Chapter XVII – You could make a killing

Sorry for the delay in updating, I have been on holidays for two weeks… hope you enjoy this chapter. There's been some questions asked in the reviews so I'm answering them on another A/N at the end.

Just really wanted to say thank you to everyone reading this story. I now have 94 people following this story and it makes it so worth it so thank again to you all!

As always, can't wait to read your feedback!

Jax walked back into the clubhouse and spotted Opie watching him with a wry smile from the bar. He joined him, taking a stool as Opie poured them two shots. "What's with the shit eating grin?"

Opie downed his whiskey. "You work fast, brother."

"Jesus Christ, you're worse than my mother. I talk to a girl for like what ten minutes and you're already picturing grandchildren."

Opie chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Don't you have a date with your girl anyway."

Opie had been dating Donna Emerson since sophomore year in High school. He had recently asked her to marry him and she'd said yes. Jax liked Donna. She was good for Opie. She was pretty, smart and had a good head on her shoulders. And even though she wasn't a big fan of the club, she knew and understood what the club mean to Opie and she accepted it.

He stood up and slid his cut on. "Yeah, I should probably head out. You sure, you don't need me tonight?"

"Nah. You're good. Anything nice planned?"

Opie shook his head. "I wish. Diner with her parents. They want to discuss the wedding. Her dick brother will be there too."

Jax couldn't help but laugh at the thought of his friend spending the evening under the accusatory eyes of his future in-laws who didn't think Opie was even close to deserving their only daughter. "What about him?" he said nodding towards Piney.

The old man was snoring like a freight train on the couch, holding a half empty bottle of tequila, lost to the world. Something that had been happening more and more since he'd taken booze as his new BFF. Opie ran his heand in his beard."He's out for the night. Just leave him be."

"Alright brother." Jax replied hugging his best friend "Say hi to Donna for me."

Opie headed out, meeting Gemma on his way out. She cupped his cheek and kissed it.

"You're off?"

"yeah, Donna's waiting for me. I'm on the cell if you guys need me."

Gemma gave him a tender smile and made her way to the bar.

"Hey Ma." Jax greeted when he spotted her.

"Hey baby." She replied giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

He took a sip of his beer and noticed her inquisitive eyes trained on him. "What?"

She raised her eyebrow and put a hand on her hip as she usually did when she was going to admonish him. "You might want to keep your paws off the little princess."

He let out a giggle. His mother would never change. "Let me guess, you don't like her."

She pointed a finger at him. "Don't be a smartass."

"Jesus Christ Mum, we were just talking."

"Well make sure you keep it at that." she retorted with force. "I'm not playing with your ass Jackson. If this was anyone else, I'd be happy to shut my mouth and let you get on with it, but unless you want Kozik to rip you a new one, I'd find myself another rebound."

"Kozik? You're not serious."

"As a heart attack, baby."

Jax had not seen that one coming. Ella was definitely not the type Kozik usually went for. Kozik had always liked his women easy and the less they talked, the better. He wasn't a bad guy; he just wasn't really interested in the whole relationship thing.

"Holy shit."

"My thoughts exactly, so do your mother a favor and keep away. I'm going home to feed the birds. Keep an eye out, will ya Prospect?"

She gave him another kiss and walked out.

Ella was lying on the bed in Jax's dorm room, staring at the ceiling. She had stayed on the roof for a while but the quiet chill of the night had finally chased her downstairs. She kept thinking about her mother, about what she would think about all this. Her argument with Pete, being shipped off to Charming, Kozik. She had always been really close to Nell, never needing to hide anything from her. She didn't share everything but she'd never felt like she couldn't. She was somewhat disappointed that her mother hadn't shared the same belief, but now that she had time to digest it, she regretted her reaction with Pete. He was one of the few people in the world she trusted which was why she'd been so hurt that he'd lie to her and since her mother wasn't there anymore, he was the only she could blame. But the vice president had always been there for her and she loved him and she felt slightly guilty for lashing out at him.

