A/N: hey guys sorry its been so long my compy is busted and is still busted. I'm on a rental just to type this chapter so enjoy, I'll try to get the other up when I can.
"Yer not goin!" Jax said closing the door. Ugh I was so sick of this whole baby sitting bull shit.
"Jax I'll be fine." I said opening it back up. The bell of the club door jingled. "Its just a grocery store. I highly doubt any Mayan's are hiding out at the Kwik-Mart." I rolled my eyes.
"NO." He said closing the door again. It jingled. The club was empty except Aemelia who was in my room watching Nitro Circus, and Juice who was too busy on his computer to notice the real world. "I'll go and pick up the groceries." He tried to give me that cold glare of his. You'd think he'd learn by now it never worked.
"Is that right?" I folded my arms across my chest. "And just what kind of formula does Abel drink? And what kind of diapers is he allergic to hmm?" He furrowed his brow. It had been four weeks now I was taking care of Abel. Jax never let me leave the club so he could keep a better eye on me. Lazy shit. So Abel was usually at the club. Great parenting I know, right? Well I made sure the kid was upstairs when the club turned into a bar but it still wasn't a good environment. Men.
"Besides." I said. "I'm jonzin for a pack a smokes."
I got on my bike.
"Oh hell no." I heard from behind. Jax was squinting behind his black sunglasses.
"What?"
"There is no way I' m letting you take your own bike so you can just take off on me. Clay will skin us both."
"If you don't like it then hop on. You can decrease your carbon foot print." I smiled coyly.
"No fuckin way I'm sitting bitch seat on a chick bike. Yer getting on my Harley." I was then briskly ripped off my bike like a rag-doll then placed on his.
"Eh! What the hell!" I protested. "Do you mind? 1. Personal space 2. Don't man handle me! And 3. If you ever—oof!" I was cut off by a helmet slamming onto my head.
"Just shut it an hold on." He grumbled sitting in front of me.
"god yer mouthy" he said to himself. We took off before I could respond.
We reached town. Jax decided to sit on his bike and smoke while I did my "Chick thing I gotta do." I just rolled my eyes.
The baby formula was easy enough. Same goes with the diapers. I saw a cute little Teddy Bear with a little hoodie that said "Charming" on the front and tossed it in. God, if I'm not careful that kids gonna start growing on me. I thought.
The boy at the register was ringing things up. "Is that all?" He couldn't have been a day older fifteen.
"Yeah," I said. "K' I get a pack a smokes?"
"What kind?"
"You got any Harley Davison Lights?" He looked at me like I was crazy. God you'd think in a biker town they'd have decent pack a smokes!
"No but you can try the tobacco show three shops down. It's the big sign "Zobelle's""
My heart stopped. Zobelle? My mother's words echoed in my head.
"Thanks. I'll check it out." I smiled dryly grabbing my bags. I looked across the street at Jax who was apparently sun bathing on his bike. Some high school girls giggled as they walked past. I could see him smile from across the street. Cocky much? I looked down the street. There it was. "Zobelle's"
I quickly walked three stores down and slipped in.
A tall man with gray hair, a grayish\ black suit, white shirt and black shoes so clean I could see distorted reflections in it stood behind the counter. The door jingled as it shut. The strong smell of tobacco in the air. I looked around at the tidy shop. A small Indian sat in the corner. Boxes filled the walls.
"Can I help you?" The man said.
"I'm just looking for a good pack of smokes." I smiled. "Are you the owner?" I was good at playing the dumb little girl.
"Yup that's me. Ethan Zobelle at your service. What can I do for you?" He smiled back, but his expression was odd, like he was late for something. He got out from behind the counter. Just then a tall white man with a brown shirt stood behind the counter like he was ordered to or something. This man was more statuesque. Probably the fist behind the brain. I thought to my self.
"I'm looking for some rare cigarettes. Harley Davison, lights if you got 'em." I was pretending to look around the shop. Ethan Zobelle made a point to make eye contact, like a dog getting ready for a fight. I shot him another dumb girl smile.
"Hmmm." He said to himself. "I don't think we have any of those." He walked over to a shelf a pulled out a box. "We do have the last box of Djarum blacks in town though." I walked up to the register.
"Sounds great."
The tall statue of a man rang them up. He looked like he was going to spit on me or something. I noticed a swastika on his neck. ….greaaaat, a Latino girl in a Nazi tobacco shop. Well I was pale enough I could pass for Italian. Maybe they wouldn't notice. By the look on the statues face I think he did.
"And since we didn't have what you wanted in stalk have a cigar. It's a Carlos Toraño." He handed it to me. My insides where shaking.
"Well thank you very much Mr. Zobelle."
He put out his hand.
"Any time Miss….?"
I thought quickly. Shit.
"C-Carmen." I stuttered for only a second. "Carmen Martinez."
He shook my hand firmly, a little too firmly. Just then the door banged open knocking the bell off the top. An angry Jax was in the door way. Thanks Blondie, now they know I'm with Son's…thanks a lot!
