Chapter 24

My first few weeks in Red Bluffs were hard, I was alone and I didn't know anyone. I was just so use to knowing people where I lived. The last time that I moved somewhere I didn't know people was when I started college in Dublin. But even then I made friends quickly because I had roommates. In a town with a little over 14,000 people, most were well established family and not newbies like me. I found out the house that I bought was owned by the same couple their whole lives together; their children recently moved them closer to them in San Francisco. It was nice to live in a house where there was so much love. I ended up just building a gym in my basement, I still went out running every day. There was a lovely park near my house that I would run in every morning. I was slowly getting my musculature back. One early afternoon when I was out on a run, Happy called me.

"Hi." I said breathlessly.

"Who are you fucking?" I could hear him smiling into the phone.

"You're kidding me right?" I replied still trying to catch my breath.

He laughed into the phone, "So I may have told Juice that you are dead."

What the fuck did he do? I thought to myself. "You might have or you did?"

"I did. He kept asking me how you were doing…fucker was asking daily! I finally told him before he asked me how you were that you took your own life overnight."

"Oh my GOD, Happy! You know he is going to figure it out especially when my body doesn't come back to Charming, plus you know he has mad computer skills. Urg, telling someone that someone else is dead by their own hand even is not cool! " I was trying to comprehend why he did such a horrible thing when his voice rang over the phone…

"Do you want to know how he took it?"

"Um…" I paused I did want to know how he took it? I wanted to know if he still cared for me but then again it could be as if I didn't exist in his world any more. But then again maybe I didn't want to know the answer, was ignorance really bliss?

"You know you want to hear what I am going to tell you." He teased me.

"Okay, fine tell me what he said because my heart rate is getting low and I need to start running again." I smarted off to him.

"Well…" Happy took his time knowing he was annoying me.

"Stop being such a pain in my ass." I said annoyingly into the phone.

"He went off the deep end Kylee." He paused to wait to hear my reaction but I didn't give him that satisfaction he wanted. Happy then continued on, "He sat down at the bar and started to cry. Such a pussy. He asked why you did it and if there was a note. I told him I didn't know anything else…no need to build an elaborate lie, just enough to hurt him." I knew he was smiling one of his evil killer smiles on the other side of the phone. Or I imagined he was. I guess it was good to know that he could still be hurt by the mention of me. It meant he wasn't heartless.

"Huh." Was all that I could think of saying in response to Juice's reaction. "Is that the only reason you called Killer? I mean it was nice of you to call and tell me about my death before I got the phone call from someone else telling me I was dead." I could feel my heart rate dropping and I was antsy to get running again.

"Actually no. Jax, Opie and I are going on a run to Tacoma at the end of the week and will be coming back down, care for some visitors? I assume you have you place all set up and ready to accept road weary travelers."

I laughed loudly. "Road weary travelers my ass." I shook my head thinking of them being weary, that was not their style. "Since when are bad ass bikers weary?"

"Point taken. So I'll call you when we plan on heading out from Tacoma." He said gruffly.

I smiled thinking about having visitors. "Alright. Oh wait I start my new job next week."

"Why did you get a job? What are you doing?" Happy inquired we both knew that I didn't need a job. But the reason why I got a job was far great than my need for money.

"Happy, I need something other than unpacking and remodeling my house to keep me busy. I am going to go broke if I stay home and have nothing to do other than shop. I am working at a local bar; it's run by a sweet little Irish man who doesn't have any family here to help him out. I told him I would help him out and in actuality he is helping me out. I've been going stir crazy." I said.

"Well as long as you don't need money. If Chibs finds out your working for a 'mick'…"

"Don't tell him then…"I interrupted him. "Happy, I am sure that he would just be glad that I am starting to feel more like myself every day."

"How are the nights?" He asked me with some concern in his voice. I knew what he was talking about, he was the only person who knew I still would cry myself to sleep. The only time I had stopped was when he had stayed with me.

"Getting better, but I guess I can't expect myself to be a hundred percent quite yet." However I should have been, it had been over a year since I found out what Juice really thought of me and our relationship. I no longer took it personally. I however didn't really trust men, the two major relationships I had been in both of the men had either attempted to break me or did break me. I knew I would rise from this stronger than I was before. I didn't blame myself for not letting anyone in. "Well Hap, I need to finish my run. Anything food or drink wise that you guys might want? I think I will go shopping today for beverages…"

"Beer would be good but otherwise we will eat pretty much anything. I will call you when we are on a way. It will take about 8 hours or so to get down to Red Bluffs, from Tacoma."

