Chapter 2

The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.
~ Sir Richard Burton

I was a bundle of nerves as I got ready for the party at the SAMCROs club house. I didn't know what to expect from the club, its old ladies or the skanks that hung out around the club. I did know better than to wear anything too sexy, however, I did want to look good. I dressed in a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, they hugged my curves and made my ass look good; a low cut V-neck t-shirt in black, just enough cleavage and my black riding boots that came up to my knees. I pulled my long brown hair up into a sleek ponytail and touched up my make-up. I was grateful that my eyes were no longer puffy and my face was not blotchy like it was when I got back to Kip's house. I had just finished getting ready to go when there was a knock at the door.

I was staying at Kip's house while I was in Charming. I thankfully knew his address and that there was always a key hidden under the rock on his patio; a trick our dad taught him. My plan was to go through all of his crap, a task all in itself; take what I wanted, give away stuff and then sell the house. My brother had become a pack-rat, if not a hoarder. Another knock…

"I'm comin'…I'm comin'!" I yelled as I walk towards the front door. I knew who it was before I even got there. Butterflies dancing furiously in my stomach; I hadn't felt that sort of nervy excitement since the first time I went on a date with Liam. It was a pleasant surprise. I opened the door and on the other side was Juice. He was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing at Kip's funeral and was still just as attractive.

"You look…" He stopped himself as if he was going to regret what he was about to say.

"I look? Please don't tell me I look like shite." I said self-consciously, hoping I actually looked good and not like I had been crying all day. I motioned for him to come in to the house, as I walked away from the door and grabbed my bag off the chair in the living room.

"Oh no. I wasn't going to say that." He murmured. I turned back and saw he was checking out my ass. It was nice to be ogled for once without repercussions; if anyone would have done it in Northern Ireland, Liam would have his goons take him out back and poke his eyes out. I would have been punished too because it was my fault because of what I was wearing or how I looked. Jealous and vicious, that is what Liam was.

"Eyes are up here boy-o." I pointed to my face and smirked at him.

He smiled back at me and said, "Oh I know. You ready to go?" Juice quickly tried to change the subject.

"Aye, I think am." I said, as I followed him out the door giving me a chance to check out his ass. Hey, it was only fair. It was a nice one from what I could tell his jeans were slightly baggy. But from what I could tell from his physic the boy was fit. I bit my lip wondering what sort of marvels lay under his clothing.

It was getting dark the sky was a deep hazy purple color. Juice handed me a helmet as I climbed on to the back of his bike. It had been an extremely long time since I had been a motorcycle; Liam wouldn't allow me to be on one. He told me one time in a drunken rage that people would view me as a biker whore and he would not have his girlfriend be looked at like that. After that the idea of me being on the back of some guys' motorcycle was no longer up for discussion…at least on his end. I was actually surprised that he let me go to Charming on my own; I never got to do anything on my own anymore. I always had at least one of his minions watch over me like hawks. This was his way of controlling what I did and knowing my every move.

Juice climbed onto the bike, it was the closest I had been to him. He smelt like leather and soap, it was a delicious, heady scent that filled my being. As I put my arms around him, I couldn't help but realize how right being with him felt.

"You smell good; like soap and leather." I whispered into his ear. I heard him laugh as he kick started his Harley. "Jesus what have I gotten myself into…" I muttered as I tightened my grip around his waist. The things you that you forget about when you hadn't done them in a long time. I thought about it and the last time I had been on the back of a bike, it was with Kip before he was sent to Afghanistan and I moved away. Granted, I had been tempted many times by the SAMBEL members, but I was too weak to defy Liam. Distance made my heart grow bolder and stronger.

"You're in good hands." Juice turned his head towards me. "Just relax and enjoy the ride." I loosened my grip slightly and rested my head against his back. I could feel his muscles tense up even through his kutt. Was I seriously making him nervous? I pulled back, realizing that it felt too familiar. Why was I so comfortable with him, when I had seriously only said about two words to the guy? As I sat back a little more relaxed he took off quickly. I tightened my grip again in uneasy anticipation but then let go slightly as we moved down the road; feeling a bit more relaxed.

Teller-Morrow, the home of SAMCRO's clubhouse, was about a ten-minute ride from Kip's house. By the time we got to the club, I was close to telling Juice to just pass on by and keep going. I forgotten how much I had loved being on the back of a bike. It was exhilarating and washed my worries and even my sadness. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt that way. I was actually sad that the ride had to end so quickly. But then again there was always the ride home. Juice got off of the bike first, I followed and handed him, his helmet which he hung from the handle bar of his sleek black Harley.

"Thanks for the ride." I smiled broadly at him. I felt liberated.

"Anytime you want to go again just let me know….well I mean other than the ride home tonight." He stumbled on his words.

Jesus he was cute when he tripped on his words. "I will just have to take you up on that. I promise I will not have a death grip next time." He laughed and then smiled to himself. It was as if he had some secret thought about what I just said to him.

We walked towards the clubhouse; the building was pretty unassuming other than the giant reaper out the outside of the building. The outside of the building had a boxing ring, I would have loved to step in there and spar. It has been months since I was "allowed" to box, with or without a partner. Liam had put an end to that when I ended up with a black eye from one of my sparing partners. I am pretty sure she ended up with two after Liam's boys got a hold of her. I wasn't made out of glass but he thought so, or maybe it was the fact I had to look the perfect part in his charades he put forth. My job was to be quiet and look pretty; a black eye was not what Liam wanted me to portray. It made him look like he beat me, when everyone knew that I loved to box. Liam had to that day never laid a hand on me which I was grateful for, but he did have his men push me around every now and again, they left bruises where no one could see and ruin Liam's reputation.

"You guys have a ring." I touched it as we walked past. "I bet Kip kicked some ass in there." I thought fondly of my brother, who at taught me everything I knew about the ring. One of many youthful bonding moments. He wanted me to know how to defend myself in case he would be around one day. I had never thought that moment would have come so soon. But thanks to Kip I was able to defend myself well enough when I wasn't outnumbered by large goonish Irishmen, who did whatever their leader told them to do.

"Yeah, he was good. Better than all the other guys in SAMCRO. We bet against him once, shit that was a bad idea. He was supposed to lose after winning a bunch of matches, we had it rigged. But your damn brother won and we lost every dime because Clay pissed him off when he was dating Cherry."

Oh her. I thought about the girl who had shown up one night with a member of the Kings. She was working for Mo at her store, helping out the club. I hadn't really give her much thought, until she mentioned Kip one night while I was over visiting Trinity. The next day she was one of my least favorite people because she was getting it on with a member of SAMBEL. If she was supposed to be my brother's old lady then she shouldn't have been fucking any of the other Sons. So much for faithfulness. I should have put her in her place when I had the chance.

"Do you box?" Juice pulled me from my thoughts.

I looked at him, his brown eyes searched mine. "I did. Why do you ask?"

"I was curious. You got a look on your face when you saw the ring. You lit up and got a sorta nostalgic look on your face." A soft smile crossed Juice's face.

"If my brother would have had it his way, I would have been ladies lightweight champion. But I would have also had a broken nose and God knows what else." I smirked at the thought. Kip had always wanted me to take up boxing as a profession, he said I was fast and sure footed, two of the main things you needed as a boxer. I was too vain to be a boxer, I liked my face too much to ruin it.

"I am glad you didn't. Your nose is perfect just the way it is." Juice smiled as he placed his hand on the small of my back and escorted me to the heart and soul of SAMCRO territory.