The clubhouse is eerily quiet as I sit in Jaxson's room. Too nervous to walk back out to the bar again, I start exploring the room a little. I find an envelope that lays propped open on his dresser. My curiosity gets the better of me and I poke around at what's inside, pictures of Uncle John are on top. I sit down on the floor and start laying them out around me. My entire childhood and family is laid out in front of me.
I pick up a picture of dad and John with the other first 9 with their bikes, staring down at the younger, almost unfamiliar faces. A soft knock on the door startles me and I stand up, picking up the pictures around me.
I open the door and Opie's there, his face crestfallen. He comes in and I close the door behind him. He falls into a nearby chair and hangs his head in his hands. I sit down on the floor next to him, placing my hand over one of his.
"I can't keep doing this. I can't live two different lives. This isn't me, lumberjack shit. It's not who I am." He says; his voice dead and emotionless. "She's gonna leave me. I know she will, but there's nothing I can do."
Donna must have confronted him. He had struggled with this conflict since the moment he came home. It was never easy for him to juggle the club and a normal life. Donna knew that the day she met him and now she wanted him to be something different. A part of me is pissed at her for asking but I understood her motives.
"She'll stay Op. She will. Just give her time to see that we need you guys as much as you need us. We're family. No matter what, she's one of us." I whisper to him. He needs a moment alone so I head back out front. The other charters are starting to trickle in.
I make myself busy in the back room, stocking the cooler and changing the taps. Kip is behind the bar for me right now. When I round the corner with my third bin of ice, a hand on my arm stops me mid-step.
"Where you goin sweet butt?" A familiar voice growls behind me. I set the ice bin down on the counter for Kip and whirl around to see Happy standing behind me. I throw my arms around his neck and pull him close.
"Where you been Happy? I missed you." I always had a special relationship with him. He was the first one to teach me how to shoot a gun at the range. I was his little sister in every way.
"I missed you too Bree, you bein good?" He raises an eyebrow at me. My eyes immediately flicker to Filip who just stepped back into the bar.
"Uh, about that." I start to tell him but he catches where my eyes went and the guilty look on my face.
"What? Chibs? That's the guy you're dad called me in for?" He says, his face growing serious and his eyes growing dark. "Oh I'm gonna enjoy this tattoo." He turns away, heading for Filip. I sprint to catch up with him, trying to get him to slow down the entire way. Filip notices the look on Hap's face and puts his guard up.
"Fucking Chibs." Happy claps him hard on the back. I catch up with the two of them and step between them.
"Happy, knock it off." I tell him, hitting him a few times in his hard chest.
"I'm just over here to congratulate this man. He almost killed Piney without touching him." His loud guffaw throws me off. His face melts into a huge grin and he laughs.
"ASSHOLE" I push him again for good measure before he wraps me in a tight embrace. Filip relaxes next to me and shakes the man's hand.
"Brave man like that deserves a drink." He pulls Filip toward the bar. Filip stops him and turns around to me.
"Come ere babe." Filip keeps an arm around me as the rest of the crew crowds in.
A few familiar faces join us near the bar and I sneak away to change before I jump behind the bar and serve drinks. I slip into Jax's room and throw on a pair of tight jeans and a black v-neck tight shirt that will give the guys enough to look at without looking like a crow eater or a sweet butt.
When I make it back out to the bar, I see that Filip didn't stick around. He whispers something to Happy before heading back behind closed doors. Happy gives me a half-grin and I dismiss the nagging feeling. Tara and Jax walk in together a short time later and head behind the doors that Filip has been behind for hours.
I busy myself with pulling beers for the growing mix of men and women coming and going. Filip gets lost in the crowd. Opie sits at the bar, looking down. I set a shot down in front of him and put my hand over his. He gives me a weak smile. Kip and I rush around behind the bar, trying to keep everyone happy. The girls are making rounds, flirting with whoever requests their presence.
"Hey Bree, can you get some more ice?" Kip asks, pouring another round for a group at the end of the bar. I rush back to the ice machine and start filling a bucket. As I walk back out to the bar, one of the Tacoma guys steps in front of me.
"Hey there sweetheart. What's your name?" He asks.
"Aubrey." I tell him, balancing the ice bucket on my hip.
"You someone's old lady?" He leans against the wall and one of his buddies joins the conversation.
"Not exactly. But I'm off the menu for the night boys. Gonna have to settle for one of the many fine girls that Clay brought in for you." I try to keep my rejection light, not wanting to start anything. Most of the guys know me and leave me be. These guys I don't recognize.
