Up In Flames

Chapter 8

The van skidded to a stop feet from the entrance to the clubhouse and out jumped Jax and Happy with Juice in their arms.

"Tara here yet?" It wasn't the question that took Phil by surprise but the vision of a profusely bleeding Juice.

"Yeah, yeah, she's setting up in chapel." He pointed of as if Jax didn't know where he was going.

With a hard thud, they got Juice up on the table and sent the prospects for whiskey and weed. Tara never hesitated and instantly began cutting his shirt off while Jax maneuvered his cut from his body.

"Jesus," she stopped and looked at Jax. "Is Chibs coming? I'm going to need help." As soon as she touched his skin, Juice hollered through grit teeth trying to hold in how badly it hurt.

"I don't think so." Reaching into her bag Jax snapped on a pair of gloves. "Tell me what to do, doc."

"What can I do?" Happy asked, his heart heavy as he watched Juice suffering in such a dire situation.

Jax shook his head. "Pour some whiskey on your shit. I don't need to lose you to some infection bullshit."

Looking at Happy, Tara agreed. "If you need a stitch or two I'll handle it once I get Juice taken care of, definitely clean it though."

When he reached for the whiskey, Tara cleared her throat and nodded toward the bottle of alcohol. "At least use that, I put some in the apartment bathroom."

"We're good." Jax said, he kept his eyes on his work but spoke to Happy. "Go."

--

Rory could hear Emma beginning to wake up just about half way home. She smiled at the little noises and began speaking to the little one in a perky voice.

"We'll be home soon." She said. "We're going to have dinner with Daddy. How's that sound, baby?"

Although her babble was beginning to turn into real words, at that moment, Emma just repeated her usual chorus of gibberish.

"Oh yeah?" Rory laughed and went along as if her daughter was actually speaking some kind of decipherable language. "Tell me more about it. What are you going to tell Daddy about your day with Uncle John?"

Just then, as they prepared to coast into town, coming toward the 'Welcome to Charming' sign, two shot up and filthy Hummers raced toward them, swerving in and out of Rory's lane.

"Shit," Rory hissed. She stepped on the gas in an attempt to blow pass them. In the split second before she cleared it, the Hummer swerved as the occupants tried to deal with a hemorrhaging accomplice. Rory turned the wheel hard but the Hummer still connected with her door and sent her slamming into that damn sign.

--

Happy paced out front of TM waiting anxiously for Rory to return. They were supposed to meet at the clubhouse and depending on the little girl's mood hang out for a beer or maybe grab dinner at Hanna's but that plan had been wiped away. She was late and she wasn't answering her phone, he knew her rule about calls while driving but it still terrified him.

The rest of the club had arrived back and, while still in bad shape, Juice would most likely make it. Jax called for Happy and he impatiently sat for three stitches in his side.

"We got any word on who?"

Tig shook his head. "Nothing but the Russians are pissed. They lost two."

"I can't find Rory." He admitted quietly. "She should be back by now."

"Where was she?"

"Oregon, birthday thing for the baby with that bounty bitch."

"You try him?"

"No number."

"This is where Juicy would come in handy." Tig glanced over to the chapel doors knowing he was sprawled out on the table unconscious. "You feeling up to a ride?"

"Yeah." He glanced down at the blood staining his white undershirt. "Let's go."

First the pair went by Happy's, with no luck, then on the most direct route out of town. He knew how she was; Rory was, in most things, direct and a scenic longer drive probably wouldn't appeal to her. The flashing red and blue ahead of them was terrifying. Nearly laying his bike down, Happy raced to her smashed, and very empty, car.

"I was just calling the clubhouse." Unser explained as he waved his phone at Happy. "They're okay. Rory took a hard smack to the head, she was pretty dazed. We sent them to Saint Thomas for some tests to be sure everything's alright."

"What the hell happened?" Tig asked as he looked over the wreckage with morbid fascination.

"It looks like a legitimate accident." Unser called out after Happy as he sprinted back to his bike. "Just a regular asshole hit and run."

"I don't think that matters," Tig said as he started following Happy to the bikes. "Let me know what you find out. I need you looking out on this."

Unser watched them both squeal away. "And who the hell is looking out for me?"

--

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