I then took the job, which ended up being a wild chase over the country, someone knew he was a target and was making this difficult. It was weeks before I rode back into Charming. When I did, I immediately got pulled over. I sighed, got off my bike and had everything ready for the Sheriff.
"You're a little helpful." She commented when I tried to hand her my things."Dont you want to know why I pulled you over?" She asked.
" Look, I don' really care Sheriff. I haven' seen me friends in a while an' Im anxious ta see them.'" I said. She looked at me.
"What happened to your face?" She asked.
"I skiing acciden'." I said, irritatedly. She nodded,she knew I was being a smart ass.
"Well Scotty, watch your speed on these roads and we wont have a problem." She told me. I nodded.
"Aye ma'am."I said.
"You have a good day." She said.
"Ye too." I said getting back on my bike and leaving. I found the porn studio on the docs that Gemma said everyone had moved clubhouses in less than a year, the m.c was really pissing people off. I stopped, I could see Chibs talking with a badge just outside the door, the same one that pulled me over a few hours ago. I slowed, then stopped, they couldnt see me. I watched as they spoke, then kissed. I blinked, that couldnt be right. I sat back on my bike and watched him walk away. Then I did something I never do, I called Chibs.
"Allo?" He answered.
"Hey there ye crazy bastart." I said feigning a light tone.
"Smiles?" He asked in disbelief.
"Aye, Im headed inta Charmin', though' I should give ye a heads up." I said. I saw him lean against his bike.
"This is new, you never call." He said.
"Aye, well. People change, it's no' fair o' me ta jus' drop in. So I'm givin' ye a heads up. Really. I guess, ye could jus' tell me ta bugger off if its a bad time." I said, the badge drove away, she didnt see me, I doubted anyone would.
"Oh no, it's fine. Come on through, uh, the ice cream shop jus' go' blown up. Do ye know where Redwoody's is?" He asked.
"I can figure it ou'." I said.
"Well, I have ta go, bu' there are people there an' I'll be back soon." He said.
"See ye then lad." I said, hanging up my phone. I waited for him to pass, before I went over to the studio. I knocked on the door and Lila pulled it open.
"Hey doll." I said as she hugged me, she looked terrible."Is everythin' alrigh'?" I asked. She gave me a sad smile.
"Someone went through Diosa, killed sixteen people." She said. I felt my eyebrows raise.
"Jesus." I whispered.
"Come on, the club has us on lockdown." I followed her in. We sat at the bar.
"Sixteen people?" I said, it was one of the biggest massacres north cal has seen if that was the case. She nodded, getting ready to cry girls would have been her friends. I hugged her."Jesus lass, Im sorry." I said.
"Smiles?" I turned and saw Gemma.
"Gemma, Im so sorry abou' Diosa, I know tha' yer Nero pu' alo' inta it." I said.
"Yeah, its a mess. but we'll figure it are you doing here?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Jesus Gemma, I haven' been gone tha' long. Im here ta try an' las' job took way longer than I wanted it ta." I said.
"Three weeks for one job?" She asked.
"Aye, targe' was smar', knew he had a hi' on him." I said.
"Must have been a good one."I shrugged.
"The chase was fun the firs' week, then it go' annoyin'."I said. " I would have rather have been here." She nodded."Hey, wha' do ye know o' the lady badge in town, brunette. Jarry I think it is." I asked.
"She's the new Sheriff, Roosevelt was killed." I touched the corner of my mouth with my tongue.
"Is tha' so?" I nodded.
"Im sorry, but I have to go." She said gesturing to the door. I nodded, then moved myself to a couch. Chibs was tapping that new Sheriff then. I saw them kiss. I fiddled with my rings until they came back. Jax walked in and walked right past me, then stopped and turned. He smiled.
"Smiley." He said. I stood and hugged him.
" Jackie." I said. "Sorry ta hear abou' Diosa." I patted his shoulder, and kissed him on the cheek. "Tha's rough." He nodded.
"What brings you into town?" He asked.
"Well, I was hopin' it would have been quiet an' I could pick up where we lef' off. Bu' clearly tha' is no' the case. Im sorry lad, tha' job took way longer than it should have." I said. His eyebrows rose.
"That long for one job?" He asked.
"Aye, the targe' knew he had a hi' gave me a run fer my money. Caugh' him as he tried ta go ta Brazil."
"Sounds like it." He commented. I turned and greeted by Bobby next, then Happy, and finally Chibs. I was dreading this one. I hugged him, but turned my head when he tried to kiss my lips, he gave me a kiss on the cheek instead.
"Is everythin' alrigh'?" He asked.
"Aye, it appears it is." I said softly. He frowned. "I won' be a side woman. If yer seein' tha' badge then ye need ta be upfron' abou' it." I said.
"Maybe we should step outside and talk." He said. I smiled.
"Filip, I saw ye kiss her. Righ' before I called. I was already here. Theres nothin' ta talk abou'. I understand. Im in an' ou'. Ye don' see me fer months, years at a time. Bu' I will no' be the second woman. She doesn' deserve tha' an I don' either." I said calmly, it hurt that I had to do this.
"Please lets go ou'side an' talk." He said. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"Alrigh'." I said. I stepped outside, and pulled out my cigarettes. I lit one up and leaned against the wall, waiting for him to looked like he was at a loss.
"Chibs, don' worry, ye don' need ta say anythin'. Im a big girl." I said, smiling.
" I know lass." He replied.
"Theres nothin' ta talk abou'."
"I should have told ye." He said.I shrugged.
"Im a hard woman ta ge' a hold of."
"Why are ye makin' excuses fer me?" He asked. I dropped the filter and ground it out.
"Because if I le' ye tell me tha' there is no excuse, tha' ye didn' try ta contac' me. I migh' kill ye." I said, upset that it was true. I looked down, took a breath, then looked at him. "Filip, I love ye. Yer the firs' man who touched me. Physically an' on a deeper level. I know ye didn' mean ta hur' me, so Im givin' ye every excuse so tha' we can still be friends." I told him. He nodded. " I can deal withou' a romantic relationship from ye, bu' I don' know if I can handle losin' ye all tagether Chibs."
"Is tha' wha' ye wan' then?" He asked.
"Aye, if we can' be lovers, I wan' ta be friends." I said. He smiled and put an arm around my shoulders.