"Okay. I am looking forward to seeing you guys. See you soon Killer."

"Bye Kylee." He said as he hung up the other line.

I continued my run and decided I should get some things done around the house. Really it was just frivolous activities to keep my mind off of things around Charming. I went into town and stopped by the bar where I was going to start working to talk with Brendan about the guys coming into town and see if it was okay if I picked up a few days earlier in the week verses working all weekend. I walked into the bar which was being cleaned by some workers that he hired to help out during the day by cleaning. Come to find out he was also helping them because they were just about to lose their house because both Mani and Liza both lost their jobs. He didn't need anyone to be there during the day to help clean but he wanted to give them a chance to get back on their feet.

"Hi Mani." I said as I walked in. Mani had to be in his early 40s. He had jet black hair that was speckled with silver hairs.

"Oh, hello Kylee." He looked up from mopping the floor.

"Is Brendan around?" I asked him.

"He's in the back." He motioned his hand to the office area where Brendan managed his books and took naps.

I knocked on the door before entering. Brendan was sitting behind his desk shuffling paperwork. "Hi Brendan," I smiled at his as he motioned for me to sit down.

"What can I do for you, Girly?" When I first met him he told me I didn't look like a Kylee so he refused to call me that. He most often referred to me as girly or love.

"I wanted to see if I could pick up hours earlier in the week, I have some unexpected visitors coming from Charming after a run to Tacoma." He looked at me sternly. I had visited his bar enough to know that his stern look was really just him thinking. He didn't really mean anything by it.

"Aye that should be okay. Have you passed this by the local MC?" He knew some of my history. He was a good man who listened when I needed someone to talk to. That is why I took the job there, he knew I needed something to keep me busy. Otherwise I would have become the town drunk.

I didn't know the etiquette, "Am I supposed to?" I asked.

"Well love we don't want your boys to start a war here in Red Bluffs with the MC here." He smiled at he got up from behind his desk and grabbed his cell phone from the top of a file cabinet. "I'll set up a meet with their president." I nodded. "Do you have time today?"

I laughed, "You do realize who you are talking to right?" He smiled at me knowing I had all the time in the world. "Today would work just fine. I have to run and get some stuff for their visit and then I could meet them here after that." I suggested. 0

"Aye, that would work for me. I will call them right now, stay put…." He turned his attention to his phone. "David, its Brendan. I have a little lady here who has a request for the club….yeah she can meet with you today…say 3. Sure I will let her know. Cheers." He hung up his phone and then looked down at me from where he was standing. "You have your meeting Girly. Be back here by 3 or earlier if you want to help me out."

"Alright, I will see you as soon as I get done shopping." I got up from the chair and smiled at the man who had shown me such generosity since I set foot into his bar. He actually thought I was Irish and that is how we started talking. He was trying to guess where I was from. Brendan was a beefier man who stood maybe 5 foot 7 or 8 and had a head full of white hair. He had huge caterpillar like eyebrows that had crazy wisps going in all different directions. I wanted to take him and trim them but I knew that wouldn't go over well so I accepted that he had crazy eyebrows.

I arrived back to Brendan's about 45 minutes before I was supposed to meet with the local MC. I knew there was one but I didn't realize they were that organized. I wondered if that is what the people in Charming though. Okay, who was I kidding Charming was a much small unincorporated town so of course they all knew about SAMCRO. I didn't hear much from the one in Red Bluffs, maybe it was because they were a larger town or maybe it was because they were on the up and up. The only experience I had with MCs was SAMBEL and their mother charter SAMCRO. Same club, same bullshit. I heard the bikes coming down the road, if I had to guess there were three to four of them. Brendan and I were talking over two lowballs of whisky when they walked in. There were four of them, all wearing matching black leather cuts and semi-hard looking faces. I don't know if they were trying to intimidate me or if that is how they looked all the time. But if they were trying to be intimidating they hadn't met Happy who was one scary fucker or Jonah who was even scarier than Happy ever was.

The man who was wearing the president patch was older, possibly in his fifties. I felt the scrutiny under his eyes.

"David. Boys." Brendan addressed them. "Can I get you anything?" He asked

"Beers. Thanks Bren." David said as the other guys nodded at him.

"Let me help you." I hopped off my stool and went behind the bar with Brendan. I couldn't understand why I felt like my nerves were on edge. I could feel their eyes following me and all of my moves. Brendan poured the beers and handed them to me and passed them off to the MC members that accompanied David.

