CHAPTER XV – There are some remedies worse than the disease

The first thing that went through Kozik's mind as she opened her mouth to let him slide his tongue in it, was that she tasted better than he could possibly have imagined. The second thought that went through his mind was that he never wanted it to stop. The last thought that went through his mind was that he was in deep shit but at that very moment he couldn't care less.

Everything that happened, everything he did since the day they'd met had led him right here in that shitty bathroom in the middle of nowhere and right then he didn't care what happened to him as long as he could keep kissing her. He slid his hand behind her neck lightly grazing her skin with his finger before running his hand through that silky hair as he had wanted to do for weeks, pulling her closer to him. He felt her tongue run along his lip as her hands slid from his face to his waist gripping him and he realised it had been a long time since he'd kissed anyone like that, with actual meaning.

The sensation of her soft lips on his, her hands on his body, hers so close to him, It was bliss and torture at the same time which was why it took all the strength he had to pull away from her. But as much as he loved kissing her and wanted to keep doing it, his mission was to protect her and bring her to safety and that had to come first. He gazed into her eyes. "We need to get going."

"Yeah." She nodded, flashing a shy smile. "First kiss in a public restroom. I always knew you were a romantic, Kozik,"

He smirked. "Hey, you kissed me."

"It was a distraction tactic. I was stitching your arm remember?"

He flicked his eyes to his shoulder quickly checking the wound and turned back to her, taking her hand in his. "You did good."

Not for the first time, he noticed she didn't know how to take compliments. She let go of his hand and looked away. "Let me bandage it."

For the next few minutes, they remained silent as she covered his wound with gauze. Once she was finished, he put his shirt back on and slipped into his cut as she washed her exited the bathroom and made their way through the parking lot in silence. As she reached for the passenger door, he grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"What?"

His mouth descended on her before she could say another word. He placed a hand on each side of her face as she rose on her tip toes and locked her arms around his neck to fully accept his kiss. Their first kiss had been tender, warm, hesitant. This kiss was impatient, demanding and off the scales hot. She let him take complete possession of her mouth. Again, pulling away was torture for Kozik. He rested his forehead on hers, his eyes meeting hers. "Hope you liked the second kiss better."

She had a soft chuckle. "Parking lot. Much better."

She pressed her lips on his one last time and opened the passenger door, stepping into the car as he threw his stuff back in the trunk and joined her in the car. They shared a charged look as he sighed before stating simply. "You know, this isn't going to be simple right."

She snorted. "It usually isn't."

He nodded in agreement and turned on the ignition. As he pulled away from the parking lot, she sang out. "Does that mean you're going to tell me what happened in Charming?"

He laughed heartily. " Not even close."

It was getting dark by the time they reached their destination, a little over two hours later. They hadn't said much during the drive, both choosing to internally process what had happened between them but also what was going to happen. Tomorrow, he would have to leave her under the protection of Rogue River and the remaining SAMCRO crew as they took her to Charming while he returned to Tacoma. If he made it out alive, there would be plenty of time to talk about what this all meant.

As they entered the parking lot of the motel, Kozik spotted Tig and a few of the Rogue River guys drinking a beer and smoking. The motel belonged to a friend of the club and it was to be theirs for the night. They would be the only patrons. He pulled over and they both got out of the car without a word as Tig made his way towards them visibly pissed.

"What the fuck took you so long?"

"My stitches popped. Had to stop."

Tig's eyes narrowed on him, he was visibly not convinced. "That couldn't wait until you got here?"

Behind Tig, Kozik saw one of the doors open and Gemma came out and walked in their direction. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug, before putting her hand on Ella's shoulders "You guys okay?"

"Yeah, just had to stop to clean my wound and stich me back up. Ella did a great job."

Gemma surprised look was almost theatrical. "She did? I'm impressed."

Ella bit a snarky response and instead flashed Gemma a fake smile. "Wasn't much."

Gemma returned the smile and decided to change the subject. "You hungry?"

"No, I just want a shower to be honest."

Before she could ask Kozik, he replied. "I got to check in with Tacoma. I'll get something later."

"Alright sweetheart." She cupped his cheek and kissed him before turning back to Ella. "Follow me." Gemma replied with a nod towards the motel. Ella couldn't help but notice that as usual, no matter where she was the Queen Bee expected everyone to just do as she said. Before she could help herself, Ella's eye shot to Kozik's.

He met her look and gave her a slight nod. "I'll bring your stuff over."

She walked away following Gemma as Tig faced Kozik a salacious smile on his face. " What? You're her lackey now?

"It's called not being a dick Tig. Try it." He snarled, walking away before Tig could engage him further. Kozik let out a tired sigh and pulled up his phone. He needed to know what was going on in Tacoma. Knowing there was a lot of chances for Ray to be busy, he pressed the speed dial and called Pete.