"Ta friendship then." He said as we headed back inside. I sat down at the bar and Chibs motioned for whiskey. I raised my glass and downed it.
"Did you two sort out whatever those nasty glares were?" Bobby asked. I smiled.
"Aye." Honestly I wanted to shoot Chibs, but I told him we were good.
"Well its good to have you back Smiles." He said.
"I jus' hope its good ta be back."I replied, he laughed. I saw Lila sitting on a couch, she looked sad and upset. I stood and walked over to her.
"It will be alrigh' lass." I said putting an arm around her shoulder. She leaned against me and cried quietly.
"Im just tired of people dying. I miss Opie." She cried. I petted her hair.
" I know lass, it's hard. I've seen so many people grieve, so many more die, it's no' easy." I tried consoling her. " Bu' we were lef' here ta carry on. Opie lef' his kids with ye, ye raise them. I know it isn' easy lass, bu' ye jus' have ta figh'." I said, she sat up and looked at me.
"It sounds like you've lost a lot of people." She said.
"No, bu' one o' the hardes' things I've ever done was watchin' my broken family come tagether when they mourned me. I knew it was wrong, bu' it was better tha' they believe Im dead, rather than see the monster I've become." I told her.
"You're not a monster." She said, I smiled and brushed hair out of her face.
"Burd, I kill an' torture people fer money, Im ashamed ta admit tha' I enjoy it. I have created widows an' orphans, an' I don' care because I live one of the bigges' monsters ye woul' mee' an' live ta tell abou' it. The only way I could sink any lower was if I were a pedophile an' rapis'." I said.
"But there's the shame, and the integrity that you feel. The shame you told me about, you're ashamed because you enjoy it. And you have the integrity to hold yourself to a higher standard. You're the furthest thing from a monster." She said. I laughed.
"Lass, Im supposed ta be the one consolin' ye! Look how ye turned it around." She smiled. " It will alrigh', Opie would be proud o' ye." I said, she nodded, then hugged me.
"Thank you." She said. I patted her back.
"No problem." I said standing. I walked back to the bar where Chibs was watching.
"Tha' was noce o' ye." He said, I motioned for a beer.
" All I wan' ta do is help. If my place here is consoling old ladies, then tha's wha' I'll do." I said, shrugging. I looked around. It seemed pretty boring. I wanted to do something, I didnt spend all that time on the road just to sit some more. I looked around, looking for something to do.
"You seem on edge." Chibs said. I laughed.
"No' at all lad, jus' lookin' fer somethin' ta do. Im bored, definitely did no' ride all the way from Texas ta sit around some more." I said.
"Lookin' fer trouble ta stir up?" He asked.
"Aye, would ye like ta help me?" I asked, smiling. I was hurt, but I meant it when I said I couldnt bear losing him all together.
" Oh no burd, tha' one is all yers." He said. I nodded.
"Well, then Im off ta see how Charmin' has changed since I was las' here." I told him.
"I dont think tha's a good idea." He said standing with me. I smiled wider.
"Lad, I am yer friend, no' a wee sister, no' an auld lady. If ye keep up this macho protector thin' I'll probably jus' drop ye righ' here, because now I don' mind embarrassin' ye in fron' o' yer mates." I said. He pressed his lips together.
"Aye, yer my friend, bu' still, all me friends are here. Safe." He said." No one rides alone."
"I see tha' bu' I am no' par' o' the club, I doubt whoever ye've pissed off this time even knows tha' Im a connection." I said pulling on my jacket. He gave me a look like he wanted to argue about it more, but then thought better of it, and nodded. I kissed his cheek then walk out. I went to my bike, I almost gave up and cried there, but I knew there were cameras. I would not give anyone the satisfaction of seeing me broken. I started my bike and rode away. I went to a diner and sat down. My hot tea came when Jerry walked in. She was greeted by several different people, then she saw me. She walked over.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked. Great, just what I needed.
"No' at all Sheriff." I replied, I would be friendly to her. If Chibs had feelings for her, then I would treat her like part of my hodge podge family.
" What are you doing in Charming?" She asked when the waitress brought her coffee. I smiled.
"Visitin' friends an' family." I said sipping my tea.
"You have family here?" She asked. I shrugged.
"No' blood family, bu' the friends I have here are the closes' thin' I've go' ta one." I watched her.
"Mind me asking who?" She took a drink from her coffee.
"The Sons." I said casually.
"The Scott?" She asked, I smiled.
"Chibs an' I have been friends since I me' the club. Bu' originally it was Clay who started the friendship. All those lads are my friends, the Scot an' I are jus' a wee bi' closer." I replied. "Love of country, same religious upbringin', similar history." I nodded, then stared into her cup.
"Anything to do with the matching scars?" She asked. I chuckled.
"No' a' all. His story there is far differen' than mine. Some would say worse." I said.
"So whats the common history?" She asked.
"Same pas' employer." I smiled.
"You're not going to give me anything are you?" She laughed.
"Chibs will tell ye when he's ready. I only know so much, an' I've known him fer a few years." I said. She nodded.
"Well then what about you?" I popped a french fry in my mouth.
"Wha' abou' me?" I asked.
" I dont think you got those scars skiing." I shrugged.
"I'd guess yer righ' burd." I frowned. " Look lass, I wan' ta be yer friend, bu' Im a very reserved person. Like Chibs, I'll tell ye my history when Im ready. Bu' I will tell ye I worked fer an ambulance here in the states and in Scotland."
"Really? How was that?" She asked.
"I should have joined the military I'll tell ye tha' much." She laughed."Haven' done tha' in years though." I sighed. "Wha' abou' yerself?Always wanted ta be a sheriff?" I asked.
"Pretty much, I grew up in San Joaquin, found something interesting with the sheriff's department, so I jumped. I loved it so I stayed.
"No dreams o' travelin'?" I asked, a little baffled that someone wanted to stay in one area.
" Vacations maybe, but nothing crazy." I shook my head.
"I don' know how ye do it then. I spend three weeks in one area an' Im bored." I said, "Then I move on."
"You must have a bit of money isnt cheap." She let the waitress fill her cup.
"Aye, ye could say tha'." I answered.
"Whats your profession?" She asked. I smiled.
"Oh, this an' tha'. " I replied. "Ye ask a lo' o' questions." She looked down.
"Sorry, its my nature." She said.
" I know yer seeing wha' yer competition is. Bu' le' me tell ye, Chibs an' I have nothin'. We're jus' friends." I assured her.
