is everything okay? Everyone looks a little ... unhappy?"
"Aye, bit of trouble with one of our boys but everything is fine, nothing for you to worry about love," he slung his arm over her shoulders. "This can be a high tension place, but it always works out in the end." He gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her he would see her in a couple of hour.
Amber continued her game of pool continuously laughing at how shit she was.
Suddenly there was a loud noise. The windows shook and the air filled with heat and a smell of chemicals and smoke. Instinctively she ducked and then ran outside to see what had happened.
Chibs way lying on his back not far from a burning van. People were running to him, screaming his name as the sound of sirens filled the air. She wanted to move, she wanted to run to his aid but she couldn't make her legs function.
It took ages for the paramedics to get him stable enough to move. He remained unconscious the whole time. After the initial shock she was able to force herself to move closer but still kept a distance so she was not in the way
In all the drama she had been forgotten about. Everybody had been filled in on his condition by Tara after they took him to the hospital but she sat by herself in the corner of the room.
The brothers all went into the chapel to talk again, Tara and Gemma sat outside waiting, tension was high between them so she didn't want to go anywhere near them. She stood up a couple of times to leave but remembered she had come with Chibs and didn't much like the idea of walking the streets of Charming alone in the dark.
The guys all filed out of the chapel, she stood when Juice came out and the expression on his face told her he had forgotten all about her.
"Amber, shit," he didn't know what to say. He felt bad for leaving her alone sitting there like that.
"I have no clue what the fuck is going on Juice. The last person to talk to me was Chibs and now he's what... dying, alive, fine?" she felt tears welling up but she was not going to let them fall.
"He is not going to die," Tig was suddenly next to her. "Hear me? Not going to lie, he's a fucking mess right now but he is not going to die."
Amber nodded.
No one had felt like partying that night. Most of the guys went home knowing they would need to be well rested for whatever tomorrow would bring others spent the night at the clubhouse but went to bed early with a bottle of Jack or a woman, mostly both.
Juice wanted to stay at the clubhouse; he felt the need to be with his brothers. Amber just didn't want to be alone so she found an empty sofa and lay down. She knew she wouldn't sleep, there were random men in various areas of the room, and Juice was snoring loudly nearby, passed out on the pool table.
She touched her head where Chibs had kissed her and tears began to fall down her cheek. This was why she didn't get attached.
She heard someone enter the room from the hallway that lead to the dorm rooms. They fumbled and tripped their way along trying to keep quiet before walking right into a coffee table, "fuck!"
"Tig?" she knew that voice.
"Amber, where the fuck are you woman?"
She made her phone light up and stuck it in the air, "over here. What on earth are you doing?"
He crouched down by her, from the light of her phone she could see she had been crying. Wordlessly he picked her up bridal style and took her back to his room.
He sat on the edge of his bed with her standing in between his legs. She was so short he didn't have to look up far to find her eyes. He reached up to wipe away the tears stains from her cheek.
"Tig, what are you doing?" she didn't want to move, she liked being this close to him.
"You and Chibs, there something going on there?" his tone was level, she didn't know how to read him.
"No, God no. He looked after me that's all. I love him, but like a father or uncle or something."
"What about Juice, you been fucking him?"
She dropped to her knees, "no."
He sighed and lay back, his feet still on the floor, "everything has turned to shit Amber. Things are not as they should be. Jax and Clay are at odds, Opie can't stand being around his kids, Gemma is as jumpy as all hell, and I... shit, where do I begin?"
She sat on the bed, "earlier today Chibs told me things were tense but that things always sort themselves out. I don't know what's going on but you will get through it Tig."
"Come here," he pulled her down on top of him. "I'll take you to the hospital in the morning so you can see Chibs and I want you to stay there till I come back for you. "
She nodded.
"Amber, I'm not about to make you my old lady or commit to you in anyway but if I see you with any other guy I will kill them," he grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look at him. "Your loyalty is to me, you're mine, understood?"
She nodded and settled her head on his chest once he released her. His arms snaked around her in a tight hug.
Sorry this was a bit of a long one, once i got started it just kept coming.