"Hey"

"It's Kozik." He stated holding the phone between his ear and shoulder as he dug into his pockets for a smoke.

"What's up man? Where are you guys?"

He lit his cigarette and took a slow drag before answering. "We just got to Rogue River. Tig and Gemma are already here."

"Yeah I know. How is Ella holding up?"

Kozik took a beat before answering. "She's doing fine. Don't worry. Gemma is just showing her inside. How are things up there?"

"Moving slowly. Clay's reached out to Alvarez down in Oakland. He wants to set up a meet to try and solve this without shedding too much blood."

Marcus Alvarez was the Oakland Mayan president. He had a lot of influence on the other Charters on the West Coast. If someone could help avoid a full blown war, it was him. "How is Ray taking that?"

Pete cackled. "How do you think? He's pissed as hell but Clay is pulling his mother charter card and he's threatening to pull off the support if we don't give this a try. I got to say he has a point. We can't afford another war. The last one cost us three chapters. Who knows how many more we'd lose with another one?"

"Pete, Ortega attacked the daughter of our President. That can't go unpunished." Kozik pointed. The very thought that

"You don't think I know that? We just need to look at this the smarter way Brains before bullets and all that shit."

Kozik chuckled softly. "Alright, well Tig and I should be here by midday tomorrow. Let me know if anything happens until then."

"You got it brother." He seemed to want to add something for a moment. "Tell Ella I said hi, will ya?"

"You got it VP."

Ella walked out of the shower and wrapped her body in a towel. She quickly patted a second towel over her wet air to remove excess water before letting it flow freely on her shoulders. The shower had done her a world of good. She felt refreshed, and it gave her an opportunity to gather her thoughts. So much has happened in the last couple of days, her emotions were all over the place and she wasn't sure how to handle it all. She felt grief for her mother, sadness for how she had left things with Pete, fear for her father and the men who were risking their lives back home, happy, Tease, Wizard, Stone and the others. She might dislike what they were but she still considered them family. But with what happened with Kozik, she felt…confused, conflicted. She had loved kissing him, she had found herself wishing it would never end. In her mind, there was no doubt that it had been waiting to happen since they'd met. But she couldn't help but wonder what now? There were so many obstacles to a relationship with him, so many unanswered questions. Did he even want something with her? Did she? If she did, how did that play into her plans? Ray had finally agreed to let her go. She had no idea where or how, but did what happen today changed things?

She was interrupted in her thoughts by a knock on the door. She walked back into the bedroom and approached the door.

"It's me." She heard from the other side.

She smiled and opened. He was holding her bag in one hand and a paper bag that smelt wonderfully in the other hand. His eyes widened when he realised she wasn't wearing clothes but he quickly recovered as she moved aside to let him in.

He swallowed hard. "I got your bag."

She nodded toward the paper bag. "is that for me too?"

"Yeah, I figured you might be hungry after all."

They fell silent for a moment. She had to admit that she liked his reaction to her semi nakedness. She might be an independent woman but she did appreciate the effect she had on men. Especially this man. He seemed to realise she was enjoying watching him squirming."You want to go get dressed before I get us both in trouble?"

She smiled and decided to put him out of his misery. She grabbed some clothes from her bag and went back to the bathroom, closing the partition door.

She pulled on her underwear and called out. "Did you speak to my father?"

"Nah, I spoke to Pete though. He says hi."

"Did he say anything else?"

"Not much."

She threw on her shorts and camisole and covered up with her usual cardigan. She checked herself in the mirror and pulled her hair up in a messy bun finally opening the door with a grin. "You know, you were much better at the whole conversation thing when you were trying to flirt your way with me."

He was sitting on the chair by the desk. He had laid out hamburgers and fries on the desk and taken out two beers from the mini fridge that was plugged near the bed. He smiled and held out a hamburger to her "Eat." He ordered.

She sat on the desk and unwrapped her burger. She took a huge bite and realised that she was indeed starving. They ate in silence for a moment until she realised he was observing her. She swallowed and raised a questioning eyebrow. "What?"

He took a swig off his beer. "Can I ask you something? Your ink. What's the inscription above it?"

Her back tattoo. A snake coming out of a hole making its way through a vine rope that went from the small of her back to her neck. It was one of Gillian's first work and she had done a great job with it. Ella had two smaller ones, ones that were not as easily seen as the one on her back but she loved the snake. Her lips curling into a small smile. "Noticed that, uh? It's French. It means embrace the snake and it will bite you."

He let out a surprised laugh. "I should have known."

"I was an angry teenager."

"As opposed to the calm and sensible person you are now?" he mocked.