"But was there something?" She asked.
"Aye, there was, fer a brief blink o' an eye. Bu' now theres no'. I think ye would do him some good. Im a bi' o' a hooligan." I said. She chuckled.
"You look like one. Why did it end?" She asked. I looked at her.
"I don' stay in one place fer too long. Im in an' ou'. Im here Im there, The longes' I stayed anywhere after my attack was a few years. It's hard to be with someone when they're in an' ou' of contact. So we agreed we would be better friends." It was the truth, but I just wasnt giving her a time frame. She nodded and looked out the window. She stared at my bike.
"Do ye ride?" I asked seeing where she was looking. She laughed.
"Oh no. Four wheels are just fine with me."
"Aye, I guess, but fer ye, as we're abou' the same size,should ye wan' ta ride a motorcycle, look inta the Harley Davidson Sportster they're light and a bi' smaller. Easier ta handle no' necessarily the bes' fer comfor' though." I told her.
"I'll keep that in mind." She nodded, chuckling, we both knew she would never get behind the handlebars of a motorcycle, though she might climb onto the back of one for ate our lunch in silence.
"How old were you? When whatever resulted in those scars happened?" She asked.
"Persistan' little bugger aren' ye?" I laughed. " I was twenty two."
"Its why Im a good cop." She untucked a corner of her shirt and lifted it up. A bullet scar sat on her stomach. "I was twenty one." She told me, pulling her shirt down, and retucking it.
" I have one jus' like tha'." I leaned back and straightened my spine so she could she my stomach better.
"Holy shit. Thats a lot of scars." She said.
"Bulle', knife, shive. Tha' one was a screwdriver. Knife, knife bulle'. This one was a spear." I pointed to each one.
"A lot of ink too." She said.
"A woman is no' defined by her scars, rather by wha' she learned from them." I told her." Scars are reminders of lessons." I said. "Tattoos are jus' my way o' writin' me history."
" Looks like you have learning issues."She said wiping her mouth.I laughed.
"Aye, perhaps,bu' I jus' like fightin'. An' no' everyone agrees with me." I sighed. " I wasn' such a fighter, or pain in the ass until after I go' my Grin.I had been in Glasgow fer two or so months, workin' an' ambulance there. I was walkin' home from the college, I was getting a degree in history at the time, it was late an' dark. Someone grabbed me from behind. Two men raped and beat me. Then cu' me face. I never saw who they were. Nothing could be done, the coppers told me tha' it could have been a razor gang or razor gang copycat bu' since I couldn' identify anyone it did me no good. The gangs in the area mark their victims like this. After tha' I decided no one would ever take advantage o' me in anyway ever again. And made it so." I fiddled with my rings.
"Jesus. So what do you do now?"
"Well people in pain don' particularly take comfor' in seeing a woman with my scars, its pu' a few into cardiac arres'. So Im no' with an ambulance if tha' is wha' yer askin', bu' like I said, I do differen' things here an' there." I smiled. "I've gotton some pretty cool body guard gigs recently, people are afraid of me, tha' or they pity me." I shrugged and sat back.
"You must lead an interesting life." She said.
"Aye I guess so." I smiled. " An' wha' abou' you. Is life as a Sheriff everything you hoped and dreamed for?" I nodded.
"Pretty much. I like what I do." She replied.
"Tha' is all tha' is importan' isn' it?" I said. She nodded. Her radio crackled, a muffled voice came over it.
"I have to go, sorry to cut our lunch short. The bill is on me." She said.
"Well thank ye sheriff. Ya know, how abou' ye an' I go ge' a drink sometime?It would be on me." I said as she stood.
"I'll think about it and let you know." She said.
"Have a good day ma'am."
"Althea is fine Scotty."She said.
"Me name is Brónach, but the lads call me Smiley." I said. She laughed.
"Alright then. Catch you around." She said before leaving. I finished my tea, then ventured out into the cloudy day. I didnt know where I was going to stay, I would prefer to not spend money this time, but staying with Chibs was out. I would talk to the club see if anyone knew a place I could stay. I wondered what Juice was up to, I hadnt seen him yet. I went back to the club.
"How was your ride?" Happy asked. I shrugged.
"Had lunch with Althea Jarry, it was alrigh'. She seems like a nice burd." I said. I saw him raise his eyebrows.
"You had lunch with her and didnt kill her?" He asked in disbelief. I laughed.
"Aye, I didn'. I told Chibs we could be friends, an' I think in order to maintain tha' relationship I need ta keep Jarry alive, an' it would be even better if we all go' along. So I made an effor'. She's a persistan' little shi' I'll give her tha', an'a tough one too. I could ge' along with her." He shook his head.
" So whats the latest and greatest in the world of hired guns?" He asked.
" No' a whole lo'." I replied. "Bu' Ive been off the grid fer a while." He nodded. I smiled. "How are things here?" I asked.
"This mess with Lin is almost cleaned up, but right now its crazy." He said. I closed my eyes, of course they managed to piss off the Chinese.
"An' wha' abou' Juice? I haven' seen him around." He looked down.
"Juice split, he betrayed the club." I frowned. "He'll probably lose the patch and have to meet Mr. Mayhem." What had the lad done?
"Mayhem, really?" He nodded. " Jesus, well I hope it comes ta an end everyone can accept." I said. Hoping that Juice would live, and that the club could let him go.
"We'll see."
"Hey Smiley, Jerry wan's ta speak with ye." Chibs said coming out of the office. I felt my eyebrows raise. I stood up and walked over, I felt several eyes on me as I walked. "What did ye do?" He asked.
"Maybe I made a new friend Chibsy." I said taking the burner. his eyebrows shot up.
"Allo?" I answered.
"Is this the other Scot?" Jerry asked. I smiled and looked at Chibs.
"Aye, the better lookin' one." He scowled and I heard some of the lads laugh. She even laughed.
"Well thats debatable." She said.
"Wha' can I do fer ye Althea?" I asked.
"What would you say to a double date?" I laughed.
"I, uh,would say tha's hard ta do when I don' have a date." I said moving towards the door.
"And if I got you one?" She asked.
"A blind date with a copper?" I sighed, it didnt sound like a good idea, but I was full of bad ones.
"Yeah his name is Dean Lockwood, works with me." She said.
