It's incredible really, just how quickly a day turns into a week and a week turns into a month. The past four months I had been in Charming were of no exception. I was now a well-known face in town, the locals had begun to trust me, and I was no longer viewed as an outsider to them. Mine and Lucy's friendship was stronger than ever, we'd spend every Friday night with a Chinese takeaway, watching trashy TV and talking with a couple of bottles of wine. I was looking after the shop for her for a week while she visited her sister in Boston and I was already missing her, the 25 year age gap between us made no difference to the bond we had formed so quickly.

I hadn't said a word to Jax since he left my apartment that evening four months ago; I avoided him best I could but of course, in a place this small it was impossible to shut someone completely out of your life, you were bound to run into at least one of them at some point. Juice, the young Hispanic looking one who sported a mean Mohawk that was framed with tribal tattoos either side had become a regular in the bakery, always ordering two iced buns and a cup of large coffee every morning. At first I was hesitant towards his persistent need to make conversation with me, I didn't trust him therefore I didn't want to form any kind of acquaintance with him but he was there enough, I couldn't help it. He'd surprised me actually; he could be quite sensitive when he wanted to be. I learnt a lot about him from our little talks, he was just a normal guy if you took away all the nonsense that came with the club.

This morning, as he entered the bakery, placing himself down on his usual seat to the side of my counter I noticed he was sporting a mean looking bruise around his left eye.

"That looks painful." I commented as I served him his usual. "Have a fight with a cupboard door?"

"Something like that. Thanks." I noticed how crest-fallen he looked; he wasn't his usual friendly self, instead choosing to stare out on to the main street instead of even attempting to talk to me.

"Wanna talk about it?" The shop was empty so I decided to take my morning break, sitting down beside him as we both observed the comings and goings of our neighbours.

"Not particularly, I just got on the wrong side of a friend this last night."

"Jax?"

"Chibs actually, ever since Bobby's party all those months ago he's been as irritated as hell. Normally I could joke around with him, teasing his need to wear shades all the time but something's changed with him."

"I think old wounds were re-opened that night, Lucy and I should never have gone. Things would have been much simpler that way."

"Yeah, I heard what happened with Jax. Sorry. I just don't get what bothered Chibs so much."

"Maybe you should ask him." I couldn't help the last sentence sounding so bitter, how dare Chibs gain sympathy for something Lucy never had? At least he had people around him to support him; she was left with no one.

At first I didn't recognise him as I watched the young couple walk down towards the Mexican restaurant, lost in their own little world as smiles plastered fully over their faces. That ignorance didn't last long though; I could spot that smirk a mile away, the very same smirk he gave me chills with. I watched as his arm was thrown around her shoulder, pulling her closer towards him. She was absolutely stunning; her long wavy blonde hair fell perfectly in place around her model-like body. I shook off my gaze, rapidly standing up to get back to work. It would do me no favours to watch Jax with his latest lady-toy, it was information I didn't need to know.

"Aren't you even going to ask who she is?" Juice questioned, he'd been watching me watch them.

"I'm not interested, I'm glad he's found someone who makes him happy." I replied with a bitter taste of jealousy lingering on my tongue.

"I don't think that is how I would describe Jax's relationship with Wendy; it's a habit with them, that's all."

I didn't bother to respond further, I scrubbed the counter extra hard, hoping to wipe away any thought I had of him as if it was a stain I was able to remove from my mind. At some point Juice must have slipped away, I hadn't noticed.

As I locked the front door of the shop I smile out onto the rapidly darkening main street, all the other shops were a long time shut and the street was practically empty now. This is what I had been searching for when I chose this place, tranquillity. I wasn't the best baker in the world, certainly not up to Lucy's standards by any means but with her away I was left with the task of baking a birthday cake for a little 6 year old in town, ready to be picked up the next morning. I had pleaded with Lucy to send me a can't-fail recipe and she had obliged, opting for a simple chocolate sponge with an easy vanilla frosting. I placed my phone infront of me on the counter as I began creating what I hoped would be at least acceptable.

I was completely distracted by the baking, singing along to the radio as I stirred the mixture ready to pour. As I reached for the spatula I heard a faint shuffling sound behind me, I turned to look at what appeared to be nothing. I put it down to an over-active imagination and got back on with my task in hand. My phone now safely in my back pocket, I had completed all I had to do, the rest was the hands of a lot of pleading to the baking gods. I placed the cake mixture into the oven I was suddenly blinded by what I soon learnt was a man placing his hand around my eyes and the other over my mouth preventing me from screaming. He dragged me upstairs, into Lucy's apartment, throwing me down roughly on to the bed. The man was dressed all in black; a ski-mask covered all of his face, his fists were bunched tightly as he breathed deeply, watching me skirt up the bed, bunching myself up as small as I could in desperate hopes that my worst fear was not about to be recognised.