After all the beers were handed out, David motioned to one of the tables, "Shall we?"

As I sat down I realized I hadn't introduced myself. "I'm sorry I am completely and utterly rude, my name is Kylee Ortiz." My last name stuck on my tongue, I couldn't change it.

"You don't sound or look Spanish." One of the men said, he had to have had some Hispanic origin in him. I saw David shoot the man a dirty look that said SHUT THE FUCK UP!

I choked on my whisky. "Um. I'm not." I left it at that and they were okay with that. "The reason I wanted to meet you, is I wanted to give you a heads up that some members of Sons of Anarchy MC will be stopping in town next week."

David furrowed his brow at me but it wasn't him who asked the next question it was an attractive golden blonde haired man with dark blue eyes that scrutinized me. "What business do they have here?"

"Actually they don't have any business, they will be visiting me." I said very matter of factly. I wasn't ready to share my life story with these men who I had just met minutes ago and didn't even know their names.

"Visiting? Are you one of their…" David put up his hand to the man.

"AJ shut the fuck up." David looked at him as if it was a warning.

"It's fine. No I am not one of their fucking whores." I said the last part was full of venom. I looked directly at AJ whose face seemed to soften. "I was an old lady until…" I looked down at my hands, then back up at the four men who were strangers looking back at me. "Until he fucked things up with us. The men who are coming to visit are friends…family. They probably won't be here for more than a few days. However they do go up to Tacoma a bit so I would guess since we are between them they would stop off now and then."

David considered me for a moment. "That should be fine. However if they start trouble with us or bring trouble to our town, that will be the end of their visits." I nodded. I didn't want trouble here.

I felt the urge to jump over the table and hug David but I refrained. "Thank you." I smiled at him. I was really grateful.

"You're welcome. How long have you been here?" He asked me.

"Um just about a month. I wanted to be somewhere far enough from Charming to not see…" I stopped myself and shook my head. "Anyway, far enough away but close enough to get there if I needed to."

He nodded. "I should probably introduce these guys." David looked at the men sitting at the table with us. "AJ, Mac and Knots." He pointed to the men as he said their names. Mac and Knots looked almost identical, which I later found out later that they were brothers. Mac was in his late 30s and Knots was in his mid-30s they had the same floppy mop of brown hair and big brown eyes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." I smiled politely. I could feel AJ's eyes burning a hole into me. I looked directly at him and held eye contact with him until he looked away. That's right, look away. I thought to myself. "Well I should actually go, I need to get my evening run in before I get ready for my visitors." I started to get up and bring my glass to the washer behind the bar. David nodded and started talking the guys.

"Wait?!" A voice called from behind me. I turned and saw AJ closing in the space between us. He easily stood a foot taller than my 5 feet 4 inches, he dwarfed me. I looked up at him. "Sorry I was such an ass."

I gave him a half smile, "It's fine. I get it, you have to protect your club and its members. Listen I understand how clubs work, I've been there." I walked behind the bar and placed my cup in the washer.

"Yeah, I am still sorry." He leaned on the bar, watching my every move.

"Thank you." I said as I walked out from behind the bar.

"It's nice to meet you, Kylee. I hope you aren't too much a stranger." He smiled at me as he shook my hand and let it linger a bit longer than it probably should have. There were a flutter of butterflies when he let go. I wasn't ready for a man to be attracted to me, or for me to react this way to a man. I still felt like a train wreck heading down the wrong side of the tracks.

"It's nice to meet you too." I said with a slight blush as I turned and walked out of the bar. You have to be fucking kidding me. I thought to myself.

I started working at Brendan's the following Monday. I told him I wanted to keep busy so he immediately stuck me behind the bar. It was quite busy, but I kept up. While I was in the middle of a large rush I looked up to see AJ and Mac down at the end of the bar. I held up my finger, letting them know I would be right with them. After I got my orders out I walked up to them.

"What can I get you gentlemen?" I asked.

"Your number." AJ said boldly.

I chuckled, "Um." I didn't know what to say, "I meant to drink."

AJ frowned at me, he was hot even when he frowned. "A couple of beers. I hope you know I am not going to give up until I get your number." He called after me while I was pouring their beers.

"Why am I not surprised?" I raised my eyebrow at him. "We'll see."