"An' wha' does Chibs think o' this?" I asked.
"He doesnt know, right now I just asked him to dinner." She said, I smiled.
"Ye cheeky bitch." She laughed.
"So what do you think?" She asked.
" I guess I'll do it. Where are we eatin'?" I asked leaning against a wall.
"A barbeque place, no where fancy, jeans and a t-shirt will work." She said. I nodded to myself.
" An' wha' time?" I asked, looking around to see what time it was.
"Dean and I get off at six, what do you say for eight?" It was five now.
"Im down, bu' uh, do ye mind if I use yer shower?I missed the check in times for all the hotels worth stayin' at." I felt ridiculous asking.
"Not at all." I jotted down her address. And thanked her before handing the phone back to Chibs. He spoke with her briefly, then hung up.
"What was all tha'?" Chibs asked.
" I think Smiley has made a new friend." Bobby said lightly.
" Im allowed ta have friends outside o' ye bunch." I retorted. " Althea had lunch with me. Im tryin' ta be friendly, I do wan' ta be yer friend. I know its bes' if I don' hold any grudges towards anyone, by bein' her friend, I won' hold a grudge." I told him in a low put an arm around my shoulders.
"Well thank ye fer tryin' like this, it mean alo'." He said.
"No' a problem. Oi, I go' ta go, a thing I've gotta do. I'll be around later." I said, grabbing my jacket. I went outside and rode to Althea's place, we rolled up at the same time.
"Do you have any shirts that are full sized?" She asked gesturing to my exposed midriff.
"Aye, I do." I said following her to her apartment. "Tell me abou' the poor bloke ye set me up with tanigh'." I said as we walked through the door.
"He's a good guy, willing to bend a few rules to get his ends. A bit of a fighter, definitely a bad ass, though humble enough he would never admit it. He's a good sheriff." She said setting her bag on the ground.
" Does he have any idea abou' wha' ye've gotten him into?" I asked, she smiled.
"He likes a good chase, you'll keep him entertained. And Im sure he'll do the same for you." I laughed.
"Alrigh' then. An' Chibs has no idea?" I asked, I didnt know how that was going to go.
"No, but dont worry. I had an idea, I'll tell him I orchestrated the whole thing to get us all together, no one catches any blowback except for me."She said. I nodded.
"An' barbeque?" I asked.
"Well, not really, but its a bar, so jeans and a t-shirt will be just fine. The shower is down the hall to the left." She said. I nodded and took my bag with me. I showered and was done in five minutes. I did my hair and makeup in the hall mirror. She came out and looked at me.
"You clean up nicely." She said. The shirt I was wearing was solid black, but it was a v-neck, and sort of sheer, you could see my bra through it a little. My jeans were well fitting and I had been told the made my ass look great.I had done a gray and black smokey eye and chapstick for my makeup. I looked at her. Good fitted jeans, plain burgundy t-shirt, slightly smaller v cut.
"An' ye look good in an' ou' of a uniform." I said, she laughed.
"Are all Scots this flirtatious?" She asked. I smiled.
"Only the ones worth knowin' love." It was seven oclock now we drove over in her car. We walked into the local bar.
"Remember to atleast be annoyed that I set you up." She said, I laughed. She pointed to a blonde that reminded me of Kozik.
"Thats Dean." I nodded.
"Hopefully I don' scare him." I said. She smiled.
"You'll be fine. Have fun, a waiter will come and get you and bring you to our table after a few minutes." She said. I nodded, then walked up to him.
"So I hear yer my date fer tanigh'." I said sliding up next to him. He looked over at me, I saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but nothing else other than a warm smile.
"Are you Smiley?" He asked, I chuckled. He had already given up trying to pronounce my given name.
"Aye, I am. Ye mus' be Dean." I said, he nodded he glanced at my scars once then acted normal. American lads were way better at ignoring facial disfigurements than other nations' lads.
"So how do you know Althea?" He asked getting me a beer.
"She pulled me over this mornin' as I was headed inta town." I said. "Bu' shes seein' one o' me friends, I know her through him." He chuckled. I looked around the bar, it was filled with cigarette smoke and the floor was littered with peanut shells and various other things.
"Do ye know why she did this?" I asked. "No' tha' Im no' happy ta mee' ye. I am, bu' Im curious. She sort o' blind sided me with this." I smiled, he laughed.
" Althea and I went to the academy together. I've been single for a while now, and shes forcing me into the dating game again. Has anyone told you your accent is really sexy?" He smiled, and turned his body towards me. He definitely knew how to flirt, at least the night wouldn't go that badly.
"Maybe someone mentioned it once or twice. I've only recently started this dating game again meself." I said.
"Where are you from?" He asked.
"Originally? Phoenix Arizona, bu' I moved ta Scotland when I was twenty two and go' citizenship there. I live in Glasgow." I said. He cocked an eyebrow.
"Glasgow is a dangerous place." He commented. I looked down at my hands.
"Aye, I know." I said, then I looked at him. " Bu' Im a big girl. I can take care o' myself." He seemed kind of awed.
" Something tells me you can more than take care of yourself." He said. I laughed, a waitress came up.
"Excuse me, but your table is ready." She said. Lockwood looked confused.
"I didnt get a table." He said. I put a hand on his bicep.
" Jerry has a plo' she wouldn' tell me much, bu' she asked me ta roll with it." I said. He rolled his eyes.
"Alright." He said at last. I grabbed my beer, he offered an arm, I smiled and rest my hand at the crook of it.
"A gentlemen I see." I said, we followed the waitress to a table. I saw Chibs and stopped. He saw me and froze with what he was doing. Lockwood looked at both of us.
"Come on guys sit!" Althea said happily. I sat in the booth and slid over to the wall, Lockwood sat down next to me.
"Dean, meet Chibs." She said. Dean glanced at his scars but extended a hand, Chibs shook it.
"Im Dean." He said.
"Wha' are ye doin' with Smiles?" Chibs asked, I frowned.
"Its called a date ye bampot." I said angrily.
"You two know each other?" Dean asked me. I smiled at him.
"Aye, Chibs an' I are me' through his m.c. an' mine." I said. He laughed.
"You're in a motorcycle club?" I nodded.
"The Devil's Daughters is based in Arizona." I said.
"Did you do this?" Chibs asked Althea.
"I didnt think it would be a bad idea. I thought it would be fun for all of us to get out."She said. " I thought you and Smiley were friends." She looked at him, then me.
