Lion's Den

Chapter 26

The past few days had been hectic. Due to Gemma being on the run Roxy and Harley had to step up in terms of helping organise Half Sack's funeral. Roxy couldn't believe he was gone, he was so young, fun, and full of life and now he was just gone.

Jax was completely out of it. Roxy had been to see him a couple of times but he was drunk and high so she had to just leave him to it. Watching Abel being taken away on the boat killed him and knowing there was nothing he could do about it was worse.

So far there were no leads. Juice was spending every waking minute down at the clubhouse searching whatever he could on the computer to come up with something. The rest had their ears to the ground listening for anything that would help.

Roxy was staying at the clubhouse with Juice. They figured it was best until they knew exactly what was going on. Plus with Juice being there searching it meant they could still spend some time together. Roxy had taken indefinite unpaid leave from her job. It would probably bankrupt her and set her career back but the hospital understood after hearing what happened to her nephew and friend.

The worst thing was not being able to talk to her mum about it all; Abel, Jax, sorting out the club. She didn't know about Abel. That had been Clay's call. He knew if Gemma found out about Abel's disappearance there'd be no keeping her away from Charming and then she'd be screwed thanks to Stahl framing her.

Roxy was currently sitting on Juice's bed making notes of what she needed to buy for the clubhouse given there were so many lodgers staying from other charters to help out. Juice was busy talking on his burner phone whilst typing something in the computer.

"Thanks bro." He flipped the phone closed and jumped up. "We got a lead babe."

Roxy sat up too. "You do?!"

"Yup. Gotta go, I'll let you know what happens." He gave her a swift kiss, grabbed his kutte and bolted out the door to find the others.

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They spent the morning following Juice's lead meeting with Laroy and some guy he knew that had sold Cameron a passport and some papers. Unfortunately he hadn't made a child's papers. Which meant either Abel was somewhere in the country still while Cameron fled, or the worst option, Abel was dead.

Jax had immediately jumped to that conclusion but the rest of the guys decided to stay positive. For his sake. Plus they had no solid evidence either way.

Their next lead had led them to the docks and then on another wild goose chase through the back streets to a yard full of bangers who, once again did not know where Abel was despite having bought the boat off Cameron.

Now they were back to square one and at the clubhouse again. Juice was sitting in one of the booths with Roxy snuggled into his lap. She was just as disheartened as Jax but she was trying not to go down the same dark path in her mind. Snuggling up to Juice was helping that.

As their relationship developed, especially now it was public and they were no longer hiding secrets, she was becoming way more comfortable within herself and relying on Juice. Something she needed since being with Matt. It was nice to have a guy actually take care of her and take an interest in her wellbeing. Rather than destroy it. Although it was under shit circumstances it was nice to know she could rely on Juice for things.

"I'm worried about Jax though babe. I don't think he'll ever recover if something actually happens to Abel." Roxy was toying with the rings on the fingers of the hand he has rested on her thigh. The other gripped a beer.

"Yeah he's gone off the deep end a bit."

"So long as he can pull himself together long enough for Sack's wake." She fiddled with one ring in particular. A heavy skull one which she knew he had worn in the fight the other night given she'd watched him clean it when he got back. The stress of the club turmoil at the moment had Juice's compulsions on high alert. His dorm was even more spotless and orderly than usual, and his showers were becoming longer and more frequent by the day. Roxy was sure that if he kept it up he'd be showering after every time he stepped out of the room.

So on top of everything else Roxy was trying to keep Juice on the straight and narrow too so he'd actually be of use to the guys. Given that he wasn't medicated Roxy knew that if he let them his compulsions could take over and once you went down that route it was a hard way back.

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Roxy smoothed out her black dress and threw on her leather jacket over the top. She rushed out into the barroom to meet the others before they headed off to Sack's wake.

She had been running late thanks to the fact she had to iron Juice's shirt to oblivion so it was perfect for him. He would have done it himself but he was neck deep in computer chasing for Abel.

As they rolled out, with Roxy carefully perched on the back of Juice's bike, the lot reverberated with the sound of Harley tailpipe. There were loads of members here from a lot of different charters.

Dubrowski's funeral home was even more packed.

Roxy made her way through the crowd to Sack's casket. It warmed her heart that they'd patched him in posthumously. He'd have been chuffed with that.

Roxy and Sack weren't especially close, given that she'd not been back all that long. And with him still being a prospect he wasn't particularly included in things with her. However on the times they'd managed to hang out or he'd been tasked with babysitting her, he'd been a sweet guy. And at the end of the day he'd given his life to protect her nephew. Sack had already laid his life on the line for his country when he served over seas. So for him to die for her nephew was a big deal.

Kneeling in front of the casket Roxy said a quick prayer before kissing her hand and placing it on the kutte.

After Roxy retreated the rest of the SAMCRO made their way in to pay their respects. Roxy gave them space and made her way over to where Harley and Tara were standing. Harley was still rather emotional given her Mum's funeral was only a few days ago in the same place. Luann's had been peaceful, well as peaceful as it gets with a bunch of porn stars in the room. But Luann would have gotten a kick out of it. Her sister sure did.

After a few moments the guys made their way back over, Juice slinging an arm around Roxy's shoulder, silently claiming her in front of the unfamiliar MC brothers who had been eyeing her.

Roxy let her head rest on his side as he led her out the front. Juice, Chibs, Opie, Lyla, Roxy and Tara stood out the front to wait on the others. Lighting up a smoke Roxy curled more into Juice's side.

They made small talk with Kozik and some of the other Tacoma guys who had made the trip for Sack.

Eventually Clay and Jax appeared and the group made their way to the front. Just as they neared the road, Roxy heard a van's engine revving. And as if in total slow motion she saw the door slide open and a machine gun barrel point out. Just as it opened fire the group stopped and Juice shoved Roxy to the floor.

The sound of the firing seemed to go on for hours, and when it stopped everything was too quiet. At first Roxy could hear nothing. Then after a couple of seconds she could hear Juice's ragged breathing as he laid over her, as if someone was slowly turning up the volume Roxy started to hear the screams and shouts of all those around them.