"Nah, no one told you how this works. If you ain't someone's old lady, you're free game sweet heart." His breath reeks of booze and I wonder how many he's had in the short time since they arrived.
"She's Piney's daughter." One of the crow eaters try to help me out. "Wouldn't wanna get on his bad side boys. Her big brother's back from Chino now too." She rolls her eyes at me as she turns to his friend, effectively distracting him. I move to step around the large man in front of me. Kip grabs the ice bucket from me and turns away.
"I don't care who her daddy is. Hell I'll be your daddy." The ugly man leers at me. Happy and Filip step out from around a corner, one on each side of me. Filip puts his arm around my shoulders.
"She's not available." He has no hint of civility in his voice. I turn to look at him and the dark expression that crosses his face is something I've never seen from him before.
"She said she wasn't someone's old lady." The man's eyes narrow.
"She was mistaken." My heart flutters at his words. I know he's just saying it to get this guy to back off, but I can't help but be hopeful. Emily Duncan takes that moment to step in and offer a distraction. She leads him off to the couch.
"Prospect, you wanna earn that top rocker you better keep my girl safe. She stays behind the bar." Filip shouts out to Kip.
"Thank you baby." I whisper in his ear as I let my tongue flick against it lightly.
"Happy's gonna hang out by the bar. I want him to keep an eye on you till I can get you alone." He growls. "Then you're in trouble."
"What did I do?" I feign innocence.
He presses his hand to my ass and slides his hand down to my thigh. I smile at him, pushing myself against his body. He groans a little and turns back to Kip.
"Never mind, She's takin a break." He tells Half-Sack, pulling me back to the dorm rooms.
He pulls me into one of the closest rooms and locks the door behind us. He kisses me roughly, wrapping his arms around him. I break the kiss and stare up at him. His eyes are dark and full of desire. I step away from him slightly and move to the bed. He kneels down in front of me, sliding my jeans off of me. Before he can distract me further, I put my hand under his chin pulling his gaze to meet mine.
"What's goin on behind those angel eyes of yours?" He whispers, sliding his hand up my bare thigh.
"I love you Filip." I let the words hang in the air, his hand freezes where it is and doesn't say anything in return at first. "I just wanted you to know that. Today when everything was going down and I didn't see you come back, I realized it. I realized I don't want to lose you in any sense."
"I ain't goin anywhere sweetheart. I'm all yours." He whispers, his hand continuing up my thigh. I lean back on my elbows, spreading my legs in front of him.
I practically melt under his touch. His lips graze against my inner thigh, his breath is hot and heavy. I pull my knee up, giving him full access to my wetness. He slides his finger along my slit and gently presses it inside me. I throw my head back and moan, enjoying the slow but sensual movements of his hand. He doesn't wait to tease me, standing up and pulling at his own belt. I lean back, watching him pull off his shirt, leaving his chest pale in the limited light.
He kneels on the bed between my legs, leaning over me gently. I reach up for him, giddy to have a moment alone with him. He kisses me deeply and passionately, leaving me breathless with butterflies flitting through my stomach. His fingertips lazily graze against my ribs, pulling my top up and over my head. I lie down on the bed, his body falling against my own.
I arch my back, pressing myself to him. I reach down and push his jeans down his legs. His erection presses against my leg. He pulls back, looking down at me. His fingertips push the hair outta my face and his kind eyes search for something in my face.
"I love you Aubrey." He whispers. My jaw drops open.
"You don't have to Filip. That's not why I said it to you." I start.
"I don't say a word I don't mean baby." He kisses a trail from my lips to my neck, sending violent shivers throughout my body.
I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him into me further. He presses himself into me slowly until I'm completely wrapped around him. Each movement he makes weakens my knees. I moan his name into his mouth. He smiles at me as he quickens his pace. Each time he slams into me, my head spins. I fall apart underneath him. He pulls away from me and lies down next to me, looking pleased with his accomplishments. Before I can climb back on top of him, there's a knock at the door.
"No." I shake my head, kissing his neck.
"I gotta baby girl. Too much going on not to. That was just a preview. I'll come get you later. Go save Half-Sack." He mutters, sitting up and pulling up his pants. The disappointment must be obvious on my face because he laughs at me.
"I expect your full attention later." I stand up, getting dressed quickly to hide any trace evidence of our hookup.
We step back into the packed hallway. Happy laughs at us.
"We got church brother. Thought you should join us. Want me to tell Clay you're busy with the Princess of SAMCRO?" I balk at the nickname. Some of the guys started calling me that when I was younger and following Opie and Jax around like a lost puppy. I push him playfully. Nothing he says can kill my mood.