"We are." Chibs said, though clearly he didnt like the idea of another guy sitting this closely to me.
"So wha's the deal?" Dean asked, Chibs glared at him. I put my hand on his knee.
"Lad, jus' leave 's fine Althea, clearly this was a bad idea, Dean an' I will jus' go back ta the bar, finish our date there." I looked at Dean, then Althea.
"Dont do that." She said, pouting a little.
"Ye are supposed ta be a' Redwoody's." Chibs said to me."We're on lockdown." I shook my head.
"Labhraíomar cheana faoi seo , níl mé cuid de do chlub , níl mé do dheirfiúr nó do leannán . Is féidir liom a dhéanamh cad ba mhaith liom ." I spoke in gaelic so that they couldnt understand me. I had told him that we had already talked about this, that I wasnt in the club,I was not his sister or lover and he couldnt tell me what to do. Dean looked at me, I could feel his surprise.
"Ní chiallaíonn sin a gheobhaidh tú a reáchtáil faoi le strainséirí !" He said. Saying that we didnt know him, that he was a total stranger.
"Oibríonn Déan le Althea , tá sé aon choimhthíoch ." The two sheriffs knew I was talking about them now, explaining that if Althea trusted him, then I didnt see a reason that we shouldn't.
"English please!" Althea said.
"Hey buddy, lets just calm down. Smiley and I will go elsewhere. Thanks for trying boss."He said to Chibs, then to Althea.
"You get back to the clubhouse right now." Chibs said to me. I scoffed.
"Yer no' me Da. I'll do wha' I wan' no' wha' ye demand ye dobber." I said trying not to raise my voice.
"Look, she's old enough to do what she wants, how about you back off Scotty?" Dean said standing. Chibs stood, they were toe to toe.
"This does no' concern ye." He said.
"It does when you're irritating my date." I knew a fight was about to break out, I punched Chibs, I avoided his eyes and nose.
"Back off Chibs." I said standing between him and Dean. " This time I will drop ye. I will no' play nice. An' ye'll learn wha' it's like ta be on my bad side." I felt Dean put an arm around my waist. I waited until Chibs stood up. He pointed to me.
"We'll settle this later." He said.
"Aye, an' ye'll end up on the floor bleedin' if ye take this approach at me again." I said, people were staring. I saw him think about taking a swing, but Althea caught his arm.
"Come on. They're going to a different area. It's fine." She said softly. I backed away, I refused to turn my back on him. He sat back down with Jarry. Dean and I found two open bar stools. I sat down and sighed.
"I am so sorry fer him." I said. I looked at him.
"Don't apologize for him." He said.
"Normally he's a cool lad, bu' somethin's go' his knickers in a bunch tanigh'." I said. "It's embarrassin'." I ordered a whiskey.
"That was a solid hit though." He said after a moment, clearly impressed. I laughed.
"Told ye I could take care o' meself."
"I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that."He commented.
"Few people like it." I said.
"Why did you step in like that?" He asked. I looked at him.
"Because Im worried tha' if ye piss off the V.P o' the Sons ye would have ta deal with a gang o' well armed, aggressive an' angry bikers. I don' wan' tha' fer ye. If I hit him, the club laughs and tells him he deserved it."
"And that gibberish before?" He asked, I laughed.
"Tha' was Irish gaelic." He nodded.
"You are an impressive woman." He said." Do you speak anything else?" He asked.
"Loads of languages, Im well traveled." I explained. "Imi pare rau sa dus în jos ca asta."
"What was that?" he asked.
"Romanian, I said I'm sorry it went down like that." I translated.
" Dont worry about it." He smiled. "Im just glad the first date wasnt boring." I bit my lip, he was handsome that's for sure.
"Very few things with me are boring." I said. He laughed.
"I'll bet. So what do you do?" He asked.
"Im a mercenary." I decided to be eyes widened and he nodded slowly. Shocked at first, but then he took it stride.
"Well that would explain why you can throw a solid punch." He joked.
" I mainly do body guard work. Mos' find me intimidatin'." I said, I was slightly embarrassed at my line of work now.
"Well I didnt at first, but now I do." He said, I chuckled. I finished the second beer and set it aside. "Hey,do you want to get out of here?" He asked. I smiled.
"Aye, why no'?" I pulled on my jacket and again, he offered me his arm. We walked out he lead me to his car, a 60s corvette.
"Im likin' the classic lad." I said smiling. He grinned, clearly he was proud of it. I heard footsteps behind me, I spun around to see Chibs marching towards us.
"Chibs, don' do it lad. I don' wan' ta have ta drop ye." I warned stepping into this path, while pulling off my jacket.
"You're coming with me." He said.
"No. Im no' Im goin' with Dean. This is no' yer concern." I said. "Now back off, or I will hit ye again." Chibs pulled out a glock and tried to aim it around me. But I grabbed it and twisted his arm forcing him to his knees. I kneed him in the nose and let him fall back. I field stripped the gun and threw the pieces down. He got up.
"Damn it ye bastart, I don' wan' tae hur' ye. Jus' le' me have my fun." I said.
"Its no' safe." He replied, never looking at me, rather Lockwood.
"I think shes proven she can more than take care of herself tonight." Dean said I felt him walk up behind me.
"Back off ye twalley." Chibs said. "I'll gu' ye." I stood on my toes and pointed at Chibs.
"Ye threaten my date again lad and it may be the las' thing ye say fer a while." I whispered. "I can end ye an' make it look like an acciden'. Im a professional killer. An' don' ye forge' tha'." He looked down at me, then stepped back. "If ye, or one o' the club members try ta lay a finger on this lad. I will hur' ye Chibs." I said. "I'll probably use yer namesake fer the irony." He looked down.
"Are ye hearin' me?" I asked, he looked down. I ground my jaw and resisted the urge to hit him. "Are ye fuckin' hearin' me Filip?" I asked quietly.
"Aye, Im hearin' ye." He replied.
"Im no' done, ye can expec' an earful abou' this later." I said picking up my jacket. The two lads were glaring at each other."Remember my warnin', if he so much as tells me he has a tail on him I will make ye wish ye never crossed me. In ways Happy would enjoy very much."
"I heard ye. Be careful lass."