"WHERE IS THE MONEY?" He hissed at me.

"What money? All I have is what is in the register downstairs."

"Do NOT play stupid with me little girl, King sent me to get what he is owed." The man began tying my right arm to the bed post, the rope cut into my skin so harshly it felt on fire.

"I don't know what you are talking about, I only-" Before I could even finish my sentence, his balled fist landed a punch across my cheek.

"Where's King's money?!"

"I don't know what you are talking about." I cried, the sour taste of blood now graced my lips as it poured from my cut nose. "I've only just started working here."

"Where's Lucy?" He paced the edge of the bed, I felt so helpless, knowing that the violence could only escalate as I had no information to give him.

"She's away visiting family, please, just take what's in the register, it's all I have."

"That won't even cover the gas over here. I guess I'm going to have to just send your friend Lucy a message."

The man began tearing at my shirt, ripping the material of my left sleeve clean off. I cried, I pleaded with him to not do what I assumed he was going to do next, instead he just laughed. He drew for a big knife, revelling in the glistening of the blade in the faint light; he began to carve into the skin of my arm the letter 'K'.

"Tell your friend that she better have King's money in a week, the next time I won't go so easy on you." His grin as his eyes traced every inch of my body told me all I needed to know.

He punched me once more before he left, rendering me unconscious for a brief moment. I came to and listened out for any noise but he seemed to be long gone. I shuffled on the bed to reach for my phone that was in my back pocket. There was only one contact that I knew in Charming that could help me, I had no choice, I needed help badly.

Jax ran into the room, Chibs and Juice on either side of him as they took in what I later learned was reminiscent of something out of a horror movie. I had given up trying to bite my arm free from the restraints of the tight rope and had flopped back onto the bed where he found me.

"Amelle, my god, are you okay?" He asked, sitting down on the bed beside me, shock drawn all over his beautiful face. He'd gestured to the others to search the place for my attacker.

"It hurts, Jax." I wasn't sure where exactly I was talking about, everything hurt. Jax used the knife he carried on his belt to cut the rope.

"Jesus Christ, who did this to you?" He was holding my shaking body up, his arms acting as my crutch as I attempted to stand. Jax ripped off his t-shirt and used it to wrap my arm to stop the bleeding.

"Some guy…I don't know. He said Lucy owed some guy called King money and he would be coming back to hurt me if she didn't have it by the end of the week."

"Shit. What the hell is Lucy doing being mixed up with King?" Chibs questioned as he punched the wall. "This is bad, Jacky, really bad."

"I know. We'll sort it." He shot Chibs a look that told him to get it together. "Come on, you're coming with us."

"No, I just need help getting home. I'll be fine." Pain seared through my arm with every move I made.

Surprisingly Jax didn't argue further, he sent Chibs and Juice to clear up the bakery and lock up for me. Then they had to get back to the clubhouse to get the rest of the guys up to speed on what was going on while he drove me home in my car, glancing at me and shaking his head with every chance he got. It seemed to take forever to get into my apartment; Jax walked me slowly, not allowing me to take anything more than baby steps. He placed me ever so gently down on to my bed, grabbing a cold compress to put over the swelling on my face.

"You really should get to a doctor tomorrow, that arm looks like it may need stitches." He said, wiping the wound with antiseptic wipes.

"I'll be fine, you can go home now. Thank you for helping me, Jax." I didn't dare allow myself to say more. My heart tugged at my insides, desperate to reach out for him in my hour of desperate need for security. I hadn't realised just how much I missed him.

"I'm not going anywhere, Amelle. I can't leave you alone, not like this."

If I was feeling normal I would have insisted he left me alone but I couldn't, not after everything that happened tonight. I collapsed in his arms, he held me so tightly as I sobbed into his still bare chest.

"I was so scared, Jax." He nudged my chin so I was facing him.

"You don't have to be scared anymore. I'm not going anywhere; I'll stay until you feel safe again." His hand stroked the back of my hair, as my mind screamed out words I dare not say to him. I wasn't sure if I would ever feel safe here again.

"Thank you."

"Stop thanking me, Amelle. It's the least I can do, I just wish I was there to protect you tonight but I'll keep you safe now, I promise. I'll sleep on the sofa, if you need me you know where I am." He backed out of the room, allowing me to undress as best I could.

