Thanks for the reviews! Sad to say there are only 2 more chapters after this one, but I've already started on the sequel! I can't wait to show you how Juice gets to Charming and falls into the Club life! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners.
Chapter 46
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A few months had passed since the baby scare, and Juice and Savannah were back on track and happy. The sun was shining through their window, a light beam hitting the bare forms of Juice and Savannah. Juice had woken up a few minutes ago, but had no intention of moving any time soon. His fingers were tracing the ink that now covered Savannah's right hip.
After the night in the park, the two had made a big decision to get tattoos. She'd gotten a juice box on her hip. It was nothing stupid and corny like matching tattoos, but they both still meant something. Savannah had gotten a little cartoon juice box. It had a smile as big as his own, which was the point. Poking out where the straw would be was a little umbrella, the initials JCO on it. She'd permanently branded herself in her own way as his. That had to mean something, right? She saw a future with him. Maybe he wouldn't lose her to Charming after all.
"Go do something and stop staring at my ass, Ortiz." She mumbled, still half asleep.
"But it looks so good." He couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head as he leaned over and kissed her.
Shoving him away, she turned onto her side with her back to him. He knew she'd be asleep for at least another hour, if not two. She had the late shift last night and he'd kept her up a few hours after that before they fell asleep. He brushed back her hair, looking at her lovingly before he pulled his boxers on and headed to the bathroom. It was rare for him to be up before her. He could surprise her with breakfast for once.
Looking at himself in the mirror, it was still a shock to him to see his hair gown. He's never shaved it this short before, he still felt like an alien. At the thought, Juice rubbed his bald head and winced remember the pain. He'd gotten tribal tattoos on either side of his head, and in between he'd gotten the date his dad left. It might have been because the conversation they'd had that night, but he would never forget that date. He might not actually remember his dad walking out, but it wouldn't be something he'd forget.
He still wasn't sure how he wanted to style it. For right now, he was keeping it shaved until he could figure something out. He missed having hair, but the tattoo would be pointless if he let it grow back. Mrs. P hadn't been happy when he walked into the diner, she'd called him a punk. He knew she still didn't approve of him inking his head, but she accepted it and stopped picking on him about it. Well, most of the time.
His thoughts were cut off when he heard his phone going off. Cursing under his breath, he hurried to grab it from the bedroom before it woke her up. Flipping it open, he waited until he was out of the room before holding it to his ear. "Yeah?" He whispered, shutting the door behind him. He did not want to be on Savannah's grumpy side. He'd learned she wasn't exactly human before she had her coffee and she was exhausted.
"Hey, uh, Juice. You think you could come in? Dad wants a meetin' with you." Luka said over the phone, his tone almost grim.
Juice could practically hear the sadness in his phone and that alone made his blood run cold. He'd only used that tone with him once before. It was when his dad was going to kill Pru. Upon realizing that, he got even more worried. There was no way Rossi could have found out what he'd been doing. No way. If he said no though, he'd just look more suspicious. "Uh, yeah, sure. Just let me shower and I'll be right over." He said while looking in the mirror. His skin had actually paled a few shades. He felt as sick as he looked.
"Alright, see you then." Click.
And just like that, his good morning had ended and his nightmare was beginning.
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Juice sat in Luka's father's office, his foot bouncing as his nerves got the best of him. He had no clue as to why he was called in. Luka actually sounded guilty when he called him, something that sent red flags up in his head. Luka only ever called him in personally when it was something bad, and something about this time made him worried. It was his gut. There was no way Luka's dad could know what he had done. It was a one time thing, just him putting some insurance in for him and Sav in case things went south.
He hadn't moved enough money to cause alarm though, and he handled the offshore accounts for the most part. Of course Luka's father trusted someone else with his bigger accounts, accounts that he used more often than not, but Juice did get to handle some of the forgotten accounts when they were having a slow week. When he saw how much cash was just sitting there, going to waste, against his better thinking he'd moved it into a new account. His account. Not one directly tied to him, but one only he had access to.
There was no way Luka's father knew what he had done though, there was just no way. He'd been so careful, and it wasn't like he was flaunting it. He'd put it there for a rainy day. It was to insure him and Sav, hell even just her, had a good life. He wanted to buy her freedom from Samcro. She wouldn't have to worry about being stuck in a one horse kind of town for the rest of her life. She could travel, preferably with him, and see the world. He could be her hero.
Juice seemed to jump a mile when the door opened, his thoughts returning from those of Sav on some beach across the world. It was the dream, the goal, to get her to Europe. He just had to live to see that day.
"Juan, I'm glad you could get here so quick. I was hoping to talk to you about something." It was Luka's dad, circling around him like a viper accessing his prey.
Gulping down his fear, Juice straightened up his back and nodded. He didn't want to come off as scared as he obviously was. Ever since the little scene with Prulow, Juice couldn't get the sight of Mr. Rossi's hands covered in his friend's blood from hitting him so hard. Even months later, it still made him sick thinking about it. Closing his eyes, he tried to shake the image that still haunted his dreams. "Anything you need, I can do. You know that, boss." He said, trying to sound more calm and collected.
