4
Chapter 459 Around the Table
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Scarlett looked at Clay and Jax and was struck by the resemblance. It wasn't just that they both had light blue eyes; they had the same chiseled jaw. Surely Gemma must know Clay was Jax's father. She wondered if Clay had any idea that his stepson was his real son. There were some secrets that should stay buried and this was one of them.
This was an important moment. To fit into Jax's life, she needed to prove herself as his old lady and be accepted by the club. So far, she had been at the clubhouse after Church a few times and had given them that class on money laundering. This was another opportunity to show Jax and the guys that she could fit into their world. That was far more important than being liked by Gemma.
"Scarlett could you tell us what happened?" Jax asked.
Scarlett explained that Esai's car drew her attention because it looked like it had been spray painted blue. When she saw him with a drink sort of sitting on his car watching her store, she got suspicious.
"It didn't make sense to me that this guy comes to town and becomes so fascinated with my store. I pretended I was taking pictures of my store but I was really taking pictures of him. I sent the pictures to Jax and called him to see if that was Esai. When Jax said it was Esai, I knew that he was either in Charming to shoot down SAMCRO maybe as you left TM or he was going to grab me to get something from the MC either money or to swap me for Jax."
"Did you see anyone with him?" Jax asked.
Scarlett shook her head.
"No. He was alone. It was a pretty bold plan. The last place SAMCRO would look for him was Charming Main. I grabbed my gun from my bag and put it in my front pocket. A couple of minutes after my call to Jax, Esai over to my store. He thought he could just walk into my store. I always keep the door locked even when Sack's with me. If I don't, people will wander in.
"I told him the store wasn't open. He told me he wanted to buy a glass flower and vase for his sick mother. I repeated the store wasn't open. He offered me a wad of cash to sell him the glass. I refused. He didn't like being told no. He went crazy rattling the door trying to get in. It looked like he had a gun in the right front pocket of his windbreaker. He couldn't kidnap me with the door locked but he could shoot me. I took out my gun and pointed it at his chest and told him to keep his hands where I could see them. He hesitated for a split second before he ran off."
The men laughed at Esai running from Scarlett. Scarlett could see how proud Jax was of her.
"Can't blame the man for running from Scarlett," Chibs said. "She can be damned frightening."
"I wouldn't have done the bottle thing to you," Scarlett said to Chibs. "I would have shot you though."
Chibs chuckled.
"The only smart thing he did was run from Scarlett," Jax said. "I think he must have figured out she was my old lady by following me. I should have been more on guard."
"It's hard to detect surveillance at night," Scarlett said.
"We all need to be more careful," Jax said.
"Esai is desperate now. It makes him more dangerous," Scarlett said. "If only I had been able to delay him a couple of minutes."
"It might have been better it worked out the way it did," Bobby said. "If Esai is that desperate and crazy, it could have ended in a shoot out."
"SAMCRO takes care of its own. You're part of us now," Clay said to Scarlett. He wasn't speaking as Clay. He was speaking as the president of the MC. "We will protect you 24/7 until we've taken care of our Esai problem."
Scarlett looked at the men and they all nodded agreement. For a moment, Scarlett felt this unity with the men in that room. Until that moment, she didn't understand Jax's love for his club and that bond of brotherhood he felt for these men. Now she got it. She could imagine feeling that bond with these men.
"Thank you," Scarlett said quietly.
"We need to talk over a little club business. We won't be long," Jax said.
Scarlett took that as her cue to leave.
"I appreciate your protection," she said as she left closing the door behind her.
The cynical part of her knew that SAMCRO needed to keep her alive. If Esai had killed her on Charming Main, it would have cost the club its reputation and the goodwill of the people of Charming. They couldn't have MC violence in their town. Taking care of the Esai problem was taking on a new urgency.
Scarlett saw Gemma sitting at the bar with a can of Diet Coke in front of her.
"What were you in there talking to them about?" Gemma demanded.
"They are thinking of letting women in the MC starting with me," Scarlett said.
Gemma stared at her. Scarlett didn't know that Gemma had no sense of humor. She was about to find that out.