"Ye los' the privilege ta ask tha' of me fer righ' now." I said. "Now walk back inside, or ge' on yer bike an' ride away."I said. He went back inside. I ran my hand through my hair and leaned against the car.
" I am sorry lad. This was no' how I though' it would go." I said.
"Is there something between you two?" He asked.
"There was, bu' then he ended it. So I moved on, clearly he's havin' issues rememberin' Im no auld lady." I sighed. Dean stood in front of me and put his arms around me, hugging me. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch.
" Its fine." He said.
"Ye'll tell me if ye notice anyone wearin' a kut followin' ye?" I asked.
"Im a little afraid to, for their safety." He said. I chuckled.
"Those lads are me friends, I would never seriously hurt them, unless they brough' it on themselves." I told him, he smiled.
"Well I can see what Jarry was talking about when she said you were a trouble maker."
" She doesnt know the half of it. Ye actually know a wee bi' more than she does. She thinks I do simple bodyguard work sometimes. I'd like ta keep it between the few who know already. Althea will figure it out one way or another, bu' Im no' keen on the whole town knowin'." I said, the night was relatively warm for the season, but I was still on edge after the fight with Chibs. I didnt know if he could repair the damage he just did. I saw Dean nod.
"Mos' people think Im a socialite from Scotland, tha' I own a few fortune five hundred companies, which I do, an' tha' I run a campaign fer rape an' abuse victims. Which I do, bu' they jus' don' know the second half o' me life. The one I spend more time in." I said.
"I'll keep your secret. I think I have convincing proof of what can happen to me if I dont." He chuckled. I simply smiled. "Should we get out of here?" He asked.
"Yeah." I replied. I got into the passenger side of the corvette. "Can ye take me ta Althea's?Me bike is there." I said. He nodded. And drove to her apartment. We spoke a little in the car but not a whole lot. I got out, fishing my keys out of my jacket pocket. I looked at my bike, then at him.
"Ye wan' ta go fer a ride?"I asked, he looked at the bike and laughed.
"On that?" He asked.
"Aye, tha's me bike." I smiled, noticing his hesitation."Are ye goin' ta le' a wee lass like me ou' man ye over a motorcycle?" I asked, teasing him.
"Is it safe?" He asked.
"Aye, its safe. I won' ge' onta any highways. We'll stick ta back roads, less people, less risk." I said. He bit his lip.
"Alright, I'll go."He locked the corvette. I tossed him my helmet. I'd rather him wear it. If I crashed and killed myself I was okay with it, but he would be safe. I got on and started it up, motioned for him to get on.
"Pu' yer arms around me waist." I yelled over the motor I felt him do so. I reved the engine and pulled out of Althea's complex. I took back roads up to the reservation, I found a lonely tree on the side of the road. It was quiet, and the stars shone above us. I cut the engine and he hopped off. I stood up and we walked to the tree, he had left my helmet with my bike.
"That was pretty awesome." He said as we sat down under the tree. I laughed.
"I like it. It's bold, it gives a statemen', they're fas' an' good on gas. I feel so free when I, riding. We literally balance on life an' death when we ride because one wrong move from us, or someone else, will cause a lo' o' damage. Atleas' ta the rider." I said.
"How is it that you're managing to make motorcycles and motorcycle clubs seem poetic?" He asked, looking at me.
"It's a gif'. I can make a lo' o' things seem poetic. Death, romance, motorcycles, cars, I try ta find the beauty in everythin' because with me job I see so much hate. So much death it can consume someone." I said.
"So why do you keep doing it?" He asked. I smiled.
"Because I am literally the bes' at my job. I do enjoy it, in the momen', an' I ge' a weighty paycheck fer it." I said, "Do you mind if I smoke?" I asked pulling a carton of cigarettes out.
"Only if I can bum one off of you." He said. I smiled and handed him one. He frowned."Why is it black?" He asked. I lit up mine and offered him the lighter.
"They're clove cigarettes. Theres still tobacco an' nicotine, bu' it has clove extrac' oil an' shredded clove mixed with it." I said exhaling. He nodded and lit his up, passing my lighter back. I pocketed it.
" So, why did ye become a copper?" I asked leaning against the tree. He took a drag, thinking, he exhaled.
" It seemed like a fairly easy way to serve America." He said. I laughed.
"An infantryman in the army is probably the easier job." I said, he nodded.
"Probably, but I wanted to be in the mix with everyone, actually meet the people I worked to protect.
"An' yer good with me bein' on the otherside o' the law?" I asked.
"I like Althea's system, working with the not so bad, bad guys. It helps keep things a little calmer and opens up possibilities the department wouldnt normally consider. Either way, her way keeps more people alive and more people happy."He said. I nodded.
"An' if I were worse than the no' so bad,bad guys?" I asked looking at the stars, I knew I was worse than the Sons, but I was definitely not the biggest demon in Hell. I would classify myself as a good medium sized demon, the Sons were relatively small.
" I think you are the leader of the not so bad, bad guys. If you are who I think you are anyway." He said, I laughed and looked at him.
"How's tha' so?" I asked.
"Well, if you are who I think you are, which I could be wrong, you screen your targets. Only bad men, murderers, rapists, the worst of the worst are who you take down. Others you visit and warn them about the path they're on. No women, no children, no innocents." He said, then shrugged and looked out over the field. "But as far as anyone knows, the Owl is nothing more than a myth. A legend. A ghost." He smiled.
"Do ye mean the Ulchabhán?" I asked smiling.
"Yeah it translates to the Owl." He said. " I could never pronounce it." He laughed. I chuckled and ground my cigarette out on the exposed root of the tree. "These clove cigarettes aren't half bad." He said finishing it. I smiled.
"I like 'em." I said laying down so that I could see the stars through the trees boughs. It was peaceful out here. But these woods, and the woods surrounding the reservation held many dark secrets. He sat up on his elbow and looked down at me. I watched him as he gently touched my scars, tracing the one closest to him. I looked away, turning my head a little.
"What happened?" He asked.
"South side Glasgow is a dangerous place lad. I learned tha' the hard way." I said softly.
"How old were you?" He whispered.
"A naive twenty two year old." I replied. " Who though' walkin' alone through the streets of Glasgow was smar'. I remember thinkin' I was practically disowned by me family, the one thin' tha' mattered mos' ta me wouldn' speak ta me, tha' there was nothin' fer me ta lose. I couldn' have been more wrong." I sat up. I wouldnt relive the memory lying down. Actually, I wouldnt relive it any more. Charming had heard the story enough. "Bu' its no matter because it forced me down the road Im on. It made me the baddes' mother fucker on the plane', now I can walk wha' ever stree' I wan' when ever I wan'. Because I own the world." I smiled.