Ella wondered if she would have told her mum about Kozik and more importantly she wondered what her mother would have said about it. Probably that Ella was making a huge mistake. She would surely be as disappointed as her daughter had been when she'd learned the real nature of her relationship with Pete. After all, Ella's dislike for the club was only matched by her mother's.

Ella wished she had some clarity on what she was supposed to do, but she just felt conflicted. She should be mourning her mother, and planning her future but instead she couldn't stop thinking about Kozik and how much she wanted, needed to know he was okay. That left her unsettled. She'd learned early on to count only on herself and she had always been good at it. She'd put all her effort and energy into finding a way out of Tacoma and everything it represented. It had been her only focus for years. Through a cruel irony, she had declined her scholarship to college merely a few weeks before her mother's passing and now that she had an agreement with her dad, an agreement she somehow knew he would keep, she found herself without a plan. But the fact was that it wasn't the most frightening thing in her life right now. She knew she was getting attached to a man she shouldn't get attached to and the fact that she wasn't fighting it was what confused her the most. It also scared the shit out of her.

And then there was Ray. The man she had found so easy to hate for years. The man she had blamed for everything wrong in their lives. He had agreed to let her go and she didn't know what to make of it. They'd never been close and Ray had never shown more than a mild interest for her. But she was still surprised he had agreed to just let her go without fighting her decision. Was he just trying to make up for past mistakes? Was he trying to get rid of her now that Nell was gone? Did he even care? Did she? Life was so much simpler when everything was black and white in Ella's mind but somehow in the last few days, she had started to see shades of grey in her life and in everything she though she knew. She suddenly wished she wasn't so alone. She wanted someone to trust, someone she could talk to. Someone who wouldn't judge her, or try to influence her or try to tell her what to do.

She took out her prepay and looked through her contact list before dialing a number. "Hey, it's Ella."

The Tacoma Vice President felt several pair of eyes turn to him and he just shook his head negatively before standing up from the stool he was sitting on and leaving the room. He headed to the parking lot. They had been nervously waiting for Romero to call with the info on Ortega and considering how they'd left things, his god daughter was the last person Pete expected to call "Hi." he replied cautiously. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, I just… I wanted to hear a familiar voice."

He closed his eyes, relishing the sound of her voice. He loved that kid as if she was his own. Having her mad at him, disappointed in him had hurt him more than he'd thought possible. "I'm glad you called, kiddo."

She seemed to hesitate a second before asking. "Are Kozik and the other guy back at the clubhouse?"

"Yeah. They got in a few hours ago."

She paused again, and he was afraid she might have hung up. He wanted to keep her talking, just to hear her voice."Elle?"

"Yeah?"

"Things are happening here. Hopefully, you'll be safe soon."

"Will you?"

She sounded scared. Her voice was weak and he didn't like it. It wasn't like her. "You don't have to worry about me."

"Alright, but don't be an idiot and try to be a hero or anything."

He had heard the smile in her voice and it warmed her heart. "It's a deal. I'm sorry Ella. For all of it."

"I know." She took a breath before continuing. "There are thing I want to tell you, Pete. When I get back."

H knew it was Ella's way to let him know that if he wasn't forgiven yet, she still needed him and there was hope she would one day. "It's a date. Kiddo."

"Goodnight, Pete."

"Good night Ella."

He hung up, a smile trailing on his lips. He had been really scared he had lost her when she found the letter but maybe, just maybe, he would be able to fix his relationship with her. He saw the door to the range open and Kozik appeared, pulling out a smoke from his pocket.

He lit up and jerked his head to Pete. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. That was Ella." Pete replied pocketing his phone.

"Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nah, she's fine. Think she's just homesick. She asked about you and Tig. Wanted to make sure you got here safe."

Kozik averted his eyes and gazed to the floor. "Okay."

They stood for a moment until Pete finally broke the silence. "So you're going to tell me what's going on with you and her or you're waiting for me to beat it out of you?"

