Chapter 14

Darby was in the middle of stripping down a door when he heard the distant rumble of motorbikes. He froze like he had been doing ever since all the shit with the little Samcro princess happened but so far he had been lucky that the roar of the engines always seemed to die out and he breathed a sigh of relief. But today was not one of those days.

"You gotta be shitting me." Darby muttered to himself as the approaching bikes not only had his attention now but his wife's.

"Who are they Enisto?" Darby looked to the woman beside him. He could see the uncertainty in her eye and he couldn't blame her.

He to watched as six members of Samcro pulled into the lot and parked their bikes in a line. Clearly his past was about to catch up with him. He looked back at his wife "Go inside." He spoke calmly before looking back at Samcro who were now all dismounting their bikes.

Jax was the first off his bike and as he watched Darby he was surprised by the sudden rush of anger that coursed through his veins. Although he had been keeping tabs on Darby this was the first time in 2 years that he would be face to face with the man that sold his cousin to Cartel. He wanted to kill him, he should have killed him years ago for all the shit that he had done to Nicole, the history between them all went deep, but Jax had to remember that he why he was here. He needed Darby right now.

"What do you want?" Darby asked as Jax came to stand in front of him. Darby didn't miss that the rest of them started to surround him. "Look if this is about Nicol..."

It happened so quickly but Jax wasn't surprised. Hearing her name spill from his mouth caused them all to tense but Jax knew that Happy was wound tighter than all of them so watching his brother lunge at Darby was hardly surprising but Jax didn't need Happy's anger spilling over right now.

"Hey." Jax and Chibs both stepped in and grabbed Happy pulling him away from Darby who had stumbled back, almost hitting the ground from the force of Happy's shove.

"Get him out of here." Jax ordered as he pushed Happy back towards Chibs.

"What's his problem." Darby spat as he steadied himself. But his words just angered Jax, because although he didn't need Happy putting a beat down on Darby it didn't mean that he didn't deserve it.

"His problem? Nicole, that's her old man, and uh he hasn't forgotten that you sold my cousin to the cartel." Jax stepped forward closing the gap. "And neither have I. You should be dead."

Darby looked around at each Son including the guy that was being held back by another.

"Is that what this is?" Darby asked cautiously which caused a smug smile to grace Jax's lips.

"No. It's your lucky day, I just want information."

"And you need six guys to do that?" Jax smirked.

"Clay's at Stockton. He offed an Aryan shot caller to earn protection and it seems the MC is catching the blowback." Darby looked back at the Son who now knew was Nicole's old man.

"That's not my life no more man. I'm married now. I'm doing the Jesus thing so I had nothing to do with blowback. I'm out."

"You don't just marry the help and turn in your brown shirt." Tig spat.

"There's a reason your sanding tables with a piece in your pants." Juice added.

"And you owe me." Jax reminded him with a hard look.

Darby looked around he knew that there was no way that he could say no here. So he spoke. "Eddie Gerber, one of my old crew. He got out of Chino couple months back. I hear he's trying to re-establish a street game."

"They reach out?" Darby shook his head to Jax's question.

"He threaten you?" Tig asked.

"Not yet."

"Where do we find him?"

"He's got six acres at the edge of Oswalds land. Off the grid."

"You think you could find Gerbers place?" Jax asked

"Probably but I ain't."

"I just need you to take us to the entrance, we can do the rest." Jax tried to compromise. "As I said, you owe me." Jax looked between Rat and Tig. A smirk appearing on his face. "You two go, say your interested in the cause, farther son they'll eat that shit up."

"Hey you really think I would pass as his Dad?" Tig spoke in astonishment.

"Come on Dad we can do this." Rat teased causing them all to smirk.

"Alright then."

With the Jax and the others walked away from Darby and back to their bikes. He turned back to look at his brothers, but it was Tig who he spoke to.

"You play it safe. If it gets dicey you get the hell out." Tig nodded. Jax looked to Juice. "Go with them, watch their back. We'll meet back here after the Irish." Tig, Rat and Juice nodded and headed to their bikes. Jax on the other hand walked over to Happy who was lent against his bike smoking a cigarette.

"Hey." Happy nodded in response. Happy knew that he had let his temper get the better of him but seeing Darby after all this time and add in the fact that the last time he had seen his girl she had just confirmed how much he had hurt her, Happy saw red and Darby needed to die.

Jax looked to Chibs silently asking for him to give them a moment which he did.

Pulling out his own smoke Jax came to stand beside Happy. Happy was one the best brothers Jax could ask for, he knew his role in the club and he never failed to deliver on what was requested of him that was why he had made him his SAA but Jax would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he had seen a change in his brother and that change was all because of his cousin.

Jax remembered when he first caught wind of what was happening between Happy and Nicole and he hadn't liked it, not one bit in fact he tried to push them apart but they found their way back to one another and it turned out that Happy was good for her but Jax wondered maybe she wasn't always so good for him.

And while Jax never doubted his brothers loyalty he knew that Nicole also had his loyalty and his protection now.

"Need you to calm down on this. We need Darby right now."

Happy nodded as he took a hit on his cigarette. He knew he had let his anger get the better but Darby should be dead but he hated that Jax was right, the club needed him.

"I'm good Prez."

"Good because we've got the Irish."

"I'm there."

Nero sat in the chair outside Roosevelt office drinking a cup of coffee while he waited. His mind kept going over the same thing...why? Why him, why was he a suspect in this murder. Someone was setting him up but who? Roosevelt? Toric? Clay? But he was pulled from his thoughts when he saw Gemma storming into the station. She made a beeline for him causing him to get to his feet.