"So you left the ambulance, then what?" He asked.
"The True IRA approached me while I was still in observation. They helped me fake me death,an' be reborn as Brónach MacFallan. They trained me, I did some o' their dirty work fer a while, then a disagreemen' with Jimmy O. had me leave. I wen' ou' on me own an' now I scare even the Irish Kings." I said. He chuckled.
"You didnt seem this confident earlier." He said.
"Actin' like ye own the world draws attention. I didnt wan' ta draw any so I kep' quie'. Though mos' say they can sense the confidence hard no' ta stru' around like an' arrogan' cock, bu' its survival." I told him, he stared at me. I felt embarrassment creep up my neck. He leaned towards me, he was going to kiss me, but my phone rang. I sighed, but pulled it out of my pocket.
"Wha' do ye wan' lad?" I asked Jax.
"We need you at the clubhouse." He said."Its an emergency."
"Is this abou' Chibs? Because tha' is no emergency." I snapped. He laughed.
"No, I thought you two had worked things out. What happened?" I sighed and stood mouthing an apology to Dean. I walked over to my bike.
"Althea set me up on a blind date, which turned ou' ta be a double date, an' Chibs kep' at the poor lad so I punched him. When the lad an' I tried ta leave he came at him with a nine. I dropped him an' stripped the gun, tol' him I wasn' finished wi' him an' tha' he needed ta either go back into the bar or ride away. Haven' seen him since."
"Thats strange." Jax said.
"Wha's yer emergency lad?" I asked.
" I dont want to talk about it over the phone. Can you be here?" He replied.
"Im abou' an hour ou', bu' I'll ge' there as quickly as I can." I told him.
"Alright." He said before hanging up. I walked over to Dean.
" Theres an emergency, I have ta go." I said. He nodded and stood climbed onto my bike and I drove him to Althea's. He got off and handed me the helmet, which I pulled on. " Im sorry ta cu' this shor'." I said.
"Those boys are your family, its alright." He said, stopping my apology.
" I'll see ya aroun' Lockwood." I said before driving away. I made it to Redwoody's pretty quickly from there. I knocked and was let in. Chibs had gotten back before me. I glared at him, but went to find Jax. Something was wrong. I could sense it.
"Wha's up?" I asked Jax.
"Bobby's been taken. We received this." He handed me a tupperware box. I opened it and there was an eyeball sitting on paper towels.
"Shi'." I cursed closing the box. "Wha' do ye need me ta do?" I asked.
"We have a name the guy who took Bobby Im assuming." He said.
"Lad ye give me tha' name an' if I find him before the m.c does, I'll kill him. " I told him.
"Fine, but we need to move fast." He said, I was a little surprised he was willing to let me handle it. It just showed how upset he was about this. I put a hand on his shoulder.
"One of us will make this righ' lad. I'll dig inta the guy, bu' I'll need the name." I said.
"Moses Cartwright." He told me. I nodded. I had heard of him, spec ops.
"This will be made righ'." I promised him. He nodded.I turned to go take care of my unfinished business with Chibs.
"What happened with you and Chibs? I thought you had worked things out earlier." Jax said.
"Aye, I though' so too. Im goin' ta go find ou' why he thinks pullin' a nine on me date was a good idea." I said, I put Bobby's eye on the counter, then turned and left.I walked out to the bar, the quick angry strides. I pulled off my jacket and tossed it onto a couch.
"Wha' the fuck is wrong with ye?" I asked smacking the back of his head. He got up and faced me. "Althea, the woman ye cheated on me with, was tryin' ta do somethin' nice fer us. An' I was makin' an effor' ta show ye tha' I would make good on me promise, an' then ye turn aroun' an' train a fuckin' nine on tha' lad?" I glared up at him. " So wha', it's alrigh' fer ye ta move on, bu' I can'? Ye can do wha' ye wan', fuck anyone, an' I can'? Well I've go' news fer ye, I can. I am one o' the mos' powerful women in the world, I can have anyone I wan', bu' I chose ye. Ye have royally pissed me off. I can' believe ye did tha', ye prick. Is tha' how ye reward me loyalty, by holdin' me prisoner? I stayed with ye even after ye hur' me. I stayed because ye asked. Do ye have any idea how much I wan' ye dead righ' now?" I went off, the words poured from my mouth and I almost couldnt stop them. I felt my hands curling into fists, I just wanted to strangle him. He wouldnt look at me. But the rest of the club seemed to be getting a kick out of this.
" I asked ye wha' was wrong with ye. I expec' an' answer." I hissed.
" I don't know why I did tha'." He said. That pissed me off anymore.
"Yer lucky this club needs ye. Yer lucky tha' they're me friends too, otherwise ye would be a dead man walkin'. I'm goin' ta help ge' Bobby back. Im goin' ta kill the bastard who pulled ou' his eye. Then Im gone Filip. Ye won' be seein' me again." The clubhouse had gone silent.
"Can we take this ou'side?" He asked.
"Fuck off." I scoffed.'' Ye los' the righ' ta ask anythin' of me. The reason I haven' taken this ou' side is because righ' now I don' trus' meself no' ta kill ye." I was shaking with anger. He looked at me, he was frustrated. Good, I wanted him to know how he broke my heart.
"Brónach, le do thoil. Fuair mé éad nuair a chonaic mé tú leis. Math grá dom." I punched him, this time I didnt try to miss his eyes or nose. I hit him as hard as I could,his nose would be broken. There was a collective cringe from the club. He doubled over and grabbed his nose, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Ye don' ge' ta ask me fer anythin' Filip. No' my forgiveness, no' my cooperation. An' ye los' the righ' ta be jealous when ye fucked her, when ye fucked her, an' weren' plannin' on tellin' me."
"How can I make this righ'?" He asked. Standing up,pinching his nose.