She threw a fry at him. "Ass." She wanted to ask questions as well but she wasn't sure how he would take it. She wanted to know more about him. Understand him. "Can I ask something too?" she began, biting her lip.

"As long as you stop biting your lip like that because it is terribly distracting."

She opened her mouth in false shock and continued timidly. "Can you tell me about the drugs?"

He took a huge breath and threw his head back before standing up. She thought he might just walk out just like that and was about to leap off the desk when he spoke. "If we're going there, I'm going to need another beer. Want one?"

She nodded as he took out two fresh beers, twisting the caps of hers before handing it to her, doing the same with his.

He didn't sit back on the chair though and just sat on the bed. "I was in the Navy. The seals. I got hurt in a mission. Nothing major, I was back in the field within weeks. But then I started getting this chronic pain in my back, you know, it wouldn't let out. Doctors couldn't do shit. And then this guy I knew he… he tells me how he can get me some pick ups you know, to get rid of the pain. At the time I didn't even think of them as drugs. It was just pain killers. Before I realised it though, I was out of my mind on morphine four times a day. My bosses picked up on it, agreed to turn a blind eye if I left quietly. I was brought back to the US. Soon after, every dime I got was going into drugs. Didn't matter what it was as long as I could get high. Anyway I met this girl, Amy. We shacked up together. We were together for a few months and then one day someone knocks at the door. It's her mum. She tells me that Amy was found dead in some seedy street. OD'd." He suddenly stopped as if the history was getting too painful, letting out a sad breath. " She was gone for three days and I didn't have a fucking clue. The look on her mother's face when she realised I didn't know. I'll never forget the hate in her eyes. So I knew I had to do something or I was going to end up like Amy. Except I didn't even have a mother to regret me. So I called an old friend, a marine. He helped me get clean SAMCRO style, sponsored me with the club et voila."

Her eyes narrowed on him as she tried to guess who his benefactor might have been "Tig?"

He nodded with a slight smile at her surprised look.

"I thought you two hated each other?"

"Don't let him fool you, Tig loves me . We've had a fall out, that's all"

"About a girl?"

Kozik chuckled "You're not getting that story, babe."

She gave him a pointed look and lept off the desk to come and sit next to him. Her smile disappeared and she looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dredge up old wounds."

"Don't worry about it."

She turned her attention to her beer and he barely heard her next question. " What you guy have to do now? It could get you killed right?"

"You don't have to worry about me Elle."

She took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. She was amazed at how small her hands looked in his. "Well, I do. So when you're out there in the next few days, just… try and remember that someone might regret you if anything happened to you."

He raised his free hand cupping her cheek before wrapping his arm around her, kissing her forehead as he did. "I'll try to remember that."

They remained still for a moment, silently saying their goodbyes as they knew there would be too many people around the next day to do this properly. After a few minutes, he released her from his hold. "I should go before someone starts looking for me."

"Kozik. When this…thing is over, we should probably talk."

"I know."

He brushed his lips on hers in a soft kiss and exited the room.

He walked to his car, rummaging his pocket for a smoke. Telling her that story had taken a lot out of him. He hadn't thought of that for years with good reason. It wasn't a time of his life he was proud of. But for some reason, he was happy he told her. She was right, when this was all over, they had a lot of shit to figure out.

"Hey, maybe when you're done with her, I can hit that too." He heard behind him.

He spun around to see Tig coming up from behind the car. He hadn't even heard him approach. "I already told you Tig, I'm not tapping her so cool it." He growled

"I'm not blind man. That little look earlier. I saw it. But hey I don't blame you man. I'm gonna love me some of that tight pu…"

He didn't have time to finish. Kozik grabbed his and violently push him on the car, leaning in, menace in his eyes. He knew that was stupid, he knew the Sergeant at Arms was only trying to mess with him and provoke a reaction and he had played right into it. But he didn't care. He needed to make one thing clear. "Stay the fuck away from her."

Tig eyes hardened. He sniggered before shaking Kozik off him. He shook his head in disbelief. "You stupid fuck, you really are doing her. All the prime pussy around and you go mess around your president's daughter. Shit is she even legal?"

"Fuck you."

"No, Fuck you man. How stupid are you?"

Kozik swallowed hard. There was nothing he could say right then. Denying anything was going on wouldn't do him any good with Tig. The man had been his best friend for years and he knew him better than anyone. He could read between the lines. And as much of a dick as Tig liked to be, Kozik knew he wouldn't say a word to anyone about his suspicions. Riling him was his own fucked up way of protecting him.

"Piece of advice, whatever it is kill it now, before you get real hurt." Tig hissed before walking away.

This chapter originally had more scenes but then it got too long so decided to endit here. I should be able to post the next chapter which will introduce some familiar faces soon though so in the meantime I hope you enjoy and as usual I love any and all feedback so don't be shy!