Tara looked at him with the same exasperated look she used on Abel when he came in covered in mud or chocolate or glitter. Jax Teller was an ongoing nightmare in her life, every time she thought she had him sussed, he'd do something she didn't expect and it would throw their entire relationship for a loop. She rubbed her hands together and looked down at her palms, trying to avoid his gaze, knowing all too well that she'd give in as soon as she looked in his eyes.

"Tara." Jax reached to still her anxious fingers, he wanted to connect with her, touch her, something. "Please."

"What do you want me to say, Jackson?" she asked, glancing up at him and regretting it in an instant. He gave her that hopeful look and she felt herself softening. "I'm mad at you."

"I was trying to protect you, our boys." Jax didn't even know where to start, as soon as he'd got wind of a potential threat from the Niners, he had had to secure protection for Tara and his sons. It wasn't a risk worth taking. "After what happened to Ope..."

He saw Tara's pale skin grow grey, just the idea of what had happened to him upset her to the very core. It was a reminder that they were outlaws, they were at the whims of other men.

"You should have told me. It would have taken a text, Jax, you know that."

He gave her a sad smile. "You really think you'd have been okay with that? You'd have wanted me there, Tar, and I just couldn't do it. I had to be with the club. I had to shut that threat down."

"Is it done?" Her gaze was cold as she looked at him. "Your threat?"

Damon Pope wasn't going anywhere any time soon, he was all too aware of that. He was simmering, waiting, and right now he had Jax on a short leash. Jax was too aware that Tig's life was on the line, and with Opie already gone, he was running out of options.

"He's... under control."

Tara rolled her eyes and stood up, she knew all too well that that meant it was nowhere near sorted. Jax bounced up like a ping pong ball.

"Tar, please." His eyes flickered as he explored hers. "I need to see my boys. I was trying to take care of you. I thought I was doing the right thing."

Taking a chance, he stepped up to her and leaned his forehead against hers. Tara heard herself sigh as she closed her eyes, just his proximity made her heart beat faster. She hated that she cared for him so deeply, that he could charm his way around her with every damn thing. His hands ran along her waist and he gave her a sweet, gentle kiss.

"I love you," he said softly. "If anything happened to you or Abel or Thomas, Jesus, I don't know what I'd do." He meant it, genuinely and truly. Now she was back in his life, there was no way he'd lose her again, never again. "I swear, I ever put a tail on you again, I'll tell you. I'm sorry Tig scared you."

"Well, he's kinda scary," she muttered, pushing her finger into his chest but her touch softening within seconds. "Especially in the dark."

"Sounds about right," Jax smiled. He glanced at the clock behind him. "You still gotta be somewhere?"

Tara sighed, of course he knew she was lying about that. "I can raincheck."

The little curl of his lip turned into an almighty grin and he rubbed his hips up against hers. "I've been missing you the last couple of nights." She laughed.

"None of those hussies take your fancy?"

"I'm a one-woman kind of guy," he shrugged nonchalantly. "Now, at least. You tamed me," he added with a wink, tickling her playfully. She grabbed her hand and raised it in front of his face, pointing to his wedding ring.

"Don't you forget it," she said firmly. "But I'm serious, Jax. This issue, is it finished with? I don't want the boys in this mess."

He held her hands protectively in his and pressed his lips against her forehead for a long moment. "I'm working on the exit plan, you know that," he said softly, assuring her with his words. "We're on the same page, I swear. I'm just waiting for a couple of the pieces of the puzzle to fall in place, and then we can do whatever you want."

"Scoot."

It was an instruction and the crow eater fawning over Chibs on the couch scarpered away as Tig settled Nina down with a bottle of Jack. She gave Chibs a polite smile as Tig squashed down on the seat beside her and dropped his arm around her shoulder.

"How you doing?" Tig asked, tapping Chibs' knee. Chibs winced, he hated being laid up. Any time off the bike was time wasted, there was nothing more frustrating than having to drive a damn car or get lifts around Charming.

"Better now you're here, pet," Chibs winked at Nina. She blushed and smiled, looking down at her knees shyly. Tig scowled, he hadn't meant to put them together, he just wanted her to be comfortable.

"Hey, hey, hey." Tig narrowed his eyes. "No flirting."

Nina looked at him suspiciously. "What did you just say?"

Chibs motioned for Tig to keep his mouth shut but Tig was pretty sure she seemed like the kind of girl who might rebel if she knew that she was meant to be treated with a little respect. "Oh, just, you know, your Dad was pretty clear we can't, you know..." He made an overexaggerated gesture with his hands and Nina's eyes narrowed.

"Fuck me?"

Chibs choked on his drink as she said it but a twisted sort of smile spread across Tig's lips. God, he wanted her more than ever now, she was so forward and he loved that. She looked so damn frustrated that Nero was trying to exert control over her life, her features were dark and brooding and it made all sorts of parts of his body tingle.

"Well, yeah."

She looked totally outraged as she stood up and looked around the club. "Is that why your friends won't talk to me? Daddy threatened you?"

Chibs gave Tig a clout across the back of his head, this was such a bad idea, Jax was going to be furious. "It wasn't exactly a threat, love, just a... gentle warning." He tried to smile at her but she was so annoyed, all she wanted to do was to break all of the damn rules Nero had set down behind her back.

"Would you want to fuck me?" she asked. Tig shivered with delight to hear her say that word again with such blatant disregard. Chibs slammed his hand quickly over Tig's mouth to stop him from answering, he simply couldn't let it happen. Jax trusted him to control the situation and he had to do that.

"It's not that we wouldn't want to, it's just that..."

He stammered, seeing her lower lip pouting out so perfectly. He let out a low groan in frustration, who was he kidding? If either of them had a chance with her, they'd already be scrapping on the floor until one of them was too much of a mess to take her home.

"We can't."

Nina looked at them both in disgust. "What are you, gay?" She rolled her eyes and pointed between them. "Is that what this place is about?" she asked, motioning around the club. "Sausagefest?"

"No!" Tig yelped before he received a hard elbow to his stomach. Chibs was determined to not give in, Jax needed briefing before this got out of hand and someone would have to talk to Nero. Nina seemed determined.

"He thinks he can control me?" she frowned, disgusted. "So he can walk out on me and my family, then pick and choose who I screw around with? What a goddamn asshole." She couldn't even express how annoyed she was, the words escaped her. She just wanted to grab any one of them and take them home, just to spite him. With a petulant whine, she scooped up her bag. She wavered on her feet, the alcohol hitting her like a tsunami as she readied herself to leave. "I think I'm just going to get a hotel tonight."

"Let me take you," Tig offered, making no effort to hide his double entendre. He wiggled his eyebrows but Chibs shook his head and pulled himself up on his crutches.

"I'll take you in the truck," he said. "You've had too much to drink to stay upright on a bike, kid, I'll set you up with somewhere to stay."

She nodded, grateful, and headed out to the front. Tig kicked at the table in annoyance. "What are you, a giant Scottish cockblock? I could have had that filthy mouth for the rest of the night."

"Which is why I have to take her," Chibs yelped as he rested his weight on the crutches, balancing. "We both know what'll happen if you go."

Tig groaned and crossed his arms. He kicked his feet up on the table. "Fine," he grunted in annoyance. "But as soon as this damn ban's off, she's mine."