"Righ' now? Ye can'. The bes' way ta make this righ' was to be civil on a double date tha' yer new fuck buddy, or wha'ever she is, se' up. Ye couldn' even do tha'. Ye pulled a nine on him Chibs. I ge' the 'I care fer her too' showdown in the bar, an' even though I ended it before it began, ye should have lef' it there." I shook my head. " I mean it Filip, after I do this. Im gone. Ye los' me." I turned to the rest of the boys. "Ye lads are my family. If ye ever need anythin' ye can call. Bu' I won' be comin' inta Charmin' on me own anymore." I said before grabbing my jacket and attempting to storm out the door, but Chibs caught my arm and dragged me into the office. I glared at him.
" I sugges' ye le' me go lad." I said.
"I can' do tha'." He said, I ground my jaw.
"Then ye should 'ave though' abou' tha' before ye fucked her. Ye should have though' abou' tha' before ye made it clear I wasn' allowed to move on." I told him. " If ye needed me this badly, ye should have used yer brain, no' yer head." I pushed him. He caught himself, He cocked his head to one side. Then pushed me back. I pressed my lips together. Then decked him. He went to to return the punch, and I ducked. I punched him again, maybe getting his ass handed to him will help. He grabbed my biceps and pushed me against the wall. I looked into his eyes, both of us were already breathing hard. Without warning, he kissed me. I was taken off guard. I was angry, I loved him. I kissed him back. I pushed his kut and jacket off his shoulders. I felt him pulling at my belt. My hands traveled down to his belt I unbuckled it. Chibs picked me up and laid me on a table. I kicked off my boots and lifted my hips as he pulled off my jeans. I sat up and kissed him, wrapping my legs around his hips. I felt his hands pull off my shirt, then push me down.
When we had both finished, I pulled together my clothes and dressed.
"Tha' was the las' time Filip. Ye need ta make a choice. Me or her. If ye don' do it soon, I'll make a choice." I said softly. Before leaving, ignoring the stares I got from the others.
I went to Althea's, praying she was there. I needed my computer to track down Moses. I knocked on her door, it was a few moments before she answered it.
"Jesus, are you alright? You look pissed." She said.
"Im fine, jus' finished the discussion Chibs an' I started earlier." I said, leaving out the part where we had angry sex."I lef' me bag here lass, I'll jus' grab it an' be on me way. I've a job Im doin' fer the Sons then Im gettin' the hell ou' of dodge."
"You should talk about it. Come on, you can stay here. I'll get you some tea." She said opening her door wider.
"I'll come an' talk bu' I'll be workin' a background check on a guy." I said stepping in.
"No, you need to relax. Take your mind off work for once." I clenched my jaw.
"The targe' has Bobby Elvis. He's cuttin' off body par's an' sendin' them ta the Sons. I can' take it easy lass." I said. Her eyebrows rose.
"Jesus." She sighed. "Alright, but if youre working, you'll work here." She said. I nodded. I went to my bag, pulled out a notebook, pen, and my computer I set up on her coffee table.
"Wha' do ye wan' me ta talk abou'?"I asked, starting to dig up Moses' records.
"What happened with Chibs? He came back with a bloodied nose." She said."Can I get you anything?"
"He came ou' after Lockwood an' I wen' ta leave. I told him ta back off, bu' he trained his nine on the lad so I disarmed Chibs an' pu' my knee ta his nose. Warned him if Lockwood so much as complained of a tail on him I'd make him wish his Ma had never even though' o' havin' him. Do ye have any black tea?" I asked. Creating a file for had an impressive history, spec. ops. Blackwater graduate.
"I think so. Why is Chibs being such an ass? I thought you two worked things out." She said. Perhaps I should tell her the truth, that the time frame is much smaller than I let her think.
"I though' so too. Turns ou' he didn' think I would be able ta ge' over him so quickly." I spoke loudly so she could hear me in the kitchen.
"Wait, how long ago did you guys end?" I cringed. It was the question I didnt want her to ask. I pulled up surveillance on Marx and started tracking Moses through cameras around the city. Althea came into the room with a mug. "What was the time frame?" She asked. I slid my computer over. This was something I needed to look her in the eye. I took the tea.
" I came through Charmin' abou' a year or so ago. We were a thing. I took a few jobs, was gone a few months, rolled back, we were together. I took a job tha' took a few weeks. Me' ye when ye pulled me over. I tried finding the club because I didnt know the ice cream shop was blown up. When I go' ta Redwoody's I saw the two o' ye. I told him I wouldn' do tha' to meself or ye. I told him I would be his friend, I stayed because he asked me too." I took a sip.
"Really?" She asked. I nodded.
"Aye. Althea, yer me friend. I have nothin' fer Filip, other than a bunch o' anger. Im rollin' ou' as soon as I ge' Bobby safe an' Moses dead. Yer happy with him, an' he seemed happy with ye until I rolled in. I wan' the both o' ye ta be happy as yer both me friends. I don' wan' ta lose either o' ye. So Im removin' meself from the equation." I said. She sat on the otherside of the table.
"I didnt know he was with you." She said.
"Lass, I was gone fer three weeks withou' word. I'll be' he wasn' expectin' me fer another few months. I don' blame either o' ye. If anythin' its me own faul'. Im glad ye found happiness with him." I said smiling. She nodded. " Chibs jus' didnt expec' me ta ge' over him within twelve hours. He's bein' a jealous lad, once Im gone things between you an' him will be righ' as rain." I said.
"So thats why you didnt hit him in the nose originally." She smiled.I nodded and pulled the computer towards me. I continued doing research. Althea went about her night as if I werent there. Once she went behind me.
"Did you just hack the DMV?" She asked as I pulled up his license and jotted down info. I smiled.
"No." I said, she gave me a small glare.
"Do you know where the bastard lives?" She asked.
"Aye. I do. I'll be headed there tomorrow ta catch him." She looked at all the notes on my pad.
"Be careful with him, He's got quite the resumé." She muttered.
"I plan on sedatin' tha' one before I touch it with a ten foo' pole." I agreed. It was well near midnight.
"I only have a couch you can stay on." She said. I nodded.
"Thank ye. An' trus' me I've slept on worse. I can' thank ye enough lass." I said closing down my computer and packing everything away.
"Its no problem." She said. "But Im off to bed. I have duty tomorrow morning. Help yourself to breakfast. Whats mine is yours. " She said. I nodded again. Then she disappeared down the hall. I brushed my teeth and washed my mug. She had put a blanket and a pillow on the couch while I had been working. Chibs was a lucky man.I pulled off my boots and set them down. I then put a knife under my pillow, turned out a light, and went to sleep.