That is how the beginning of my week went. He would come in and ask for my number and I always told him maybe. I didn't ever give in and give him my number. He was so persistent, while I was working on making my heart a rock he was working at chipping away at it. I was heading into work on Friday when I got a call from Happy saying that they would be in Red Bluffs by midnight. That was perfect because I would be off at 12:30. AJ came into the bar just like he had ever other night I was working.

"How is my favorite bartender?" He asked me.

I smiled at him. "I'm good. How is my favorite stalker?"

He laughed happily, "Oh is that what I am to you?" He put his hand on his heart like he was broken hearted.

"Go sit down, I'll get you the usual." I said to him and watched him walk over to a table where David and two other members of their MC were sitting. I grabbed beers for all of them. I grabbed coasters and made sure that one of them had my number on it. I passed out the coasters and then the beers and walked away. A few minutes later while I was restocking the bar before the heavy rush came I heard AJ call my name.

"Yes?" I popped up from under the bar and he was standing directly on the other side of where I was.

"Is this what I think it is?" He held up the coaster with number on it.

"Why, yes it is a coaster." I smirked at him.

"And this here?" He pointed to my number.

I pretended to take a closer look at it. "It appears to be my cell number on there." I said very nonchalantly. He smiled broadly at me.

"Ah the coveted number." He walked back to his table.

The rest of evening went by like a blur. It might have been that I was super busy or the fact I was anticipating the visit of Happy, Jax and Opie. I was bombarded by orders when I saw Happy walk into the bar. I didn't care I stopped what I was doing and ran out from around the bar.

"Happy!" I ran and jumped at him throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

He picked me up off the ground and hugged me back. "How's goin' Ky?" He smiled at me as he put me down. "You look good." He touched my cheek. I was so happy to see him.

"Stop hogging her, you ass." Jax shoved Happy a bit and took me into his arms. "Hey Ky, how are you?"

"Hey Jax." I embraced him. "I'm doing well. How are Tara and the boys?"

"They are doing well. Tara misses you, she almost chopped off my balls when I told her we were stopping here and I didn't invite her."

I laughed. "That is a good sound to hear." Happy said as he looked at me. I knew he was talking about my laughter. It has been a long time since I was able to be content enough to truly laugh.

"Hey Opie." I hugged him, his beard tickled the side of my face. It had gotten really long. "Your beard has grown really long." I said as I gently tugged on it.

He ran his hand over it, "Yeah. Donna sends her love." I smiled at the love I felt.

"Come on let me get you guys a drink, I only have a half hour left." I walked up to the bar and the guys followed. I turned to Jax, "So the local MC may want to chat with you guys." I looked over AJ who was on the phone my guess was he had called David to let him know that SAMCRO was here.

"There is a local MC?" Jax tilted his head sideways and then looked around the bar. "Alright, I mean we are on their turf." He said as he spotted them.

I looked directly at Happy when I said, "I promised there wouldn't be any trouble. Get that Killer?" I set a beer in front of all of them

"Loud and clear little lady." He smirked at me. I finished up with the rush when Laura my relief showed up. She worked somewhere else so she only picked up a few hours here and there. Tonight was one of those nights. I was pouring myself a beer when AJ walked up to the bar.

"Kylee?" He gently touched my arm to get my attention.

I turned and smiled, "Yeah?"

"David's here and wants to chat with your friends." He looked off.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be? I mean I got a number from a beautiful woman tonight." He smiled

"Oh yeah. Well tell her I said hi when you call her." I teased. "I'll send them right over." The bar was starting to clear out some.

"You're welcome too." That was the first time I had been invited to sit with them. I nodded.

I walked over to Happy, Jax and Opie who were talking and laughing about something. "What is so funny?" I raised one of my eye brows at them with a smile.

"Oh just laughing about the croweater who is with Jui..." Jax said but then realized what he did when my smile immediately washed away from my face. "Oh fuck Ky. I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "It's fine. I can't through my life without him being mentioned now and then." I swallowed hard. I tried to force a smile onto my face, but it didn't come. "David wants to meet with us." I took a long drink from my beer. "Go over there and I will bring some beers over." I turned back to pour beers. I heard Opie say something to Jax about his big fucking mouth. He said something that was too quiet for me to hear but I was sure it was about Juice's flavor of the month.

I walked over to the tables where both MCs were sitting. I passed the beers I poured out and took a seat next to Happy and across from AJ. He smiled at me with his crooked smile. I bit my lower lips before smiling back. I was hoping Happy hadn't caught any of that but I was sure if he did I would hear about it later.