A simple look at Kozik's face told him his suspicions had been correct. He had been onto them for a while now. He had heard their conversation at his house. He knew Ella had played him for a fool when they accidentally met, not telling him who she was. He could definitely believe that from his god daughter. He hadn't thought more of it after that since Kozik knew she was Ray's daughter and only an idiot would chase her after that. But then he'd seen the way she'd clung to him when Kozik had rescued her from Ortega, he'd seen the worry in her eyes when they'd lead her to her room while Kozik got patched up. He had then realised that it wasn't a one way thing from Kozik but that Ella felt something for the new recruit. That had been the most surprising thing to him. Considering Ella's relationship with the club, the last thing he expected was her getting close to a member.

"Look, it's not what you think…"

Pete held up a hand to stop Kozik."Never mind what I think, brother, I ain't blind and I ain't deaf either. Neither is Ray. I've known Ella her entire life. There isn't much she can hide from me. I've seen the way she looks at you, reacts to you, asks about you. If I noticed, I'm guessing Ray is going to catch up real soon if he hasn't already. "

Kozik ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. It was time to man up and be honest. "I care about her, Pete."

"I know. Considering whose daughter she is, only a fool would go after her if he didn't give a shit. You don't look to me like a fool although that's still up for debate." He paused and sighted trying to find the words to say what he wanted to say."Here's the thing Kozik. Forget about Ray. Her whole life, Ella's wanted out of club life. Only reason she didn't take off after graduating, was because of her mother. With Nell dying and all the shit happening right now, I'm not quite sure where her head is at. Like her mother, she's a survivor. She's strong, she's smart, she's beautiful. I have no doubt she'll come out the other side but when she does, I don't know where this thing with you two lands. What I do know, is that she'll never settle for life as an old lady. So you have to ask yourself, how far you're prepared to go for her. You're a new transfer, but you're already made a great impression on the boys and on Ray. You have a real future here. Whatever you do, you better be prepared to deal with the consequences."

Pete kept his inquisitive eyes on Kozik until he nodded to let the VP know he understood. "Does that mean you're not telling Ray?"

Pete and Ray had enough problems to deal with, he wasn't going to add to it by being the bearer of that news. But "It ain't my shit to deal with. So no, I'm not going to tell Ray." The other reason Pete wouldn't be telling Ray was that he actually liked Kozik. Ella could have done much worse than pick him so he was willing to let them figure out their shit on their own. But he didn't want to tell Kozik that. But there was something else he wanted to say though. "You hurt her in any way, though, I'm coming after you brother."

Kozik held his VP's stare before nodding just as the door to the range opened again and Chance came out followed by the other men.

"Romero called. We're on."

Ella walked into the clubhouse and was surprised to see how many people were there despite the absence of any club member. Mostly crow eaters and hang arounds. The man they had called Piney was fast asleep on the couch. Jax was presently "teaching" some plastic blond to play pool.

After her phone call with Pete, she had decided it was probably best to come out and socialize rather than spend hours rehashing the same questions over and over until it drove her crazy. Besides, she liked Jax, he was good company.

She perched herself on a stool and observed Jax and the sweet butt with a smug face. Jax looked up and finally realised her presence. he flashed her a knowing smile, and laughed when she rolled her eyes. Apparently that was the reaction he had been looking for. He excused himself with the blond who shot Ella a murderous look and strolled to her.

"Beer?"

She nodded. "Thank you."

He took two beers out and opened them in one smooth move. She took the one he was offering her. "Is it always that easy or do they make you work for it sometimes?"

He grinned. "What can I say? They're all trying to mend my heart."

"Someone should tip them off about your heart."

He sniggered. "And she doesn't even know me yet."

"Oh, I know you." She declaimed in a tone she knew was pompous." You're SAMCRO's little prince. You're the man they all want to bed and marry. Something about the gun, the tattoos, the bike and the leather they just can't resist."

"Looks like you got me all figured out, uh?" he challenged.

"Hon, you're not that hard to figure out."

"Did you give Koz' the same speech too?"

He saw Ella lose all composure with a satifisfied smile. "Got ya." he laughed.

She kinked a eyebrow. "Your mother's got a big mouth."

"She's also got a big heart. Always feels like she's got to look out for everyone. But seriously, Kozik and you, how did that happen?"