"On the bike…nooowww." He spoke through his teeth.
"You're welcome any time Miss Martinez." He let go of my hand. He and Jax exchanged glances.
We where at the bike three stores away again. "What the hell! I turn around for literally three seconds and your in fucking Zobelle's?! Do you have any idea who they are?"
I opened my mouth but was cut off.
"Their white supremacist! Fucking neo-Nazis!" He was pacing now.
"……ya done?" I asked. I was leaning on his bike. He nodded.
"I told him a fake name, its fine Jax." Yeah, and that whole, looked at me like he knew me even though we've never met thing never happened. I wanted to say "I would have been fine till you and your damn Cut had burst in." but I held back.
"Just get on." He said tossing me a helmet. "And Clay doesn't hear a word of this!"
I nodded.
We didn't go straight back to the club. Jax pulled into a driveway of a pretty blue house. Gemma's black escalade was in the driveway. Jax parked the bike.
"Is this your mom's place?" I asked.
He shook his head, opening the door.
Gemma was inside feeding Abel. He cooed at the sight of his father.
CLICK went the little light bulb. Duh, this is Jax's house!
Abel giggled as Jax tickled him. I loved these moments. Usually Jax was just my grumpy baby sitter forced to be dragged around, and I got his frustration. But the guy almost never smiled. Even holding Abel the smile didn't reach his eyes.
Jax kissed his mom.
"Hey honey." She said in response. "I see you brought your little yoke." She smiled at me. That was Gemma for you. I took it as a joke, weather it was or not. She grabbed her coat and keys. "I'll see you baby," She kissed Jax again then the baby. She to my surprise gave me a hug. "You kids try not to kill each other." She said closing the door.
I then remembered the bear in my bag. I pulled it out. Instantly Abel reached for me. Jax almost had to toss him into my arms. He hugged the bear and settled into my arms.
"See, he likes me best." I said cheerfully.
"'ts not fair if you bribe him." He joked back.
Mean while, after I had left the club that morning. Juice was trying to keep himself busy while his sister and Jax where fighting. Also he was trying to avoid Aemelia. She was trying to pick a fight about anything. About ten minuets after the door closed. He could hear foot steps from the apartments.
"They gone?" Aemelia said trying to keep her tone as cold and sharp as possible.
Juice nodded.
"Good, I'm starving." She went to the fridge behind the bar and popped some corndogs in the microwave. There was an awkward silence. This just pissed Aemelia off more.
"Can I talk to you?" Juice said It was so quiet in the room it felt like he screamed. "You know…now that we're alone."
As first instinct she crossed her arms and leaned on the pool table.
"What?" she said quickly. Juice got up and took off the head lamp on his forehead from working.
"It's just….I…ah…wanted to…." Words where never his best quality. "Explain…what happened." Juice had a pained look.
She didn't know how to respond. She wanted to be mad, she was curious instead, and….was that her face getting red.
"You deserve to know."
Damn it, why did he have to say stuff like that? He was making it hard for her to stay angry.
"….FINE." She tried to sound mad.
She sat on the pool table as he told her what had happened the night he left. It was like a flood gate had opened.
"He had a gun to our heads?" Her voice shook.
He nodded.
"Juice…I….."
The flood gate washed away any anger just leaving remorse and slight guilt.
He took her hands.
"I wanted to explain to you, both of you, but I had to sneak letters to Selena. If he found out about us talking he might have hurt you." She squeezed his hands. That was it the flood became a tidal wave. She threw herself at him kissing him hard. Tears streamed down her face. What's wrong with me? She thought. She couldn't control it. Next thing she knew they where on the pool table. Clothes littered the floor. An 8 ball was stuck under her back. She tossed it onto the floor letting it land on a pair of jeans.
Abel had fallen asleep on my chest while I laid on the couch. Jax switched from Wow Wow Wubzy to the game. I looked over at him. He was in another one of his catatonic phases. He was looking right through the TV. If I could just crack open that head and figure out what was going on inside. The volume was down low.
"So we have a spare bedroom." His voice made me jump. His sentence didn't make sense.
"What?" I whispered trying not to wake Abel.
"Down the hall….there's a spare room."
"Um…that's nice Jax." Jeeze maybe all that pot him and his mom smoked finally hit his head.
"What I mean is. Clay and I where talking and its not good you being at the club, cause its an obvious target, and having someone help with Abel has been great, and its hard to shift him around a lot and a I don't like it when he sleeps at the club. And Tig gets drunk and tries to sleep in his carrier and…"
"Jax." I stopped him. He was still staring through the TV. "Are you asking me to stay here?" He looked at me. "I guess."
"Jeeze you dumb…" I looked at the baby. "S.H.I T." I spelled it out. "You coulda just asked." He cracked a smile.
"Besides, 'the less commute will help our carbon foot print'" He said mockingly. I tossed a pillow at his head. Abel fussed and started crying.
"Now you've done it!"