"We know that you guys now have family here but we don't want any trouble in our town. We went legit about five years ago when I stepped up as president and don't want to go back down the other road." David said to Jax.

"Believe me brother, I understand, we are working our way up that road right now." I furrowed my brow and looked down at Jax. This was the first I had heard this. The club was going legit?! How were they going to get out of guns with the Irish? That was going to be one hell of a fight. I hadn't noticed but Jax was now wearing the President patch, Opie was the VP and Happy was the Sargent at Arms.

"Why didn't you tell me about your promotion?" I whispered to Happy.

He looked down at his patch. "Just happened." He turned back to the conversation with David. I rolled my eyes and happened to catch AJ looking at me. I looked away quickly as I felt myself blush under his eyes. The beers were going down quickly at our table so I went back up to the bar and filled several pitchers and brought them back to the table.

"How long are you guys staying?" AJ asked, Jax.

"Opie and I will be heading back tomorrow afternoon. Happy is going to stay on for a few days to be sure that our girl is getting on okay." I understood why they had to leave so quickly, they had families to get back to. My heart ached slightly for that family that Juice and I could have had. I pushed that ache deep down like I tended to do when I thought about Juice. By the end of the night both clubs were getting along quite well. I wondered if it was the fact that they were both trying to be legit with the law or if it was the fact they loved bike but I was glad to see everything was going well and that I would be able to have my family visit me while I lived in Red Bluffs. As the evening wound down, AJ pulled me aside to talk to me.

"So what is up with you and that Happy, guy? Which by the way he is not happy at all."
I started to laugh extremely hard almost to the point of tears. "His name is ironic, isn't it?! Hap is like a brother to me. He has taken care of the broken parts of me." I looked over at Happy lovingly with a silly little smirk on my face. I didn't know where I would be without Happy. "Let's just say the girl you see in front of you right now wouldn't be who she is without him. You might want to thank him someday." I patted his chest as I walked over to Jax, Opie and Happy who were talking with Mac and David. "Take me home?" I put my arm around Happy.

"Of course. David." Happy nodded at him as he took his leave.

"It was nice to meet you David, thanks for you watching out for our girl when we can't." Jax said as he Opie both shook hands with David and Mac.

I got out to the bikes and Happy handed me his helmet. "So what with you and the tall blonde?"

"Nothing. What do you mean?" I asked him, he had seen.

"I saw the way you, two were looking at each other. Do you really think you're ready for that shit? You can't even handle hearing Juice's name yet." What he way saying was totally true, I couldn't handle hearing his name yet, let alone say it.

"Are you jealous killer?" I whispered into his ear.

"Woman, if I was, I would get what I wanted from you." He slapped my ass gently as I turned to get on the bike.

The guys visit went by too quickly. Jax and Opie left early the next afternoon. I was sad to see them go but they promised they would send Donna and Tara up to visit me within a few weeks. The must have known I needed some woman contact. Happy stayed on with me as promised for a few more days. There was no more mention of Juice, AJ or the Red Bluffs MC. He kept me company every night, he held me tightly the night that sobs racked through my body from the nightmare of the day that Juice cheated on me riddled my sleep. I had two really good nights of sleep before he had to leave.

We were standing in my driveway saying our good-byes when I turned to and said to him. "Happy you need to tell Juice that I'm okay and that I am alive." I shook my head still thinking about how he had told Juice that lie. I guessed that club and old ladies were playing along with it at that point. Happy told me that they told him he wasn't invited to my funeral. I smacked him hard on the chest when he told me that. He told me he was glad to feel the sting of my smack because that meant I was getting some muscle back.

Happy nodded at me as if to say, whatever you say but I am going to do what I want. "Happy I am serious!" I stomped my foot on the ground in frustration. "Fuck you are so frustrating."

Happy laughed at my reaction, then patted my head. "I'll tell him." I hugged him before he got onto his bike. He kissed my forehead. "Be safe. I'll be back in a few weeks or so."

"Okay. I'll talk to you soon. And Happy, I want you to tell Juice that I am alive. I can't be dead if I visit."

"Fuck Woman! I get it." He smirked at me as he got on his bike and drove away leaving me alone in my house but thankfully I was no longer alone in Red Bluffs.

A/N: Well that was a long chapter. What do you guys think of AJ and the new MC? Any ideas for names for MC? I couldn't come up with a good one so right now they are nameless! More to come soon….feel free to leave me a comment on what you thought of this chapter. It's always fun hearing from you guys! I may still write more tonight.