Mr. Rossi chuckled, the sound sending chills down Juice's spine. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay after the incident with Prulow."
It made him sick to hear his friend's death sound as if it was merely an accident. Like Prulow had just fallen and broken something. Not like Mr. R had had Prulow beaten before putting a bullet through his head. Clearing his throat, Juice shifted in his seat. After months had passed, why was he asking him this now? He had a bad feeling he knew exactly why. "I-I'm fine. Pru-he had it comin'. You had to do what you had to do, Mr. Rossi. Prulow shouldn't have been taking samples for himself." Just like Juice shouldn't have moved the $10,000, on top of what he'd already moved before, to his own account.
Mr. Rossi nodded, as if he bought the total BS Juice has just tried to sell to him. If he knew the wiser, he didn't let it show. Juice could feel the nervous sweat fall down his head. His palms were clammy as he rubbed them together before wiping them on his pants. "That's right, Ortiz. As unfortunate as it was, Prulow had to learn not to take what's not his. People can get hurt. Especially when they tell the wrong person something they shouldn't." He said, giving him a look as he stood and grabbed a folder from inside his desk.
This was it. He'd been caught and now he was gonna die. He'd probably be wrapped up and tossed into the bay like Prulow, never to be heard of again. Sav would think he just up and left and she'd go home. She'd go on to marry some asshole biker who'd treat her badly and cheat on her. She'd forget about him. Shaking his head, he knew he couldn't think like that. He could be worrying for no reason.
"Luka tells me you got a girl at home. Love's a tricky thing, son. A woman can destroy a man with a bat of an eyelash. Don't ever let a woman cloud your thinking. That's how you end up in trouble, Ortiz. You don't want trouble, do you?" He asked, as if daring him to say differently.
Juice was quick to shake his head no. "N-no-no. No. No, of course not, boss."
Mr. Rossi dropped the folder in front of Juice. For a moment, he thought it was going to contain evidence of what he'd done, but the insides of said folder had fallen out. Confusion crossed his face as he realized it was pictures. Glancing at his boss cautiously, he reached forward and pulled out the pictures. They were of different people. Mel, Savannah, the Perelli's, his sister, they were all here.
What the fuck was this? He was having his loved ones watched? That was a whole new level of fucked up. He studied the one of his sister. She had a small little bump and he realized as he took in the rest of the picture that his sister was pregnant. She was going to be a mother, and now she was in danger because of him. His eyes flickered over to the picture of Mel with her son, another family that was in danger because him. He fought the need to tear up when he glanced at that pictures of the Perelli's. He'd never want them in danger because he fucked up, but yet, here they were, being threatened because of him. His eyes flickered to his boss, his knuckles turning white when he realized Mr. Rossi was grinning as he watched the dots connect in Juice's head.
He watched as Juice seemed to pause over one of the pictures of Savannah. It was one of her walking to class. She was on the phone, having no idea she was being watched. She was wearing a short little red skirt, one that made her legs look longer. Her tank top was white and low cut, showing off just enough cleavage. "I can see why you keep her to yourself now. If I had that piece of ass waitin' for me at home, I wouldn't share her either." He chuckled, taking joy in the sight of Juice sitting uncomfortably in his chair.
If he didn't think it'd get him killed, he would have been across the room and swinging his fists right into Mr. Rossi's face. He'd yell and kick the man until he couldn't get up. He'd do to him what he'd had done to Prulow. Only, he couldn't do that. He'd be shot dead before he even stood up. So, instead, he clenched his jaw and balled his fists up and just sat there, refusing to look at the pictures laid out in front of him
"What do you want?" He said, his voice with raw as he tried to hold back his anger.
That made him laugh, and it just pissed Juice off more. This man had been watching his girlfriend for who knows how long, and he thought this was a joke. "What do I want? Son, I don't want anything besides you remembering your place. Obviously I've been too nice as of late. I'm just making it known, killing you isn't the only way of hurting you if you were to ever cross me. Do I make myself clear, Ortiz?" He threatened, glancing back at the screen as if to make his threat all the more clear.
Letting his eyes flicker over, his eyes settled on a picture of him and Sav together. They were walking down the street, huddled closely because of the night chill. They were smiling, she was laughing. It pissed him off to know someone had caught one of their moments. It somehow ruined it, tarnished the memory of whatever night that was. Gritting his teeth, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Crystal clear, boss." He said, his eyes staring intently on the ground. He knew his eyes would betray him if he was to make eye contact.
Grabbing the pictures from the desk, Mr Rossi motioned for him to go. Not wasting a moment, he was on his feet and all but running out of the office. He ignored Luka as he stormed past him, not wanting to stop because he might hit his old friend for telling his dad about Savannah if he did. Clenching his fists, he glared ahead as he left the apartment. He had one thing in mind. He had to get to Savannah.