"Gemma...What are you doing here? Did Roosevelt call you?"

"No he didn't but why didn't you?" Gemma snapped. Nero never got a chance to respond as Gemma bypassed him towards the Sheriffs office. "Hey. What kind of bullshit is this?"

"That's why." Nero muttered under his breath. He didn't call her because he knew that she would react like this and he was trying not to make a bad situation worse. But as always Gemma had different ideas.

"He's been with me every night." Gemma barked.

"So I hear" Roosevelt answered looking over at Nero who was approaching.

"He had nothing to do with this murder"

"You know this is the second in a matter of weeks that a man is depending on you for an alibi."

"But this one's not a killer."

"LT I need a minute." Roosevelt looked at his deputy who had come to stand behind Gemma.

"Give your statement to Sheriff Carreira." Roosevelt ordered getting to his feet. He went to walk past Gemma but stopped when he felt her hand on arm.

"Eli." Roosevelt looked back at Gemma. "Nero is a good guy. He would never hurt a woman." Roosevelt nodded before leaving her.

Roosevelt had to admit that something didn't quite fit here but he had to do this by the book. "What is it." He asked the officer when they were away from prying ears.

"We found clothing fragments, hair and blood, all in the truck." Roosevelt looked up at the officer. All this evidence was found in Nero's truck. "They're running the DNA right now."

Roosevelt scanned the papers. The evidence was strong but it was almost to easy, He looked back out to Nero who was now sat with Gemma. Since he came into town his interest had been the MC but there had always been something different about Nero Padilla. He had history but he had turned the path so this didn't make sense to him right now. Plus he was to calm. He looked back at his officer.

"Does he look like a guy that knows his truck was covered in incriminating evidence?"

"Well he is an OG and his clearly in with the MC." His Deputy responded.

"Which is why im questioning it." Eli noticed the confusion. "That wasn't a vehicle that was cleaned up. This evidence was meant to be found."

"What do you mean?"

"Call Moore's office, tell him I need everything he has on a retired Marshall Lee Toric ."

Jax parked his bike outside Darbys workshop. The meet with the Irish couldn't have gone worse. Galen just kept pushing him on the KG-9s but the heat was to much and Jax was not willing to put his club at risk. There was already so much heat on them and now with a murdered girl and the Nazi's trying to make their revenge Jax didn't need Galen trying to bully him and his club. And today he made that point. Galen had lunged at Jax but he got the upper hand and delivered a blow of his own.

Jax knew he may have stepped over the line but he needed to make this stand for his club, his family.

Approaching the workshop with Happy and Chibs following, Jax removed his glasses when her saw Juice approach. Although he was still showing bruises from his conversation with Chibs he was wearing fresh cuts to his face and before he could say anything Darby came out of the workshop, he too was sporting cuts and bruises to his face.

"What the hell happened?" Jax asked

"Some of the crew spotted Juice and Darby after we got on the inside." Tig admitted.

"God-damn, Juice."

"I know." Juice bowed his head, he just couldn't seem to do anything right.

"We got out whole." Darby started but fell silent when the door to the workshop opened again. Everyone watched as his wife come out. To Jax she looked scared and with Daby's next words he understood why. "They're coming after me and Reina."

Jax sighed. An innocent woman was now in danger because of him. He looked over his shoulder at Happy. He knew his next words were going to cause some anger from his brother and if it wasn't for the girl he wouldn't suggest it.

"I'm sorry. Look bring her to the clubhouse we can keep her safe."

Darby had to admit that he was tempted. Not so much for him but his wife. But the clubhouse, that was Samcro's home which meant it was likely that the little princess would be there and by the look on all the other sons faces they were thinking the same especially the man Darby now knew as her Old Man.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Before Jax could answer he cell rang.

"I'll deal with it." Jax spoke gruffly before answering his cell. "What?"

"The Irish are here." Jax looked to Chibs before stepping away from the group. "They're saying they have a delivery."

"They're at the warehouse?" Jax asked confused.

"Yeah." Phil answered. "I thought we only took deliveries a Wahewa."

"Tell him to wait. We're on our way." Jax walked back over to his brothers. "The Irish showed up at Oswald's with the guns." Jax spoke to Chibs.

"Shit. We need to get there now Jackie."

"Yeah." Jax couldn't agree more he had a really bad feeling about this. He looked to Darby. "Look I've gotta deal with this. Pack up, head to the clubhouse. Rat will follow." He watched Darby reluctantly nod. Jax turned to Rat pulling him away. "Get Nicole out of the clubhouse. She doesnt see him and he doesn't go near her." Rat nodded in response to the order.

Everyone started heading for their bikes all expect Happy who reached out stopping Jax from going any further. When Jax turned to face Happy he wasn't surprised by the look on his face.

"Hap he ain't gonna do anything to her."

"He better not."

Nicole stirred her hands coming up to rub her eyes. She had fallen asleep but that did mean she stopped thinking about what she had walked into this morning. Nicole's hand went to her stomach. This was the difference now, it wasn't just her life that she had to worry about anymore.

Getting off the bed Nicole walked over to the dresser and grabbed a hoodie from Happy's draw.

She walked down the hall towards the bar. As she made her way round grabbing a diet soda, Nicole grabbed her bag and reached for her cell. She frowned as she took a sip of her soda, she had a missed call from Happy. Nicole was about to call him back when she heard a noise from the hall she had just walked down.

They must be back she thought. Making her way around the bar Nicole was about to shout out but instead she froze, the soda in her hand dropping to the floor.

"Darby..."