"I don't know, it's almost midnight and you're still wearing your clothes how did that happen?" she shot back with a knowing smile.

"Night is still young, darling."

She shook her head in annoyance and looked down at her beer. She took a few sips in silence before asking "So your mother, is she looking out for me or for Kozik?"

"Honestly? Probably both.

Ella shot him an incredulous look. "I have a heard time believing that. She doesn't even know me."

"She knows Kozik. Look, I know it just looks like she's just butting in into your business."

"Look like?" she mocked

"You know what I mean. She's flawed and sometimes she rubs people the wrong way, but it comes from a good place. She's just protective of her family. That's what the club is about for her. Family. And Kozik, he was a part of the and she's still considers him a part of the family. You and him, it's a big deal."

"Because of my father."

"Well, there's that. Wouldn't want to be Kozik when Ray finds out. But mostly because he's never really been into the whole relationship thing. Used to give me the hardest time about Tara. Telling me it wasn't worth the trouble and that I should concentrate on the club.

There went her theory that he'd left Charming because of a woman. "Why are you telling me this? Don't think he'd be really happy to hear you tell me all his secrets."

"I'm telling you because you have a big chip on your shoulder about this club. That's pretty obvious to everyone. But this club is everything to Kozik. So this thing with you two it's got to be pretty important for him to risk his place in the club. Gemma? She just wants to make sure you understand that."

"I do."

"Alright, now you have to tell me how he pulled it off."

She couldn't help but laugh at his attempt to lighten the mood.

They stood in front of an abandoned factory on the docks. The Charming crew had agreed to cover the backdoor whilst Tacoma headed inside. According to the Intel, they'd been given Juan Ortega and Andres Villarosa were both inside with about 7 other men from a local street gang who had offered their protection in exchange of a generous fee. They knew the gang bangers would react and although they weren't sure of how much firepower they had, Ray was pretty confident that his guys would be able to handle them. The plan was for Happy, Kozik and Wizard to move from the left and Chance, Tease and Stone from the right. Pete and Ray would come from the front door. Chance had argued that he should be with Ray to protect him but Ray quickly put an end to his objections. Ortega was to be captured alive. Ray wanted him to suffer the consequences of his attack on Ella from his hand.

Ray signaled to the others to go and they opened the door. He spotted the watcher straight away. He almost knew where he would find him. He didn't even address him, instead he just shot. A second later, shots were being fired elsewhere in the factory letting them know the assault had been given.

They made their way to the man who was still alive on the floor and Pete shot him again in the face. Before he could turn around, he heard the sound of a gun being cocked behind him and closed his eyes. He should have been angry but he wasn't. He should have been scared but he wasn't. He just felt weary and tired. He had known it was coming. For the last eleven years, he had known this day would come, it was just a matter of when and how. "You're going to shoot me in the back Ray?"

"No. Contrary to you, I like to look at a guy in the eye."

Pete turned around and faced his friend of thirty years. "Why now?

Ray's eyes watered and for an instant his eyes only reflected the sadness he felt. "She would have known it was me."

Pete seemed to realise something and he tilted his head to the side. "It wasn't Nell who left the letter in the jewelry box, was it? She wouldn't be so careless. Not around you. It was you. So Ella would find it."

"She needed to know."

"Bullshit. She didn't have to know. You just used her to hurt me. At least be honest about that. You wanted her to hate me. What are you going to tell her now?

"I'm going to tell her you died to protect her. That way she remembers you as the godfather who saved her life as opposed to the son of a bitch who fucked her mother."

"I loved her Ray."

"So did I brother." Ray replied before pulling the trigger shooting Pete straight in the heart. A second later, his best friend was on the floor, his eyes still open. Ray kneeled down and ran his hand over them to close them as he heard voices coming their way.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

DarkChild19, I wasn't able to answer your questions in a PM, but basically the reason Happy was listed as a Character on the front page was that when I started this story there was originally a Happy Arc in it. I then decided to do the Happy story separately but didn't correct this in the front page. It is now done. On your other questions, I hope the next few chapters will answer most of those and I hope you continue to trust me and this story!