I had slept relatively peacefully with the thought of my very own security guard protecting me only metres away, so peacefully in fact, I didn't wake until it was gone 11am.

"You should have woken me up hours ago; I have to open the bakery. Oh shit, the birthday cake." I walked into the kitchen where Jax was stood in only his shorts as he cooked breakfast. His muscular back was painted with black ink reading Sons of Anarchy and decorated with a reaper underneath for added badass-ness. It shocked me; I had never been particularly into tattoos but his made him even more attractive.

"Relax, I spoke to Lucy and told her there was an incident. She's on her way back and she is dealing with all the customers so you don't have to. Go back to bed; this was supposed to be a surprise."

I did as I was told and it wasn't long before I was served a delicious cooked breakfast with fresh orange juice on the side. Jax looked mighty pleased with himself as he handed it to me.

"Where did you get all this stuff? It sure as hell wasn't my fridge."

"I sent Juice out to the store as soon as it opened, he even got you these." Jax handed me a bunch of girly magazines.

"Er, thanks." I didn't want to burst his bubble by telling him I never read those and I wasn't planning on starting now.

"I even took the pleasure of circling the articles I thought may best interest you."

I looked at the front cover of one, an article reading 'How to please your man in 5 easy steps' had a huge red ring around it.

"I have no problems there, thank you very much." I shot him a look of certainty.

"I'm sure you don't, at least I haven't imagined you having any troubles at all." He grinned. I can't pretend hearing that he had imagined us going there didn't excite me. "Just what I wanted to see, that beautiful smile of yours."

"Don't get used to it, my face is killing me. Get in beside me, you standing there watching me eat is freaking me out."

"I never thought I'd get the pleasure of lying in your bed again."

"Neither did I."

Jax and I spoke for a while as I struggled to eat all he had made for me. The muscles in my cheeks were so bruised it hurt to move them but the painkillers he forced me to take had slowly begun to numb all the aching I felt.

"Shouldn't you be heading off on business by now?" I teased, referencing how any time we had spent together in the past was always interrupted by the club needing him.

"Not today, let's just say I cleared my diary."

"You can do that when your business is the kind you're in?"

"Don't worry about it babe, if they need me then they know how to reach me. You have me all to yourself."

"Lucky me." I said in my favourite sarcastic tone. "I have to go and shower, this bloodied and bruised look isn't a good one."

"You still look hot to me." Jax shouted after me as I started the water.

I stared through the condensation that graced the mirror in the bathroom, wiping some away so I could take a proper look at my face. My eye was purple but not as swollen as I thought and the bridge of my nose sported a pretty impressive cut. I guess I was sort of relieved I didn't look as bad as I felt; it would only take a few days for the facial injuries to clear up but the cut on my arm that was now bandaged thanks to Jax, would take a lot longer.

"What are you doing?" Jax was still not dressed; it made it really hard to concentrate on anything but his body.

"I thought I would help you unpack your last boxes while I'm here." As he reached to open the one tucked safely into the corner it dawned on me what was inside.

"No! Not that one!" My pleading was in vain, by the raised eyebrow and subtle smirk I knew he had spotted some of what was inside.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" He asked as he took out the first of my toys, a pair of steel police issued handcuffs and dangled them infront of his face.

"Er…a friend gave them to me?" I didn't sound convincing at all.

"Did this friend also give you these?" He was holding back a chuckle as he played with my Ben Wa balls.

"Okay, big deal. A grown woman likes to experiment a little in the bedroom. Are you done embarrassing me now?"

He didn't reply, instead I watched as he found my special lingerie, the type I saved only for nights I wanted to really seduce my partner. They still had the tag on them; I hadn't yet found someone to wear them for.

"I have a new idea for today, let's play dressing up." He teased as he held up my favourite baby doll.

"Is this your way of telling me you are into cross dressing?"

"This is my way of telling you that I'm getting a hard-on just thinking about what you'd look like in this." It took all of my willpower to not look down to see if he was telling the truth. "All of these still have the tags on them, been a while?"

"Yes, it's been a while and no I don't need you to help me out with that."

"That's a shame; I'm feeling pretty charitable today."

"I'm sure your girlfriend would have something to say about that." I always knew just how to kill the mood with one sentence, today was no exception.

Hey! :)

I hope you are all enjoying reading this, i'd love to hear some of your thoughts. Good, bad or downright ugly, I want them all! Please!

Do you like Amelle? Are you hoping her and Jax get together? Do you think they would work?

Special thanks, once again, to NL92 for taking the time to review every chapter they read, it's seriously appreciated.

Please leave a review, favourite and follow the story. I promise to not disappoint.

Stacey x