Spark in the Dark

Chapter 126

The next morning, Juice talked Shawn into taking a day off work and spending the day at TM instead. She wasn't feeling well still from Caruso hitting her in the face the night before and Juice was worried Brent would show up, again, while he wasn't home. Shawn hadn't wanted to spend an entire day stuck at the clubhouse, but she was putting what Juice needed at that moment ahead of what she wanted.

Juice drove them to TM in the van since he hadn't wanted to leave long enough to return it to TM the night before. He didn't share his concerns with Shawn, but Juice wouldn't have put it passed Brent to be watching and waiting for Juice to leave to try to get Shawn alone, again. Once he knew Shawn was settled at the clubhouse, he gave her a kiss goodbye and left for the warehouse.

There weren't many people there that morning, so Shawn helped herself to some coffee and headed outside to a picnic table to drink it while playing a game on her phone. She had tuned out the rest of the world, so the sound of voices approaching her startled her a bit. Shawn looked up to see Tara holding baby Thomas in her arms as she walked with Gemma and, much to Shawn's surprised, Dawn.

"Dawn? What the hell are you doing here?" Shawn asked.

"Its Margaux now with an X," Dawn told her. "What the hell happened to your face, Princess? Your tiara fall down and break your nose?"

"Yes, that is exactly what happened. How'd you guess?" Shawn answered sarcastically.

"Girls," Gemma warned as she ushered Dawn into the building. "Call your dad, please?"

"Sure thing," Shawn told her. They went inside and Shawn stood and paced in the parking lot as she called Tig. He didn't answered the first time she called, so Shawn waited a minute before trying, again. That time, he answered. "Dad? Hey, I think you need to get to TM. Dawn is here."

"She is?" Tig asked. "Everything okay?"

"I have no idea. She said exactly three sentences to me before Gemma had to separate us to keep from fighting."

"Okay, okay. I'll be there soon."

Shawn hung up and went over to the side door to the clubhouse, which was the closest door to her now after she had wandered while on the phone. She walked down the hall and turned the corner to enter the bar area of the clubhouse and saw yet another woman, standing with her back to Shawn. It took Shawn half a second to recognize Ima and, judging by the look on Gemma and Tara's face, she wasn't welcome to be there. Shawn walked up behind Ima and crossed her arms.

"I suggest you get your shit and get out," Gemma order Ima, but Ima didn't move. "Bitch, she will rip your little tits off."

Ima turned and came face to face with Shawn. Shawn stayed silent and stared Ima down.

"Stop doing that! I hate when you sneak up on me!" Ima told Shawn and walked back down the hall. Gemma and Tara went back outside, leaving Thomas with Piney, and Shawn walked over to Dawn, who was standing with Chuckie.

"So, you going to tell me now what you're doing here?" Shawn asked.

"What? Is Dad only allowed to love you?" Dawn bitched.

"A simple no would have been good enough," Shawn said and sat at the bar to wait for Tig to arrive. She listened as Chuckie did his best to flirt with her and Dawn played right into it. Shawn caught herself rolling her eyes more than once at them. Lyla suddenly walked in, looking upset. It dawned on Shawn at that moment why Ima was in the clubhouse. "Oh, shit."

"Where is she?" Lyla asked.

"Where's who, darling?" Piney asked her.

Ima came back down the hall. She and Lyla exchanged words and confirmed what Shawn had been worried about. Opie had cheated on Lyla the night before with Ima. Lyla pulled back a fist to hit Ima as Tig, Bobby, and Juice walked in. Ima pulled her gun out of her purse and pointed it at Lyla. Shawn stood and moved in front of Dawn as she grabbed her wrist to keep her from moving away. Tig kicked Ima out of the clubhouse and Lyla ran down the hall crying. Shawn tried to follow Lyla, but Lyla sent Shawn away, wanting to be alone.